Shearer must stay Magpies manager says Viduka

May 13 2009 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

“Regardless of whether I stay or don’t stay, I would love to see this club having good times because you know, I have spent two years here and I can see how much the club means to people.

“I have a normal life as well, I live in the city and I can see how much they love this club.”

When Shearer made his shock return to St James’s Park as manager last month, he only had a handful of games to get his ideas across and save the team from a catastrophic fall into the Championship.

And, although it took him until the sixth to mastermind a win, Viduka has been stunned by the way he has galvanised a dressing room which lacked confidence and leadership before his arrival.

Newcastle’s team has always looked good enough on paper to avoid the drop, but Viduka argued it still needed a strong personality to get them out of the slump which threatened to condemn them to relegation.

He said: “First of all, when you have that many big personalities in the dressing room, you need somebody who everybody respects. That is very important and I think he (Shearer) is respected all around the world.

“He is respected by the players as well because he has been there, done that. He has just got that automatically. Obviously he is new at the job, but I think if he has a chance, given time, he will do a good job.”

l Darlington expect Fulham to make a bid for striker Curtis Main.

Main, 16, has been on trial at the Cottagers and Quakers youth boss Craig Liddle believes the teenager did enough to earn a move.

“He’s got a lot of potential and it would be up to the administrators to negotiate with Fulham, but I don’t want us to lose him for nothing,”