Shearer will not be at Newcastle next season, claims Magpies No.2 Dowie

21 May 2009 08:43
Newcastle assistant Iain Dowie believes temporary manager Alan Shearer will leave St James' Park at the end of the season regardless of whether he keeps the club in the Barclays Premier League. The former Crystal Palace boss was brought in as Shearer's No.2 when the Magpies legend was brought in to stave off relegation at the start of April. Newcastle are in a four-way battle for survival against the drop and their fate will not be determined until the final game of the season against Aston Villa at Villa Park on Sunday. There has been speculation that former England striker Shearer could be persuaded to take the job on a permanent basis. However Dowie insists there is no such agreement in place beyond thecurrent campaign and insists it has always been an 'eight-week job'. 'I have said from the first minute we got here that we have takendecisions that are right for the long term of this football club, andmaybe that has been perceived as we're staying for the long term, but Idon't think that's the case,' said Dowie. 'Alan came to me and said 'it's an eight-week job'. As far as I'm aware, that eight weeks ends on Monday, nothing's changed. Although itwill be a matter for Alan to sit down and talk about it if that's whathe wants to do. 'But all our focus is on Sunday and keeping the club in the Premier League.'

Source: Daily_Mail