Magpies project excites Dowie
Apr 16 2009 by Luke Edwards, The Journal
Dowie and Shearer have been close ever since they were team-mates at Southampton and, while Newcastle’s former captain would have been expected to turn to other former United players like Rob Lee or Gary Speed when he was offered the manager’s chair, he immediately looked to harness Dowie’s experience and coaching expertise.
And it is a job the former Northern Ireland international is relishing, even if he is still struggling to get Shearer to open his wallet.
He explained: “I don’t have a problem being a number two. I’m enjoying it, I’ve done it before. I’d been a number one for a long time but I work well with Alan. He is a straight talker and I’m a straight talker and that works as a partnership. He gives me a free rein with the coaching, but I
will tell him what we are doing and if he wants more of something we will do it. We then meet up and discuss what we are going to do in the next game and it’s a pretty frank discussion.
“We’ve stayed in contact for years and I’ve been up regularly to see him. Mind you, I’m still waiting for him to get his wallet out. He’s never bought me lunch, not even now I’m working with him and he’s the manager. What is that they say about people with money?”
Dowie has been spending plenty of time with Newcastle’s misfiring strikeforce on the training ground and he is predicting a quick return to goal-scoring form for skipper Michael Owen. Owen has not scored since the 2-2 draw with West Ham on January 10 and, as normal, has taken a few games to regain his match sharpness following an ankle injury picked up against Manchester City later that month.
“You only have to look at Michael Owen’s goal return this season to realise what a top player he is,” said Dowie.
“He is blessed with something I never had and that is a natural goalscorer’s instinct and that doesn’t change.
“He worked ever so hard for the team against Chelsea and at Stoke and you can see he is getting stronger and fitter the whole time.
“It isn’t easy to come back from an injury and it normally takes a couple of games. It is a habit in this country to knock our sporting icons, which Michael has been for more than a decade now, but he will always score goals if we give him the chances.”
Meanwhile, promising teenage striker Nile Ranger has signed a three-year contract at the club, having impressed for the Academy and reserve sides this season.
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TOTTENHAM striker Jermain Defoe has returned to full training after more than two months on the sidelines with a foot injury.
The 26-year-old England international, who required surgery on the stress fracture to his right foot, may not feature in the Premier League clash against Newcastle this Sunday but could be in contention for the trip to Manchester United the following week.
