Source: Telegraph
Darren Bent increases Newcastle pain
The look of abject despair on the faces of the visiting fans at White Hart Lane told its own story.
Shearer admitted later that the visit of Portsmouth next Monday was a 'must-win' game and that they then had to win their other two home games, against Middlesbrough and Fulham, to stand any chance of staying up. A glance at the table, with Newcastle in 19th place on 30 points and four from safety with five games remaining will confirm that view.
The one-time pundit admitted that he delivered an inquisition at half-time and later demanded to know why his side performed so much better in the second half then the first. His theory, he insisted, would remain in house.
'I've just said to them, I'm very pleased with the second half but give me an explanation why there's no urgency like that from minute one,' said Shearer. 'We have our own ideas and theory but we have to start games in the first minute like we finish them in the last 30 minutes.'
But Shearer remains confident: 'I still believe we have got enough. I know people have looked at our home games for the last nine or 10 games. That's no different. We'll be expected to win those and we have to win those starting with next Monday.'
Understandably Shearer was furious with the manner in which Newcastle conceded the only goal. The move stemmed from a Newcastle corner, with 16 seconds between Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes making a save and Darren Bent scoring the winner.
From Gomes's throw Benoit Assou-Ekotto fed Modric, Sebastien Bassong intercepted the pass but only to a white shirt and after Bent's first effort was parried, he converted from an acute angle to claim his 16th goal of the season and 11th in the League, from only 20 starts.
Newcastle had the shape and demoralized look of a side heading out of the Premier League, particularly in the first half in which they looked confused. With the club's only left-back, Jose Enrique, injured Shearer started with a 3-4-1-2 formation. At half time another injured defender, Steven Taylor, made way for Alan Smith, with Damien Duff switching to left-back, in a 4-4-2 formation.
And then the shape changed again, with the introduction of Obafemi Martins and Mark Viduka, the pair not fit enough to start, but their arrivals in a 4-3-1-2 formation heralded an improvement. Alan Smith went close and then Viduka and Martins entered the fray and at last Newcastle looked capable of scoring.
Martins headed over from a Duff corner, and then had the ball in the net but was adjudged to have handled. The striker wasted another chances, shooting at Gomes, and, with seven minutes left, Newcastle had good claims for a penalty rejected when Jonathan Woodgate looked to have brought Martins down.
Sitting just yards away from Shearer was the man who could now be holding the poisoned chalice that is the Newcastle manager's job. Harry Redknapp turned down the chance to move to the Magpies before he left Fratton Park for Spurs.
'If I was sitting there with 30 points I wouldn't be too happy,' admitted Redknapp. 'But they're a terrific club and 55,000 turn up every week in black and white shirts. My honest opinion is they can get out of it, but now he's got to win three home games to have a chance.'
Redknapp has his own problems to consider. Michael Dawson is almost certainly out for the rest of the season after injuring his ankle in the first half, while Ledley King was unable to feature after his troublesome knee flared up again.
But at least Spurs are safe and now pressing for Europe. And they have now conceded just nine Premier League goals at home, two short of the all-time club record of 11, in 1919-20, and with two games to go, against West Bromwich Albion and Manchester City.
