I know this is probably going to be seen as unforgivable sacrelege, but I'm starting to wonder if maybe Shearer is becoming an inhibiting factor.

It's beginning to look to me like the young players are so conscious of AS' presence, it inhibits them in playing this 100 mph passing game that was obvious, to me anyway, in the last 17 minutes at Derby.

Also, a lot of the time, when Shearer is back helping out and we manage a quick break, it seems to come to a halt because Shearer has a hell of a job making up the ground that Bellamy, Dyer, Lx3 etc have gained from the break.

Seems to me, it might prolong AS' active life if Bobby told him not to help out at the back, important as this might be, but just hang around in the middle of the pitch so that he doesn't have so much ground to make up.

I quite often get the impression that when an instinctive pass is made at speed, the passer has assumed that somebody is aware of that possibility and is off and running in plenty of time. But because of Shearer's dominant presence, it's quite often he who is left catching up, and the pass ends up looking like a complete miss-hit.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

Answers

Al past it ?

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

I can see what you're saying PB but I don't agree....yes he isn't as fast as the others but he brings qualities to our team which we need and would struggle without......his physical presence, leadership, ball holding/distribution skills and goal scoring prowess are not to be taken too lightly....

How many times last season when he wasn't playing did we not have a presence up front or did we complain because Ameobi couldn't hold the ball up and it would come straight back at us? I think him and Bellamy work very well together....one tenacious and fast and the other able to take the pressure off and play people in...

I had said to myself at the beginning of this season that it was make or break for him...in my eyes! he's come through with flying colours for me....

Yes we might need to change our tactics to make him more effective at times but he's still in my first team :))

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

Mac can you hide this thread before Clarky sees it...he'll swing for poor old PB when he does :)))

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

Agree with Gav, although I'd actually be more comfortable if he wasn't ever present so that we'd know exactly where we stand with other available options. With more European football next season, we need to rotate a bit up front.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

i got an interesting eye witness verdict on saturday's performance from a well respected source.

among other comments was the opinion that "shearer was hopeless" not quick enough, couldn't close defenders down, control not good enough etc.

i've been harping on this point for 2 seasons and i'll still maintain that for 50k per week (or whatever he gets) nufc is entitled to a better striker than alan shearer is today.

ask yourselves which of the other top seven teams would be interested in having him in their team today?

and, think of the 12 first choice strikers at the other six clubs, (fowler, viduka, hasselbaink, gudjonnsenn, etc etc.) compare these players with shearer, who would you rather have at nufc?

a retirement announcement today with his last 3 games at blackburn. sjp and southampton would be perfect.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

Hence my comment that we need better cover for our strikers next season on another thread....we've got Bellamy, Cort and now potentially Luax2 for one spot but no-one in my opinion who would get close to filling Al's spot....sorry Ameobi...not for me mate....

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

his physical presence, leadership, ball holding/distribution skills and goal scoring prowess are not to be taken too lightly

I agree but he's not quick and his hair is falling out. His come back from injury this year has been brilliant but we are a major Champions League force now. He must be used more selectfully next season.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

GB i'd have Hasselbaink or Gudjohnssen from that list...I wouldn't touch Viduka with a shitty stick....he's NOTHING compared to Big Al...unfortunately either of those 2 mentioned above would cost far in excess of 15million!

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

I've said for the past 2 years that he's past it. BUT I have changed my mind this season as he has done the job of scoring goals. I believe that when we have Shearer in the team we tend to play in a certain way and that involves every attack going through him. When he doesn't play I believe the football we play is a lot more fluent, passing and is played with pace - a pace too fast for Shearer if he was to be playing. Again, something I've said for ages is that Shearer would be a superb midfielder - very strong, superb at passing etc etc. I'd like to see Shearer take a more back seat role next season (although he won't) - give the likes of LLL, Chopra and god forbid Cort a run alongside Bellamy and see how it goes.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

gav,

how about henry, bergkamp, owen, heskey, anelka, litmaanen, solkjsaer,van nistelrooy, kewell, keane, smith etc etc.

my point is that all of the above (mental illness aside) scare defenders more than shearer does today.

if he's not bottom of this list he's close to it.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

Not convinced the defenders on who's behalf you speak would agree with you GeorgeB. If they do )agree with you) they lie through their teeth when interviewed.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

George, I have to disagree with your reliable eye witness. Shearer played his usual game. He might give away some freekicks but he also gains us quite a few - especially if we have a decent ref ;-) In case your witness didn't remember, it was Shearer's persistence that gained us the corner from which we scored the first goal. We were going nowhere when he got the ball and he certainly played for the corner, no doubt aware of our arial threat. He may no longer have the pace of JFH et al, but he's still a very effective striker in the PL (4th highest PL goalscorer this season behind JFH, Henry and RvN). He won't last forever, but still has a lot to offer NUFC.

As for dropping back into M/F TJC - not an option I would choose. First of all, we have the central M/F for our foreseeable future - LKD and JJ. Yes, maybe Shearer could fill in, but no more so than Speed and possibly Acuna. Keep him as a striker but definitely don't play him as frequently as we have done.

WRT to Pit Bill's original question, my I remind you just how successful we have been this season playing Shearer alongside a more mobile striker? There will be times when even more mobility (eg. Lua x2) will be needed (as in your example at Derby) and others when Cort will be required to play. Let's not write the owd bu99er of yet - not Shearer ;-)

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

Sorry GB...I might be deflecting from your point here but I wouldn't have...heskey, anelka, litmaanen, kewell, keane, smith instead of Shearer....yes there are strikers who are currently better than him in the premiership but he's still a top class act for me...and over a season better than most....

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

No way am I saying get shot, and I take all of your points Gav. I was just thinking out loud of ways to keep Shearer going in the most productive way.

It was just so bliddy obvious in that last 17 minutes, and I know it's nowhere near long enough to be able to come to any really valid conclusion, but it did nudge my curiosity as to why it was so obvious.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

Another thread to look back on in a year's time (like the one when we signed Bellamy) when Al wins the golden boot and lifts the European cup along with all the domestic trophies:-))

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

Shearer does still have alot to offer the team, certainly experience alone he's well above any of our other strikers. I do think he needs to be used a bit more sparingly from next season. There will be 'easier' matches that will be good opportunities to give our other strikers more experience. Save Shearer for the matches where his fear factor, ability, and experience will be needed (esp in the CL, top half league opponents, and FAC). Still gives him plenty of games, and hopefully lessens the chance of him getting injured through overuse. Not much we can do if his friends decide to head- butt him, though. ;-)

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

He's simply class all round, is Shearer. For: one of the best crossers of the ball in the game, strong header, powerful shot, subtle and excellent 1st touch, control, vision, strength to tie up defenders, tracks back, defends well. Against: getting a bit slower and sale value may be in question.

No real contest for me. As for comparing to other top strikers, he stands up with the best of them. Even Sven enquired about Al's availability for England. Henry is a potent force, but doesn't have the finishing or range of play Shearer has. Heskey is fast becoming a bit of a joke. Owen again is great but has plenty of iffy games (like Liverpool's recent European jaunt). He is 4th in the PL top scorers and is the leading English goalscorer by 4 (Owen has 16). And Shearer has a better %age goal/shot in the penalty area (compared to Henry) - 26 vs 27% after playing 5 1/2 hrs more football this season (which started recovering from serious injury).

Basically, he's probably the best English striker for a generation, tenacious, demanding, greedy for goals, takes the knocks and the jibes and comes back stronger than before. Hero.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

all the plus points for shearer on this thread are valid

i suppose i'm the only one who's noticed that he can't run any more and that he has a hell of a time against the really good teams

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

Pit Bill - "17 minutes does not a season make!" Just check the goalscorer tables.

As for gb's "well respected source", could I suggest he sports his red 'n white top next time around, cos he's talking bollox.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

if i'd known that shearer won the corner that led to the first goal my opinion would no doubt have been different.

strikes me that there are 2 alan shearers, one who exists in the minds of many of the sjp crowd and the one that actually plays for the toon. the first one is routinely cannonised for winning a corner or tucking away a penalty, the second spends most games playing ok but not as good as the other strikers in potential CL teams.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

I can't believe this is still being dragged out!
A team is a team, it's made up of not just raw skill-but characters, workers, thinkers and so on. Shearer was not the player the source saw on Saturday. In fact Besty mate, i think your source had been on the sauce before the match! Shearer was a bit of everything. He had the character, he put in the work and he was certainly thinking because he was trying damn hard to get THAT goal! Luey certainly didn't look intimidated either. In fact Shearer was encouraging him (read the players comments) and playing him in at every opportunity. The guy scored his 200th, i'll say it again 200th goal in the premier league. Lua lua was first hand to see what that meant, and what it meant to the fans who were there. I could blah blah on - but it's a waste of time. Shearer is a Geordie legend. The Express et al, can place him as a 1 column report today 3 pages in to the sports section, rival fans can slag him off, even his own fans can but you can never devalue his achievements. As for the future i hope he keeps playing as 'badly' as he did on Saturday because thats good for me!

As for those other strikers named, who else would give a toss like Al does? who would dive in for challenges with a broken nose?(Gabriel Batistuta wouldn't, he missed a match yesterday with a much less dangerous face injury)who else would smash records for the fans? I'm not writing about this subject anymore. Shearer is a Toon legend and deserves

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

aol, pah

he deserves our respect, got it?

...

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

he's got my respect!

supermac is a toon legend too, but i wouldn't fancy him in a one on one with jaap stam right now.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

gb - do you ascribe ANY value whatsoever to the opinions of other Toon fans on here - people like Screacher who have been to virtually every match, home & away, this season? Or do you prefer to rely totally on the opinion of your "respected source" - principally because it happens to be a good fit with your long-espoused anti- Shearer stance? Of course, if you maintain this particular position for long enough eventually you will be correct!

Although most Toon fans accept that Alan's powers are gradually diminishing, they realise that his like comes along once in a lifetime, and that fully replacing him will be nigh on impossible.

He has been a major contributor to our relative success this season - and not just through the goals he has scored - and I for one hope he can keep going for another couple of seasons before finally, and deservedly, hanging up his golden boots: he is one of the very best, of all time.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

It wasn't his best game on Saturday by any means but he played a vital role in our team. We have nobody like him to play such a role, and as a finisher he is top class.

Henry is poor in front of goal in comparison, he rarely scores anything apart from one on ones with the keeper running from the left hand side.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

Hey - don't bring me into this argument. I'm only the Stealth Astra ©'s pilot. Therefore, my vision is limited and a witness said my eyes aren't reliable. However, with the aid of my reading specs, and my hearing aid, it has not escaped my attention that Alan Shearer has scored more goals in the Premiership than any other Englishman, and only 3 other players have scored more. Just tell me GB, what does AS have to do to gain your support? Retiring is not an acceptable answer. His days may be numbered, but not to the same extent as yours.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

... last 17 minutes, and I know it's nowhere near long enough to be able to come to any really valid conclusion ...

That's from a post I made a bit higher up Clarky, so I was aware when I brought the subject up that "17 minutes does not a season make!" .

The post that started this off was meant to be along the same lines as how obviously we struggled as soon as Bellamy was missing, and I was just wondering why. I'm not 100% convinced that coming to life in the last 17 minutes at Derby was just coincidental with Shearer going off.

As I said, I wasn't trying to say Shearer's finished, but when he did go off at Derby, all hell was let loose, and Derby couldn't cope. Shearer going off was just one of, and for me the most obvious, possible explanations.

I can't see the point of ignoring that possibility just because it isn't palatable, but it doesn't mean I think any less of him.

I suppose what I'm really trying to say is that maybe we should be looking for ways to cut out the amount of running Al has to do, so that he can concentrate primarily on finishing moves off, rather than moving all the way with the build up.

If we can land the right players in defense, maybe he wouldn't need to track back so much and could carry on scaring the sh1t out of the opposition for longer than the two years we're all expecting.

After all, Robert just about has to be tortured to help out at the back and gets away with it, why shouldn't Al be able to take it a bit easier when we're not attacking ?

Yes, I know, it's so alien to his natural game, that all of this is really nothing more than speculation, because there's nothing less likely than Alan Shearer taking it easy on a football pitch as long as one leg will move in front of the other.

And when he can still score goals like that 200th, what chance have doubting toms like me got ?

As has already been mentioned, this might be an interesting thread to regurgitate in a year's time.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

Shearer is a great finisher. I think the question marks surround his ability to make goals for himself, or be the player he once was.

You cannot argue either with his life time record or his achievements this season. You can though question his ability to change a game, make something happen. He is absolutely Mr 90%, he never gives less than his all, and never hides, more than making up for his now distressing lack of pace. He is very static though.

The team can compensate for this by having Bellamy and Dyer with the blistering pace. Having Dyer running from midfield, as he did, but with little end effect, on Saturday does give options to the midfield players. Having Bellamy did similar. What I believe GB is questioning is how much better, scarier would we be if we had a more mobile version of Shearer (or even Shearer of a few years ago).

Shearer's game has become a physical battle with centre halves. This is fine in its way but not the way forward in the future. No one purrs about our forward line's mobility, it's ability to pull players out of position, it's cleverness. They do about our midfield, and Bellamy.

Shearer is great at the physical game he plays. He can shield the ball superbly, can pass it off well, but again it doesn't really hurt the opposition. When we played Arsenal their forwards were equally at ease at holding the ball up. Be it Bergkamp, Pires, Kanu or Wiltord (Henry can too) they took the ball at their feet, had fast enough feet to avoid tackles, and invariably ended up facing the opposition goal. Kanu is a brick house but the others aren't.

The replacement for Shearer needs to have the pace to keep up with Dyer and Bellamy, more of a challenge is scoring the number of goals Shearer does :0)

Apparently Kevin Philips will be available this summer !

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

PB - can I offer you another possible explanation for the turn around at Derby? The upturn not only coincided with AS's unfortunate injury, but also CC's substitution.

So, could the improvement just possibly be down to us actually playing with 11 men instead of the 10 we'd been playing with previously?

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

for me "target men" or what I'd rather call "battering rams" don't work. They may have short term benefit, may play hard physical games that are so respected in England but inthe long run just don't work. Quinn, Ferguson, Dublin, Cort will do fine but will never be part of great sides cos their style stops their sides being great. Shearer's lack of mobilty is pushing him too far in that direction

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

Macbeth - you are imo grossly underestimating the overall contribution AS makes to the team, and has made to Bellamy's emergence this season.

If you really believe CB and Rat Boy would be a more effective strike partnership than CB and Shearer then all I really want to add is that you're entitled to your opinion. It ain't mine.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

"i suppose i'm the only one who's noticed that he can't run any more and that he has a hell of a time against the really good teams."

For your benefit George - scoring records of top strikers against other teams in the top six:

Van Horseyface - 4 goals

The boy Owen - 4 goals

Henry - 4 goals

Hasselbaink - 4 goals

Viduka - 4 goals

Shearer ........

4 goals!!

Who'd have thought it!

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

I'd suggest the team had a bigger dip in form when CB was missing this year than when Shearer was missing last.

We have to play a certain way to compensate for Shearer. Shearer is worth that cos he finishes so well. I don't believe he scares the opposition any more though. They have to concentrate cos he plays for 90 minutes (always !) but he doesn't worry them. If I was an opposing manager and had to worry about playing us then Shearer wouldn't be my big concern.

As many have done I'd flood the midfield with players and stop our dangerous players from performing. If I had to pick a player to double mark it'd be Bellamy, then Dyer then Robert then Solano, but not Shearer. He takes out a centre half, who has to concentrate for the whole game but no one would dream of putting two defenders on him.

I have felt for a while that Shearer is turning into Mark Hughes, with all the positives and negatives that means. Technically spot, capable of scoring with superb shots, like against Villa, but getting more and more static, more and more withdrwan from the fray.

His replacement isn't this summer's priority, but it will be next summer's. The concern has to be that he hangs on in a Robert Lee way until we're embarrassed by him, and I don't want that to happen.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

Shearer has scored more goals this season than Hughes did in his whole career!!

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

Macbeth - I disagree entirely with your assessment of how the opposition Manager and team would view the challenge of playing against Newcastle with AS in the team - and in addition, your view is contrary to everything I have ever read by opposition Managers and players.

The views you have expressed in your final two paras I certainly do agree with. Quite naturally for a 31 yr-old CF who has had more than fair share of injuries, his ability and pace is gradually diminishing. He is an absolute hero to me, and I definitely want to see him get out at the right time with the dignity he deserves. However, he is I believe smart enough to know when his time is up.

Next summer could indeed "be it" - hopefully, he may manage one more season after that. Nevertheless, we do need to be giving early consideration to his ultimate replacement, especially if it turns out that CC is not that man. Effectively replacing the man will be incredibly difficult.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

all the managers respect him for his work ethic, his awareness of his strengths and weaknesses, his physical strength, and as Ally said on the Premiership because he makes the goalie work. This is everything you want from a player.

I would still suggest that he doesn't scare people anymore. Respect yes, but he isn't a player to worry about. Who would you rather face RVN, Jimmy, Henry or Shearer ?

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

PB - against Derby, it was right not to have Shearer on the pitch (as it turns out) for the last 17 mins or so. At that stage, we were 2-0 down and had nothing else to lose. Had it been 0-0, or say 1-1, I'm not sure we'd have seen the same response from any of the players. With us 2-0 down (soon to be 2-1 after LR's freekick) there was suddenly something to play for. Actually, on reflection, it was probably that gaol which changed the complexion of the game as much as Shearer being off the park - er, probably.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

... but also CC's substitution.

Of course it could, Clarky. I wasn't saying that my version was definitive, it was just the way it struck me, bearing in mind that there've been a number of occasions in other games when we've seen Al trailing along behind fast breaks etc, and Cort was maybe unconciously left out of the equation because he's still technically on his way back from injury.

But, yes. Playing with eleven instead of ten is just as valid an explanation.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

The one really positive thing to come from those 17min was to prove that we are no longer a team reliant on one man. Whether that be Shearer or Bellamy. We can win games without them providing everyone else works hard together. That is a huge step forward for us, IMO.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

PB and Gb I think so some extent have a point. I have long believed we have a terrible tendancy to play one dimensionally with Al on the pitch, it's a winner when we are playing well but the aweful long punt down fieldwhen we're not. My main point and also meant as a preserver of his career is to simply play him less. He really doesn't have to play every minute of every season. We play a diferent game when he's not on the field so lets make use of it...

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

... We play a diferent game when he's not on the field so lets make use of it ...

Now why didn't I say simply that, TM ?

And I agree wholeheartedly with all of the good things being said about AS, Clarky. He was the sole reason I forked out arm-and-a-leg money for membership of Club 1892, for three years, that I could ill afford, but at the time was the only way I would ever get to see him in the flesh.

And, like you, I'd be devastated if he didn't finish his career at the absolute pinnacle, and just faded away, however gracefully.

The original post was maybe a bit spur of the moment, but, if I think about it, was prompted by unconciously remembering the other occasions when Al's been left lumbering in the wake of a fast break.

That's been a bit of a concern for a while, and it was just the complete change that seemed to come over us after Al went off at Derby that stood out for me.

All I was really trying to highlight is that I think it must be nearly time to try to get him to play the sort of game that will use his strong points, without his lack of pace being so obvious.

And maybe "........ Could we be better ?" might have been a better way of putting the subject heading - hadn't intended to raise anybody's hackles. :-{E}

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2002

Pit Bill - what I object to is people implying that AS is a knackered, lumbering oaf who waits on the 18yd line for long punts up the middle, who refuses to be substituted, and insists that everyone plays the ball to him. This is patent nonsense, and completely undervalues how he has adapted his game as his pace - that was never blinding in the first place - has diminished, and let's not forget, while still scoring plenty of goals.

I believe that he and BR realised his time as a sole barnstorming target man had passed some time ago, and the introduction of CB has seen Shearer adapt his own brilliantly imo.

When CB was flying earlier in the season, Shearer did a magnificent job of holding up the ball and bringing the speed merchants into play - that is, knitting the whole thing together. His control and distribution of the ball from CF is as good as I've ever seen.

When CB was injured, we didn't just lose CB - we lost the partnership between him and AS that had worked so well. For a period we mistakenly reverted to playing with two big strikers, and our entire game reverted to what had been utterly unsuccessful in previous seasons. Not only was CC ineffective in that formation, but Shearer was also - he simply can't play that bull-dozing game any more.

With the light back on in BR's head, we have reverted to what had proven successful - using AS to occupy the opposition CB's, and to bring the speed merchants into the game: his control and subtle distribution supported by blinding pace down both channels.

The pace is critical to this game-plan - but Shearer's role is also important, and should not be underestimated imo.

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2002

Shearer v Hasselbaink. Look who's been scoring the goals in the last dozen games when their teams have really needed them. JH has only scored in 2 league games since January I think.

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2002

Saying that, I'd love to have Hasselbaink as an eventual replacement for Shearer.

But at the moment he is vital to our team. Yes, maybe we can tear apart a relegated team without him, but I doubt the same would happen against a better side who hadn't just lost 4 in a row.

As Clarky (and others :) ) have said, he plays the middle man in our attacks. As well as that he is still scoring the goals. Of course he is more static than in previous years but he still has the strength to hold up the ball without moving.

There are some valid points for and against Shearer on this thread, but at the end of the day, it is him who has scored over 20 goals this season, and bar Bellamy I couldn't see anyone scoring that many in our team. Perhaps if Robert had been more consistent he may have come close, but Shearer IS consistent, it is one of his major strong points.

I honestly think once we get a proper playmaker in midfield Shearer could be even more vital to us. We all know how lethal he is when faced with a one-on-one with the keeper, probably better than anyone in the country. Anyway, if he plays hight up the pitch, opposition defences will also sit high so they can catch up with him, instead of leaving him with less distance to the goal. Apart from anything else, this would give Bellamy as many free runs at goal as he wants as you can't play separate offside traps for each player.

In some games this season, this has happened. For teams that defend deep Shearer will have the best chances as he is better close to goal, but the other teams will be caught out by Bellamy.

A bit long winded, but basically Bellamy and Shearer are almost complete opposite players - and complement each other perfectly.

Yes Shearer isn't missed as much as Bellamy, but having both available at the same time is by far the best option for us.

He has his bad points, but despite all of these, the fact that he's still managed 23 goals and 2 penalty misses is a remarkable achievement.

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2002

So, to summarise: despite the fact that he`s slow and the team are on occassion prone to send aimless hoofs in his direction that neither he nor any other forward could do anything with, he`s the 3rd top scorer in the premiership..... he`s the top scoring Englishman in the league.... he has scored as many goals against the top teams as Henry, Hasselbaink and co.....we all seem to agree that he contributes a lot in defence... he wins corners and free kicks.... his link play is great... Not perfect, but pretty damn good in my book.

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2002

One might also mention the SIX goals (and 2 assists) he contributed in just 5 FA Cup games this season.

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2002

Or the fact that last night`s double puts him level on Premiership goals with Henry and Van Nistelrooy (who has been showered with praise all year) and just a goal behind JFF. He may yet finish as the Premiership`s top scorer - not bad for an old knacker.

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2002

Oh, and one more thing. Aside from Owen (18 goals) and Fowler (12 goals but mitigating circumstances) England are contemplating going to the World Cup with strikers like Vassel (9), Phillips (9), Sheringham (9) and Heskey (8). I accept that there are many more aspects to a centreforwards play than scoring goals, but those 4 must be making an absolutely massive contribution in other areas to make up for the fact that Shearer is scoring MORE THAN TWICE AS MANY GOALS as them. Personally I`m delighted he`ll be resting himself this summer in preparation for next season but if England were my priority I`d be gutted.

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2002

I can`t believe that anyone would choose today to start knocking Alan Shearer! He scores his 200th goal in the last game after having his nose broken in the previous one, AND, scores two more against Blackburn and puts us in the Champions League!!! There is a wonderful tribute to him before the game on Sky, and all the football pundits who really know what they are talking about (ex players etc.) are applauding him and saying how he is still feared and still has plenty more goals in him!!! Give the man a break! This is like reading tabloid journalism at it`s worst.......at least wait until he cocks up big time before you start rocking the pedestal.(:o(

I`m not so blind that I can`t see the need to sign a younger, faster `star` striker, but I doubt we will ever find a replacement who embodies every one of Shearer`s attributes.

In the mean time, Shearer is a sporting hero, and what`s more he`s OUR sporting hero, and I for one will be proud to have him lead us into Europe. (:o)

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2002

To everyone who has stuck up for Shearer on here.....keep the faith! (:o)

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2002

If he gets injured next year we'll struggle to finish top 6. That's a certainty.

The man is an absolute hero and, even at 90% of his best, 20% better than most CL centre forwards. There´s no-one I'd CURRENTLY replace him with, on current form, although obviously he won't be able to keep this up forever.

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2002

Even more reason to take care in how we use this precious resource next season. Physically, I don't think his body can handle all our matches next season(mentally...no problem!), so hopefully he won't be run into the ground in matches where our other strikers can get the job done. Though my heart would love to see him play in every single match! :-)

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2002