Futures are on the line

It looks like Newcastle United’s relegation decider against flying high Aston Villa on Monday, May 25 will decide more than just the fate of the Geordies.

Assistant manager Iain Dowie has revealed that neither he or Alan Shearer know what their future will be after the season comes to a close. Does it depend on whether Newcastle stay up or go down? More than likely. Alan Shearer may well be in his infancy when it comes to football management but there is a feeling he will only stay if the club survives in the Premiership. The fans will certainly want him to continue.

Dowie says that when he and Shearer took on the roles it was just for eight weeks and those eight weeks have been the longest in their lives. A drop to the Championship would be a disaster for Newcastle and the supporters and Shearer and co would be gutted as well. But he would face a very difficult decision. Would he want to continue as manager in the second flight? It’s unlikely that Shearer would go elsewhere although his services will be much in demand. It’s more likely that he would opt to resume his broadcasting career and avoid the stress and strains of football management.

In any event, all hope is not lost yet. Newcastle travel to Aston Villa needing at least a point, with Hull and Sunderland also battling for survival. All eyes will be on Sir Alex Ferguson to see what type of team he fields against Hull. Fergie assures that whatever side he picks, they will be well capable of defeating Hull as promising young players will want to prove their worth and their potential as future stars.

That’s little consolation for Shearer who wants to see Hull slaughtered. Fergie has the Champions League final in Rome against Barcelona three days later very much on his mind and who can blame him for wanting to wrap his big guns in cotton wool? Other managers would do the same. That’s why they are managers. Dare to criticise Fergie for thinking about fielding a weakened team and Manchester United fans will go for the jugular. The teams in the relegation zone have only themselves to blame for the plight they find themselves in. Quite simply, they should have won more matches.

There are no favours in the big time and it will be up to Newcastle, Hull and Sunderland to make their own luck.Sunderland boss Ricky Sbragia is at least seeing sense. He believes Fergie will field a side good enough to beat Hull. Sunderland go down if they lose to Chelsea, Hull beat United and Newcastle win their game. Hull might have everything to play for but it will be a great surprise if they manage to get one over Manchester United, under strength team or not.

Meantime, it looks as though out of sorts striker Michael Owen is likely to figure in Shearer’s starting eleven. He has a big point to prove and it’s odds on that Owen is going to slot home Newcastle’s winning goal, turning himself into a hero as much as Shearer already is. May 25 is going to be a very interesting day indeed!