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Alan Shearer talks Sunderland relegation and whether/when they will play Newcastle again

6 years ago
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Alan Shearer has been talking about Sunderland’s double relegation.

The Mackems rock bottom of the Premier League by some distance, then following that up with another immediate demotion, with the Mackems hot favourites now to once more finish at the very bottom of the table.

Whilst at the weekend Alan Shearer ended up sharing some ‘banter’ with angry Mackems, he insists that he takes ‘no pleasure from Sunderland’s demise.’

The Newcastle legend asking ‘how can a club of that size…find themselves in the third tier.’

Whilst the low that Sunderland have managed to reach, so quickly, is staggering, no doubt Shearer is also wondering what would have happened to Newcastle United if Rafa Benitez hadn’t decided to stick it out and put up with the antics of Mike Ashley.

You can’t imagine Newcastle would have quite managed a double demotion but very difficult to believe that it would have been instant promotion as champions and then nailed on now for a top half Premier League finish, if Ashley had managed to replace Rafa with one of his typical Pardew/Carver/McClaren/Kinnear choices.

Alan Shearer can’t see there being a derby match with Newcastle for some considerable time and even warns Sunderland that handling League One might be problematic.

The Newcastle legend also points to there being such a ‘malaise’ that most Sunderland fans left the stadium without even realising they had been relegated.

It was some time after the final whistle that the club realised/announced the fact and even hours after the game had finished, there were still Sunderland fans on their message boards and social media, still thinking they were not mathematically down. With the more clued up Mackems explaining to them that with Bolton playing Burton next weekend it DID mean they were definitely down already.

Alan Shearer says he will ‘miss the great atmosphere’ that the derby games bring…but I think a fair few Newcastle fans will be quite happy to cope without them (aside from possibility of Newcastle reserves playing the Sunderland first team potentially in the Checkatrade trophy…)  for some considerable time.

Although no doubt we will all be following with some interest/amusement to see just how our neighbours get on in the third tier.

Alan Shearer talking to The Sun:

“I take no pleasure from Sunderland’s demise.

“How can a club of that size, with that stadium, find themselves in the third tier of English football?

“Mismanagement on a huge scale from an owner who has long since wanted out.

“It said everything about the malaise, that few people there even seemed to realise they had gone down after Saturday’s home loss to Burton.

“It is going to be a long haul back and don’t bank on a quick promotion.

“Every game next season will be like a cup final for their opponents, who will see the Black Cats as a major scalp.

“What we will not be having soon is a North-East derby — and I’ll miss the great atmospheres.

“They are great to play in but, unless they’re drawn in a cup, there won’t be another for a while.”

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