Al warns fans of 'massive' task

ALAN SHEARER says Newcastle fans must forget the hysteria and let him concentrate on the "massive task" of keeping the club in the Premier League.
The 38-year-old was officially unveiled as the Magpies’ manager after he agreed to take the reigns while Joe Kinnear recovers from heart surgery.

The Toon Army reacted with euphoria when it emerged their hero had accepted the role late on Tuesday night.

But Match of the Day pundit Shearer, 38, has moved to play down the fanfare and instead warned the club’s supporters of the huge battle they face.

He said: “The response from the fans has been fantastic but it’s not surprising.

"I’d be daft to say I don’t understand it but we have to get away from this 'Alan Shearer' thing.

"It’s not about me, it’s about keeping Newcastle in the Premier League. We’ve got a job to do.

“I’ve not taken this job for me. I could have been sat on the sofa on Saturday analysing the game but this opportunity was right and I believe I can help them get out of the position they are in.

“The fans know me as well as anyone. They know they’ll get 100 per cent 24 hours a day for the next eight weeks.

“I hope that will be good enough because it would sadden me and the thousands of supporters if we went down to the Championship – they don’t deserve that.

“The powers that be admit mistakes have been made this season but they’ve gone now.

"We’re third bottom in the league and all that’s gone on is history. We can’t do anything about it.

“What we can do is something now for the remaining eight games.

“I love this club and realise they’re in a bad position and I have been given the opportunity to do something about it.

“I realise there is quality in this squad but they’re not playing with much confidence and it’s my job to get that right."

Newcastle are 18th in the Premier League and two points away from saftey.

They face title-chasing Chelsea at St James' Park on Saturday and Shearer revealed his first impressions of his new players bodes well for this weekend's clash.

He added: "I got in this morning and have seen and spoken to all the players and staff.

“Training was superb, they’ve set a standard this morning we want them to keep to.

"If they keep that standard and determination up , we’ll be OK.

"I hold nothing against the players – we started afresh when I walked in this morning.


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"It seems like they haven’t been enjoying themselves recently but they came in this morning and there was a buzz around the place, they were smiling.

"But if we don’t beat Chelsea and the other teams around us win, that puts us five points adrift so we have to get something from the game.

"I want the players to go out on Saturday and show what they’ve shown me this morning. It’s a fantastic feeling playing in front of 52,000 people at St James’ Park.

"I think we can do it – it’ll be tough, but give me eight games in the Premier League that aren’t tough."

Shearer warned he has no intention of taking the Toon top job for the long-term.

He added: "I’m here for eight games and eight games only.

"I want this club to stay up and then the powers that be will decide what direction they go from there.

"I’ve had a reputation as a player but that’s gone. I’m moving onto something else.

"I’ll be judged from now on. I've not come into this with my eyes shut. I know what the stakes are."