Alan Shearer to manage Newcastle for final 6 games of the season

[Lineker]

BBC and Sky Sports confirming this.

lol, Newcastle.

EDIT: 8 games, not 6

Edited March 31, 2009 by Brawn GP

[Emperor DC]

*looks at clock*

They are 30 minutes early, lol.

I can't quite believe this. It came out of nowhere.

[-A-]

I hope they get relegated and sell Gutierrez to us for £3-4m. That would be awesome.

For the entire way the club has been run and behaved itself over the last few years I think Newcastle deserve to be relegated. The vast majority of the fans are totally deluded and the way they've treated Allardyce, Ashley and Wise is ludicrous. Yeah, Wise is a horrible little cunt, but he's not bad at his job. Too many Newcastle fans subscribe to the simple idea that every bad signing is his and every good signing is the handiwork of Kinnear/Keegan. They call for more investment and totally ignore the fact that he's working on the balance sheet, paying off debts and tidying up Shepherd's mess. Relegation is a horrible thing to happen to any club and they all have some honest fans, but I don't think Newcastle deserve to stay up over clubs like Pompey and Hull. Let them get relegated, spend a year or two in the Championship using their resources to sort the club out on and off the pitch and then come back as a proper, functioning club.

[Crybaby Bunting]

This is going to be a huge wind up, I know it >_<

[gunnar hendershow]

I just don't see this helping keep us up. I also find it hilarious that out of all the Americans who picked clubs to support 6-7 years ago, I picked the one that's actually in danger of getting relegated.

[Crybaby Bunting]

Ultimately this seems like a Keegan move last year, AKA lets bring in a huge name to the Geordie faithful who'll attract crowds n' stuff and spur the lads on for a final surge to 15th.

It's possible, but I'm slowly starting to think we're going down.

[Gazz]

Is this a wind up?

[Captain Kirk]

I think it's more to do with the fact that when they do go down the fans aren't going to abuse Shearer as much as they would anyone else.

[-A-]

Added to which, what else can they do? They're in serious danger of relegation as things stand. Kinnear isn't going to be able to do much this season. Calderwood and Hughton and both decent influences but the end of the season is the time when coaching skills become less significant and mentality is crucial. Shearer on board will keep the fans in full voice, the stadium full and the team focused. I think appointing him at any other point in the season would have been madness, but bringing him in with 8 games lefts to try and ride the wave of honeymoon excitement could be the right decision. They've got a horrific run-in and without this kind of momentum they'd be capitulating against the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Villa.

Edited April 1, 2009 by -A-

[stokeriño]

It does amuse me that this story qualifies for the BBC website's "10 stories that could be April Fools...but aren't" list.

[METALMAN]

I love Joe Kinnear.

[IAceI]

If Newcastle are going down, and are going to drag Shearer with them then be my guests.

[Dont Fear The Reaper]

I hope to god Newcastle go down and it'd finally show the fans that they are not a top 5 club and they havent been for a long time now

[britneyspearsisgod]

Shearer confirmed as Magpies boss

Newcastle legend Alan Shearer will make an emotional return to St James' Park as manager until the end of the season.

Former QPR, Charlton and Coventry boss Iain Dowie will be part of his staff, while coaches Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood will stay on at the club.

The 38-year-old, who is Newcastle's fourth manager of the season, has eight games to save them from relegation, starting against Chelsea on Saturday.

Meanwhile, controversial executive director Dennis Wise has left his job.

Managing director Derek Llambias said: "Everyone at Newcastle United is absolutely delighted that Alan has taken on this challenge.

"Already there is a buzz around the Club and the city. The news has given everyone a massive boost."

Shearer, Newcastle's all-time leading goalscorer, will hold his first training session with the squad on Thursday before being unveiled to the media.

He has long been linked with a coaching role at the club, but criticism of the management structure - which had included Wise - under owner Mike Ashley appeared to have made a return unlikely.

But with Newcastle in the bottom three and time running out, the former England captain has decided the time is right to take his first coaching role.

A born and raised Geordie, Shearer scored 206 goals in 404 appearances during a 10-year playing stint at Newcastle to earn legendary status on Tyneside after joining for a record £15m fee from Blackburn.

CREDIT: BBC SPORT