Shearer: Kiev clash can kick-start our season
The 32-year-old, whose goals last season were a major factor in Newcastle United’s qualification, was robbed of the chance to play for his home-town club in the biggest competition in Europe last time around after shattering his ankle in a freak accident, and has had to wait five years for a second chance.
That has made him all the more eager to make the most of his opportunity to shine on the continental stage, but he is adamant securing Champions League football on a regular basis through the league is the priority.
And after a poor start to the season, Shearer hopes their European adventure can kick-start their season ahead of Saturday’s crunch derby clash with Sunderland at St James’ Park.
“The league is far, far more important,” he said. “It doesn’t compare to me. This is a great adventure, but we can start to look forward to Champions League games when we get into this position on a regular basis.
“This is what last season was about. We had a great season last season which has enabled us to get into the Champions League where we all want to play and want to be.
“This is the start of a great adventure for us, but the league, for me, is far, far more important and this is a great way to try to kick-start our season.”
While United flew out to Eastern Europe still smarting from the mistakes which cost them so dearly against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Kiev were warming up with a Ukrainian league record 8-0 thumping of Vorska Poltava to climb into second place.
“That augurs well, doesn’t it?” said Shearer with a smile. “They won 8-0, we got beat 3-0. I would imagine something has to give along the way.
“It wasn’t great preparation on Saturday, but we’ll start again and hopefully get the right result from somewhere.”
Newcastle did just that on their last Champions League trip to the Ukrainian capital on October 1, 1997 when, after much-vaunted strike-force Sergei Rebrov and Andriy Shevchenko had fired the home side into a 2-0 lead within 28 minutes, defender John Beresford struck twice at the death to secure an unlikely draw.
They claimed all three points against the eventual Group C winners back on Tyneside with goals from John Barnes and Stuart Pearce, and they would be highly delighted with a similar return this time around.
“We’ve been pleased with some of our football, but silly mistakes have cost us,” said Shearer. “I know we keep saying it, but we have to eradicate these mistakes because you get punished at the highest level, and the Champions League is the highest level. We can’t let mistakes keep hindering our season.”
Midfielder Kieron Dyer could have a major say in United’s fortunes in the competition, and he is confident that they can make an impression.
“I’m extremely confident that we can go there and get a good result,” he said. “We’ve shown in the past when the chips are down and we are being written off, we play our best football and produce a result.
“The performances this season have been okay even if the results have not gone our way, but we go there with a lot of belief that we can get a result.”
United arrived in Kiev with only luckless striker Carl Cort missing from the squad with a hamstring problem, in stark contrast to the selection headache faced by Robson’s opposite number Alexei Mikhailichenko, who has 11 first-teamers on the casualty list.
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