If Alan really, truly meant to put the ball where it went, in the manner that it went then that has to be one of the best goals I will ever have seen.

I've been one of the ones who was beginning to think that Al was past it, but now.....

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

Answers

No doubt in my mind that he meant it, fantastic goal :))

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

I thought Bellamy's first was better....

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

Nee way Kegsy. Bellamy's was instinctive reaction, Shearer's was pure guile. Weight, direction and bend summed up in a split second, execution absolutely perfect.

And, how the hell McCoist could see it only as second best of the day is beyond me. We won't see many better.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

It was so good that there was a delayed reaction because no one believed it could go in. Best goal since, erm, Nobby's goal against 1860.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

It was a hit and hope. He did shoot but no way did he expect it to bend into the top corner like that. The old one about buying a ticket springs to mind.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

It was meant SK....have the good grace to give the man some credit :))

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

Yes it was a shot at goal.He had no other option.But you cannot say that it was not hit more in hope than expectation.Ie,if you don't shoot you don't score.It's not as if he has been banging them in of late and his confidence is sky high.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

SK, if you sat down and covered your backside you might not talk so much rubbish!!!!!

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

So Jacko,is he doing this every week then? When you and yours start giving credit to sunderland when we USED to do good things then I will reciprocate it.But until then......Oh and I am sitting down.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

Sorry soops, but I'm not quite sure how you can put just enough bend and weight on a shot without having a modicum of technique.

I ain't no footballer but even I can see the logic of finding yourself in tons of space with all the time in the world to make your mind up and deciding to try something special which, for whatever reason, came off.

If he'd just swung at it and hoped, it would have been a lot more likely to have cleared the corner flag at 50 feet and 300 mph. Not only was the swerve spot on, the weight was just right to clear Schmeichel but curl just inside the post.

Have another look, but try it as a football supporter not just a Sunderland supporter. Even I'm not daft enough to believe that Phillips just waves his leg and hopes for the best most of the time.

We might argue the relative merits of Shearer and Phillips, but I see nowt wrong in appreciating and acknowledging skill when I see it.

Just out of interest, and keeping your neutral head on, would those two be any good in the same side ? I'd be inclined to think they'd take some stopping.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

Nah - Shearer's not tall enough to win so many knock-downs. Oh - you mean not in the Mackems side? Probably ;-)) Could have been a great combination for England, but Alan retired and Kev wasn't good enough didn't get a chance.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

I think that Phillips and Shearer would be looking for the same ball all the time.Therefore not working off each other ,working against each other.As for the England snub,I for one am not sure about his ability to paly at that level but people are shouting for Sutton.Look at his goal record.Inferior record in an inferior league.Phillips has not been given a chance to fail.Andy cole has been given 14 or so chances and still gets them.Heskey is not up to standard but does do a job on occasion.When he was at euro 2000 and overlooked when we played shite was quite scandalous.We'll get a true measurement of his ability next season when he is on the bench of one of the 'bigger' clubs.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

So are you telling me Super that this is all a wind up just because we don't give your namesake credit - or do you REALLY BELIEVE goals like Shearer's yesterday are just hit and hope? It was like Speckham's against the Greeks - could have gone anywhere - nowt to do with technique!

On a totally different matter, and while I've got the attention of a sensible makem, do you belive Reid will turn your season round? In the last couple of seasons he's started really well then seemed to lose it - the turnaround seems to have happened much earlier this year. Is it the players or is it the bloke managing them? Without being rude (honest) the two live matches I've seen recently (admittedly only the second half on Saturday) you have looked a bit clueless. Phillips has tried like mad in each game but his body language suggests he's not happy - he seems to look constantly fed up. This isn't a wind up mate - it's a genuine question. Do you think Reid is loathe to spend money because of his huge investment in the club - does he look more at the balance sheet than what's happening on the pitch or is that just a bloody silly idea? I'd like to hear your thoughts.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

http://www.readytogo.net/2002/ftmxviews/582.html

Look here and you will see an answer to your question about the finances.I know the author quite well,ahem.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

Cheers SK. Interesting. I think you undersell yourselves, btw, when you say no one knows you lot outside England. I wasn't going to tell you this but I was in the Barcelona club shop in the summer and they had makem shirts on sale! They weren't the only English ones but they were the right kit manufacturer to get in there. I know it almost ruined me holiday!!!

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

Undersell ourselves??????????? Thats the stuff I hear every time I go into a licensed premises.I will hear it next in about 90 mins!

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

Of course Shearer meant it, I can't believe anyone would question it.

He certainly wouldn't have hit it the way he did if he thought it was likely to fly over the bar, it was intentional and it was brilliant. Dougal is right about the delayed reaction as well, everyone seemed to pause for 2 seconds, then jump up like mad.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

Fair shout Soops. I too am not one of these "Financial Wizards" (more like Wizard Prang) but it would seem that Murray et al (Reid??) are being overly prudent with the finances. Of course, that also tends to mean "less ambitious", with clubs like Chewsee, Leeds and even Toon pushing the boat out a long long way to try to buy success. But if that success isn't forthcoming, then financial ruin could be just around the corner.

I'm not one to deride SAFC for giving away tickets to the bairns. Quite rightly, they recognise where the next generation of supporter will come from. As most of us can testify, get 'em young and you've got 'em for life. In this respect, I think SAFC are way ahead of NUFC. Wouldn't be great (perhaps you'll not agree but many other on here will) to see the empty spaces in the "posh seat" filled with screaming kids? Well, maybe not the others in those posh seats, but if we recognise that the "exclusive seats" with their exclusive prices aren't sellingm then why not create a kids area? It won't cost (unless they give 'em free Champagne etc) and the atmos would be increased by having a full ground for every match.

But apart from that, with you lot, I honestly can't see you pushing for a CL place. Yes, I know we aren't quite there yet either, but I know which one is more likely to make it. UEFA is probably as much as you could aspire to, unless of course you can marry Peyter's good eye for a bargain with more liberal splashing of the cash. No doubt, Reid can recognise a good player. But whether he's able to purchase one is much less likely.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

There are still a canny few NUFC kids that like going to matches. Whether they are going now or not doesn't stop them being supporters so they may still buy tickets if and when they can afford them.

It's a nice idea by Sunderland to subsidise kids' tickets, but if it means that they can't compete with the top 6 and progress then it may well be a backwards move, as Screach says. If they don't bring in the cash, they can't get players. In the worst case they get relegated and the kids lose interest from watching Gillingham and Grimsby every week and invest their money in ballet lessons or some other alternative activity.

How come they are adding more seats to the ground if they can't sell the tickets for full price? Isn't this a bit of bad business? I know that it would be silly adding any more to SJP, as it rarely fills up. It is close, ie 1000 away from capacity, but very rarely full.

Anyway, this is a bit off topic, nothing to do with whether Shearer meant to score his volley or not.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

You know superkev, I'd be quite surprised if SAFC lacked the finance to go after a couple of big signings. Like the Toon, they couldn't go after a JSV or even a RVN. However, I really believe the reticence is principally down to Reidy's own management philosophy.

He values teamwork above everything else, and is very wary of buying high- priced, highly-paid stars who might adversely affect team moral. You only have to look at what happened at the Boro with players like Ravenelli and Emerson to understand where he's coming from.

If you look at where Reid has taken SAFC with this philosophy, it difficult to argue with him - he has achieved a lot. However - I genuinely believe Peyter will need to take a few risks with his basic philosophy if he ever hopes to make the next transition into a team that can really challenge for honours. That remains the ultimate challenge for Reidy.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

It's a catch 22 situation Clarky, if he doesn't buy big name players, the Hoolios and Sewpah's of the team will want out to satisfy their ambition and they'll be back to square 1.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

I totally agree Paul. It's just it's against Reidy's best instincts.

He's has dabbled with what he regards as spending serious money and had his fingers burned - Nunez, Fireguard, Hutch, Kilbane, and now Leslandes. On the other hand, I'm sure he looks at bargains like Fanny Craddock (who I rate, btw), McCann, Sorensen, and KP and says " why can't I just keep finding more like these guys - they fit in, we don't pay them the earth, and they work their nuts off for the Club."

The key point as you suggest, is that he simply doesn't have forever to build a side in this way, the Hoolio's and KP's of the world have moved on, have tasted the good life, and want success - now.

There is little doubt in my mind that Reidy needs to swallow hard, and splash the cash, or he is likely to find himself starting all over again, and just possibly doing it in the Nationwide - with the natives having become extremely restless!

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

I'm with Soops. I bet if Big Al were honest, he'd admit that when he struck the ball, he'd have a 1 in 10 chance of scoring (if that). Still, you've got to be in it - to win it. Soops isn't saying it bounced in off Shearers arse - he's saying it was a bit of 'hit n hope'. Well, hope springs eternal.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

Thank you for the last comment. As i said,he did shoot but I do not think he expected the outcome.Take a penalty or freekick and you know where you want it to go.Shearer was aiming at the goal but could he really be confident of the outcome?

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

If by hit and hope you mean Shearer looked up, saw the keeper off his line and standing on the near post, then deciding he needed to get his foot under the ball to lift it over him rather than hit it as hard as he could with his instep and hope it went in, Yes.

It was a hit and hope shot.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

Got to be impressed by the confidence of Shearer. He could easily have blasted it. That was the easy way out. But he had the pressence of mind to know a softer better aimed shot would be better. Considering he gets so few chances these days, it was impressive to see him make the shot the way he did.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

Shearer is doing better in the goalscoring stakes than he seems to be given credit for (especially by Nick, who would get rid of him given half a chance!). He's got 5 in the premiership. Currently only 5 players in the league have more than that. With the exception of Hasselbaink and Henry, who I think we can all agree are streets ahead of anyone else, he's right up there with most of the better premiership strikers. Not bad for an old man who's supposed to be past it and who is now playing a much more withdrawn role. He's playing a lot of great passes for Bellamy, and his running off the ball opens things up for Bellamy to use his pace. Throw in his great defensive work - John Gregory even commented on how even at 3-0 Shearer ran 70 yards to defend a corner - and he's starting to look indispensible.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

Now then. Don't point the finger at me. Especially your little finger on your left hand. I'm the first to say Shearer had a great game and is getting better by the game. The team play well when the opposition are chasing the game and leaving space in behind. However, we've all seen how Shearer can have a dismal game when we're a goal down. But I suppose that is the bad side of our team. Bellamy is electric when he runs onto a pass into space - but when we're a goal down and the opposition are playing a 10 man defence, we struggle. And I think Shearer struggles more than most when that happens. When Cort comes back we have the option of subbing Shearer if we go behind. Cort faces goal more than Shearer.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

The 'ten man defence' point is the crux of what we're up against I think. We haven't yet mastered the art of playing the same style we did on Saturday, when the openings aren't as obvious. That's when we invariably start this 'stop the ball while and have a look round for somebody in space' style.

When there isn't anybody cos they're being crowded out, the ball goes sideways or backwards so the problem becomes somebody else's. I'd far rather see them take a few more chances in those circumstances and push more people forward, so the defenders have more people to watch.

It might play into the hands of the sides that rely on the quick break , but I'd settle for that if it meant the problem becoming one of trying to score more on the break than the opposition, rather than the way it is now of looking for ways through without leaving ourselves exposed, plodding and very boring, imo.

We'd probably all be nervous wrecks, but it wouldn't half look good.

Soops, I think you could be surprised at Shearer and Phillips in the same side. You're right, they're both very similar in style, but I think a manager worth the name could come up with some system that could accommodate the pair of them.

I think it would boil down to convincing them that their effectiveness would increase by much more than double if they could trust each other in those situations where it's easier to lay the ball off when one or the other is better placed, rather than go for glory every time. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours, sort of thing.

Ok, maybe that's completely alien to centre forward mentality, and it's far from an ideal world, but a set up like that I think would give even a ten man defense plenty to think about.

-- Anonymous, November 05, 2001

Kegsy , your not alone I also thought bellamy's 1st was better . Whilst I also think AL did mean to shoot , after all he opened his body and SIDE footed the ball. It was a very good goal . However Bellamy received a ball over his sholder and Buried it into the top corner with his weaker foot.

-- Anonymous, November 05, 2001

As mentioned elsewhere, Shearer's goal is goal-of-the week (or whatever) on My Auntie's site.

I have to say, that animation makes it a lot clearer :-(

-- Anonymous, November 05, 2001

I've just downloaded the goal from the Spysports site (the link is on another thread) and I'm sure he aimed for the corner, it's in the shape of his body and the follow through.

Class goal, gets better everytime I see it, it's a moment that will live long in the memory.

-- Anonymous, November 05, 2001

WHAT A LOAD OF PANTS. Scoring a goal like that takes natural skill. Nothing more. Shearer's goal was natural instinct. To side foot it probably takes even more skill. Try it yourself, it's bloody difficult. Bellamys goal was also stunning, to turn 180 and hit the spot like that was awesome. Natural skill again. If Henry had scored that goal, or even Veron then he'd be hailed as the worlds best... I think the only other player i know who could have scored a goal like Shearers would probably be a younger Mark Hughes or even (here goes) Marco Van Basten (but not now of course!). And remeber this WAS past Schmeichel...

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2001

For a while I have been describing Shearer to some pals as being just like Mark Hughes. As he has aged and slowed he has lost none of his body strength just the pace in the legs. His hold up play is just brilliant and on Saturday was fantastic. He always had a superb shot on him, and again on Saturday he showed that he still had that technical skill.

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2001

I have watched the goal about a hundred times now and I have changed my mind. Bellamy's was a great goal but one that could be repeated by most people (give me a hundred tries and I may be able to do it - when me leg gets better :-)) whereas most players couldn't dream of scoring the Shearer goal - a class goal. Shearer would have scored both whereas Bellamy would only have scored the first. Rudolph helped Shearer by moving a fraction to his left - expecting the low drive but it was still an excellent goal.

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2001

Andy Grrrrrry on Sky last night pondered over both goals before judging that Bellamy's was the harder one to convert.

On that basis alone I now know that Shearer's was the best!

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2001

But Alan Shearer is Andy Gray's favourite player isn't he? (That's a serious point by the way, he once did an hour long show on Shearer and how he was the best player he'd ever seen)

Maybe he's jumping on the Bellamy bandwagon.

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2001

Just downloaded the highlights from the official site and have it repeating over & over - excellent.

-- Anonymous, November 08, 2001

I saw a thing the other day where Andy Gray said that you couldn't estimate Alan Shearer's (at his peak) value in today's terms: well over £25 million, he said.

-- Anonymous, November 08, 2001