Source: Eurosport
Anderson: Shearer Can't Lose
Former Newcastle defender John Anderson is convinced Alan Shearer can only win as he prepares to take over as manager of his home-town club.
The 38-year-old is expected to be confirmed as the Magpies' boss until the end of the season later today, with present incumbent Joe Kinnear recovering from heart surgery.
Shearer will return to St James' Park almost three years after his retirement as a player, with just eight games in which to stave off relegation from the Barclays Premier League.
However, Anderson believes the man who achieved legendary status during his 10 years as a player on Tyneside cannot lose whatever happens during the remainder of the season.
He said: "I think it's a win-win situation. If he keeps them up, he will be put on an even higher pedestal than he's already on.
"If he doesn't keep them up, the supporters will say it wasn't his fault because they were in this predicament long before he took over and he had only eight games to turn it around."
Newcastle head into Saturday's clash with Chelsea in 18th place and two points adrift of safety, and they are in desperate need of a lift after yet another chaotic season.
Anderson admitted his surprise at the timing of Shearer's impending return, but claims the former England striker is only one of two men - the other being Kevin Keegan - who could placate the club's fans in the current climate.
He said: "It's a huge, huge surprise at this time in the season, but if anybody is going to get them out of the predicament they are in, it's only going to be one of two people.
"The first one was never going to come back, and the second one is Alan.
"He's got a huge job on his hands, but he knows what's expected, he knows the club and the one thing you would say is that the players will look up to him, respect him and will listen to him because he's been there and done it.
"It's not as if he's come in and they are saying, 'Who are you?'.
"He has done everything that has to be done, so he will have the respect of the players, which is a big plus point."
Shearer has been touted as a future Newcastle manager since long before his retirement from playing - indeed, he had to rule himself out of the race to succeed Graeme Souness back in early 2006.
He has made no secret of his desire to go into management one day and has been working on his coaching badges for some time.
However, with Keegan still in dispute with owner Mike Ashley's regime over the way the club was run during his second spell in charge, the timing does seem strange.
Anderson said: "He has obviously been given some guarantees, I would imagine.
"The only way he would take the job would be if he was given guarantees that things would be done his way and there would be no interference.
"It is interesting it is only to the end of the season, but if he was to keep them up, by public demand, they would have to give him the job.
"It's very, very interesting indeed.
"We all knew he was always going to get the job one day and that it would be his when he felt the time was right.
"But until now, it never seemed to be the right time. Now doesn't seem to be the right time either.
"But it's the club he loves, he's a local lad and he obviously feels it's a situation in which he can help."
Former Newcastle chairman Sir John Hall has called on Shearer to be appointed Newcastle manager for the long term.
"I'm delighted at the news, but it's not the circumstances I would have wanted him to come back," Hall told BBC Radio Five Live.
"I would have preferred him to come back as long-term manager because I've always felt he was the only man at this moment in time who could manage Newcastle.
"He's the most dedicated professional I've ever known in my time in the game.
"Desperate measures, desperate times. There's a gap opening up at the bottom of the table and he'll galvanise all the fans - let's hope he galvanises the players.
"It's got to happen on the park. If it doesn't happen on the park we'll go down."
Hall brought Shearer, a boyhood Newcastle fan, to the club as a player - and he was also involved in bringing Kevin Keegan to the club as manager first time around.
"When we took Keegan back 20 years ago he always had the knowledge of the game and the players and he had that magic touch," said Hall.
"I think Alan's got the same. He's been out of the game for a while but he knows the game.
"I think he'll be great. I'm absolutely delighted at the news - not at the circumstances, I don't think he should be judged on these eight games."
Shearer has been out of the game since his retirement as a player three years ago, but Hall believes he will have one eye on keeping the job beyond the end of the season should things go well.
"I never thought he'd come back into the game," he said. "Keegan had been out of the game for eight years and he never lost his touch.
"Alan's been out of it, he's coming back for eight games but I would think now that he's got it in his mind that if he succeeds probably to discuss long-term managership."
With Newcastle in such a precarious position, Hall does not believe the fans will turn against Shearer should the team be relegated.
"They have too high regard for Alan Shearer and they know he's coming in in very, very difficult circumstances," he said.
"I'm certain no-one would judge him on these eight games. Let's just hope and pray that he can save us. That's what we're all hoping for."
Shearer has previously questioned Ashley's running of the club, but Hall does not feel that will cause tension between them.
He said: "Mike came in with the best of intentions and I think he had it in mind when he brought Keegan in that he was going to look at the Tottenham system of a director of football.
"We discussed the two ways of having a manager with absolute responsibility or having a director of football. It was said at the time they wanted to go the way of a director of football.
"Things didn't work out between him and Kevin unfortunately. He made a few mistakes but I think he's had a lot of bad publicity he didn't deserve."
Sir Trevor Brooking believes Shearer will be treated as a hero on Tyneside if he keeps Newcastle in the Premier League.
Sir Trevor, the Football Association's Director of Football Development, told BBC Radio Five Live: "To take over at this stage is interesting.
"Their run-in is not easy, it's Chelsea at the weekend.
"If he keeps them up then he becomes a hero."
Former Newcastle striker Mick Quinn believes Shearer and Keegan were the only two people who could have saved Newcastle from the drop.
"It couldn't have happened at a better time for them," he told Sky Sports News.
"To start with, he's got to win some games. That's what they've haven't been doing, they've struggled this season. It hasn't been good enough.
"There's only two people who could have made a difference: Kevin Keegan and Shearer.
"Keegan was never going to happen."
Quinn is unconcerned about Shearer's lack of experience and believes he will improve fortunes at Newcastle, who host Chelsea on Saturday.
He said: "He couldn't do any worse could he? They're in the bottom three. Under the old management they were destined to go down.
"Chelsea's a massive one, but Stoke, Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Fulham - they're the games you have to win."
Quinn believes Shearer's stature will demand respect from the squad.
He said: "The players know who he is, a world-class striker, he scored goals for England. He's a Geordie as well. There's a lot of pride at stake.
"He was destined to be Newcastle manager at some point.
"What a tonic for Michael Owen as well. They were team-mates at England and got on fairly well.
"Michael Owen might get an extra yard and score the goals to keep Newcastle up."
Another former chairman, Freddy Shepherd, also welcomed the prospective appointment.
"I think it's great news," he told BBC Radio Five Live. "Newcastle are in a fight now, they're in the trenches, and Alan is the man to carry on the fight."
Shepherd also insisted Newcastle deserve to be seen as one of the country's big clubs, despite a major trophy drought which stretches back to 1969.
"It's more of an institution than a club," said Shepherd. "Everybody knows about Newcastle.
"It doesn't matter where you go in the world, they all want to know about Newcastle United.
"There's been a lot of controversy in the past, it's well known for the managers it's had, and it's a famous club, end of story."
Former Newcastle defender Bobby Moncur said: "It's almost destiny he was going to become manager of Newcastle United.
"I've spoken to him and he's said 'I do fancy managing Newcastle United'.
"It's fantastic news for the club - but it's a big step for him.
"He'll know he's got eight games to save Newcastle from the relegation threat but if anyone can do it - he's the man."
Moncur added on Setanta Sports News: "Congratulations to the powers that be for trying to convince him to take over at the helm."
Former Newcastle winger Chris Waddle said: "Management's not like playing and Alan will find that out.
"They will have to do a lot of hard work in training and he's got to get the confidence and belief in the squad.
"It's a good bit of public relations for Mike Ashley because they have been getting criticised the last few weeks.
"We all knew when Kevin Keegan got the job it was him or Shearer. It didn't work for Kevin for whatever reason but if Alan can keep them up that'll be enough for the fans."However, Waddle - who won 62 caps for England - believes the 38-year-old has the ability to keep the Magpies in the Premier League.
He added on Setanta Sports News: "They've got a good opportunity to get three or four results from their eight games, then it'll be a case of where do we go form here?
"For now though it's a case of just focusing on getting the results and keeping them up - but I said last weekend Newcastle would finish fifth or sixth bottom.
"They have enough games at home to pick the points up. I think they'll get 41-42 points and that'll be enough."
