Newcastle turn to Shearer in hour of need

SOCCER NEWS:ALAN SHEARER stands to earn almost €2.2 million should Newcastle United avert relegation to the Championship. It is understood that the struggling club's new manager will accrue €110,000 from each of this season's eight remaining games plus a €1.1 million bonus if Premier League survival is assured.

Already an extremely wealthy man, Shearer is not, however, putting his reputation on the line simply for the money and his lengthy, intensive talks with Mike Ashley, Newcastle’s owner, and Derek Llambias, the managing director, yesterday were believed to be primarily about the club’s staff and structure.

Last night Newcastle announced that Dennis Wise, who had been unaware of the approach to Shearer, had departed his position as director of football and that they have “no plans to appoint a replacement”. Earlier Wise travelled north to thrash out a severance package.

Never a club to do things the easy way, Newcastle have still to reach a settlement with Kevin Keegan. Late last night they had still formally to announce Shearer’s installation although, undeterred, he recruited Iain Dowie, the former Crystal Palace, Charlton and Queens Park Rangers manager, as his assistant.

Shearer has never been a “yes” man and Ashley will doubtless have discovered he drives a hard bargain. While it was known he was not a fan of Wise’s role, Dowie’s appointment proved a minor shock.

In his one-time Southampton team-mate Newcastle’s manager has clearly opted for an experienced, sports science-driven sidekick, thereby leaving the future of his convalescent predecessor, Joe Kinnear, uncertain. There could yet be a post for Rob Lee and the former Newcastle physio Paul Ferris, now a barrister, is also poised for a return. The coaches Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood will stay.

Shearer has activated a release clause in his BBC contract, enabling him to take unpaid leave from football punditry, but informed his Match of the Day employers he intends to return to the studio sofa next season. Such plans will surely be subject to change should things go well at St James’.

“There’s no doubt about it, Alan Shearer is the right guy for the job,” said Newcastle’s former chairman, Freddy Shepherd.

“If you want someone to lead you in a relegation fight, you couldn’t pick anyone better. Alan’s a leader and an inspirational figure. He will galvanise the dressingroom.”

Shepherd feels Ashley has finally swallowed some harsh truths.

“Mike Ashley made a lot of mistakes when Kevin Keegan was in charge and I don’t think he’s ever going to repeat them,” he said.

“I think he’s learned his lesson. Alan’s got eight games to test the water. Yes, he’ll want to stay on but on his terms. If Alan walked out, claiming he couldn’t manage the way he wanted, Mike Ashley would never be forgiven. I applaud Mike Ashley for this appointment. He’s acted in the best interests of the club but, if we don’t stay up, I am sure he will regret not taking this decision a couple of months ago.”

Meanwhile, Mark Hughes is weighing up whether he should leave out Robinho from Manchester City’s game at Arsenal on Saturday. The City manager is sufficiently concerned about Robinho’s form and attitude that he has raised the matter with the club’s owners in Abu Dhabi and has been promised their backing whatever he decides to do with his most expensive player.

Hughes is now toying with the idea of tinkering with his usual 4-2-3-1 formation to implement a new 4-3-3 system that would see Stephen Ireland take the Brazilian’s usual place on the left side of attack.

Shaun Wright-Phillips would play on the right although Hughes’s plans have been undermined by Craig Bellamy, the spearhead of his forward line, suffering a knee injury and being ruled out of Wales’s game against Germany last night.

Bellamy is heading back to Manchester to be assessed by the club’s medical staff.

A final decision will not be taken until Friday when Robinho and Elano return from Brazil’s World Cup qualifier against Peru in Porto Alegre and Hughes can assess any injury news before his squad travel to London.

- Guardian Service