Vacancy at Newcastle United

Can Shearer say no?

There’s a rather high-profile vacancy at Newcastle United Football Club. For a manager. But don’t bother applying as it’s already been filled. Well, the Toon Army hopes it has anyway.

All the signs are pointing in the right direction of caretaker manager Alan Shearer taking on the job permanently.

When the MD tells the world the candidate has his 110 per cent backing, it’s got to be a fait accompli.

The big question is whether or not Shearer will take the job. Or rather, can he turn it down?

It’s the classic Catch 22 situation. If Shearer accepts the position, he will continue to be Newcastle’s hero. If he turns it down, the Magpies will take it as a slap in the face, very unfair given Shearer’s devotion for the last eight matches of the season and for taking the job on in the first place. He risked not only his health – such pressure just cannot be good for the heart! – and his reputation but igniting the anger of Newcastle supporters if he failed.

In the end, despite valiant attempts to keep the club up, he was unable to prevent the drop to the Championship but, as predicted, fans kept faith. There was still only one man they wanted for the job and the board seems to agree.

MD Derek Llamblas says Shearer is their number one target for the full-time job, describing him as a straight-talking guy and the man who could take Newcastle back into the top flight next season. It would be a huge challenge but that’s probably the key to Shearer taking the job. He has never been a man to give up, on or off the pitch, and coupled with his love for Newcastle, it would be a huge shock if he turned the job down.

The only slight cloud on the horizon is why it is taking such a long time to make an announcement. What exactly is the stumbling block or is Shearer actually having to think about committing to the club full-time?

Fans have been promised an update or an announcement as soon as possible and let’s hope that it comes within the next few days. Newcastle were dealt a huge blow with relegation and if Shearer is confirmed as the new manager, it will lift the whole city.

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, meantime, has apologised to the fans for wrong decisions in recent seasons and says he fully accepts mistakes were made. He says the supporters have been magnificent, turning up in their thousands match after match.

Is the slate being wiped clean to make way for Shearer’s new regime? It would certainly seem that way.

If so, comments also made by former Newcastle owner Sir John Hall are pretty irrelevant. He has criticised the attitude of the current squad, describing them as rubbish, useless and yesterday’s men. Talk about kicking a dog when it’s down.

What Newcastle need now is to go forward, not look back. It’s time to rebuild the team, rebuild the club and rebuild confidence and, above all, to start winning when the new season begins. Let’s just hope the man at the front is Alan Shearer.