Source: SKY_Sports
Shearer - We can stay up
Alan Shearer has issued a survival rally call ahead of his first test as Newcastle United's temporary manager.[LNB] Having answered a plea from his boyhood club, who he served with distinction as a player, Shearer's bow in the dugout comes on Saturday against Chelsea.[LNB]He could hardly ask to mark his managerial debut with a tougher game at St James' Park but rather than cower in the face of expectation, Shearer has told his players that these are the type of matches they will miss most should they be relegated.[LNB]Newcastle find themselves two points from safety with just eight matches remaining but Shearer has seen enough in training from his players to suggest they can climb out of the drop zone.[LNB]No choiceHe said: "What do we want now? Do we want to be playing in front of 10,000 or 12,000 people next season in grounds not as good as ours next year? [LNB]"Or do we want to be playing here at St James' and going to Old Trafford and Anfield? [LNB]"There's no choice - we need to stay up, and it has to be done. [LNB]"And I have seen enough from the players already to suggest that they are capable of it. [LNB]"It's now a case of getting them to believe that. I believe it and hopefully they will as well."[LNB]
