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Alan Shearer's eye for detail rejuvenates players


Jimbo
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It is the little things that Alan Shearer has tightened up on; the small details that slip when no manager is in place, when the bigger thing is the fear of relegation. It is little things like timekeeping, creating a buzz in training and eating together afterwards, that collectively equate to respect, discipline and professionalism. Things that Newcastle United clearly require.

 

When Kevin Keegan was first made Newcastle manager, he fumigated the training ground. One simple act set a tone. Then, as now, the club were scrabbling to secure their league status — in 1992, the third tier was beckoning — and gestures were important. Shearer, the manager, has picked up on laxity. “You can use a million excuses,” he said, and eradicating them, one by one, is a guiding principle.

 

With Joe Kinnear recuperating from heart surgery, Newcastle have lacked authority. With a fresh pair of eyes and a knowledge of the region’s rhythms, Shearer’s first week in the job has been about restoring impetus.

 

“We’ve been given a massive lift,” Steve Harper, the goalkeeper, said. “Training has been really good, the tempo has improved and the sessions are longer and more competitive. He is a man who demands respect and high standards. He has stamped his authority on the place. We just have to do it on a Saturday now.” Stoke City today will test them.

 

“He has told people what he expects of them,” Harper said, “and the players have responded to him and appreciated it. It’s gone down well.

 

“The longer people spend time together, the more camaraderie there will be. Little things add up.

 

“He is very big on punctuality as a form of showing respect to each other.

 

“Everyone must eat together to forge a team spirit. Ice baths are now compulsory, the competitiveness and edge to training that maybe had started to disappear has come back. It’s more thorough and intense.”

 

Everything about Shearer’s approach speaks of the long term, barring a contract that stretches only until the end of the season. Few expect that to remain the case. “It may be that Alan absolutely takes over,” Iain Dowie, Shearer’s assistant, said. “He is the manager and has got those decisions to make. This is a fantastic club. Who wouldn’t want to work here?”

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It is the little things that Alan Shearer has tightened up on; the small details that slip when no manager is in place, when the bigger thing is the fear of relegation. It is little things like timekeeping, creating a buzz in training and eating together afterwards, that collectively equate to respect, discipline and professionalism. Things that Newcastle United clearly require.

 

When Kevin Keegan was first made Newcastle manager, he fumigated the training ground. One simple act set a tone. Then, as now, the club were scrabbling to secure their league status — in 1992, the third tier was beckoning — and gestures were important. Shearer, the manager, has picked up on laxity. “You can use a million excuses,” he said, and eradicating them, one by one, is a guiding principle.

 

With Joe Kinnear recuperating from heart surgery, Newcastle have lacked authority. With a fresh pair of eyes and a knowledge of the region’s rhythms, Shearer’s first week in the job has been about restoring impetus.

 

“We’ve been given a massive lift,” Steve Harper, the goalkeeper, said. “Training has been really good, the tempo has improved and the sessions are longer and more competitive. He is a man who demands respect and high standards. He has stamped his authority on the place. We just have to do it on a Saturday now.” Stoke City today will test them.

 

“He has told people what he expects of them,” Harper said, “and the players have responded to him and appreciated it. It’s gone down well.

 

“The longer people spend time together, the more camaraderie there will be. Little things add up.

 

“He is very big on punctuality as a form of showing respect to each other.

 

“Everyone must eat together to forge a team spirit. Ice baths are now compulsory the competitiveness and edge to training that maybe had started to disappear has come back. It’s more thorough and intense.”

 

Everything about Shearer’s approach speaks of the long term, barring a contract that stretches only until the end of the season. Few expect that to remain the case. “It may be that Alan absolutely takes over,” Iain Dowie, Shearer’s assistant, said. “He is the manager and has got those decisions to make. This is a fantastic club. Who wouldn’t want to work here?”

 

I play rugby for fun, for a 5th team, and ice baths for us are cumpulsory, why weren't they for newcastles fucking 1st team prior to shearer coming? yet another glimpse into the running of newcastle and its not surprising we are where we are when things like this and not eating together is happening

Edited by sandman02uk
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Its quite obvious that things were a joke before he got here, and that includes Kinnear's time, not just when Hughton was left in charge. Harper in relatively subtle ways is basically calling the previous training regime and overall running of things shite if you ask me!

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I play rugby for fun, for a 5th team, and ice baths for us are cumpulsory, why weren't they for newcastles fucking 1st team prior to shearer coming? yet another glimpse into the running of newcastle and its not surprising we are where we are when things like this and not eating together is happening

 

It's not so much ice baths (the evidence for them doing much is a bit dubious at best - although that's clearly part of the club malaise) as that he's had to crack down on players out on the town that's annoying.

Edited by Fop
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A bit more on the issue of fitness:

 

“It’s very difficult to do much about the fitness levels in such a short space of time. What you can do is up the tempo in training.”

 

“It’s just one or two little tweaks here and there, which I think the players have wanted to happen but, for whatever reason, haven’t happened,” he said.

 

“Punctuality’s a major thing for myself, and we all eat together. The injured players are now in until late afternoon, and I hope that will have an effect in clearing the medical room. Players don’t like to stay until late afternoon, do they?”

 

There's a clear suggestion he suspects some of the 'injured' players might be milking it, and he's not having it. I can imagine him giving Messrs Viduka and Gonzales a meaningful look as he set out these new rules :lol:

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I play rugby for fun, for a 5th team, and ice baths for us are cumpulsory, why weren't they for newcastles fucking 1st team prior to shearer coming? yet another glimpse into the running of newcastle and its not surprising we are where we are when things like this and not eating together is happening

 

It's not so much ice baths (the evidence for them doing much is a bit dubious at best - although that's clearly part of the club malaise) as that he's had to crack down on players out on the town that's annoying.

Steve Waugh swore by them in terms of extending his career but he could just be a masochist.

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I play rugby for fun, for a 5th team, and ice baths for us are cumpulsory, why weren't they for newcastles fucking 1st team prior to shearer coming? yet another glimpse into the running of newcastle and its not surprising we are where we are when things like this and not eating together is happening

 

It's not so much ice baths (the evidence for them doing much is a bit dubious at best - although that's clearly part of the club malaise) as that he's had to crack down on players out on the town that's annoying.

Steve Waugh swore by them in terms of extending his career but he could just be a masochist.

 

I hear what your saying, but for me personally, the difference having an ice bath and not having one, on how it makes the following day feel, means I'll keep using them (i play sport 5 days a week) and if still hurts the day after if I don't have one, I walk round like I've been bummed, and at 32 I've noticed a difference in the lenght of time and distance I can run for :lol:

Edited by sandman02uk
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I play rugby for fun, for a 5th team, and ice baths for us are cumpulsory, why weren't they for newcastles fucking 1st team prior to shearer coming? yet another glimpse into the running of newcastle and its not surprising we are where we are when things like this and not eating together is happening

 

It's not so much ice baths (the evidence for them doing much is a bit dubious at best - although that's clearly part of the club malaise) as that he's had to crack down on players out on the town that's annoying.

Steve Waugh swore by them in terms of extending his career but he could just be a masochist.

 

I hear what your saying, but for me personally, the difference having an ice bath and not having one, on how it makes the following day feel, means I'll keep using them (i play sport 5 days a week) and if still hurts the day after if I don't have one, I walk round like I've been bummed, and at 32 I've noticed a difference in the lenght of time and distance I can run for :lol:

 

:lol:

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I play rugby for fun, for a 5th team, and ice baths for us are cumpulsory, why weren't they for newcastles fucking 1st team prior to shearer coming? yet another glimpse into the running of newcastle and its not surprising we are where we are when things like this and not eating together is happening

 

It's not so much ice baths (the evidence for them doing much is a bit dubious at best - although that's clearly part of the club malaise) as that he's had to crack down on players out on the town that's annoying.

I don't know how they're allowed to go out on the lash when we're clearly in the shit. I'd have them studying DVDs every night on where they fucked up the week before. Stupid twats.

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I play rugby for fun, for a 5th team, and ice baths for us are cumpulsory, why weren't they for newcastles fucking 1st team prior to shearer coming? yet another glimpse into the running of newcastle and its not surprising we are where we are when things like this and not eating together is happening

 

It's not so much ice baths (the evidence for them doing much is a bit dubious at best - although that's clearly part of the club malaise) as that he's had to crack down on players out on the town that's annoying.

Steve Waugh swore by them in terms of extending his career but he could just be a masochist.

 

I hear what your saying, but for me personally, the difference having an ice bath and not having one, on how it makes the following day feel, means I'll keep using them (i play sport 5 days a week) and if still hurts the day after if I don't have one, I walk round like I've been bummed, and at 32 I've noticed a difference in the lenght of time and distance I can run for :lol:

 

Aye, it may well do something, just they can't really quantify it if it does, maybe like massage it's more psychosomatic..... but if it works for you then it works. :lol:

 

What I mean is more going out late (never mind on the piss) definitely does have a negative effects physically and performance-wise and probably more importantly really smacks of some serious casualness/ill-discipline in the club (although to a certain degree so does being able to opt out of ice baths too).

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I play rugby for fun, for a 5th team, and ice baths for us are cumpulsory, why weren't they for newcastles fucking 1st team prior to shearer coming? yet another glimpse into the running of newcastle and its not surprising we are where we are when things like this and not eating together is happening

 

It's not so much ice baths (the evidence for them doing much is a bit dubious at best - although that's clearly part of the club malaise) as that he's had to crack down on players out on the town that's annoying.

I don't know how they're allowed to go out on the lash when we're clearly in the shit. I'd have them studying DVDs every night on where they fucked up the week before. Stupid twats.

 

:lol:

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How can these stories keep coming out about what Shearer has had to do in regards to training, camaraderie, physio room, etc. and the people in charge still harp about Kinnear coming back? It makes no sense....

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Not much point in having an eye for detail when you miss the bigger picture: Amoebi is shit. Guthrie + Nolan + Butt is shit.

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Not much point in having an eye for detail when you miss the bigger picture: Amoebi is shit. Guthrie + Nolan + Butt is shit.

Not exactly loads of options and I think it's harsh to say Guthrie's shit.

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How can these stories keep coming out about what Shearer has had to do in regards to training, camaraderie, physio room, etc. and the people in charge still harp about Kinnear coming back? It makes no sense....

 

Ive just said pretty much the same thin in another thread. It worries me what Im hearing about what been happening or not happening in the back room, things off the pitch. Im already concerned for next season.

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Not much point in having an eye for detail when you miss the bigger picture: Amoebi is shit. Guthrie + Nolan + Butt is shit.

Not exactly loads of options and I think it's harsh to say Guthrie's shit.

 

I'm not saying Guthrie is shit. I'm saying Guthrie + Nolan + Butt is shit (the collective - hence the is and not an are).

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Not much point in having an eye for detail when you miss the bigger picture: Amoebi is shit. Guthrie + Nolan + Butt is shit.

Not exactly loads of options and I think it's harsh to say Guthrie's shit.

 

I'm not saying Guthrie is shit. I'm saying Guthrie + Nolan + Butt is shit (the collective - hence the is and not an are).

I see what you mean. Fair enough.

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Not much point in having an eye for detail when you miss the bigger picture: Amoebi is shit. Guthrie + Nolan + Butt is shit.

Not exactly loads of options and I think it's harsh to say Guthrie's shit.

 

I'm not saying Guthrie is shit. I'm saying Guthrie + Nolan + Butt is shit (the collective - hence the is and not an are).

 

That midfield in the first half was an embarassment, we literally could have played for a whole day and we would have created nothing, players were struggling to even pass it forward never mind to a team mate, their touch was crap, no vision, no idea and just going nowhere. And whilst Duff didn't get much decent service, he still offered nothing.

 

Whatever people say about Jonas' end product (and it has been mostly poor) he does get us going forward and can make soemthing happen, same reason we miss Barton as he does have some drive and energy about him.

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Guthrie played too deep yesterday. Don't know if that was the plan but Nolan seemed to be the one playing highest up (not that he was remotely effective there). Without wanting to go overboard about Guthrie he's better than he looked yesterday and showed earlier on in the season that he can be handy getting forward and joining in. We really need at least one of the CMs and the wide players to take a bit of responsibility and have a go, as opposed to all this short, safe sideways/backwards passing too many of them seem to be doing for fear of fucking up. Like PL says in the match thread, I've got a bit of sympathy for Nicky Butt, who must know passing's not his strength but keeps having to try something because no-one else will.

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Guthrie played too deep yesterday. Don't know if that was the plan but Nolan seemed to be the one playing highest up (not that he was remotely effective there). Without wanting to go overboard about Guthrie he's better than he looked yesterday and showed earlier on in the season that he can be handy getting forward and joining in. We really need at least one of the CMs and the wide players to take a bit of responsibility and have a go, as opposed to all this short, safe sideways/backwards passing too many of them seem to be doing for fear of fucking up. Like PL says in the match thread, I've got a bit of sympathy for Nicky Butt, who must know passing's not his strength but keeps having to try something because no-one else will.

 

I agree about Guthrie, he's hardly been a world beater and can disappear but he's clearly a better footballer than Nolan, Taylor etc But as you say nobody takes responsibility, other than Butt who shouldn't ever be our main creative force!

 

I think a fully fit Barton would have made a big difference, not saying he'd be spraying the ball around like Messi or anything, but he has drive, determination and doesn't hide. He wants to be involved and wants to get the team going forward unfortunately he's mostly been injured or banned in his time here and even if we do get him back this season he's going to have to find his match fitness very quickly. I'd still be chucking him straight in ahead of soem of the others even if he isn't fully fit mind!

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How can these stories keep coming out about what Shearer has had to do in regards to training, camaraderie, physio room, etc. and the people in charge still harp about Kinnear coming back? It makes no sense....

 

 

"I've made my feelings known to the necessary people (at SJP). They are well aware of their mistakes and other people's mistakes.

 

"I think they know what's been done right and what's been done wrong. Staying in this league will give them the chance to rectify that.

 

"The squad is unbalanced. You can't go into a season with one person in one position. At some time that player is going to get injured, as has happened with Jose Enrique at left-back.

 

"I knew the situation when I took the job, so I'm not complaining. We had meetings before I took it and we've had meetings over the past week about what we believe has gone right and what's gone wrong. They are definitely aware.

 

"They're new to football and they're going to make mistakes, but there have been some big mistakes.

 

"Whose fault is it? Everyone will have their own opinion on that. But it's important the same mistakes aren't made again."

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How can these stories keep coming out about what Shearer has had to do in regards to training, camaraderie, physio room, etc. and the people in charge still harp about Kinnear coming back? It makes no sense....

 

 

"I've made my feelings known to the necessary people (at SJP). They are well aware of their mistakes and other people's mistakes.

 

"I think they know what's been done right and what's been done wrong. Staying in this league will give them the chance to rectify that.

 

"The squad is unbalanced. You can't go into a season with one person in one position. At some time that player is going to get injured, as has happened with Jose Enrique at left-back.

 

"I knew the situation when I took the job, so I'm not complaining. We had meetings before I took it and we've had meetings over the past week about what we believe has gone right and what's gone wrong. They are definitely aware.

 

"They're new to football and they're going to make mistakes, but there have been some big mistakes.

 

"Whose fault is it? Everyone will have their own opinion on that. But it's important the same mistakes aren't made again."

 

Come on Alan! :lol: :lol:

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