So Newcastle have been able to persuade Alan Shearer to come in and set about a rescue act with eight games remaining in the season. It’s a remarkable PR coup by Mike Ashley and it is pretty much a no-lose situation for Shearer. So it’s win-win all round, or is it?
For Shearer, it’s a quite stunning about face having consistently resisted calls to return to his former club but it could be seen as perfect timing. Some say there is never a good time to take charge of a team, as a new manager is generally brought in due to problems with the previous regime. But in this instance Shearer answers an SOS with the club in the relegation zone with eight games remaining in the season.
If he pulls off the great escape it will only add to his reputation with the fans of his home-town club, but if Newcastle slip out of The Premier League there will be plenty who will say the die had already been cast and there is no chance of the Geordie hordes turning on their greatest ever goalscorer.
The question all Newcastle fans are asking is can Shearer pull off the great escape?
It’s not going to be easy, as he is walking into a club that is in a complete mess.
With Joe Kinnear convalescing following heart surgery, Newcastle have had the look of a ship without a captain under Chris Hughton. There is no questioning Hughton’s commitment, but he is simply not the man to lead Newcastle.
That is not something that can be said of Shearer. He has Newcastle coursing through his veins and if the players were seeking leadership, they’ve now got it.
It will be a short honeymoon for Shearer as Chelsea lie in wait at the weekend, after which there are some massive six-pointers on the horizon.
All I can say is that Newcastle fans had better strap themselves in as this is going to be one helluva rollercoaster ride.