Shearer backed to lift Toon gloom

NEWCASTLE chairman Freddy Shepherd hopes captain Alan Shearer can lift the gloom hanging over St James’ Park by launching the club’s final bid for silverware this season with a record-breaking salvo.

All eyes have been on the Magpies supremo in recent days with the future of manager Graeme Souness, as it has been for much of his reign, once again under the spotlight after a disappointing festive campaign.

The Scot has been installed as favourite to become the next Premiership manager to lose his job, with Bolton’s Sam Allardyce the man most consistently linked with any vacancy.

Allardyce has distanced himself from the speculation, if not the post, but Shepherd has so far resisted the temptation to dispatch a manager with whom he held talks in a bid to ascertain the way forward.

However, he will hope 35-year-old Shearer can use this weekend’s FA Cup third round clash with League Two Mansfield to dispel some of the Toon gloom. Shearer needs one goal to equal Jackie Milburn’s club record of 200 and is just three behind his total of 23 in the FA Cup, a competition the club won three times in five years during the legend’s heyday in the 1950s.

Souness, meanwhile, maintains he is still the man to manage Newcastle - but has spoken of his frustration at the injury crisis which is threatening to wreck Newcastle’s season.

Midfielder Scott Parker underwent surgery on a knee problem on Wednesday, the second player to attend hospital this week after Michael Owen’s toe operation, which will keep him out of action for up to three months.

Emre remains a doubt with hamstring trouble, Kieron Dyer, Steven Taylor, Stephen Carr and Craig Moore are all injured and Lee Bowyer is suspended.

Souness said: “Eight of our top men are missing and there isn’t a club in the country who could withstand that much damage to squad.

“The fact is we have some of best players at club not playing for us - and they haven’t for most of the season. But if we had everyone fit it would have still been a rollercoaster, as it has been for everybody except Chelsea.”

The Scot says he can handle the pressure at St James’ Park. “I spoke to the chairman yesterday and our relationship is fine - we spoke about the possibility of signing new players and other things we’d like to do. Circumstances prevail here which don’t prevail at any other club which make managing Newcastle very difficult.”