TWTD understands that former England skipper Alan Shearer has been interviewed for the position of Town manager. The ex-striker’s only previous managerial experience was eight games as boss at Newcastle United at the end of the 2008/09 season.

The Magpies legend, who like Town owner Marcus Evans has been in Barbados this week, couldn’t prevent his already-relegation-haunted club from dropping into the Championship, managing only one win and two draws during his time in charge. He left that summer and was replaced by Chris Hughton.

Since that spell Shearer, 42, has been linked with various jobs, including the currently vacant position at Blackburn Rovers, while working as a pundit on Match of the Day

Capped 63 times by England, scoring 30 goals, Shearer was reported to have been a potential Town target when Roy Keane left the club 21 months ago.

Earlier today, Blues striker Michael Chopra, a one-time team-mate of Shearer’s at Newcastle, said he’d very much like to see him at Portman Road: “I would love to see Alan Shearer as manager. Such a good person and worked and played under some great managers, including Sir Bobby Robson.”

However, despite Shearer's undoubted profile and experience of playing the game at the highest level, comments made by chief executive Simon Clegg at last night’s Supporters Club AGM hinted that a man more experienced in management would be the club’s preferred choice: “This is not going to be a high-risk appointment.

“We need to have someone that we’ve got confidence in, who has got the necessary experience and skill-base to get us out of this current hole and get us to where we want to go in the long run.”

The Blues are likely to interview a significant number of candidates with Simon Clegg having indicated a great deal of interest in the job vacated by Paul Jewell on Wednesday.

Photo: Action Images

marcus139 added 23:04 - Oct 25 Shearer or curbishley? Shearer or mills? Shearer or butcher? I know what I would choose every time.
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marcus139 added 23:07 - Oct 25 He was not lying about Ipswich in 94, we were crap. What is issue with this? Who cares? Do you not admit truth? I want winners and plain speakers at the club.
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marcus139 added 23:12 - Oct 25 People underwhelmed? Shearer has hks pick of jobs, and does not need to work. If he did come here, for first time in a while I would think we mattered. And as for attracting quality players, I dont think I could name anybody around who would be better in modern game.
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EatonBlue added 23:13 - Oct 25 We need someone with more experience. McCarthy or Burley for me.
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spalding2258 added 23:22 - Oct 25 if you had any confidence that the right appointment is going to be made interviewing shearer can only add to the feeling that we're going to get it wrong for the 3rd time in a row. in our current position i would have thought getting an experienced championship level manager who can organise a squad to defend properly and as a starting point avoid getting relegated would be the criteria our chief executive would employ. mc carthy and davies would be my choices .

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TheCurly added 23:24 - Oct 25 Please, please, please do NOT go down the "big name" route again
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TimmyH added 23:24 - Oct 25 I hope Cleggy's not going to interview the world and it's dog, they should look at the 34 candidates and narrow it down to 5 or 6.
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blackheath_blue added 23:27 - Oct 25 I'm usually a very open-minded, level-headed person but NO. No no no no no.
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jezza78 added 23:28 - Oct 25 Perhaps no coincidence that Evans was in barbados on Tuesday, why? Alan Shearer was there on holiday! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2223285/Alan-Shearer-Ipswich-j So much for Jewell saying Evans would tell him if he was actively seeking a new manager!
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hairbear added 23:53 - Oct 25 Funny how people on here don't want curbs because he's been out to long but would welcome shearer! A shearer appointment seems very similar to the Keane 1. Loved listening to burleys passion on radio Suffolk today.
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PutYaBootsOnKeano added 23:55 - Oct 25 please, lord, no.
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Arthur added 00:01 - Oct 26 No We are Ipswich Town We don't want to be Alan Shearer's Ipswich I don't want a "name again" I want a manager who quietly goes about his business and has a bloody good chance of getting results.
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Tractorog added 00:05 - Oct 26 For goodness sakes get a grip. We are bottom of the league we can't afford to twaddle about with Shearer. We need proven experience and coaching skills. I think we have a half decent team, but one that needs coaching and getting their confidence back. If Chopra is backing him then that's even more reason to say no. Has anything that Chopra ever done told you he has good judgement?

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tailchafer added 00:15 - Oct 26 Why worry, when did the last primary target (striker, keeper, manager) actually come off? FWIW Wilkins yes, McCarthy, Megson, Shearer no.
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Popeye added 00:22 - Oct 26 If we've got to have a pundit in charge then lets have gary neville
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patrickswell added 00:28 - Oct 26 I think that if this happens, it will be because Shearer really wants it to. He was spoken of a future Newcastle manager for so long, and maybe feels that if he's serious about becoming a manager, he needs to get out there and start managing. I could see him looking at us as a good fit for him: not the pressure that there would be at Newcastle or another Premiership job, an owner who gives managers time (although I think we'll all die of atrophied boredom, if we witness another load of defeats), a place with a good philosophy for football (I bet Sir Bobby would have told him nice things about us) and with us in the position we currently are he has scope to rebuild the club and set himself up as a manager. That's what's in it for Shearer...what's in it for us is less apparent. We really don't know. I laughed along with everyone else when Newcastle went down under him in 2009, but 8 games is no real length of time to judge anyone's credentials. It would be a huge leap into the unknown, but maybe with us at our lowest ebb, it's a time to be bold. My concern would be that like Keane, he may be too big for some of our players to relate too. If his footballing philosophy is as muddled as Keane's was, we're definitely in for more bad times. And the final grievance would be that the manager would be the story, not the club he manages (unless we continue to struggle that is). All that being said, if he was appointed and we saw signs of someone trying to build a team that we could relate to, it could be great fun being a Town fan again.

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MickMillsTash added 00:29 - Oct 26 Doesn't even talk a good game
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Tractorog added 00:35 - Oct 26 Are people seriously saying that being a Geordie and playing under SBR are all you need to be a manager of our club? How about experience & man management? If we appoint Shearer it will tell you that Marcus Evans regards town as his play thing and this is all about a glamour manager and very irrational.
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patrickswell added 00:54 - Oct 26 Further to Marcus139's post about Shearer's previous "There are no easy games in the Premiership...except Ipswich at home", the reason why that comment hurt so much was because at the time, it was true. Indeed there's probably plenty of Championship sides saying the same thing when they look at the fixture list. To anyone still smarting over that comment consider this: Wark, Sedgley, Williams, Marshall and Mathie all played in that 9-0 defeat; a year later, they and other stalwarts of that terrible season such as Mason, Milton and Thomsen got their own back on Shearer in the FA Cup. Point made, case closed and remember, as the joke went at the time, "There are no easy games in the FA Cup...except Blackburn away."

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AndrewPC added 04:57 - Oct 26 Lets think about this. If you are interviewed it is because you are on the short list. Lets assume that the short list is maximum 5 or 6 people. So, start interviewing those whom you assume are the "weakest" or more unlikely candidates. That way you expect each canddidate to progressively approximate to your target "ideal". The last two interviewed should be the favorites. Shearer is the first to be interviewed (I assume). So on the basis of the above approach, also the least likely to get an offer. I hope so.

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Lukeybluey added 05:27 - Oct 26 The Ronnie Moore shout would be good!
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fourth added 05:46 - Oct 26 Shearer? NO experience. Egotist. Natural misery. Very risky
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happybeingblue added 06:44 - Oct 26 billy davies would be my choice - he would get us playing some decent stuff and turn us into an organised unit and if evans would back him 100 % then feel he could be the man to get us going again,very passionate and may rub a few people up the wrong way as he tends to be outspoken and shoots from the heart,,but done well at preston ,derby and forest ,we certainly wouldnt be floundering near the bottom,he would get us up near the top where we want to be!!

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jeffisbent added 07:06 - Oct 26 Legend as a player, but really doesn't come across as management material. Hope you take my views on board along with all the other well balanced arguments on here Alan!!!!
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Northstandoldie added 08:17 - Oct 26 I think it will be McCarthy, wont be pretty but he will get the job done and keep us up. FWIW i want Ian Holloway here but he wont leave Blackpool for us unfortunately.
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