The Times

Shearer's eye for detail rejuvenates players

10th April 2009

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?”