Was Alan Shearer Right To Criticise Joe Kinnear's Appointment?

Not for the first time, Newcastle United left their followers in a genuine state of bewilderment following the appointment of Joe Kinnear as the club’s new director of football. 

The ex-Wimbledon and Nottingham Forest boss arrived after a disappointing campaign that saw the Magpies beat the drop with just a game to spare, but the decision has been derided by fans.

And on the heels of a string of embarrassing interviews with the 66-year-old in which he mispronounced the names of players and got his facts wrong across the board, it’s easy to understand why.

But the supporters weren’t alone in voicing their disapproval, with Toon legend Alan Shearer using his regular column in The Sun to express his dismay at the situation.

Old wounds were reopened harking back to United’s 2008-09 season—a campaign that saw Kinnear manage the side for a four-month spell before Shearer presided over their eventual relegation.

And though Kinnear retaliated, calling Shearer “a guy who hasn’t got a clue about coaching,” many found themselves nodding in agreement with the former No. 9 as he labelled the club a laughing stock.

In truth, neither man has any right to talk big when it comes to their respective spells as Newcastle boss. During a season of unprecedented turmoil, both failed to cover themselves in anything resembling glory from the dugout.

Despite Kinnear’s insistence that under his guidance the team would have survived in the top flight had health issues not cut short his tenure, the stats fail to prop up his assertions.

In 16 weeks under the former Republic of Ireland international, the Magpies won just four times and collected two points from his final five matches in charge despite a squad that boasted the likes of Michael Owen and Damien Duff.

Likewise, Shearer’s eight-game reign returned a meagre five points from a possible 24 and ended in abject failure as the club dropped out of the Premier League.

Both figures disappeared off professional football’s radar, and it was left to Chris Hughton to pick up the pieces and guide Newcastle back to the big time at the first time of asking with the minimum of fuss.

For the vast majority of fans, however, Shearer remains a hero, having netted 206 times during a decade at St. James’ Park to become the club’s all-time leading goalscorer.

Alongside names such as Les Ferdinand, Rob Lee and David Ginola, he serves as a purposeful reminder of a club that fought for league titles, reached cup finals and played in the group stages of the Champions League.

Today, with such achievements seemingly unattainable, his comments touched a nerve with supporters whose memories are still awash with cup runs and top-six finishes.

The Magpies have long been considered as English football’s great underachievers, with not a single piece of major silverware lifted since their Inter-Cities Fairs Cup triumph in 1969.

That Shearer’s frustrations with the current setup mirror that of the fans tells its own story. He has, after all, reverted back to being a supporter himself, as he was as a boy growing up on Tyneside.

Strong opinions are never off the table when it comes to Newcastle United, whether they’re being offered in the local and national media, in the stands or throughout the city’s bars.

Shearer is as entitled to comment as anyone else, and while celebrity status might make his voice that bit louder, his points of view surrounding Kinnear merely echo those of a hugely concerned fanbase.