5 great players who made bad managers

#5 Alan Shearer

Newcastle United v Fulham - Premier League — Alan Shearer's run as Newcastle manager ended in a painful relegation

In the Premier League and for Newcastle United, there are few players more legendary than Alan Shearer. The striker still holds the record for all-time Premier League goals scored, and is usually rated as the best striker in league history. As a manager though, he could hardly have done much worse.

After his retirement in 2006 there were plenty of rumours that suggested Shearer was heading into management, but none of them proved true until April 2009. Newcastle’s manager Joe Kinnear had taken ill due to heart issues, and Shearer was surprisingly pegged as his replacement, taking charge for the final eight games of the season and tasked with saving Newcastle from possible relegation.

Unfortunately for Magpies fans, not only did Shearer fail to save them, but he failed miserably. His first match started badly – a 2-0 loss to Chelsea – and despite a 3-1 win over local rivals Middlesbrough, it didn’t really get much better. On the final day of the season Newcastle were defeated 1-0 by Aston Villa, and suffered a painful relegation to the Championship.

All in all, Shearer’s run as Magpies boss yielded just five points from a possible 24, one of the worst runs in Newcastle and Premier League history. With the 2008/09 season over and done with, it came as no surprise to anyone when Shearer was not given the job permanently and returned to his television work. He’s not ventured into management since.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Amit Mishra