All three of the region’s Premier League sides have their top-flight status on the line when the relegation battle concludes on Sunday. The Northern Echo has spoken to fans of all three clubs to discover who they blame for the crisis and today, in the second part of a three-day series, the spotlight is on Newcastle United.

What has gone wrong this season?

The Northern Echo: Bob Connor Bob Connor, 61, Jarrow, joiner: It started at the beginning with Keegan going. If they had kept him and not brought in Dennis Wise they would have been all right.

They should have held on with Keegan and I am positive they would have saved the club. We have had too many managers since Bobby Robson really. We have never had a defence and no real vision.

Gavin Swinburne, 21, Wardley, labourer: The players don’t play together.

They are useless in defence and cannot get the ball up.

When they do, they lose it all the time. They need to bring new talent in, young players, definitely.

The Northern Echo: Bobby GreenlandBobby Greenland, 49, Jesmond, site manager: Losing Kevin Keegan early on was the start of it. He was forced out and it has caused all of the upheaval. We have got Shearer but he had no chance with eight games to go. Mike Ashley running the club with Dennis Wise has not helped the club at all.

Nicola Watson, 18, Fenham, waitress: Getting rid of Keegan at the beginning was a big mistake. They did not give him enough chances or long enough time.

Who is to blame?

Bob Connor: You can’t blame any one person. It is just the set up. Freddie Shepherd was trying his best. I don’t really put the blame on anybody. What has happened is they didn’t get the right people in. You cannot blame anybody because everyone has been trying their best.

The Northern Echo: Gavin SwinburnGavin Swinburne: I would say Mike Ashley is partly to blame.

He has upset the fans and upset the team. He is not really interested in anything to do with it. It is just a business opportunity and he is killing the team.

Bobby Greenland: I don’t think anyone is to blame fully but I think that situation with Keegan was not right. Mike Ashley has to take responsibility.

He has done what he thought was best for the club but maybe it wasn’t.

He should have stood and said he has made a mistake. If he had the fans would have stuck in a bit more with him.

The Northern Echo: Nicola WatsonNicola Watson: Ashley is to blame because he has been badly advised by different people and didn’t understand the fans. He should never have got Dennis Wise in.

The fans did not like him when he was here so there was no point bringing him in. They were never going to warm to him. A manager is a manager and he should be able to pick his own players.

How can it be put right?

Bob Connor: If we stay up we should keep Shearer and let him get on with it and get everyone united. We should get the money in. We know it is tough times but Ashley should cough up some money.

If you want to be a successful football club in the Premiership you have to spend money. If you don’t buy class players and you are playing against class players you can’t expect to win.

Gavin Swinburne: We need to bring in new talent and go scouting for 18-year-olds and get them on the pitch.

Give them a chance and put more money into the game. We need to invest in the future of the club.

Bobby Greenland: We need a long-term plan even if we get relegated. We have got to keep one manager and whether Shearer is good enough we do not know. We are going to have to stick by him. He is going to have bad results and a bad time. It is not going to happen overnight because we are in a bad state now but the only way is up.

Nicola Watson: Shearer should stay next season and we should get rid of 99 per cent of the players we have now. They need a complete fresh start with Shearer as the manager. I would like to get rid of Ashley because he put the money in at the beginning and we need his money. He should give Shearer free rein to do what he wants.