Shearer’s task will be to spend wisely and change history

May 26 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

Alan Shearer will have plenty on his ‘to do’ list if he accepts the challenge of leading Newcastle back to the Premier League. Mark Douglas reports

WHEN Alan Shearer meets Mike Ashley today, one issue should dominate the discussions.

Shearer has plenty of work to do to rebuild his shattered club, but the area that has done more than anything to undermine Newcastle United in recent seasons is player recruitment.

Shearer will demand a complete overhaul of the way the club has picked its players if he is to sign the four-year contract dangled under his nose – and it will not be before time.

Over the last five years, millions and millions of pounds has been frittered away on players who have barely played, contributed precious little to the cause and in some cases have actively poisoned the dressing room.

There are a few honourable and notable exceptions to the rule but they are buried underneath an avalanche of disasters. Jean-Alain Boumsong, Joey Barton, Lee Bowyer, Marcelino, Claudio Caçapa, Geremi and Albert Luque – Newcastle’s transfer strategy reads like a who’s who of catastrophic signings.

It came back to haunt United at Villa Park on Sunday. When they needed inspiration, they got nothing from the players they had so expensively recruited.

Shearer took one look at his bench that included recently signed Ryan Taylor and Jonás Gutierrez and preferred the homegrown Shola Ameobi instead. It is a damning indictment of the club’s approach to signings and Shearer, like the rest of the football world, is acutely aware of how much it needs to change.

United are well known in football circles for not doing their necessary homework on big-money signings.