Source: SKY_Sports
Shearer seeks strong start
Alan Shearer is relishing the opportunity to cross swords with Chelsea in his first game as manager of Newcastle United. The former Magpies captain is hoping to raise his legendary status on Tyneside by a notch or two after agreeing to help in the fight against Premier League relegation.Eighteenth-placed Newcastle confirmed Shearer as an eight-game replacement for Joe Kinnear, who is recovering from heart surgery, on Wednesday and the club's record goalscorer is now preparing for the challenge.The ex-England star has inherited a side two points from safety and facing, arguably, the toughest run-in of all the clubs battling at the wrong end of the division, starting with Saturday's visit of Guus Hiddink's third-placed Chelsea.And Shearer is in no doubt regarding the significance of the Blues' visit but hopes to begin his tenure with a bang, saying: "I keep hearing people say it is a tough game. I understand that.World class"Chelsea have world-class players and a great, experienced manager. They are going for the Premier League and they are in the quarter-finals of the Champions League."However, I still think it is a great game for us to have. I'm not having the fact people keep saying, 'we will not get anything here'."I do not accept that, I really don't. If we do not gain anything tomorrow and the other teams win, they will be five points ahead of us."We do not want that. We have to take something."After taking on Chelsea, Newcastle face Stoke, Tottenham, Portsmouth, Liverpool, North-East rivals Middlesbrough, Fulham and Aston Villa.