Shearer’s running out of patience

Jul 24 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

FRUSTRATED Alan Shearer is running out of patience with the Newcastle United hierarchy, according to his close friend Rob Lee.

United’s all-time top goalscorer remains “desperate” to regain control at St James’s Park but has watched in dismay as his plans to rebuild the club have slowly unravelled over a summer of poisonous inaction.

Shearer began marking the cards of his top summer targets in the first weeks of the close season but saw another player slip through his fingers yesterday with Manchester City striker Ched Evans close to finalising a move to United’s Championship rivals Sheffield United.

That blow came after another Shearer target, Fraizer Campbell, signed for Sunderland a fortnight ago.

That has heightened Shearer’s frustration and Lee, a close ally during his playing days who remains in daily contact, has warned that time is running out to appoint a man who is the clear supporters’ favourite to take over.

Given his relationship with Shearer, Lee’s words are a timely warning shot to Mike Ashley and Derek Llambias, who have effectively mothballed the club until a takeover is completed. With Ashley desperate to sell up as soon as possible, the club are not in the market to strengthen the team and the feeling persists that it should be the new owners who make a decision on whether to appoint Shearer or not.

But there has been little or no progress on that front in the last fortnight and investment banker Keith Harris, who is leading efforts to broker the sale of the club, is currently on holiday.

It leaves a worrying impasse that, according to Lee, has left Shearer close to breaking point with the current regime.

“I speak to Alan every day and he’s frustrated, to say the least. He’s coming to the end of his tether now,” the former Newcastle midfielder said at the launch of his Fortress Wealth Management firm.

“He’s waited for ages and been told that things were due to happen but nothing has and he’s very frustrated.