Newsletter

Get your daily update and weekly newsletter by signing up today!

Opinion

BBC Sport pundit gets it so wrong as he gets involved in Alan Shearer and Michael Owen dispute

5 years ago
Share

I spotted an interesting one on BBC Sport this morning.

Pundit Garth Crooks deciding to belatedly get involved in the Michael Owen and Alan Shearer situation.

Crooks proving yet again that ‘experts’ think they can comment on the goings on at Newcastle United without having to do their homework first.

Due to Newcastle United so often being in the headlines, invariably for the wrong reasons, the pundits/experts always seem to think they then know more about what has gone on at NUFC than is actually the reality.

The BBC Sport pundit declaring ‘For two players, especially strikers, to “have words” with each other is like having a row with you wife. It’s going to happen sooner or later.’

Garth Crooks really doesn’t have a clue.

He makes out as though this is just a normal kind of falling out, a bit like two strikers arguing over who is the best, or like at  Liverpool at the minute with claims of one striker not wanting to pass to another.

Garth Crooks says ‘It’s clear Michael desperately wanted to get something off his chest when he claimed in his book that he never really wanted to go to St James’ Park.’

Well we all already knew that but the pre-launch serialisation and Michael Owen interviews were clearly just a cynical attempt to try and sell a few extra books by attacking/insulting Newcastle United, the fans and especially Alan Shearer.

Crooks thinks that Michael Owen and Alan Shearer will inevitably kiss and make up in the future ‘but Newcastle fans will find forgiveness a little more difficult’…

The trouble is that Alan Shearer is one of those Newcastle fans AND he knows what went on when Michael Owen was at Newcastle.

Michael Owen claims he gave it everything when at St James Park and hardly played when Alan Shearer was manager for the final eight games. Newcastle fans find that laughable as Owen downed tools in the relegation season, was really poor and didn’t score a goal after mid-January 2009 as the team were relegated.

As for hardly playing once Shearer took over, Owen actually played in seven of the eight games.

However, the big one, is that just as Michael Owen put England before Newcastle, he also put himself before Newcastle United. In his book he has totally failed to address the fact that Shearer’s assistant and physio, Paul Ferris, said in his book that in front of a number of witnesses, Michael Owen told him he didn’t want to play in the second last game of that relegation season (home to Fulham) in case he got injured and it might reduce his chances of getting the best deal with another club that summer. This despite scans showing no injury and the small matter of Michael Owen having been paid £120,000 a week for four years and giving next to nothing in return.

Garth Crooks talking to BBC Sport:

“Howay the lads!

“The unseemly spat between two of England’s greatest finishers made me smile at first and then realise that not much changes in football.

“For two players, especially strikers, to “have words” with each other is like having a row with you wife. It’s going to happen sooner or later.

“In Michael Owen’s recently published book; Reboot – My Life, My Time, he seems to have reopened an old wound with England team-mate and now Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer.

“It’s clear Michael desperately wanted to get something off his chest when he claimed in his book that he never really wanted to go to St James’ Park.

“I suspect Shearer could have let that go.

“However, what Newcastle’s record goalscorer could not let go was the claim by Owen that his beloved Newcastle was “only a big club because they have lots of fans and a big stadium”.

“I have no doubt that Alan and Michael will find a way past this public disagreement but Newcastle fans will find forgiveness a little more difficult.”

Share

If you would like to feature on The Mag, submit your article to contribute@themag.co.uk

Have your say

© 2024 The Mag. All Rights Reserved. Design & Build by Mediaworks