nice backroom, good luck!

With the team now revealed the rest of the footballing world are left wondering how this will affect the teams suddenly stripped of some of their best talent?

Raheem Sterling?! Break into the first team?? When Zaha already has!?

You're mad, Ziechael

2014-09-19 18:02#194549 AaronHJFT96 : Raheem Sterling?! Break into the first team?? When Zaha already has!?

You're mad, Ziechael

Don't blame me, Shearer has his plans and i've got to report them regardless of the insanity of it. To be honest i would expect that almost all of those who need to 'break into' the first team will be part of a rotation system anyway thanks to the increased matches from club and international fixtures

AS - Alan Shearer
M - Various Media Reporters

AS - Good morning everyone, thanks for coming. Who'd like to go first?

M - Alan, fourfourtwo, there has been a lot of speculation recently about your appointment and that a more experienced manager would be better suited to such a high pressure role. With no disrespect intended, why you?

AS - No offence taken, I have wondered the same thing myself at times during the past week. I think that it boils down to two main things really. Greg and the FA wanted to try something new, rather than poach an existing manager or take on one who, for whatever reason, has had to leave a club and my plans for the future and playing philosophies ticked all of the right boxes. Also they wanted someone who knows the pressures that modern footballers are under. It isn't all fast cars and beautiful women, there is a lot of stress involved in getting first team football. They felt that I could work with the existing squad as well as nurturing the upcoming players of tomorrow.

M - So we are playing a long game here?

AS - Yes, and no. In the immediate future we will be looking to create a squad of players who know each others styles well enough to work as a cohesive unit in both league and international matches, however, the long term aim of the club is to provide the nation with the next generation of talented footballers. England FC will be the stable base on which the future of English football can be built.

M - Hi Alan, TalkSport, are we not just robbing the leagues of the cream of English football by cramming them into one team and therefore the experiences they can gain from working alongside foreign players?

AS - There is an element of that, of course. But the point here isn't to reduce the number of English players in the leagues but to actively encourage them. By centralising the national team we are making a statement to the rest of the teams in any league. Talented young players from around the country can now push for first team places with the knowledge that they can still be selected for international duty but without that issue of having to get game time ahead of their compatriots who may be more established in the setup.

M - But what is the pay off to these other teams if England FC can just poach their players on a whim?

AS - Don't let this initial squad build fool you, England FC will operate just like any other club. We will engage in the transfer market just like everyone else. If you are producing young talented English footballers then surely it has to be a good thing that there is a club out there that will be interested in them, and not just those that finally break into a first team.

M - Sorry, one more from me, if England FC are only in the market for English players, won't that push the prices up when you come knocking?

AS - It could, that is true. Simple economics states that supply and demand could mean that teams will inflate their prices should we show an interest but what everyone has to remember here is that we are looking at the entire nation. If a player is priced out of the market then it is that player that misses out, we are still a business and won't be taken for mugs. Next.

M - Morning Alan, Daily Mail, there has been a lot of talk about your squad selection, with some players expected to be in the line up not featuring and others only making the footnotes and reserve team. As national manager as well aren't you risking alienating those players who expected a bigger role in the new setup?

AS - Good question, and one I asked myself a lot. I wanted to create a team here that could play the way I envisaged, that isn't to say that those other players aren't capable of that but I needed to make sure that this initial squad had everything I needed to make this team work. Any player not selected to be with us here still has a very good chance of being in the international team, it was never the FA's plan to have all of the national squad in one club from the very start, maybe a few years down the line but not yet. As for the players who weren't listed in the first team, it is a very difficult decision about who would fit where when there are so many talented players at one club. Any of the big clubs in the Premier League will tell you that. My plan, which I have discussed with the players, is to adopt a strong policy of rotation. I want to give everyone a chance to shine and they will get that. As the season progresses some may feature more than others but it will be on merit rather than reputation, there is no place for egos in what we are trying to achieve here. We have time for one more question, anyone?

M - Alan…

M - Over here…

M - Give us a prediction Alan, will this even work and where will you finish in what is a very tough league, even with a team of stars?

AS - I am fully confident that this can yield very positive results, there may need to be an element of patience as things settle into a rhythm but I am certain that we can achieve great things here. If you want me to commit to where we'll finish, I'm expecting promotion this season, plain and simple. Thanks everyone.

Great interview, good detail

Thanks Feliks, Shearer is hard to write for... there isn't a lot of personality to put across lol

I want to see how this pans out, let's see some fixtures

Almost, there... just one more scene to set lol

There has been a mass protest today over the FA's recent acquisition of their squad from various teams in the English leagues. Fans from around the country have united to show their displeasure over what has been described as the 'smash and grab' tactics.

Some of the worst hit teams official supporter clubs, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea amongst them, have issued formal complaints however the FA have so far refused to acknowledge them claiming that the respective boards of the clubs agreed to the 'purchase' of the players for what was deemed an appropriate amount.

Greg Dyke was quoted as follows:

Rarely since the mass fire-sale, ironically, by Leeds United back in 2002/03 have this amount of top players been removed from a club in one window, but can the teams that have lost several of their key players really replace them in time for the coming season… and can they afford to?

We spoke to Nausherwan Effandi, official spokesperson for the Liverpool FC supporters club who had this to say:

So far the protests have been peaceful, with many fans converging on stadiums and training grounds to picket. There is justifiably a feeling of resentment towards the FA over this move and one that won't be easily assuaged.


Things have been less peaceful at the FA Headquarters at Wembley where the more hardcore of the fans have gathered to demand a reverse of this decision before it can have a greater impact on the leagues. They are furious at the lack of public opinion being taken into account before this plan was put in place. So far there have been no serious injuries but the police are on the scene and are attempting to restore order.

We'll bring you more news from around the country as the story develops.

awesomeness that is all i can say, keep this writing up and u will have a sotm contender

Hmm not too bad, will be looking forward to how you do in the league tho

I finally arrived back in my office after our pre-season tour. It's easy to forget how much travelling takes it out of you, and I wasn't even playing! No wonder there is a lot of moaning about european fixtures so close to league games, that being said I can't remember my generation complaining much… but then again, we were allowed a lot more freedom for, well, social activities.

As with every morning the first thing to do is go through the accumulated paperwork from the previous day. Another problem with travelling, there is always so much to come back to! Fortunately a lot of it can be filed for later, scouting reports, training reports, the inevitable media enquiries and then this… the thing every manager dreads seeing. An injury report from their Head of Physiotherapy. Strangely enough, despite only being 52, Dave insists on faxing it through instead of using e-mail like the rest of the staff. He says it is something about a hard copy that gets peoples attention.

I have to agree as I stare at the misery he has just informed me of.


Not one to swear usually, I can't help but issue a curse under my breath as I realise the implications of what I've just read. With Terry out of action for the first couple of months of the season I have a real crisis on my hands, after all he was going to be my Captain but can I really declare that now, after all he won't even be on the field until well into September and is it then fair to expect the Vice-Captain to take the lead so early on… and then when John comes back would the Vice-Captain willingly step aside…

…Damn it!

The worst thing is that my next choice of Captain would probably have been Gerrard anyway, but with Steve out for a fortnight as well this is really going to be a headache for me. I need to act fast, take affirmative action that shows my ability to think on my feet while coping with a difficult situation… especially since I meet with the team later today to announce the Captaincy.

C'mon Shearer, think, think, think…

… OK, so John can't be the Captain from the off as we need a leader on the field, simple. Steve can't do it either and John would see that as a huge slight to him anyway. The logical conclusion would be to make someone else, someone younger the Captain. It would make sense that I'd want to blood someone into the role while the obvious candidates are out of action, and if I make Terry the Vice-Captain he can still have the authority on the pitch that he deserves. Surely that would be enough under the circumstances?

I sat down then to go through the various reports while I awaited the epiphany that would tell me who to select as the Captain.

The notebook idea is great, graphics work out really well so far! This story is definetly going well! keep em' coming.