Alan Shearer at last speaks out on Steve Bruce – A massive relief
Alan Shearer advised / pleaded with Steve Bruce not to take the Newcastle United job.
He should have listened to that advice for all our sakes, especially Alan Shearer’s.
The NUFC legend (Shearer, not Bruce!) left in an impossible position.
One of his best mates going to work for Mike Ashley.
Even worse than that, one of his best mates who had shown absolutely nothing in his 20+ years of management, to suggest that he was good enough to manage Newcastle United.
It is a bit like being in a nightclub and your best mate sees a girl who is so far out of his league, yet your mate insists on going over to talk to her despite your pleadings and insists you tag along for a bit of moral support, ensuring you are then there very close to the action, to see your mate totally humiliated when he fails.
Which brings us back to Steve Bruce.
After a Newcastle United embarrassing performance, I always check these days to see if Alan Shearer is on Match of The Day that night. As it is bad enough watching the match itself BUT ten times worse if we then see the legend that is Alan Shearer having to try and navigate the post-match analysis without mentioning Steve Bruce. A bit like one of those films where they are in a canoe / boat on a fast flowing river, repeatedly just missing the rapids, with the massive waterfall drop set to come along any second.
You really have to feel for Alan Shearer, Steve Bruce having selfishly put his mate in this position when agreeing to be plucked out of the Championship to become Mike Ashley’s patsy.
After 47 Premier League matches in charge though, Alan Shearer was left with nowhere to turn. He could no longer protect his mate after this latest embarrassing match, no shame if you get beat by likes of Chelsea but Steve Bruce sending his players out match after match to do nothing else but all stay back and try to keep a game goalless…Shearer had to speak out.
Otherwise, he was sadly going to end up being viewed as another Mark Lawrenson in many ways, somebody whose personal relationships / leanings, meant he was in capable of telling it how it is.
Alan Shearer was nearing that sheer drop in the canoe over the waterfall, thankfully just acting in time, paddling furiously and speaking out after Bruce’s 47th PL game in charge.
Alan Shearer saying about the approach to this Chelsea match: ‘The manager has to take responsibility because he sent the players out. They were very negative.’
Phew.
Alan Shearer is just as much a Newcastle fan as any of the rest of us but what would we do if one of our totally not up to the job mates was put in charge of Newcastle United? Imagine having to go on TV and talk about him, after game after game where he has shown he is completely clueless?
Alan Shearer also talked about individual players, such as ASM and Lascelles, who he felt were also in line to share the blame.
I totally agree, Steve Bruce is not the only one to blame but he is the biggest problem after Mike Ashley, by some considerable distance.
You also have to wonder just how much it is down to Steve Bruce and his shocking tactics and management of the team, that has dragged the likes of Lascelles and ASM down so low. Imagine looking ahead to the next game and knowing for sure it will be the same terrible negative tactics that gift the opposition total control, yesterday Chelsea had 79% possession away from home in the first half!
Alan Shearer also going on to acknowledge that this latest farce is just a continuation of the norm under Steve Bruce: ‘Too many times this season that is Newcastle. Too negative and not going to score goals.’
Miguel Almiron had Newcastle’s first and only effort on target in the 79th minute, that was the 21st effort on target in the first nine PL matches this season. In contrast, there have been 146 shots (on and off target) on the Newcastle goal in these nine matches, Darlow facing far more shots than any other goalkeeper.
All Newcastle United fans, including Alan Shearer, know what we are watching game after game and it is woeful.
Alan Shearer speaking on Match of The Day:
“The manager has to take responsibility because he sent the players out.
“They were very negative.
“Nowhere near enough ideas going forward but also players have to take responsibility.
“They have to be braver in possession, work harder closing people down.
“Lascelles as a captain and a leader has to stop demanding protection from midfielders in front of him…and Allan Saint-Maximin hasn’t broken sweat since signing his new six year contract.
“Nowhere near enough and if you stop going forward, you are inviting pressure on yourselves.
“There were nowhere near enough bodies going forward…people prepared to commit to going forward.
“It is negative.
“Their first thought is going backwards and you are never going to score enough goals playing like this.
“Second half was a little bit better and they [Newcastle] created a few more chances but [overall] it was the same thing.
“Too many times this season that is Newcastle.
“Too negative and not going to score goals.”
Stats from BBC Sport:
Newcastle 0 Chelsea 2 – Saturday 21 November 12.30pm
Goals:
Newcastle:
Chelsea:
Fernandez OG 10, Abraham 65
(Half-time stats in brackets)
Possession was Chelsea 71% (79%) Newcastle 29% (21%)
Total shots were Chelsea 14 (8) Newcastle 8 (3)
Shots on target were Chelsea 3 (2) Newcastle 1 (0)
Corners were Chelsea 4 (2) Newcastle 7 (3)
Referee: Craig Pawson
Newcastle United:
Darlow, Manquillo (Almiron 65), Lascelles (Schar 45), Fernandez, Clark, Lewis, Hayden, Sean Longstaff, Murphy, Saint-Maximin (Carroll 74), Joelinton
Unused Subs:
Gillespie, Shelvey, Hendrick, Krafth
Crowd: 00,000
(3 Positives and 3 Negatives from Newcastle 0 Chelsea 2 – Read HERE)
(Steve Bruce reaction to fans after Newcastle 0 Chelsea 2 “There will always be grumbles” – Read HERE)
(Frank Lampard with ominous message for Steve Bruce and Newcastle United – Read HERE)
(These BBC Sport comments about Newcastle 0 Chelsea 2 perfectly sum up Steve Bruce – Read HERE)
(Newcastle 0 Chelsea 2 – Match ratings and comments on all the NUFC players – Read HERE)
(Newcastle 0 Chelsea 2 – Instant NUFC fan/writer reaction to Saturday’s defeat – Read HERE)
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