Source: Eurosport
Magpies dance to Carroll's Toon
Geordies like nothing more than a local lad made good, so step forward Andy Carroll when Newcastle are in dire need of a home-grown hero.
You will find a few who will claim Carroll is not a genuine Geordie as he comes from Gateshead and not Newcastle, but will anybody dare argue over given the club's current predicament?
With United supporters staring at a second successive defeat under their messiah in Shearer, Carroll stepped off the bench to salvage a point from a 1-1 draw at Stoke with an 81st-minute equaliser.
It was the 20-year-old's third goal this season, which could prove to be priceless if Newcastle go on to avoid relegation.As it stands, with six matches to save themselves, United are two points adrift of safety, and with an awkward run-in to negotiate.
But if Shearer can galvanise the likes of Carroll to perform when it matters most, the Magpies have a chance of survival, even if the overall display at the Britannia Stadium suggested otherwise.
Certainly given United's perilous position, it would be easy for the fans to look to one of their own to save them in their hour of need.
"Just because he's a local lad, I don't think there's any extra pressure on him to succeed," insisted interim manager Shearer.
"We'll help him as much as we can in the time that we're here, but he wants to learn, to improve, and we know that from the short space of time we've had with him.
"We'll try and help him and keep all the pressure off him as much as we can - there's enough pressure on the players anyway.
"But I'm sure he won't get carried away, we won't allow him to get carried away."
After scoring his first goal for United in January, another point-saving equaliser from a 2-2 home draw with West Ham, Carroll made special reference to a coaching session he enjoyed with Shearer at the age of 15.
It is not something Shearer can recall five years on, although he feels for Carroll to improve, he requires individual tutoring."We've worked with him, although how much individual work he has had over the last 18 months, I'm not quite sure," added Shearer.
"But he needs that, he needs coaching, and to put the effort in by working hard in training which will give him his rewards in games like this one."But he also needs matches because he only played his first full game for us (in the reserves) on Monday for a couple of months."
Shearer at least acknowledges Carroll has now "put himself in a fantastic position" with regard to winning a more permanent place.
"You ask a substitute to go and make an impact, and he did that," said Shearer.
"If you get balls into the box to him then he is likely to do that as he is a big, strong presence.
"The more people can give me problems regarding team selection then the better it will be for everyone, and more importantly, for the football club."
As Stoke boss Tony Pulis rightly assessed, his side were the better team for 75 minutes until Newcastle's late rally.
But it is still just one win from the last 14 games for United, and although the final 15 minutes were encouraging, on this evidence it is hard to ascertain where another victory will come from.
But with Shearer at least sensing belief within his side, he is predicting there will be "many twists and turns between now and the end of the season".
He added: "What you have to do is stay calm and focused, and when the chance comes, you will get the opportunity to get a result.
"I thought this performance warranted at least a point, and on another day we might have got something different.
"I suppose we have to be happy with a point, and it could be a very valuable one.
