Shearer turns to Sir Bobby to halt slide
ALAN SHEARER admits he is seeking advice from fellow Newcastle legend Sir Bobby Robson in plotting the club’s Premier League escape route.
The Magpies make the do-or-die trip to Aston Villa on Sunday needing a better result than either north-east rivals Hull City or Sunderland to retain their top-flight status.
Shearer, 38, is serving his first managerial appointment after agreeing to take over at St James’ Park for the remaining eight games of the season.
But with only one win from his seven matches in charge, the 38-year-old admits he has been in regular touch with his former Newcastle boss Robson in a bid to stop the slide.
Robson is currently fighting his latest battle against cancer, but Shearer says the 76-year-old is proving a worthy mentor.
“Yes, I speak to Bobby on a regular basis,” the former England captain said. “We speak to each other quite regularly after games and before games. He has given me little bits here and there, which is great. It’s nice to speak to him.”
Shearer has been handed a blow ahead of Saturday’s trip to Villa Park after their appeal against Sebastien Bassong’s dismissal in the 1-0 home defeat by Fulham on Saturday was dismissed yesterday.
The French defender was shown a straight red card by referee Howard Webb for his tussle with Diomansy Kamara and will now serve a ban which takes him into the opening game of the 2009-10 season.
This presents something of a defensive crisis for Shearer with Habib Beye struggling with a hamstring strain.
Better news for Shearer, however, is that strike duo Michael Owen and Obafemi Martins are both winning their battles with groin problems for the must-win game.
Of Owen, Shearer said: “He had a scan on Monday and there is no serious injury so we’re hopeful he’ll be involved on Sunday.”