Manchester United, Andy Cole and Alan Shearer
Just finished reading a heavily rose-tinted article from Rob Smyth (although considering the flak Andy Cole’s taken in his career such a passionate defense is only fair) and I thought I’d ask you guys to to debate this one out:
If Alan Shearer had signed for Manchester United, would he have had a greater record (for Manchester United) than Andy Cole had for us?
On first thought, the answer is quite obvious - Shearer is arguably one of the best footballers England has produced (and that the Premiership has seen) in the last decade, and you would hesitate to put Cole above Shearer in that list (unless you were blinded by hatred for Newcastle United).
But I’m not talking about stats - I’m talking about how well Cole adapted to the needs of the team and demands of the manager. I find it difficult to think that Shearer would have done the same - how would he have gotten along with Cantona? With Ferguson?
Maybe like Ruud, Cole’s one of those strikers who will always score you goals but never achieve greatness (Henry is to Ruud what Shearer possibly was to Cole).
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- All-Time Premier League Top Scorers: Alan Shearer, Andy Cole, Thierry Henry, Robbie Fowler and Les Ferdinand
- Martins attacked plus update on Newcastle’s defender search
- Shearer’s shadow looms large over Newcastle United managers
Discussion - 10 Responses
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I am a massive fan of Cole but I the fact he played his best football for us when Yorke was there is no coincidence. Yorke really made Cole’s United career, their on the pitch relationship was awesome.
I think Shearer coming to United would only really have benefited his own trophy cabinet, saying that Shearer was one of the best strikers this country has ever produced.
(unless you were blinded by hatred for Newcastle United).You state what we knew all along.
Not to mention the fact that Manchester United signed Cole from… Newcastle United. So one was not signed in the other’s place…
We signed Ole instead of Shearer didn’t we?
As the song goes “….And Alan Shearer was F*cking dearer, so please don’t take my Solskjaer away.”
I think Shearer would have had a much better record with Manchester United IF he could get past the Cantona issue…
With Shearer scorig lots of goals, it would have resulted in a direct clash with Cantona who had the need to be the hero. Not sure if Shearer would have had enough confidence to match him. With this I do not mean anything bad to anyone, Cole, Cantona or Shearer. My point is firstly the personality clashes, secondly, unfortunately Cole needed too many chances to score (that’s why Cantona started playing him out of the game…he only flourished when Cantona left).
The choice really boils down to Shearer and Cantona (not Cole). For my choice, Cantona anytime!!!
that’s where the disagreement comes in - when you say that ‘Cole needed too many chances to score’, I’d point to Rob’s article and say hey, that’s the exact same statement he is countering.
Cole’s goals-to-chances ratio was less than that of Shearer, but it was still above average.
And Cole’s clash with Cantona was because Cantona didnt think Cole was professional enough (like Keane did with Veron), not because Cole missed sitters.
Cantona anytime, yes
With great embarrasment I humbly apologise. I commented without reading Rob Smyth’s article.
I never realised Cole’s statistics were that impressive. However, I admit that I have been greatly indoctrinated because the only memory I have of Cole is still that he needed too many chances.
) but always I felt he somehow could do better. Don’t know why. Perhaps I sensed some potential for greatness - that never got fulfilled.
Also need to add that for some reason I also always liked him and always thought that “he will come right”. I guess the expectations on him (from me) at the time was too much. He had an amazing time with Yorke (whom I never truly liked - go ahead shoot me
Van Nistelrooy not achieving greatness? Have to disagree. Even in his “bad” season he was more prolific per game than most. Check his international stats too..
He’s doing the business at Madrid. So much for a “finished” player. Sold FAR too cheaply.
We may play better football without him, but he is already a “great” in our history.
Cole will never be remembered as a great, simply because he wasn’t. Yorke was a far better player as well. With Giggs and Beckham around you could put my mum up front and she would have scored as many goals as Cole. Okay, exagerration but swap my mum for an “average” striker and you get the point lol ;o)
shearer + cantona = unstoppable.
shearer would have been fantastic with cantona
cantona has the skill and could vreate a lot for shearer who would just bang evrything into the net.
andy cole was a great player but shearer scored so much more.
at that time man utd could make chances from nothing with the counter attacking speed and style of cantona and giggs and if they had shearer every counter attack would end in a goal because he can score from anywhere and was so sharp when he wa younger he just would not miss.
and we still won the treble without him so it proves how great man utd are.