By Tyne-Talk
April 11 2009

Newcastle's goalkeeper Steve Harper has praised the arrival of Alan Shearer as manager, despite having to adjust to his being the manager rather than fellow team-mate. Harper believes that the level of discipline and unity Shearer has instilled at the club is helping regain team spirit and morale. The 34 year old who joined Newcastle in 1993 told The Daily Star;

"It's given everybody a massive lift. He's certainly the right man for the job.

Do I have trouble calling him gaffer? It was hard the first couple of times and there were a couple of slip-ups but that's the way it is and it's becoming automatic.

Anyway, there are a few of us in the same boat - Michael Owen, Nicky Butt, we all played with him and in a way that might help us. As a manager, you need to learn about characters and he has that advantage.

But anyone who thinks we are going to get preferential treatment from him does not know Alan Shearer!

He has instilled discipline and professionalism and players have responded to him and appreciated it.

He is very big on punctuality as a respect to each other. Everyone must eat together to forge team spirit. Ice baths are now compulsory.

They are just little things really but they all add up and if you start at the bottom and get the basics right, then everything else will follow."

On the subject of training Harper added;

"It's been really good. The tempo's improved and the sessions are longer and much more competitive.

There's definitely a competitiveness and edge that maybe had begun to disappear. It has started to come back and you can see a response.

But responses on the training ground won't get us out of the situation we are in. We have to do it for 90 minutes on match days, hopefully starting at Stoke."

STOKE V NEWCASTLE MATCH PREVIEW HERE

Harper: Shearer Has Instilled Discipline & Professionalism

Discussion started by TyneTalk (IP Logged), 11/04/2009 14:39

TyneTalk
11/04/2009 14:39

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