What made Alan Shearer such a successful forward?

Lower West Stander said:

I'm going to be contrarian here.

Undoubtedly a very very good striker. But he tended to dominate the teams he played in and was very much a big fish in a small pond. He never played for a top club and turned down big money to go to Newcastle where he was king bee and won diddly squat - even jacking in his England career. His most successful years were playing alongside another top striker in Sutton at Blackburn. I also got the impression that he had a lot of influence at Newcastle and towards the end of his time there it seemed the club couldn't do anything without asking him first.

Don't get me wrong - great player. But based on the above, there are others I would say were better.......

Click to expand...

Danny-Boy said:

Presumably before she changed her taste to someone handling oval balls?

Click to expand...

looney said:

I agree wth this, smaller clubs tended to build their sides around him, saints, blackburn etc however he was worth it to the as he had a good strikers instincts For where the goal was and he made the good service count. You cant really blame him for being a bit egotistical given that format.

Click to expand...

Jim Van Winkle said:

While *allegedly*. She likes the receding hairline simpleton look.

Click to expand...

Danny-Boy said:

Hope she doesn't have any receding hairline simpleton offspring who are mad on football rather than the oval variety..

Click to expand...

Brighton Boy said:

Could score on the turn from 30 yards. Great in the air. One of the best I've ever seen at rolling a defender and getting his shot off quickly.

Click to expand...

vegster said:

As I recall he said he gave up playing for England as he felt he wanted to concentrate what time he had left in the game playing for his club.

Click to expand...

Bigtomfu said:

Your last sentence is key. Strikers score by taking shots. Shearer excelled at doing so early and often in unexpected positions and deserved the goal just for trying alone.

The modern way is to beat your man twice, sit the keeper down and then take the shot.

Murray has often struck me as similar/old fashioned in this regard. His goals against Villa and Preston where he turned the defender and beat the keeper at the near post reminded me of Shearer.

Click to expand...