[Archived] Fergie Set To Retire?

[thenodrog]

If you could have combined Pickering's/Gazza's/Best's/Collymore's etc etc etc footballing ability with Shearer's attitude and temperament what a player you would have had.

btw Thats the imagination that I used decades ago to compare the graft, drive and heart of Bryan Robson with the supreme talent, vison and silky skills of Glenn Hoddle. A hybrid of those two would have been some player....... and back then no doubt we'd have signed the player made up of the spare parts.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

You're right about Collymore, he had it all skills wise, real pace, great physique, an eye for goal, but obviously something was missing between his ears. He was undoubtably potentially a top player but never really stepped up after leaving Forest.

[Stuart]

Might be misjudging you but I imagine you will gravitate to Liverpool alone before long now that we are out of the limelight. I bloody hate it but I won't hold it against you cos I've seen all this before in the 60's and 70's in our last downward spiral. The town will soon be awash with big club merchandise.

I remember feeling similar when a fan said on here he is going to stick with Yeovil.

I guess we will lose a lot of supporters very soon - "foreign" and "domestic".

[M-K]

Without meaning to offend, who gives a @#/? how you beat an opponent? Shearer is a better player than Rooney until Rooney has 261 PL goals

Yeah, Rooney! Come back when you've won five Premier Leagues, a Champions League and scored 35 goals for England.

Oh.

[Majiball]

If fergie thought Rooney was what others on here do, then he'd be fighting tooth and nail to keep him. instead by all accounts he's on the bench is his last game, doesn't bode well. Fergie clearly feels they are a better team when Waynes not playing these days.

I cannot believe people actually feel Rooney is better than Shearer was, Shearer achieved everything after a an ACL injury. The man was a beast, asked to manage our club at 26 (can you ever see anyone considering that for Rooney) and played till he was 36 and was still scoing 1 in 3 even then. 130 goals in 170 odd apps for Rovers makes anyone else look pedestrian http://www.shearer9.com/stats.shtml. He joins Newcastle at 26 and still becomes their all time leading goal scorer, wayne won't manage that with his next move.

Just take a look at all the personal awards he won the list goes on and on.

And here's Waynes http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamPlyrsBios/PlayersR/BioRooneyW.html

Your comparing Wayne to a man who came on the scene and banged a hat-trick against arsenal on his league debut and never stopped. Now I've used personal awards as I feel it helps eliminate the club issue as I have no doubt had shearer signed for United, he would have flown higher. Rooney just doesn't come close and you know it's the case when goal of the months are used as an award, I wonder how many shearer got of those. shearer did everything playing for perceived lesser clubs and with supposedly lesser players behind him, Rooney has had some of the best in the world with him and he still can't match shearer.

My one regret with shearer is that first ACL injury, I honestly think it took a small part away from him and I honestly think had he avoided that he would have become the greatest striker in history.

[roverandout]

back in the early 90s we had a glutton of talented forwards, fowler, shearer, le tissier, Ferdinand, collymoore and andy cole,, what we wouldn't give to have that kind of talent again and they were so underused and underappreciated.

[Salgado Is A Hero]

Seriously, Rooney is better than Shearer? Seriously? Because of the group stages in Euro 2004? And that one season after Ronaldo left?

[ABBEY]

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Rooney has lost the plot at present, that's obvious, but please don't let that take away from his achievements. The kid was a man at seventeen, when I watched him play in his early games I thought " Bloody Hell, this kids got it all at seventeen, regarding actually playing the game you don't have to teach him a thing. He's a natural ".

You've got to remember that the whole team ( and it was a bloody good team at that ) at Rovers was set up with one objective - make chances for Shearer to put away. Rooney has had to play all over the park most of the time, he's not a natural centre forward so he's had to play deeper, wider roles. Also he's been in a side with plenty of others players that were more than capable of putting away chances. When Shearer was banging them in Sutton and Newall got a good few but Ripley and Wilcox wouldn't get more than 10 a season between them.

As for Shearer as a manager, thank kean he turned us down, nothing he did at Newcastle and subsequently makes me think he's cut out to be a manager.

I don't like the Red Rats and I don't particularly like Rooney as a person but I haven't got blue and white eyes. I played enough myself to know a player when I see one and Rooney should have gone on to be a world beater. When you compare the relative talents Rooney ticks more all round ability boxes, I can't recall Shearer scoring many piledrivers with his left foot, As I've said before I also can't recall him going head on at a player and going around him, through them, maybe.

To finish, a good way of evaluating players is to think who would you rather play against, thank God I never had to play against either of them !

[Majiball]

Rooney has lost the plot at present, that's obvious, but please don't let that take away from his achievements. The kid was a man at seventeen, when I watched him play in his early games I thought " Bloody Hell, this kids got it all at seventeen, regarding actually playing the game you don't have to teach him a thing. He's a natural ".

You've got to remember that the whole team ( and it was a bloody good team at that ) at Rovers was set up with one objective - make chances for Shearer to put away. Rooney has had to play all over the park most of the time, he's not a natural centre forward so he's had to play deeper, wider roles. Also he's been in a side with plenty of others players that were more than capable of putting away chances. When Shearer was banging them in Sutton and Newall got a good few but Ripley and Wilcox wouldn't get more than 10 a season between them.

As for Shearer as a manager, thank kean he turned us down, nothing he did at Newcastle and subsequently makes me think he's cut out to be a manager.

I don't like the Red Rats and I don't particularly like Rooney as a person but I haven't got blue and white eyes. I played enough myself to know a player when I see one and Rooney should have gone on to be a world beater. When you compare the relative talents Rooney ticks more all round ability boxes, I can't recall Shearer scoring many piledrivers with his left foot, As I've said before I also can't recall him going head on at a player and going around him, through them, maybe.

To finish, a good way of evaluating players is to think who would you rather play against, thank God I never had to play against either of them !

One aspect I'd love to introduce is that the press back then do not compare to the propoganda of today. This is the 18 year old who bagged a hat-trick on his full debut against Arsenal, what did Rooney do in his first full game? Rooneys first goals came in the league cup at Wrexham and he bagged 2. Which one is the better 'on the scene' start? You'd just not get the press back then that was around in waynes introduction to football.

So your basically saying wayne rooney doesn't fit into any role completely on the football pitch and that's a good thing? Why were rovers set-up to play like that? He was the best striker on the planet, everyone would set to create as many chances as possible with him in the 11. Barca's all about Messi and it doesn't seem to harm them, you play to your strengths and shearer was exactly that a superior strength, reliable and dependable. Ferguson was desperate to take him to united more than once, why? Ferguson would drop rooney like a stone if the opportunity arose and drops him for matches of such magnitude. Just look at this season madrid at home, would you have shearer @ 26 on the bench for that one under any circumstances? No chance but wayne was. And there's the rub, you can have all the talent in the world but if you don't use it properly it will only ever be potential. Shearer not fufilling his potential was down to injuries and as we all saw in those games witnessed in his 1st season with us he was unstoppable. Has Rooney ever done that? no. No shearer didn't dribble with the ball much, he didn't need too, shearer played to his strengths and clearly given his record he made the right choice. Lest we forget he lost his pace as he matured and with injuries and yet still became newcastles all time leading goal scorer. shearer was adaptable, no he may not have played wide or in the hole, but that clearly shows ala giggs he had it between his ears to stay at the very very top and still perform at 36. Wayne won't be playing at 36 let alone at even a newcastle. Rooney had the footballing world at his feet and could have gone down as one of the greatest players ever but his mentality means he'll never realise his potential and the funniest part of it all is he can't even see it. The fact he wants to move just tells me he blames external forces / actions hence wanting away.

Again it wasn't about what he could do as a manager more that a man of Jacks standing was willing to offer him that sort of role at 26. Jack must have thought very very highly of Shearer to even consider that action. Would Jack do the same for Wayne? Never in a million years.

Everybody's got the potential for great good and great wrong in them, but it's the choices we make that define who we really are. Waynes choices have been to the detriment of his potential, shearers the polar opposite. So despite all shearers failings, can't shoot with his left, can't dribble he sits at the very top of the game and yet wayne with all the talent in the world sits on the united bench at 26. The better player was Shearer hands down he achieved more with less.

[thenodrog]

If fergie thought Rooney was what others on here do, then he'd be fighting tooth and nail to keep him. instead by all accounts he's on the bench is his last game, doesn't bode well. Fergie clearly feels they are a better team when Waynes not playing these days.

I cannot believe people actually feel Rooney is better than Shearer was, Shearer achieved everything after a an ACL injury. The man was a beast, asked to manage our club at 26 (can you ever see anyone considering that for Rooney) and played till he was 36 and was still scoing 1 in 3 even then. 130 goals in 170 odd apps for Rovers makes anyone else look pedestrian http://www.shearer9.com/stats.shtml. He joins Newcastle at 26 and still becomes their all time leading goal scorer, wayne won't manage that with his next move.

Just take a look at all the personal awards he won the list goes on and on.

And here's Waynes http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamPlyrsBios/PlayersR/BioRooneyW.html

Your comparing Wayne to a man who came on the scene and banged a hat-trick against arsenal on his league debut and never stopped. Now I've used personal awards as I feel it helps eliminate the club issue as I have no doubt had shearer signed for United, he would have flown higher. Rooney just doesn't come close and you know it's the case when goal of the months are used as an award, I wonder how many shearer got of those. shearer did everything playing for perceived lesser clubs and with supposedly lesser players behind him, Rooney has had some of the best in the world with him and he still can't match shearer.

My one regret with shearer is that first ACL injury, I honestly think it took a small part away from him and I honestly think had he avoided that he would have become the greatest striker in history.

It did. Before that injury he was absolutely breathtaking but after it he played much more with his head (dalglish influence I'd suggest). His knee injury followed by a horrific ankle injury on the same leg whilst playing for NUFC at Goodison will have taken an awful lot of mobility and pace when he had to turn in that direction. Small wonder that his final seasons at NUFC saw him turn into a plodding shadow of the superstarkid that we remember that fisrt season.

[Majiball]

It did. Before that injury he was absolutely breathtaking but after it he played much more with his head (dalglish influence I'd suggest). His knee injury followed by a horrific ankle injury on the same leg whilst playing for NUFC at Goodison will have taken an awful lot of mobility and pace when he had to turn in that direction. Small wonder that his final seasons at NUFC saw him turn into a plodding shadow of the superstarkid that we remember that fisrt season.

He was talked out retirement on a couple of occasions during his final years, but for me even in his last season he was hitting 1 in 3. Most 26 year olds would be happy with that in the EPL.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA3mICNU3Ps

This is the 1st match I ever saw him play. 1st goal, he has a man in front of him and most would try to beat them and work a clear opening. Shearer just bangs it in the net, he doesn't need to dribble and even puts it in through the tiny space over the keeper. 2nd goal, he picks it up wide left cuts across the pitch has 2 men to beat so just places it in the back of the net. Shearer didn't need to dribble as he's the best finisher I've ever seen and most likely ever will, why beat a man when I can do that and score with one action from my right foot?

[RibbleValleyRover]

It did. Before that injury he was absolutely breathtaking but after it he played much more with his head (dalglish influence I'd suggest). His knee injury followed by a horrific ankle injury on the same leg whilst playing for NUFC at Goodison will have taken an awful lot of mobility and pace when he had to turn in that direction. Small wonder that his final seasons at NUFC saw him turn into a plodding shadow of the superstarkid that we remember that fisrt season.

It's a testament to how great a player Shearer was that he put in the hard work to adapt his game because of injury and still be effective. I have my doubts Rooney could if he faced a similar situation, not because of his talent but more to do with his head. I've lost count the number of times I have seen Rooney acting petulant because of having to play a different role, for example sometimes on the wing instead of a striker role.

[M-K]

I cannot believe people actually feel Rooney is better than Shearer was, Shearer achieved everything after a an ACL injury. The man was a beast, asked to manage our club at 26 (can you ever see anyone considering that for Rooney) and played till he was 36 and was still scoing 1 in 3 even then. 130 goals in 170 odd apps for Rovers makes anyone else look pedestrian http://www.shearer9.com/stats.shtml. He joins Newcastle at 26 and still becomes their all time leading goal scorer, wayne won't manage that with his next move.

Shearer was excellent, but he never had the skill that Rooney does. He was an old-school battering-ram centre forward.

Shearer squandered his talent, albeit in a diferent way to how Rooney is perceived to be throwing it all away. He could have tried to prove himself at a big club, but instead chose to become a £15m Matt Le Tissier and ended up with one trophy. All those years as the top striker in the league, and only one medal to show for it.

He wasn't much good at international level either, except for a handful of home games at Euro 96. A flat track bully.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Shearer was excellent, but he never had the skill that Rooney does. He was an old-school battering-ram centre forward.

Shearer squandered his talent, albeit in a diferent way to how Rooney is perceived to be throwing it all away. He could have tried to prove himself at a big club, but instead chose to become a £15m Matt Le Tissier and ended up with one trophy. All those years as the top striker in the league, and only one medal to show for it.

He wasn't much good at international level either, except for a handful of home games at Euro 96. A flat track bully.

Oh dear, that's put the cat amongst the pigeons for sure. Get ready for another salvo from Majibal.

[Amo]

Rooney is technically a better player than Shearer, who was really the archetypal old-fashioned centre-forward. And that's not to discount Shearer's actual ability, but it's not in the same league as Rooney. My namesake is still vastly overrated because he's English, however, and I think while much of his game has improved at OT, that mercurial side he had when he first exploded on to the scene at Everton has been beaten out of him by Fergie.

[Stuart]

Shearer was excellent, but he never had the skill that Rooney does. He was an old-school battering-ram centre forward.

Shearer squandered his talent, albeit in a diferent way to how Rooney is perceived to be throwing it all away. He could have tried to prove himself at a big club, but instead chose to become a £15m Matt Le Tissier and ended up with one trophy. All those years as the top striker in the league, and only one medal to show for it.

He wasn't much good at international level either, except for a handful of home games at Euro 96. A flat track bully.

I don't think I've ever read so much @#/?.

Well done.

[Mike E]

M-K, you think trophies = being a great player? No. TALENT and using it well = being a great player, regardless of club size or trophies won. Otherwise Danny sodding Murphy is better than Fellaini! Or Quedrue was better than Baines

Rooney is a great player, as was Shearer. Different players. While I express a preference to Shearer (the goals thing was actually tongue-in-cheek), I think a neutral would actually struggle to say which is better.

[Ozz]

I know who I'd pick first for my team. No question.

[adopted scouser]

You're right about Collymore, he had it all skills wise, real pace, great physique, an eye for goal, but obviously something was missing between his ears. He was undoubtably potentially a top player but never really stepped up after leaving Forest.

Add to that a woman beater, with the uncanny ability to talk bollixx on the radio while maintaining that stupid accent.

If they gave him an enema, they could bury him in a matchbox.

[Salgado Is A Hero]

I know who I'd pick first for my team. No question.

I'd imagine most managers would agree with you.

[T4E]

If they gave him an enema, they could bury him in a matchbox.

Brilliant

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Add to that a woman beater, with the uncanny ability to talk bollixx on the radio while maintaining that stupid accent.

If they gave him an enema, they could bury him in a matchbox.

I'm talking about his footballing abilities. If you're looking for somebody to marry your daughter my advice is to steer her away from footballers.

[Gav]

Shearer was excellent, but he never had the skill that Rooney does. He was an old-school battering-ram centre forward.

Shearer squandered his talent, albeit in a diferent way to how Rooney is perceived to be throwing it all away. He could have tried to prove himself at a big club, but instead chose to become a £15m Matt Le Tissier and ended up with one trophy. All those years as the top striker in the league, and only one medal to show for it.

He wasn't much good at international level either, except for a handful of home games at Euro 96. A flat track bully.

If you can't handle it don't drink it M-K, lordy lordy!

[roverandout]

oh yes mk, 30 goals in 63 games for England, yes rubbish at international level, best centre forward of his generation in my opinion, better than the likes of batistuta, should have gone to Barcelona when they wanted him, hate the fact so many top English players wont play abroad!!!