Opinions on Mike Newell

[IrelandsRover]

I was reading an excerpt from Graeme Le Sauxs autobiography and he is quite critical of Mike Newell among others for during the 95/96 season.

it made me wonder what are people’s opinions of Mike Newell? 
 

Thanks 

[simongarnerisgod]

great striker with few weaknesses and scored vital goals for us,love him to bits?

[Oldgregg86]

Bit to young to remember him properly but if Shearer speaks highly of him that’s good enough for me

[matt83]

I thought newell was decent enough for us. Sure let’s saux has his reasons.

But in my opinion for all we quickly signed better players I think his signing showed the fans and the footballing world that Jack meant business. Most expensive player to go to the 2nd tier at the time I think.

In his subsequent years as a manager he showed himself to be a man of integrity by shining a light on what we all know about football that it’s a dirty corrupt business run by criminals in suits. As a result he became a football pariah. 

Edited April 2, 2020 by matt83

[MarkBRFC]

I loved Newell. Perfect foil for Speedie during our promotion in 92, and also to Shearer for the following two years.

It's quite suprising that although a key member of the squad, he only managed two starts, and didn't score once in our title winning season.

Hat trick in the champions league too, can't imagine many more Rovers players will ever achieve that feat!

[Rogerb]

Mike Newell wouldn't sign for DM took the arrival of Kenny to change his mind. Couldn't control a ball for toffee but was a perfect foil for Speedie and Shearer. If Shearer enjoyed playing with him then there can't be any better recommendation. Likely to be the only Rovers hat trick scorer in the clubs history in the champions league

[oldjamfan1]

14 minutes ago, Rogerb said:

Mike Newell wouldn't sign for DM took the arrival of Kenny to change his mind. Couldn't control a ball for toffee but was a perfect foil for Speedie and Shearer. If Shearer enjoyed playing with him then there can't be any better recommendation. Likely to be the only Rovers hat trick scorer in the clubs history in the champions league

You sure about this?

My recollections of Newell are that he held the ball up really well and brought others into play with his football intelligence. He was a really good finisher too.

Edit: That goal he scored in the first half against Derby at Ewood in the play off semi final in 1992 is one of my all-time favourite Rovers goals - and Sellars also scored a cracker in the same half.

Edited April 2, 2020 by oldjamfan1

[Rogerb]

My memories of watching him from the Riverside are of the ball bouncing off him for a good few feet before he got it under control. Agree completely with your other comments. Once he had got it under control he did bring others into play. Depended on whether there was a deep lying midfield player close enough to him to take the ball away if there wasn't he was able to recover the ball hold it up and lay it off

[oldjamfan1]

3 minutes ago, Rogerb said:

My memories of watching him from the Riverside are of the ball bouncing off him for a good few feet before he got it under control. Agree completely with your other comments. Once he had got it under control he did bring others into play. Depended on whether there was a deep lying midfield player close enough to him to take the ball away if there wasn't he was able to recover the ball hold it up and lay it off

Ha ha fair enough. Another memory of Newell - and it is a bit of an odd one - was a goal he scored in Simon Garner's (second) testimonial. He had already retired (I think) at that point but scored an absolute beauty, one touch and a clinical finish from the edge of the box. Thought he was a terrific centre forward. 

[Rogerb]

Just now, oldjamfan1 said:

Ha ha fair enough. Another memory of Newell - and it is a bit of an odd one - was a goal he scored in Simon Garner's (second) testimonial. He had already retired (I think) at that point but scored an absolute beauty, one touch and a clinical finish from the edge of the box. Thought he was a terrific centre forward. 

Within a season we had been completely spoiled in the centre forward stakes!

[tomphil]

Top player with a great engine and attitude, very basic skill wise and lacked the physical and finishing of elite target men. However an intelligent, hard working quality player who served Rovers really well.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

Many, many years ago, when I was able, my then firm sponsored a round at Wilpshire golf club for the club golf day, and he was our pro........thoroughly good day out, excellent company, and seemed very principled. Always enjoyed watching him play.

[grinder]

Might be a bit controversial but I thought he was a more natural foil for Shearer than Sutton who used sometimes played into Shearers space. Newell was more of a poor mans Teddy Sheringham but actually a pretty good player. Didnt he get a European hatrick or is my memory playing tricks?

[Proudtobeblue&white]

2 minutes ago, grinder said:

Might be a bit controversial but I thought he was a more natural foil for Shearer than Sutton who used sometimes played into Shearers space. Newell was more of a poor mans Teddy Sheringham but actually a pretty good player. Didnt he get a European hatrick or is my memory playing tricks?

Fastest ever, in a dead rubber at Ewood?

06/12/95 v Rosenborg, 4-1, Shearer bagged the other, we were already out, CL.

Edited April 2, 2020 by Proudtobeblue&white

[matt83]

1 hour ago, grinder said:

Might be a bit controversial but I thought he was a more natural foil for Shearer than Sutton who used sometimes played into Shearers space. Newell was more of a poor mans Teddy Sheringham but actually a pretty good player. Didnt he get a European hatrick or is my memory playing tricks?

One with his left, one with his right and a header. 9 mins. 

[LDRover]

Remember in that 95/96 season the rumour was that Shearer preferred playing up front with Newell (they were good mates and neighbours off the field too) and consequently Sutton was dropped to centre half (that he hated). Results that season suffered and I recall Newell getting a bit of stick in a couple of games and reacting. Seem to remember his body language was pretty poor throughout that season and he left us soon after so I can see where Le Saux is coming from.

Prior to that he was superb for us and , for me, was the main reason we went up in 1992.

I also remember him being sent off playing against us for Leicester at Ewood in 1988 in a 3-3 thriller, it's still one of my favourite matches.

[Claytons Left Boot]

3 hours ago, Rogerb said:

Couldn't control a ball for toffee but was a perfect foil for Speedie and Shearer. 

Absolutely no way. My nickname for him, which caused some amusement with my mates, was ‘silky magnet boots.’

Silky skills and the magnet boots was a reference to his ability of being able to control the ball easily, not the other way round.

Ok, he was a class above what we had been used to in the 2nd Division and once we had established ourselves in the PL, it was clear that, if we were to reach for the very top, we needed to recruit a better player to play alongside Big Al.

His return from injury at the most crucial stage of the season was the main reason we were promoted to the PL. Without him then, I don’t think we would have made it.

One of my favourite players.

[Hasta]

Newell was excellent in his first 2 seasons. The slump which saw us nearly miss out on the play offs coincided with him being injured, and he came back just at the end of the season which saw an upturn in fortunes to scrape into 6th.

The first season in the Premier league he was also excellent. However he had an injury during 93/94 and he never looked as good. I remember him scoring a last minute winner at Sheffield Weds in early 1994, and he had been woeful all game. 

I was suprised to see he made over 30 appearance in 95/96 , as he hardly played the year before. By then he was in his thirties and on the wane. His record for numerous clubs after Rovers wasn't great.

However he was a massively influential in those first two years. A proper player. 

Edited April 2, 2020 by Hasta

[Leonard Venkhater]

6 hours ago, matt83 said:

I thought newell was decent enough for us. Sure let’s saux has his reasons.

But in my opinion for all we quickly signed better players I think his signing showed the fans and the footballing world that Jack meant business. Most expensive player to go to the 2nd tier at the time I think.

In his subsequent years as a manager he showed himself to be a man of integrity by shining a light on what we all know about football that it’s a dirty corrupt business run by criminals in suits. As a result he became a football pariah. 

Le Saux clearly had issues/others had with him...I remember an interview he did with Barry Davies, after his awful injury,when he implied he hadn't had good wishes from everyone..

Then there were rumours of a significant clique/Southport Mafia, which I assumed meant Shearer, Flowers, Warnock ...and Newell?

And something was clearly going on beneath that scene with Batty in Moscow....

[Stuart]

All sins forgiven, past present and future.

Thanks for kicking things off, Mike. ?? 

[Inglorious basturk]

A thousand times the man le saux was 

[Leonard Venkhater]

2 hours ago, Claytons Left Boot said:

Absolutely no way. My nickname for him, which caused some amusement with my mates, was ‘silky magnet boots.’

Silky skills and the magnet boots was a reference to his ability of being able to control the ball easily, not the other way round.

Ok, he was a class above what we had been used to in the 2nd Division and once we had established ourselves in the PL, it was clear that, if we were to reach for the very top, we needed to recruit a better player to play alongside Big Al.

His return from injury at the most crucial stage of the season was the main reason we were promoted to the PL. Without him then, I don’t think we would have made it.

One of my favourite players.

One of my favourite players too. I remember watching him, playing for Leicester in that dramatic game at Ewood. I think Newell actually got sent off, but I was really impressed with his touch and work rate...I was actually wishing he played for us....and a few short years later, there he was making his Rovers debut at home to Boro. He scored a really cool finish that day at the Blackburn End. Happy Days!

 

[oldjamfan1]

1 hour ago, Leonard Venkhater said:

Le Saux clearly had issues/others had with him...I remember an interview he did with Barry Davies, after his awful injury,when he implied he hadn't had good wishes from everyone..

Then there were rumours of a significant clique/Southport Mafia, which I assumed meant Shearer, Flowers, Warnock ...and Newell?

And something was clearly going on beneath that scene with Batty in Moscow....

Warnock? 

[tomphil]

I was thinking that, he was a Hughes signing if i recall correctly.

Can't remember who else might have been in the Southport Mafia ?  Quite a few lived out that way.

[oldjamfan1]

Just now, tomphil said:

I was thinking that, he was a Hughes signing if i recall correctly.

Can't remember who else might have been in the Southport Mafia ?  Quite a few lived out that way.

I wondered whether Leonard meant Neil Ruddock, who was pals with Shearer for sure.