ALAN Shearer has labelled tonight’s relegation showdown against Portsmouth as “the biggest game of my football career”.
And with the Toon chief insisting his hometown club require three wins from their three remaining St James’s Park fixtures to avoid the drop, he’s challenged his players to turn themselves from villains into heroes.
Home games against Pompey feature heavily in Geordie folklore. Seventeen years ago this month, weeks after Kevin Keegan’s first coming as manager, David Kelly scored the winning goal which effectively saved Newcastle from relegation into football’s third tier.
And Shearer himself made headlines on February 4 2006 when he overhauled Jackie Milburn as Newcastle’s greatest goalscorer with his 201st for the club in a win over Portsmouth.
But even that cherished memory will be eclipsed if the players under his command can secure him a first managerial win.
“That goal isn’t important anymore,” he said. “What is important is beating Portsmouth.
“It’s not about having one hero. Hopefully we will have 11, 12 or 13.
“Without a doubt, this will be the most important game they will have played for Newcastle. And, without question, I suppose it is the biggest from my point of view as well.
“This is an opportunity for a group of players to make a real name for themselves, so that in 10-15 years’ time someone may be talking about this situation. It is their chance to go out and make people sit up and say Newcastle are going to fight and scrap for everything.
“I’ve been reminded that it was against Portsmouth I broke the goalscoring record three years ago and I’m now hoping I’ll get my first three points as a manager against them, too.”
Pompey will include Sylvain Distin, who played with Shearer when he spent eight months on loan at Newcastle in the 2001-02 season.
Distin said: “There had been talk about Alan going back to Newcastle for a couple of years.
“Maybe it was not the best situation for him to start and learn the job.
“But he is a strong guy mentally and maybe that will help him to react a lot quicker.”
And with the Toon chief insisting his hometown club require three wins from their three remaining St James’s Park fixtures to avoid the drop, he’s challenged his players to turn themselves from villains into heroes.
Home games against Pompey feature heavily in Geordie folklore. Seventeen years ago this month, weeks after Kevin Keegan’s first coming as manager, David Kelly scored the winning goal which effectively saved Newcastle from relegation into football’s third tier.
And Shearer himself made headlines on February 4 2006 when he overhauled Jackie Milburn as Newcastle’s greatest goalscorer with his 201st for the club in a win over Portsmouth.
But even that cherished memory will be eclipsed if the players under his command can secure him a first managerial win.
“That goal isn’t important anymore,” he said. “What is important is beating Portsmouth.
“It’s not about having one hero. Hopefully we will have 11, 12 or 13.
“Without a doubt, this will be the most important game they will have played for Newcastle. And, without question, I suppose it is the biggest from my point of view as well.
“This is an opportunity for a group of players to make a real name for themselves, so that in 10-15 years’ time someone may be talking about this situation. It is their chance to go out and make people sit up and say Newcastle are going to fight and scrap for everything.
“I’ve been reminded that it was against Portsmouth I broke the goalscoring record three years ago and I’m now hoping I’ll get my first three points as a manager against them, too.”
Pompey will include Sylvain Distin, who played with Shearer when he spent eight months on loan at Newcastle in the 2001-02 season.
Distin said: “There had been talk about Alan going back to Newcastle for a couple of years.
“Maybe it was not the best situation for him to start and learn the job.
“But he is a strong guy mentally and maybe that will help him to react a lot quicker.”