Sky Sports

Shearer - Toon job massive

2nd April 2009, by Robert Parish

Newcastle boss pledges to give 100 per cent to save club

Shearer: Massive fight

We've got a massive fight on our hands, we know that, it's a massive job to be done in very, very difficult circumstances, but we'll face it head on.

Alan Shearer knows he has taken on a 'massive job' as he looks to save Newcastle from relegation in the final eight games of the season.

Shearer, who was speaking at a press conference televised live on Sky Sports News, has been brought in for the closing stages of the campaign with the Magpies battling to preserve their Premier League status.

Joe Kinnear continues to recuperate from his major heart surgery and the club have slipped into the bottom three, two points from safety, in his absence with Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood at the helm.

Former England captain Shearer is Newcastle's all-time leading scorer having plundered 206 goals in 404 appearances during his 10-year stay on Tyneside to earn legendary status in the North East.

The new Magpies boss' first challenge is Saturday's St James' Park meeting with Chelsea, who travel to the North East still harbouring aspirations of challenging for the title.

Shearer took his first training session on Thursday morning when he met his new squad for the first time and was delighted with their reaction.

Shearer told a press conference televised by Sky Sports News: "The response has been fantastic. I've gone in this morning and seen all the players, spoke to them, spoke to the staff and the training was superb.

"They've set a standard this morning that we want them to keep to. If they keep that standard up, keep that determination up, then I think we'll be OK, I really do.

"We've got a massive fight on our hands, we know that, it's a massive job to be done in very, very difficult circumstances, but we'll face it head on."

Shearer accepted that mistakes have been made under owner Mike Ashley's tenure, but insisted that needs to be consigned to the past with everyone at the club pulling together over the closing weeks of the season.

And he has pledged to the club's supporters, who idolised him as a player, that he will give his all in his first managerial appointment, with Iain Dowie working alongside him as assistant manager.

History

He said: "I think they (the fans) know me as well as anyone does. They know that they will get 100 per cent 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I hope that will be good enough, I really do.

"It would sadden me and it would sadden the thousands and thousands of people who support this football club if it were in the Championship. They don't deserve that, they deserve better.

"The powers that be have admitted that mistakes have been made this season and we would all agree with that.

"It is important that whatever mistakes have been made, they've gone. We can't do anything about it.

"We're third bottom of the league. Whether that is because of bad luck, bad play, low confidence, refereeing decisions, it doesn't matter. That's gone, it's history, we can't do anything about it.

"What we can do something about is as of now, for the remaining eight games."