Source: Eurosport
Shearer Turns Focus On Players
Alan Shearer insists his return to St James' Park as temporary manager cannot be allowed to detract from the serious situation the club are in.
The Magpies' record goalscorer has taken over for the final eight matches of the season with the club in deep trouble near the foot of the table.
They are third-bottom, two points from safety having won one of their past 12 matches and with Chelsea the visitors tomorrow.
The hype surrounding the return of the man who scored 206 goals in 404 appearances during a 10-year spell at his home-town club has been phenomenal.
After a speaking to a packed press conference at St James' Park on Thursday he went out to acknowledge the chants of around 500 fans who had gathered outside.
However, Shearer said what he had achieved in the past on the field must now be forgotten as he bids to keep the club he loves in the Premier League.
"I have had a reputation as a player but that has gone, I'm moving on to something different now," said the 38-year-old Match of the Day pundit, who has been given a two-month sabbatical by his BBC employers.
"I'll be judged over the eight games, as every single manager is. I have not come into this with my eyes shut, I know what the stakes are.
"I understand why the fans are excited - because it is myself and Newcastle United - but we have to get away from this Alan Shearer thing.
"It is not about me, it is about keeping this club in the Premier League. I'll be trying as hard as I can to get away from that.
"Yes I'll go out and see the fans and sign autographs and give them as much as we can but we have to try to get away from this thing about me, we have a job to do.
"I think the fans know me more than anyone does. They know they will get 100%, 24 hours a day for the next seven or eight weeks.
"But I want to put it (the focus) on to the players because they are the important ones."
Shearer stressed on more than one occasion that his mandate is to keep the club in the top flight over the final eight matches of the season and there has been no discussions beyond that.
As far he is concerned, even if he is successful he will go back to his media work and allow Joe Kinnear, who is recovering from a triple heart by-pass, to return.
"I don't think it would be difficult for me to walk away. That is the plan, keep the football club up and then the powers that be can decide which direction they go in," he added.
"I probably would not have done it for any other club, not at this stage.
"But I haven't taken this job for me. I could have been sat on the sofa on Saturday evening being analytical and critical.
"I love that job but the opportunity is right and I believe I can help the football club.
"Now it is my job now to try to get things right."
Shearer's "homecoming" tomorrow will be a 52,000 sell-out as the whole city has been clamouring to get tickets with the club fielding over 5,000 telephone calls on Wednesday when news of his arrival gathered pace.
