Shearer and Sutton reunite to remember how SAS ruled the roost 25 years after Blackburn’s famous Premier League title
A QUARTER of a century ago Blackburn Rovers defied the odds by pipping Manchester United to win the Premier League in dramatic fashion.
The title race went down to the final game – with the Red Devils needing a win at West Ham and praying that fierce rivals Liverpool would do them a favour by either drawing or beating that season’s underdogs.
Read the full interview only in The Sun this Saturday
And the Reds did their bit, defeating their famous son Kenny Dalglish’s side 2-1 thanks to goals from John Barnes and a last-minute winner by Jamie Redknapp.
But United could only muster a 1-1 draw at Upton Park, and finished a point behind Rovers – who ended a 81-year run without a league title.
Owner Jack Walker’s dream had come true; within five years of buying the club he had taken them from strugglers in the old Second Division to champions of England and shocked world football – just as he promised.
Pivotal to winning the championship were SunSport columnist Alan Shearer and his strike partner, Chris Sutton.
The pair scored 49 league goals between them – with Shearer netting 34 times and Sutton scoring 15.
The two former hitmen sat down for a video chat to reminisce about that glorious season.
Shearer revealed that nerves nearly got the better of Rovers as they entered the last weekend of the campaign in bad form.
And it didn’t help that they had the pressure of reigning champions Manchester United led by Sir Alex Ferguson breathing down their necks.
SQUEAKY-BUM TIME
“We were nervous,” the England legend admitted.
“I think, if I remember rightly, we lost three of the last five games after having a really decent record all season.
“So you could tell we were nervous, despite having the experience of Kenny as manager.
“Man United were coming for us and were putting us under extreme pressure.
“And Sir Alex was doing everything he could in terms of the media, his team were getting results.
“As it turned out, I didn’t care whether we lost the game or not I just wanted to get the title in the bag, so it was a huge relief (to win it).”
Sutton recalls feeling deflated and filled with dread as the team made their way to Anfield.
“I remember myself going to the game on the coach just feeling drained,” he said.
“Probably because I was such a young player at the time, thinking maybe negative points and what if we don’t get over the line now because we were so far in front.”
BRITISH RECORD SIGNINGS
In 1992, Blackburn’s former owner Walker made a statement of intent beating Manchester United to the signing of Alan Shearer from Southampton for a British-record fee of £3.6million.
Two years later, Blackburn broke the British transfer record AGAIN with the signing of Norwich City centre forward Sutton for £5million.
Instantaneously, the two were telepathic on the pitch and earned the nickname the ‘SAS’.
Shearer said: “We played Southampton away the first game of the season, and we sort of clicked and hit it off then.
“Second game was a home game and we both scored in the home game as well.
“So in terms of making the partnership work, it was just one of those things that clicked. We were both suited to that system.”
GET THE BALL FORWARD
The tactics employed by Dalglish and assistant manager Ray Harford were simple. Get the ball up the field as quick as possible for Shearer and Sutton.
Shearer explained: “Ray Harford used to say in the first 10-15 minutes turn the defence.
“Turn the ball over where Tim Sherwood or another midfielder or defender would knock the ball over the full-backs and try and get that team further back into their half, which enabled us to play in their half.
“And that was a constant in every game we played with Kenny and Ray. Turn the opposition for the first 10 or 15 minutes.
“Then that would give us space and would allow the wingers to get the ball and get it into the box.”
UNSUNG HEROES
Blackburn’s widemen Jason Wilcox and Stuart Ripley were crucial to Blackburn’s success – both going forward and in defence.
Not only did they provide the perfect service for their prolific frontmen, they acted as a shield to full-backs Graeme Le Saux and Henning Berg.
“The wingers were a major part, the work they put in,” Sutton said.
“Stuart Ripley and Jason Wilcox, not just offensively but defensively, their service was second to none.
“I wouldn’t say we were in Premier League history the most free-flowing and stylish team, but we were extremely effective.
“We knew what we were good at, and if you have those strengths why not use those strengths?”
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Sutton added: “For us, I think that we were pretty street-wise and smart in the fact that we knew what was effective.
“We knew how to win games, knew what our strengths were, so why try and be something different?”
Read the full interview in The Sun this Saturday.
We hear about how their early meeting on opposite sides led to the SAS being formed.
And why Sutton’s dream £5m move to Ewood Park was almost ruined by a boozy night out.
Then on Sunday the pair discuss how and why things unravelled for Rovers – including how they missed out on one of the biggest stars in world football – and Kenny Dalglish’s shock move upstairs.
And Sutton opens up on his feelings when Shearer left for Newcastle just over a year after their title win.