Shearer calling for complete Toon overhaul

May 25 2009 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Echo

ALAN SHEARER believes Newcastle need to change from top to bottom but does not know if he will be in charge at St James’ Park next season.

Newcastle slipped out of the Barclays Premier League after Damien Duff’s own goal condemned them to a 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa.

The result left the Magpies in 18th place and interim manager Shearer, who will not make a decision on his future at the club until after the weekend, has called for major changes.

Shearer said: “Big changes need to be made, players need to go out, players need to come in.”

Of the club’s relegation, Shearer added: “I can’t complain, we weren’t good enough over the 38 games.”

Shearer also admitted he was not worried at the inexperience of the Manchester United side which won 1-0 at Newcastle’s relegation rivals Hull.

Shearer said: “I always thought that if we came here and won or even got a point that would be enough.

“I always felt any team of Manchester United could go there and win the game.”

Shearer claimed the fans should not blame the managers who had gone before him at the club.

“It’s what’s in the dressing room that hasn’t been good enough,” he said.

“Congratulations to the other teams who have stayed up. They will build in the Premier League and this club will have to build to get back up.

“There’s big changes needed to be made, from top to bottom. Big mistakes have been made.”

Asked if he wanted to stay on as manager, Shearer said: “Ask me that in a few days. I haven’t even thought about it.

“First and foremost I haven’t been offered it and I haven’t thought about it.

“It’s a magnificent football club, you’ve seen our following today. They deserve better than we’ve given them all season.”

Newcastle fans were left in tears after their team was relegated. They chanted “We’ll be back” as they left Villa Park.

A fan, who had flown over from New York to watch the game, said the team would return to the Premiership.

He said: “Next season, we’ll be back next season.”

Asked what needed to improve, he added: “A coach would be good.”

Another fan, Steve Wraith, said the team deserved to go down but would come back up.

He said: “It’s been a hard season but our season didn’t come down to a game at Villa Park.

“Newcastle have been on a gradual decline.”

He said he thought caretaker boss Alan Shearer would stay on as manager in the Championship and said relegation would take the club out of the media spotlight.

He said: “Maybe the bonus is it will take us off the front pages and back pages.”

Celebrity fan and racing pundit John McCririck said followers of the team had a history of suffering.

He said: “We can take pain, we can take defeat but not the way it happened today.”

He said the team was central to the city. He added: “It’s the centre of town, the centre of Newcastle, St James’ Park.

“I don’t think any team has got more passionate fans than Newcastle.”

At St James' Park dejected Newcastle United fans expressed hope the club would bounce back immediately to the Premiership following relegation.

Martyn Spence, 33, from Wallsend, a DJ, said he had cried after watching the team he has supported his whole life be relegated.

“I am very shocked and very disappointed,” he said.

“I think the club needs real direction. Leicester owner Milan Mandaric said something very interesting the other day.

“He was asked how much it cost him for Leicester to be in League One this season. He said it cost him personally £10 million to keep the club going.

“Is Mike Ashley going to put the money in to keep the club going?

“Mike Ashley needs to go and get Freddy Shepherd back in. I think Freddy should not have left in the first place.

“The club needs to regroup and get rid of a lot of players who don’t want to be here. Get Freddy Shepherd back and bring on the younger players from the academy.

“Relegation is not the end of the world. I had a few tears because it was a shock.

“The club needs a season in the Championship and bounce back - sometimes you have to go back to go forward.

“Newcastle United has a massive fan base with 50,000 in here every week. I really hope that continues next season. That would invigorate the club and allow us to go forward.

“If we only have 30,000 in there next season they we will not go up. The fans have got to get behind the club.”