Well, Messiah 1 was a great success at the box office, featuring Kevin Keegan and running from 1992 to 1997. The sequel was a long time in coming, after the production team had come up with such flops as Dour Scottish Manager and Dour, Sour-Faced Argumentative Scottish Manager, but Messiah 2, again featuring Kevin Keegan was finally launched in January 2008.

This was beset by behind-the-scenes problems and the show only ran for eight months before coming off the rails early in September 2008. This then led to a spell with JFK at the helm (so known because of his propensity to use ‘industrial’ language), followed, when heart problems took him out of the equation (get well soon, Joe) by Chris Hughton, who seems a nice bloke if a little out of his depth.

And by the middle of March 2009, Newcastle looked like nailed on certainties for relegation. Leaderless, rudderless, without any inspiration or ideas, and crucially with a playing squad embarrassingly short on both personnel and talent, for which the production company (*koff koff* Mr Ashley) must accept a significant proportion of the blame.

And then, early on April 1st, I heard the news that Alan Shearer would be taking over as manager. I suspected this may be an April Fool, as I knew that he wasn’t keen on the job when Dennis Wise was there, and besides, the chairman, Derek Llambiarse … sorry, Llambias, was only just saying how he had full confidence in Chris Hughton.

Chris [Hughton] is doing a good job. He’s full of confidence. Colin [Calderwood] is in there helping us and Joe is still in the background. We’re happy with that situation and that will take us through until the end of the season.Derek Llambias quoted in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle

Of course, the very fact Llambias was saying it ought to have made fans suspicious, as generally he’s been remarkably incommunicative to the fans to the point of being bloody useless, and when he has said something, it’s generally been some sort of sop to the fans concerns to give the impression that the club does care about them. Only no-one believes a word he says anymore.

Through the day, the fact that more — well, seemingly every — media sources ran with the story meant that it was looking more and more plausible… despite the club’s previous public insistence that it was ‘business as usual’. And then what would seem like a crucial piece of information came from the club just after 9 pm.

NEWCASTLE United can today confirm that Dennis Wise has left his position as Executive Director (Football).NUFC Statement — Dennis Wise

Now why would that happen, exactly? After all, despite appointing Messiah 2 in January 2008, Ashley chose Dennis Wise over Keegan when Kegsy actually wanted to choose which players to buy and sell.

The Chronicle reported yesterday that club owner Mike Ashley was left with a straight choice – Keegan or Wise. And we suggested Ashley has always been loyal to his pals. As a result Keegan’s resignation can only mean one thing – Ashley chose Wise.Newcastle Evening Chronicle: The reasons why Kevin Keegan resigned

Now it had been widely predicted Wise would be off at the end of the season, but there seemed no particular reason for him leaving now unless…

…well, it certainly looked like Dennis Wise hadn’t won that particular power struggle. Shearer in, Wise out. And this became official a smidge after 10pm.

NEWCASTLE United can confirm that Alan Shearer will return to the Club as manager for the final eight games of the season.NUFC Statement — Alan Shearer

And that puts Alan in a rather interesting position. Mike Ashley has been forced to abandon the management structure which had forced a manager out earlier in the season, simply because he had no alternative. He couldn’t afford for Shearer not to take the job, because he’s the one person who could maybe attract a decent crowd next season even if the club did get relegated. But he’s made a rod for his own back again, because Alan is a man determined to do things his way, and if he gets pushed too far, he might well walk too.

And then Ashley would be up a certain smelly brown creek without a paddle: he’d find it next to impossible to placate the fans, and no manager worth his salt would trust his promises in future.

So Alan maybe has the opportunity — at least within the finances available — to run the thing his way, and without any interference. He’s also taking over a club which most of the fans that I have spoken to (and indeed myself) had written off as relegation fodder in the last few weeks. He’s in a no-lose situation with the fans: if they go down, the fans won’t hold it against him (although no doubt he will feel a personal hurt), if he keeps us up, he’s achieved the unexpected and becomes more of a hero.

If he doesn’t do very well, the fans will still want him to stay, yet he has the opportunity to walk away as he’s only currently contracted for 8 games. If he does do well, can Mike Ashley afford not to appoint him full time?

Clever that, eh?

Now here’s the interesting question — will he be any good?

Well, I’ll be willing to bet he can’t actually do any worse than we are currently doing (sliding ominously towards relegation). It’s also I think time for him to take the job. The longer he went without taking it, the less he’d seem to be a viable candidate in future, whereas when he retired as club captain and a senior pro he was virtually seen as an automatic choice.

For another thing, Alan Shearer is, as I’ve said before, The Balding Sword Of Damocles. The shadow of Alan Shearer has been hanging over virtually every Newcastle manager: whenever the team is doing badly, people start wondering whether it is time to Ask Al.

At least this way, if he has a go, and isn’t very good, or doesn’t like it, then whoever comes into the situation next won’t have Alan Shearer hanging over their heads…

What he will do, I am positive, is to galvanise the club. The appointment will inspire the fans, the players, and the whole of the club. At the very least, that boost ought to help the club over the next few games (even if I still don’t expect anything out of the Chelsea game).

I also think he has a lot of qualities that will make a good manager. He was widely respected as a player with an impressive international pedigree, which can maybe help us to attract better quality players than otherwise would be willing to come to the club (obviously which league we are in will be a larger factor, though!). He is also someone who is known for being determined and single minded. He also doesn’t take any nonsense, as we know from an infamous ‘night out’ story…

Gillespie, meanwhile, was flicking bottle tops at Shearer. ‘Al was saying, ‘Do that one more time and I’ll give you a good hiding,’ David Batty reveals in his recently published autobiography. The pair went outside and then Batty saw a pair of legs in the air. ‘We ran out to see Gillespie spark out in the gutter. There was blood everywhere. Allegedly, Keith had taken a swing as the two made their way towards the rear of the pub and Al had turned and decked him.’Guardian: The 10 worst examples of footballers behaving badly

Of course, the article is a little out of date, as Joey Barton does not feature at all. And I’d really hope that Alan could manage to er… manage without resorting to the rather public spats of Souness (e.g. Souness vs. Bellamy).

I think Alan is an intelligent man (if frequently dull when interviewed as a player), I think that he commands the respect of a lot of people in the game, and I think he’s a winner. I also hope that he’s a believer in the ‘football’ philosophy as, like Cloughie, I like to see the game played on the grass: but at least we can be sure he already knows that is one of the things the Newcastle fans want to see.

Although we’d probably settle for success instead; and Alan Shearer has always been prepared to win ugly if required. He’s also shown that he is prepared to embrace the ugly face of football by employing Ian Dowie as his assistant manager.

Sorry, I couldn’t resist that one. Actually, while he’s no oil painting, nor was Peter Beardsley and he was — and indeed is — still one of my greatest footballing heroes. I was also impressed by how Dowie did as Crystal Palace manager (even if I thought his departure wasn’t exactly handled so well). So while Alan may not have managerial experience himself, his No. 2 has half a dozen years of managerial experience, and has managed in both the Premiership and the Championship.

So, I have hope. I still don’t necessarily think Newcastle will stay up (although now I think they have a chance, rather than none), but I am already more hopeful about next season, so long as we can hang onto Alan…