How Shearer got Viduka up for a fight with United

May 13 2009 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

Mark Viduka is an enigmatic character but it did not take Alan Shearer long to work out how to get the best out of him. Chief sports writer Luke Edwards reports

“Put it this way, when a couple of months ago, I was in a situation when I had problems with my Achilles and stuff like that, Joe Kinnear really wasn’t . . . he didn’t look as if he wanted to use me and stuff like that. I’d worked really hard to get myself back, but you know under Joe Kinnear, I don’t know what he was thinking, but I don’t think he wanted to use me.

“If Alan hadn’t come in, I don’t know to be honest, I really don’t know (whether I would have played again). But everything is open again. I would love to stay, but we shall see what happens. I would love the fans to see the best of me, but I don’t know what the club are thinking. I wouldn’t say I owe the fans, that’s a big word, but I would love to play here in good times. I experienced that a little bit under Kevin Keegan when we started to play some really good football.

“I love the feeling going into a game knowing you are going to do some damage as a team, having that confidence. The thing is, this season has just been chopping and changing from the start with what’s gone on.”

However, with two games left to play, Newcastle’s Premier League future is in their hands for the first time in weeks and a win against Fulham on Saturday could guarantee survival.

With just one win in 19 games before the Middlesbrough victory, Viduka is suddenly confident the floundering Magpies are ready to fly again under Shearer.

He said: “We have been under a lot of pressure lately and it was a very important game for us, a massive game for us. It’s a derby obviously and they are always difficult games. We needed a big performance and I think as a team, we worked very, very hard, especially when we went (a goal) down.

“These fans here are crazy about their club. It’s the most important thing, you know and I think it showed. They got behind us and I think they really helped us.

“They were a big difference. I remember playing here for Leeds and Boro and when this crowd gets behind the team, it is very difficult to play against. We want more of the same against Fulham.”