[Archived] Alan Shearer Poll.

[tony gale's mic]

tgm you win sturrock it should be then.

A manager with experience and with a good track record, is that too much to ask?

ten Cate, Advocaat, Laudrup, a long shot but Bilic...all much better candidates than Shearer.

[b12_simon]

As it will with any manager.

Very true but I'd be more confident of an experienced manager bouncing back from a dip in form.

[JAL]

Whats did Shearer ever win in his 16 year career compared to that of Mark Hughes, how varied a career was Shearers and how many different countries did he ply his trade in to give him that wide extensive experience of how others may ply their footballing trade that could be of important value to Rovers that gives the team that extra edge over our opponents.

For me Shearer is going to need some quality, quality backroom staff to land the Ewood Park hotseat.

[tony gale's mic]

Whats did Shearer ever win in his 16 year career compared to that of Mark Hughes, how varied a career was Shearers and how many different countries did he ply his trade in to give him that wide extensive experience of how others may ply their footballing trade that could be of important value to Rovers that gives the team that extra edge over our opponents.

Playing career and managerial abilities have little relation to each other.

[RevidgeBlue]

I'm starting to warm towards the idea of Shearer - sure it would be a gamble but there is no guarantee any appointment will be a success and a foreign manager may not even be able to settle in East Lancashire.

The main thing attracting me is the thought that any success would be so much sweeter than it would under anyone else.

It's a no brainer really if the alternatives names being discussed are people like Boothroyd and Reid.

You should never give up your support because you don't like an appointment, but Boothroyd would be as close to that as it's possible to get.

Conversely if we appointed Shearer AND Ince as sort of a team I think I'd run down to Ewood Park to buy another season ticket just for the hell of it. Good cop (Shearer) / Bad cop (Ince). The new Brian Clough and Peter Taylor. Could you imagine any players messing those two about?

[den]

Very true but I'd be more confident of an experienced manager bouncing back from a dip in form.

Why? There are plenty of experienced managers who have taken their clubs down and plenty of first timers who have taken clubs up.

[tony gale's mic]

Why? There are plenty of experienced managers who have taken their clubs down and plenty of first timers who have taken clubs up.

Noone's suggesting experienced managers who have taken their clubs down. We're suggesting experienced managers who have been successful.

[thenodrog]

Hello, Newcastle fan here, you may have read about my Sam Allardyce hatred in another thread last week.

Thought I'd throw in a little bit of info on Shearer that you guys probably won't know:

When we sacked Souness, Shearer became player/coach, and with all of Souness' cronies gone, he formed a managerial truimvirate with supposed caretaker boss Roeder and reserve team coach Tommy Craig.

I get the impression that Shearer didn't want sole charge as he felt that his main duty was performing on the pitch. However, at the time, Roeder took a very collaborational approach towards his management of NUFC, with Shearer having major influence on team selection and leadership, whereas Roeder and Craig looked after the coaching and club diplomacy.

The team set out was a classic 442 with the emphasis on wingers serving up food for the strikers thanks to relentless work ethic. This is how Shearer has always wanted his team mates to play, and you could tell that he was the driving influence behind this. It is fair to say that Blackburn have the players that can make a success of this system.

Anyhow, this run of games from February was probably our best three months of football since Robson. We went from 14th to 7th, and got into Europe. I seem to remember pushing Blackburn very hard at the time even though you had a huge headstart.

Anyhow, Shearer never wanted to retire and become a manager straight away, and Freddy Shepherd never did know too much about managers outside of the PL, so choice was small, and Roeder ended up with the job. It became apparent though that Roeder was nothing more than a coach, and had a cautious and conservative and unispiring approach to management. He pushed Tommy Craig away, and Craig quit, and Newcastle went down the league.

As such, I think Shearer has demonstrated covertly that he has what it takes to manage a club if you surround him with the right coaches.

Good, very nice polite and thoughtful post, thanks...... so why dont you have him then?

[thenodrog]

As far as embarrassing posts go, that one must be up with the best.

Beyond belief..........

Sorry, I'd like to apologise for embarrassing you so much with the accuracy of my comment padihampedro.

[Roost]

Sorry, I'd like to apologise for embarrassing you so much with the accuracy of my comment padihampedro.

Dont be sorry - or condascending.

[robborover]

BTW, I heard something right at the end of the France v Romania games yesterday on MOTD, the only bit I caught was big ears saying something about "which will leave time for Alan to read through the small print of a contract". I hadn't been on t'Internet by that time but was wondering if they'd been talking about the Rovers job (?).

I saw that too. It had a double meaning though as Alan Hansen joked that he wanted to leave the match at half time, but couldn't because of his contract.

I just want to hear Ewood cheer "Shearer, Shearer, Shearer" again. I watched the Premiership Years 1994/95 at the weekend. Oh the memories! Shearer may not be the most experienced, but he would create a buzz and wouldn't take no for an answer. Though I doubt we'd get Bellamy back lol.

[Hughesy]

I saw that too. It had a double meaning though as Alan Hansen joked that he wanted to leave the match at half time, but couldn't because of his contract.

Yeah i heard that bit, was wondering if that was abit of a dig at Big Al wanting the Rovers job and leaving his contract with the BBC.

[Exiled in Toronto]

The experience argument is relative. No-one on the list has direct experience of successfully managing a top 7 premiership club, so what we are debating is who's experience is more or less likely to be able to translate into success at a top 7 premiership club.

The foreigners not settling in East Lancs is I think a good argument. It might look beautiful now, but as Sherwood once memorably said in an interview, it doesn't get light until 1pm in Winter. Standing around bossing training at Brockhall in Feb won't appeal to everyone.

While we might be able to trot out plenty of examples of great players who became bad managers, actually most were from a different era. More recent examples are showing a greter likelihood to do OK; I thinking here of Keane and Southgate. They are not the next Brian Clough, but equally nor are they the next Nobby Stiles or Alan Ball.

And unfortunately, footballers are so thick that they are far more impressed with a playing credentials than League One or Championship management credentials, which to me should rule out the cheap and cheerful names.

As to Shearer, as an original 'no way' I am now considerably warming to the idea. He has dominated every dressing room he has ever been in, at any age, so I believe he has more experience than most in handling the namby-pambies in our squad. Can he direct training, tactics etc? Probably, as long as he has his own version of Ray Harford. I would just love to see us playing the fast, exciting 442 football he has always been associated with. No plan B? I don't recall having one in 1995. Hughes needed plan B's because Plan A failed in the first half of a disproportionate number of games.

Shearer will do for me, or Ince.

[Blackburn Ender]

Excellent post, EiT.

I, too, am slowly turning from a 'don't know' to a maybe, yes.

I just thought of Jurgen Klinsmann, too. His first club jub is at Bayern Munich, probably a damn sight tougher than walking in to Ewood Park!

And he's been in the US for years.

The Germany job will have helped, but the reason he got that gig, I seem to recall, was almost because he was in California.

Brought something fresh and innovative to the party.

Can Shearer do the same?

I'd like the idea more if Mike Newell was involved. A straight talker and two guys good with the media (a large and important part of the job, nowadays, according to Alex Ferguson, who's had a reasonably successful managerial career).

[Ronin]

Not sure if Newell would be classed as good with the media though.

I'm slightly warming to the possiblity of Shearer being manager. As long as he has a good team behind him and he ticks all of the boxes that Williams is looking for in a manager, then why not. We've taken a chance on first time managers before.

The main worries would be if he's up for it and if/when the Newcastle job comes a calling will he jump ship straight away!

[Exiled in Toronto]

And of course we should not forget the best example in our history of a famous player making the transition to being a successful manager - Bob Crompton!

[promoted2001]

And lets face it the newcastle job becomes available every season!

Maybe if shearer got the managers job (only with someone experienced at his side) then we might not be last on match of the day! Plus his not McClaren. Still I'm not 100% convinced because he would jump ship at the first oppertunity if he is even half successful. At least with Hughes he played for a decent club with a manager who would only leave on his own terms meaning that this would not be an issue (no offence to newcastle).

[LeChuck]

The experience argument is relative. No-one on the list has direct experience of successfully managing a top 7 premiership club

...except Sam Allardyce, who did it for four consecutive years.

[yoda]

And of course we should not forget the best example in our history of a famous player making the transition to being a successful manager - Bob Crompton!

I brought Bob Crompton's name up on this board a few days ago and some one said "do me a favour"

[b12_simon]

...except Sam Allardyce, who did it for four consecutive years.

[rover6]

Go on then name one appointment thats not been risky?

They wanted fergie out in his early time.

Martin O'Neill was zero risk for Villa. Well, it's easy to say in hindsight but I just could not envisage him mucking up. However, there aren't any Martin O'Neills available for us.

[philipl]

Martin O'Neill was zero risk for Villa. Well, it's easy to say in hindsight but I just could not envisage him mucking up. However, there aren't any Martin O'Neills available for us.

Dick Advocaat would surely be the closest?

[blue phil]

Martin O'Neill was zero risk for Villa.

Oh - I don't know about that .

There were plenty of people around - all massively intelligent - who argued that he didn't have the required "charisma" .......

The ideal ticket for the Rovers job would be Shearer and Newell . It's no more of a risk to me than hiring a johnny foreigner who has no ties to the country let alone the town .

If we want to play it safe then it must be Allardyce . But playing safe can be boring at times ....

[Rovermatt]

Not sure. He has shown little affinity for us since he pursued no trophies at Newcastle. I really don't want Rovers to be the experiment that doesn't work.

[tony gale's mic]

The ideal ticket for the Rovers job would be Shearer and Newell . It's no more of a risk to me than hiring a johnny foreigner who has no ties to the country let alone the town .

I really miss being around insular Blackburn folk.