I'd say
@GueRed nailed it: more aggressive holding the ball in and attacking deliveries into the box. Peak Shearer would be absolutely fine in a modern set-up that was built around his needs. Imagine him playing up front for Liverpool getting on the end of crosses from Robertson and Trent. Even up against the rugged British centre-halves of his era, who traded in the meat-and-drink of crosses and headers, he still plundered goals. Nowadays I reckon he'd routinely bully the more slender-built centre-halves with any delivery from out wide. That said in a theoretical Liverpool attack, he wouldn't replicate Firmino as I don't think he'd suit a supporting false 9 gig. Fundamentally he always wanted to be the point of the attack and his partnership with Owen later in his career didn't always catch fire as they'd often make the same runs. Otherwise though he had all the armoury and range of tools - pace, hold-up game, strength, intelligence, movement, finishing short and long - to threaten that would make him just as effective today.
Good description. He wouldn’t replicate Firmino, who moves in different area but I actually think his hold up play was at least as good as his anyway. In any case, Klopp would drop Firmino and whoever else if he could have Shearer, who was better than Salah and Mane too.
A bit more analysis on Blackburn Rovers 1994/1995...
Everyone knows that the side was set up to serve Shearer (and Sutton) as quickly as possible. The centre halves and right full back would play direct, both wingers stayed wide and crossed the ball. You have to remember, though, that almost every team in the league played that way to some extent. Even Newcastle, who were more stylish, had a similar format but with Ginola rather than Wilcox and Phillipe Albert rather than Colin Hendry. United’s midfield was much better than ours too, but we didn’t play through ours so much and Sherwood was good joining attacks bearers the box.
Wilcox and Ripley were rated at the time but were basic players, not near the level of Giggs/Kanchelskis/Ginola, or Damien Duff who came through at Rovers a few years later. However, they didn’t need to be as good as that because their job was to whip crosses into Shearer or Sutton.
Le Saux was at a very high level and I think (in a single season) compared with Irwin. Hendry a very good old-school defender. Sutton was a very complete footballer. Got loads of assists, unselfish, excellent passer, good finisher, very good in the air. Helped midfielders join the attacks and was a good foil for Shearer. Was a very good footballing centre-half too. To be a record transfer, completing a side and winning a league at 21 is impressive. An underrated player, possibly because of the Chelsea move and him falling out with England.
So, United were a better side with better players. Shearer was the difference but there were other decent players and the direct tag kind of ignores the context. There weren‘t the kind of differences that you’d see say between Dyche’s Burnley and Pep’s City.
We couldnt beat West Ham thats why they won the fecking league.