Players must show character – Shearer

Apr 27 2009 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

ALAN Shearer admits he has had to have a crash course in management at Newcastle United as he still comes to terms with his shift from television pundit to Premier League boss.

Shearer was always expected to become a manager, but most observers were surprised he decided to answer Mike Ashley’s SOS call with just eight games left to play this season, and relegation such an ominous threat. But the 38-year-old remains convinced that he made the right decision to leave his job on BBC’s Match of the Day, as speculation grows he will take the job on permanently at the end of the season – despite the supposed return of Joe Kinnear once he has fully recovered from heart surgery.

Shearer said: “There’s no time is there? I am looking at myself, at how I can improve the team, or how we can start creating more chances to score more goals?

“Iain (Dowie) has been in this position too so it’s nice to have him alongside me, but it is just a matter of trying to get the players to believe in themselves.

“It’s been tough, but now we have a home game we are expected to win and I want the players to show the ability they have.

“The characters are there and now they need to show their character in front of 52,000 screaming fans.”

Meanwhile, Shearer who was involved in one relegation battle as a player with Southampton, refused to dwell on his own famous personal landmark against Portsmouth when he scored his 201st goal for Newcastle – breaking Jackie Milburn’s all-time record.

He said: “Someone has just reminded me about breaking the goalscoring record against Portsmouth three years ago.

“I am now hoping it will be Portsmouth when I get my first three points as a manager.

“I don’t want to talk about that, though.

“It’s not important, but what is important is this Monday.”