Has Shearer Stumbled Upon A Winning Formula?
Last updated : 07 May 2009 By Footy Mad - Editor
Owen is back as Shearer prepares to switch to the 4-3-3 formation that he tried against Portsmouth a fortnight ago.
This will be the fifth time that Newcastle's caretaker boss has radically revamped his formation and team in search of that elusive three points.
Does he know what he is doing? Or has Joey Barton hit the nail on the head when he said our Toon legend was "clueless"?
Shearer's assistant Iain Dowie admits that the weekly reshuffles are far from ideal, but feels that the pair have found a winning formula.
The midfield is not creative enough for my liking, and putting three up front is a gamble.
Easily the biggest decision taken so far was to axe Michael Owen, but the England striker was always likely to return before the end of the season.
Why Shearer went for Mark Viduka at Anfield will remain a mystery.
Easily the stangest decision (and he has made a few) of Shearer's short career in the hot seat.
Viduka needs to be lifted into the opposing penalty area by a JCB, and he was never going to trouble the Reds for pace ... because he cannot get out of the blocks!
Owen has been rubbish of late ... but at least he has pace, and that was the only way we were going to hurt the Scousers.
Dowie: "Michael's reaction has been tremendous.
"He's trained properly, he's been nice and bright - there's been no sulking as a result of not being in the team.
"Alan has spoken plenty about Michael and what he still has to offer to the team. He'll be in our thinking for Monday.
"Do I think he's less of a player now? No. Of course, a goal breeds confidence and he'll be desperate for one of them.
"But if you look at it, how many chances has he really had since we took over?
"Maybe a header at Stoke and the one against Portsmouth. If we create chances for Michael, he'll score them, I've got no doubt about that. What we need to do, if he plays on Monday, is create the chances for him.
"I think Alan would love to play the same system week in, week out and he'd love to play the same 11.
"But we're working with what we've got - injuries and the performances have really dictated the changes to us.
"Hopefully we should be able to work and drill the system from tomorrow onwards and Alan will look to see how everyone reacts.
"It's been frustrating to keep changing the system - both Alan and I like certainty, and I think the players would prefer it, too.
"We'd love to be able to pick the same side but, to be fair, we haven't really had time to drill a preferred formation into the players."