Shearer calls for big changes

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE:ALAN SHEARER last night admitted that there are "huge problems" within Newcastle United and called for "big changes" to be made in the wake of yesterday's relegation to the Championship.

Newcastle’s temporary manager gave no assurances that he plans to remain in charge following the end of his eight-game reign but revealed he will hold talks with Mike Ashley this week when he will discuss his own position and also urge the club’s owner to oversee an extensive overhaul at St James’ Park.

Shearer made no excuses after Damien Duff’s own-goal condemned Newcastle to defeat at Aston Villa and a return to English football’s second tier, alongside Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion, for the first time in 17 years. The former Newcastle striker claimed that everyone, from those involved at boardroom level to the players and the four managers who have taken charge at St James’ Park at various stages of this season, had to accept a share of the blame for failure.

With Hull City losing at home to Manchester United on an afternoon when all four relegation-threatened clubs failed to pick up a point, a draw would have been enough to preserve Newcastle’s top-flight status but a toothless second-half performance at Villa Park was emblematic of their dreadful season.

“I said to the players that workrate-wise I can’t really fault you. But the simple fact of the matter is that inside the dressingroom it hasn’t been good enough,” said a crestfallen Shearer. “I include myself in that, Joe (Kinnear), Chris (Hughton), Kevin (Keegan) and Mike (Ashley).

“We have not been relegated today,” Shearer added. “We have been relegated over the whole season because we haven’t been good enough. We haven’t given those magnificent supporters enough to shout about. We have let them down. It’s a football club I love. You’ve seen what it means to our fans. I am hurting. I am raw inside. But the simple fact is that big mistakes have been made and we’re now paying the price for that.”

Shearer claimed that he has had little time to consider whether he would like to continue in the job full-time and it appears that much could depend on the responses he receives when he sits down with Ashley and Derek Llambias, the chairman, to discuss a plan to revive Newcastle’s fortunes.

“There are a million questions that need to be answered,” he said. “A hell of a lot needs to change. Players need to go, players need to come in and those guys (Ashley and Llambias) need to decide where the football club is going to go.”

The former England captain made no attempt to paper over the cracks. “There are huge problems at the football club,” he added. “It’s not just about today. It’s gone on this season, last season, four seasons ago. It’s the culmination of everything.”

There is little doubt that the supporters are behind Shearer, who walked over to applaud the vociferous travelling contingent at the final whistle. It was notable that not every Newcastle player did the same and, without naming individuals, Shearer admitted that some of the squad had underperformed this season.

“I said to them in the dressingroom that I’m not sure that everyone has played to their maximum this year for whatever reason. But I take my share of the blame. I accepted the eight-week job thinking that I could get the results.”

The scorelines elsewhere could not have gone better for Newcastle, with Hull, Sunderland and Middlesbrough all losing. Ricky Sbragia resigned from his post as Sunderland manager immediately after defeat by Chelsea, while Phil Brown, whose side were beaten by a Darren Gibson goal, sympathised with Shearer’s plight.

“Do I have some sympathy for Alan Shearer? Of course I do,” said the Hull manager. “I have empathy for any manager who gets relegated. It’s gone to the wire. He’s given it his best shot but unfortunately he has failed.”

Shearer, in truth, was not looking for any words of consolation. The Newcastle manager admitted that Villa’s goal, which arrived after Duff diverted Gareth Barry’s wayward 30-yard shot beyond Steve Harper, was “cruel” but said that no one at St James’ Park could feel any grievance with the chastening final outcome.

“In the end, the three worst teams deserve to go down. We can’t complain about today. I had a sneaky feeling that Manchester United would go to Hull and win but we couldn’t do our job and that sums the season up.”

Guardian Service