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Shearer 'to be offered four-year Newcastle deal'

Tue 26 May, 05:03 PM


--AFP/Adrian Dennis

AFP/Adrian Dennis
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NEWCASTLE, England (AFP) - Alan Shearer is set to be offered a four-year contract to stay on as manager of relegated Newcastle, according to reports in England.

Shearer's spell as interim manager ended with Newcastle's final game of the season at Aston Villa, but owner Mike Ashley was reportedly due to meet with the former England striker on Tuesday to discuss the terms of a permanent contract.

Ashley knows that Shearer's popularity among Newcastle fans and his standing in the game will be major assets as the long slog to restore the club's credibility and Premier League status begins in the close-season.

For the first time in 16 years, Newcastle are no longer a top-flight club, but Shearer has no intention of feeling sorry for himself.

The Newcastle legend, who took charge for the final eight games of the season after Joe Kinnear's heart surgery, met the squad for an end of season debriefing on Monday and reportedly told them there would a major overhaul of the playing staff if he stays.

"If I'm here next season, there are going to be big, big changes," the Times quotes him as saying.

Newcastle's annual wage bill is estimated at around 74 million pounds and Shearer is willing to axe high-earning flops like Michael Owen, Mark Viduka, Claudio Cacapa and Peter Lovenkrands, who are all out of contract.

Fabricio Coloccini, Geremi, Obafemi Martins, Alan Smith, Jose Enrique and Jonas Gutierrez could also be sold.

Shearer added: "The problem this club has got is that the other Championship clubs have already started preparing regarding players and everything else.

"Newcastle are already lagging behind. The sooner a decision is made the better for everyone.

"We need to look at it with a clear head. I will give my opinion on what is wrong and what needs to be done."

Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias made it clear that Ashley and his board have no qualms about giving Shearer the job permanently despite his lack of experience.

Llambias said: "We want him to be the manager 110 percent. He's very good at what he does and he's a straight-talking guy - we like that. He would be the perfect appointment.

"Talks will start on Tuesday and we are going to review the situation. We are trying to sort something and we will give the public some information as soon as possible.

"Alan has put a lot of work into the job at Newcastle and we are talking to him now."

 

Comment 1 - 13 of 13

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  1. please alan come and play for blackburn again and win­ the title its never going to happen keep dreaming for­ another season what happened to king kev anyway

    From chris, on Tue 26 May 9:46PM

  2. why would he want to manage in that division he can get­ on match of the day again thats what he wants to do

    From chris, on Tue 26 May 9:44PM

  3. Please Alan, tell Ashley to give Derek Llambias his­ marching orders. He is mates with Wise, and they are­ both SCUM

    From SHAUN, on Tue 26 May 9:13PM

  4. lynnetom20042003, Kegan had very good results with­ Newcastle. Check last season. Anyway, here is the most­ likely scenario. The inexperienced but overconfident­ Shearer will see that Championship is not easy and he­ starts dropping points all over the place and then gets­ fired or walk away ''for the good of the­ club''. Newcastle won't be back anytime­ soon. Ashley @#$%'d it up big time.

    From Half A Brain, on Tue 26 May 6:01PM

  5. Oh Yeah?.Alan Shearer took over at the @#$% end of the­ season but I'm sure when took over 8 games ago he­ warned the Board and players what the consequences­ would be of relegation.Feel sorry for the 150­ parttimers who have lost their jobs,but the players­ that took the money and underperformed have given­ themselves enough rope to hang themselves.Hes had to do­ postmatch interviews and speak up-that took character­ and he showed that over Joey Barton.Give him a break.

    From Rick Moth, on Tue 26 May 6:00PM

  6. Unless ashley gives Shearer or whoever, the money to­ spend and FULL and FREE reign on transfer policy, this­ club is going down, down, down!
    To all those­ criticising the possible appointment of Alan Shearer;­ look, Shearer comes with Sir Bobby Robson's­ approval, that is good enough for me - and NOT your­ views, which are purely based on bias and hatred.

    From cameron w, on Tue 26 May 5:59PM

  7. What a shame that Joe Kinnear had a heart attack­ requiring triple by-pass surgery. He got better results­ than both Kevin Keegan and also Alan Shearer during his­ stint at Newcastle before becoming ill. If he had not­ become ill it is my view that Newcastle would still be­ a Premiership club!

    From Tom..., on Tue 26 May 5:45PM

  8. They were in trouble before he came dont blame him.

    From Nath, on Tue 26 May 5:44PM

  9. For all his inexperience, I think that Alan Shearer­ will make a very good manager. You have to start­ somewhere and, although his start is blindfolded and­ smack in the middle of a minefield, he has the­ intelligence and knowledge to negotiate his way out.­ Sitting on the couch at the BBC will have given him­ ample opportunity to analyse both Newcastle and the­ rest of the Premier League teams and, with their­ relegation to the Championship, he now has the­ opportunity to restructure the system and impose his­ own ideas. Previous managers (and there have been a­ few) took over an existing system and had to try and­ make changes whilst remaining competitive in the­ Premier League. We all know that this is almost­ impossible. Now they are in the Championship, Allan­ will be able to make a fresh start with players who­ want to play, not just attend and get paid.

    Good luck­ Alan. I look forward to seeing both you and Newcastle­ back in the Premiership in the near future.

    From Monty, on Tue 26 May 5:32PM

  10. shearer is a legend as a player but i dont think he can­ be a good manager.

    From anas_luqman, on Tue 26 May 5:07PM

  11. shearer wont panic but he will be ruthless as he sorts­ out the deadwood at st.james!
    Smith,Owen,Cacapa and the­ spanish/argentine lads will not be missed.The second­ half at Villa was typical of most of the season,no pace­ or guile in the middle of the park and no threat up­ front!Opposition given acres of space to operate in­ game after game cost
    us dearly!Look to sign players­ who can press the ball quicker and create the openings­ to win games. Such as Both Sheff United fullbacks,Brunt­ from West Brom,Ledley the Cardiff lad and the big­ Sheffield Striker Henderson,Players of that Type who­ are aware
    of that level of football.

    From ronald.wightman, on Tue 26 May 3:35PM

  12. Owen, Martins, Viduka, Ameobi, Smith, Geremi,­ Coloccini, Lovenkrands all must go. I have never seen a­ bunch of players so uneager to play football. Newcastle­ must now rebuild from the bottom, mixing youth with a­ little experience. The first players through the front­ door must be Leroy Lita and Jermaine Beckford. Two­ quality strikers fit for the championship that would­ cost sweet FA (especially as lita is out of contract).­ Another player fit for the championship (i know he­ played for Sunderland) Kevin Philips - goals galore!!­ Not one current striker at Newcastle deserves to be­ there - boot them all out. I dont think Guthrie is a­ premiership player but hopefully will suit the­ championship. If Duff is sincere then he must take a­ wage cut to prove his loyalty. Its like Juventus all­ over again, except their club had a foundation.

    From ryantheryster, on Tue 26 May 2:38PM
  13. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Mike Ashley is bowing to the fans pressure yet again,­ they will end up in League 1 at the end of next season­ if they carry on like this.

    From yahoocat, on Tue 26 May 2:18PM
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