Unless it's the best April Fool's joke ever, Alan Shearer taking over the Toons is the best news in footie since a Clough returned to Derby.

Go Alan!

It could also be a poisoned chalice, sending someone from hero to zero.

I wish him well though.

Once again, the mind bogggles at the stupidity of the Newcastle board.

You're in dire straits, facing the very real prospect of relegation, and what do you do?

You appoint a manager, with absolutely no previous management experience.

Great Player does not always equal Great Manager (Bryan Robson, anyone?)

Newcastle Utd need a firefighter, not a novice.

So, adios, Newcastle. See you in back in the premier league in a few years (if you're lucky).

I don't agree Pete; his comments as a pundit have been excellent; I think he'll be a tremendous manager.
Want a bet? £10 Newcastle finish in the top ten.

By the way, someone claiming to be Shearer is a poster and visitor here.

Ah, so just because he's (just about) able to articulate a few banal sentences about other manager's football teams, that makes him potentially a tremendous manager?

You should hear me when I'm watching Match of the Day. I've played the game all my life and, from the comfort and safety of my armchair, and with the benefit of hindsight, I can pontificate just as well as Lawrenson, Hansen, Shearer et al.

That doesn't mean I'd be able to manage a team.

And, you can't compare Shearer to the likes of Klinsmann or Rijkaard. If you do, we then have to point to those players intellects. They are intellectual giants compared to Shearer.

You know what they say about a fool and his money...

You're on. Tenner says they finish no higher than eleventh.

cher-ching!

I'm sad to have to take your hard earned cash Pete but you're on - if (when) I win I'll donate the lot to the Brian Clough memorial fund for English managers who didn't do as good a job as JK did on Eurovision.

Isn't it the case that Kevin Keegan had no managerial experience before taking control of Newcastle?

Apart from a couple of awful end of season decisions he didn't do too badly.

Newcastle have some decent players. What they need right now is someone who can inpire and motive them. I believe Sheraer can do that.

To mention Eurovision in this context is very odd; life in the Premiership is serious! Sadly, Shearer's arrival is far too late; bear in mind that NUFC soon play Chelsea, Liverpool and Villa.

It was a grave error to appoint the foulmounted Kinnear - simply because he was an old pal of G B H Wise. NUFC have gone the way of Leeds; it will take a very long time and a lot of money for them to return to the top flight.

I think Shearer could be the breath of fresh air Newcastle need. All managers have to start somewhere so I think this could well be a good appointment just as Keegan was back in the nineties. Experienced managers do not always succeed, sometimes a young energetic, enthusiastic manager is just what is needed.
Good luck to him if he takes over.

Chelsea are hot and cold at the moment, and can be beaten. Liverpool are the in form team. Villa have hit a slump but will be determined to pick up again. These should be an interesting few games.

As a Northerner, I also hope Middlesbrough and Sunderland can stay up. I think Hull will be ok, despite a disastrous second half of the season.

Well, I think now that he's appointed Mary Shelley's Ian Dowie as his assistant, they may well have a chance of avoiding relegation.

The Handsome One has been involved in many a relegation scrap, so he knows what's required.

Regardless of my bet with JK, I wish them well (there are many more teams that I'd love to see relegated over Newcastle).

Well, he's not there yet... but he will stop relegation even if I lose my £10!

Alan Shearer's only comfort yesterday was that it was a bad day for all the top North East teams.

I dunno JK.

Newcastle were absolutely dreadful yesterday.

No hint of any 'new manager' bounce.

I can't see him keeping them up.