Shearer record must stick in Ruud’s Gullit

Newcastle 2 Portsmouth 0

He did so once again just last week as Graeme Souness' reign as manager came to a disastrous end, as his own did back in August 1999.

The Dutchman's theme is that the 35-year-old striker is too dominant a figure and that the men around him and even, on occasion, the manager are hampered as a result.

But on Saturday, as he has done so often in the past, Shearer demonstrated exactly why Gullit is wrong, and his timing could hardly have been better.

With Souness having been shown the exit door on Thursday, it fell to caretaker boss Glenn Roeder, assisted by his captain, to select and prepare a team to face Portsmouth in a match which had to be won.

Ninety minutes later, Roeder had his first win, Newcastle had three points and 50,000-plus members of the Toon Army headed home with smiles on their faces for the first time in weeks.

Shearer's 64th-minute strike sealed victory and handed their talisman a record-breaking 201st goal for his home-town club.

There are those who claim that the 38 Jackie Milburn scored in wartime football should be taken into account, but what is not in any doubt is that Shearer has established himself among the all-time greats on Tyneside.

Chairman Freddy Shepherd has never made a secret of his admiration for Shearer, bought for £15 million (€21 million) in the summer of 1996, and as he launches the search for Souness' replacement, he is determined to keep Shearer on board in whatever capacity he can.

"He was brought to Newcastle to score goals and he has done exactly that, 201 goals is a fantastic achievement," he said.

"How do we replace Alan Shearer? With great difficulty. He has made it quite clear he is retiring at the end of the season. He has been a great servant to this club.

"I don't care if Alan is on the turnstiles or in the top job, I want to see him involved with Newcastle. He feels the same way."

Shearer's achievement masked the fact that Newcastle, for the first time in weeks, played to their potential against limited opposition.

They had bite and guile in central midfield in the shape of Scott Parker and Emre, natural width something lacking too often under Souness in Nolberto Solano and Charles

N'Zogbia, and as a result, created more chances than they have since they last won a league game in December.

N'Zogbia set the ball rolling four minutes before the break after Kiely had blocked Shearer's header, and apart from a brief wobble after the break, Newcastle never looked like surrendering the lead.

Roeder will talk to £9.5m (€13.9m) signing Albert Luque about the lack of form which saw him left out of the 16 at the weekend today but, naturally for a man who made his name as a cultured defender, will focus his efforts on the much-maligned back four.

"I don't see any alternative other than practice and working with them as a unit," he said.

"At times, for one reason or another and I don't know why they haven't looked like a unit. They have got to work in tandem and look safe."

Opta Fact: Alan Shearer has broken Jackie

Milburn's all-time scoring record for Newcastle, hitting his 201st goal against Portsmouth.

Opta Fact: Portsmouth have only won six out of their 51 Premiership away games.