Just seven games to save Newcastle

Actually, Alan, you’d better make that seven.

One down, seven to go, and after Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat to Chelsea, Newcastle are already in a worse position than when Alan Shearer took over four days ago.

The weekend results have left the Magpies three points adrift of safety, and underlined the size of the task that faces the club’s latest self-styled saviour in the final seven weeks of the season.

If Shearer hadn’t ascertained the full extent of Newcastle’s problems from the comfort of the Match of the Day settee, he will certainly be in no doubt now.

The Premier League survival race is entering its final furlong, and while the Magpies are not quite 100-1 shots yet, their odds are lengthening with every match that passes.

“It was always a very hard task, and it still is,” said Shearer, whose first match as a Newcastle player also ended in defeat.

“We have seven games now instead of eight. But we have a few more days to prepare and work with the players now, which I think will benefit everyone.

“I’m still optimistic and confident we can avoid the drop, and more importantly, my players are as well. One game in football is a hell of a long time.

We’ve got seven, so I’m sure there are going to be twists and turns between now and the end of the season.

“It is going to be tough. Other results have gone against us, but that’s nothing I didn’t expect.

We know we’re in a fight, and that’s what we’ll give it.”

Hardly the coronation address that the Geordie faithful had anticipated when they flocked to St James’ Park on Saturday afternoon, but this is football not fairytales, and Newcastle’s inadequacies are simply too plentiful and entrenched to be eradicated by a sprinkling of Shearer magic.

There is mitigation for the 38- year-old’s maiden managerial defeat – Chelsea are still involved in the title race and could yet be crowned champions of Europe this season - but Shearer will surely have been alarmed by the predictable reappearance of some of the chronic deficiencies that have plagued his side all season.

Newcastle matched their opponents for large chunks of Saturday’s game, only for weaknesses at either end of the field to ensure they came away with nothing. Addressing those weaknesses will be the primary objective ahead of next weekend’s crucial trip to Stoke.

In particular, Shearer must find a way of eradicating the kind of basic defensive errors that have contributed to so many defeats this season. It will not be easy – most, if not all, of his Premier League predecessors have failed to disable the self-destruct button that seems to have a permanent home at St James’.

Fabricio Coloccini pressed it at the weekend, and from the moment the Argentinian handed Chelsea their opening goal on a plate ten minutes after the interval, Newcastle’s hopes of a much-needed victory had all but disappeared.

Having helped restrict Chelsea to a difficult Nicolas Anelka opportunity before the break, Coloccini inexplicably took an eternity to clear a routine Jose Enrique back-pass from just in front of his own penalty area.

Anelka charged the ball down, and with Coloccini floundering, the Frenchman chipped against the crossbar. With Steve Harper out of position, a grateful Frank Lampard headed the rebound into an empty net.

Chelsea’s second, ten minutes later, was also a result of some slack Magpies defending, with Ryan Taylor getting on to the wrong side of Florent Malouda, thereby enabling the Frenchman to slide Lampard’s deft through ball under Harper’s body.

Perhaps things would have been different had either Sebastien Bassong or Steven Taylor been fit enough to take their place in the side. On the evidence of the first 30 games of the season, however, perhaps the mistakes would have happened anyway.

“We have to stop conceding silly goals,” said Shearer.

“We made a mistake early on in the second half, and we all know what happens at this level, you get punished for your errors.

“When we have conceded goals this season, we have tended to go on and concede more to lose games. So we have to try to get some confidence back into the players.

“How do you change it? You try a bit of everything. I’m sure they’ve had everything tried with them already – tellings off or arms around the shoulder.

But a different voice and different personalities might just make a difference. The mentality has to change.”

And if Newcastle are to secure the three or four wins they are likely to need, there will also have to be a sea change at the opposite end of the field.

While Michael Owen was unfortunate not to be awarded a goal in the 73rd minute – the striker’s deflected shot looked to have crossed the line before it was cleared by Ashley Cole – it had taken the Magpies more than an hour to conjure their first attempt on target, and that was a weak header from Jonas Gutierrez.

For all that Shearer had talked him up in the build-up to the game, Owen was little more than a bystander, just as he had been in his two previous appearances following his return from injury.

Obafemi Martins was equally ineffectual, but the strikers are only part of the story, and Newcastle are going to have to conjure some creativity from somewhere if they are to improve a record of three goals from their last six matches.

A central midfield partnership of Nicky Butt and Kevin Nolan is anything but dynamic, and neither Gutierrez nor Damien Duff, who played the second half in place of the injured Peter Lovenkrands, look like cutting a swathe through an opposition defence.

Owen is not the type of striker who will create an opportunity from nothing, so if he is to have an impact in the final seven weeks, Newcastle’s midfielders will have dredge some attacking inspiration from somewhere.

“We asked Michael to do a role that took a little bit away from game,” said Shearer.

“Because of Chelsea’s ability and quality in possession, we might have struggled had Michael not been dropping back.

“It was important he did that.

We sacrificed him in little spells, and he wasn’t able to get into the areas we would like to have got him into.

“If we are playing a different team, with a different system, we’ll be looking to get Michael into scoring positions.”

Shearer in the dugout

1.15pm Arrives on the team coach and receives a rapturous reception as he walks into the Milburn Stand.

2.57pm After allowing the players time to settle on the pitch, he finally walks out.

Instead of milking the applause, he shakes hands with Guus Hiddink, and goes straight into the home dug-out, without as much as a glance towards the fans.

3.01pm Less than 90 seconds in and he is in the technical area, chewing gum, with a chorus of ‘Shearer, Shearer’ ringing around the stadium.

3.03pm Demands concentration from Jose Enrique on a Newcastle corner.

3.04pm Shakes his head and turns to the bench when Enrique concedes another corner at the other end.

3.08pm Has his first word with fourth official Mark Halsey over a refereeing decision.

3.10pm ‘Who was picking Terry up?’ was his cry to the bench after Frank Lampard’s free-kick dropped wide.

3.18pm Puts his hands on his head after Obafemi Martins side-foots wide, and then kicks fresh air in frustration.

3.37pm Lampard dives under a challenge from Jonas Gutierrez and Shearer turns to the Chelsea bench and shouts “what’s he done that for?”

3.47pm Iain Dowie joins his manager in having words with Halsey after Michael Owen is pushed to the floor by Terry.

4.11pm His chewing stops briefly as Florent Malouda’s drive hits Steve Harper and Newcastle survive.

4.13pm A deep sigh, shrug of the shoulders and a cry of ‘that was a good chance’ as Martins volleys wide.

4.15pm But he quickly turns to his bench to claim the defence was ‘all over the place’ as Lampard makes the most of Fabrico Coloccini errors to put Chelsea ahead.

4.25pm Holds court with Chris Hughton and Dowie in the dug-out just as Malouda slots in the second.

4.33pm Airs his frustration at Halsey after watching a replay of Owen’s cross deflect off John Obi Mikel and roll over the line before being cleared.

4.37pm Continues to be annoyed and carries on his protests towards the linesman.

4.45pm Motionless as the Chelsea fans chanted ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’.

4.53pm Final whistle blows and, after a quick handshake with Hiddink, he heads for the dressing room.