Shearer marches to his own Toon

In keeping with much of Newcastle's season it seems somewhat fitting that they chose April Fool's Day to unveil Alan Shearer as their interim manager until the end of the season.

As football fans emerged blinking into the morning sun it all seemed like a wonderfully orchestrated practical joke until it became quite clear that Mike Ashley was deadly serious about appointing the Newcastle legend. And then came Iain Dowie.

The overwhelming urge of non-Geordies may have been to try, and fail, to suppress laughter. Shearer, for all his prowess on the field, has never shown anything to suggest there's a great manager or tactician in there, as regular viewers of Match of the Day will no doubt attest to.

What's more, the lure of a comfy sofa and a studio have always proven to be more enticing, even when Newcastle were in better positions than they are now. On the face of it, this appears to be another one of Ashley's more eccentric decisions, albeit one that will go down well with the Toon faithful.

But while this may look very much like a last desperate roll of the dice, it may also be a smart move for all concerned, even if there's the potential for either Newcastle or Ashley to lose big on this gamble.

Ashley has very little to lose and possibly may be smarter than people give him credit for. Kinnear, while a surprising choice - and one who was roundly mocked at the start - did a decent if unspectacular job in the circumstances. His expletive-laden outburst took the pressure off his players and he had the experience to be able to pull a few decent results out of the bag.

Shearer, though, is a very different type of person than Kinnear. He has little experience or qualifications for the job, bar being a Geordie legend. He is also a huge monkey that Tyneside has needed to get off their back for a long time now.

With every fresh managerial vacancy, Shearer's name has been mentioned. His presence has loomed over every Newcastle manager bar Keegan since he retired as Toon fans wait, not so patiently, for their favourite son to return and lead them to glory.

Some may ask why now, but Shearer, for all his lack of insight on the sofa, is no mug. He knows his standing within Newcastle and also knows that if he took the job at the wrong time that could rapidly plummet if results don't go his way. Which is why now is the perfect time for him to take the job.

By taking the job until the end of the season, Shearer can't lose. If he fails and Newcastle go down, the blame can easily be laid at Ashley and others at the club. If he succeeds and Newcastle stay up then his status will be cemented and he has no obligation to stay on.

If Shearer does go at the end of the season, especially if the Magpies do go down, then that will go some way to exorcising his presence from whoever steps up to take the job, but Shearer can still depart with his head held high.

And you never know - often players at a struggling club react well to a new appointment in the short-term, and Shearer is certainly that. He may not be a great manager but he could be a shot of adrenaline the team needs.

People may point to the likes of Jurgen Klinsmann as proof that a legendary player can succeed (although you suspect some German fans will beg to differ), but Shearer's situation is closer to that of Gianfranco Zola at West Ham who was widely assumed to be too inexperienced but has turned the Hammers into a decent team.

The only difference is that Zola has had most of the season to learn the ropes. Shearer does not have that time or luxury.

On paper Newcastle are that most cliched of football cliches - too good to go down. However, that's no guarantee they'll escape the drop. Shearer may or may not be able to save them from the Championship but he'll not do himself any harm in the process.

(Photo: BBC Sport)

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Posted by Gary A

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