Rob Lee suggests bad feeling between Ashley and Shearer.
Posted on September 7th, 2009 | 127 Comments |
Lee does make a few comments about the current Toon situation though and when asked if Ashley was just throwing up a smokescreen by keeping Shearer hanging on for the manager’s job, he says:
“Yes, yes. If you put Alan Shearer in charge he is going to want to improve the club, and he is going to want money. I think the cheaper way is what [Ashley] is doing. By not appointing Alan he hasn’t got to spend any more money.”
I think many people have suspected as much anyway. Just after relegation Ashley described the appointment of Shearer as ‘the best decision he ever made’ but that was when he was planning to hold onto the club and rebuild it. Of course, now that he’s decided to sell it he won’t want to spend any more money on it than he has to.
I don’t necessarily mean that latter statement as a criticism. It stands to reason that if you’re selling something you’ll only spend what’s necessary to secure the sale and long-term investment is pointless. Although if you’re struggling to sell you might have to reconsider matters.
Anyway, Lee goes on to say:
“I think he [Shearer] is getting pissed off with it. It’s been going on too long. My gut feeling is I can’t see Mike Ashley having him back and I can’t see Alan working for him again. I’d be surprised if that happened.”
Lee then raises a few suspicions about how hard Ashley has really been trying to sell the club:
“Nobody knows the truth apart from Mike Ashley. He is the only one who knows how many bids he’s had, how much they were for and whether he’s willing to sell. As a businessman, he doesn’t want to take a massive loss. As long as he doesn’t sell, it’s a paper loss.”
Personally I think Ashley did genuinely intend to sell. Putting the club up for sale is an expensive and time-consuming pastime and I think it’s unlikely he’d do all this as some sort of ruse. Ashley is prone to changing his mind though and I suspect that, particularly after our good start, he can see other options now and may not be too upset if he has to delay selling the club.
Lee also says that he is open to the idea of returning to St James’s Park to assist Shearer but stresses that he obviously can’t make a decision until he’s asked.
Finally, Lee says it’s tough to replace the excitement of football:
“Try to find something that’s as good as scoring in front of 52,000 people or as good as playing for your country.”
“It is impossible.”
Would like to see him back at SJP – reckon he’d be a decent coach or number two to Al.