Sky Sports

Shearer maintains exit stance

2nd April 2009, by Peter Fraser

Newcastle legend at St James' Park for eight games only

I understand the clamour. It is myself and Newcastle. But we have to get away from the Alan Shearer stuff.

Alan Shearer maintains that he will only be in charge of Newcastle United for eight weeks after taking over as manager at St James' Park.

In the latest twist of a dramatic campaign on Tyneside, the former Magpies captain was sensationally confirmed as a short-term replacement for Joe Kinnear on Wednesday as the ex-Wimbledon chief recovers from a triple heart bypass.

Eighteenth-placed Newcastle hope the arrival of Shearer, who oversaw training on Thursday morning, will provide the neccesary boost upon a squad immersed in a fierce fight to avoid Premier League relegation.

Having answered the SOS call from owner Mike Ashley, the 38-year-old, a legend in the North East after becoming the top scorer in the club's history during his playing days, has been charged with the task of banishing the threat of the drop.

It has been suggested that if the ex-England star performs a survival job, with a testing run-in beginning with Saturday's home sell-out against title-chasing Chelsea, he could stay in the role.
Clamour

But Shearer, who has appointed former Crystal Palace, Charlton, QPR and Coventry boss Iain Dowie as his assistant, is adamant he will walk away at the end of the season, telling a press conference live on Sky Sports News: "I'm here for eight games and eight games only.

"I want this club to stay up. Then the powers that be will decide what direction they want to go in."

He added: "I understand the clamour. It is myself and Newcastle. But we have to get away from the Alan Shearer stuff.

"It is not about me it is about keeping Newcastle in the Premier League. We have a job to do.

"I'll try my best. I want to put it onto the players. We started afresh when I walked in this morning."

Strong

Shearer has acknowledged that he is facing a massive challenge in keeping Newcastle in the Premier League, and he confesses that he will make errors in his first job in management.

"I'll make mistakes, I'm pretty sure of that," he continued. "But I have someone (Dowie) with me who will tell me. He is big enough and strong enough to tell me.

"I have to learn pretty quickly because I don't have the time."

And Shearer has revealed that he has received an offer of advice from Kinnear, and he plans to pick the brains of former Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan, ex-Magpies chiefs Kenny Dalglish and Bobby Robson, and previous England leaders Terry Venables and Glenn Hoddle.

He said: "I've not spoken to Joe, but I've had a message and the offer is there if I want to speak to him about the club and I'll take that up.

"I'll speak to Kev, Kenny, Bobby, Terry, Glenn and we'll see after that."

Dowie believes Shearer has been brave in answering Newcastle's call for help, adding: "Alan has shown good cojones to take the job. He has always been very single-minded.

"There was a sense that it was a fresh dawn. I can take some of the mundane stuff away and Alan can concentrate on team selection.

"I think Alan will be a top-class manager."