Chronicle Tip Shearer To Replace Allardyce!

Last updated : 06 November 2007 By Footy Mad - Editor

I find it strange Big Sam says he will retire at 55 (he is 53 now) when he said he wanted "five years to turn Newcastle into a top club".

Has the reality of the job suddenly hit him like a topn of bricks, or was he misquoted?

Evening Chronicle: "Obviously club owner Mike Ashley would not be pleased at Saturday's 4-1 drubbing by Portsmouth at St James' Park on Saturday and the way United capitulated without even putting up a fight.

"But the Chronicle's information is that both Ashley and chairman Chris Mort want to keep Allardyce in charge as manager until Alan Shearer is ready to take over.

"And we understand the United pair have made Shearer aware of this.

"Big Sam is 53 and he has always said that he intends to retire when he is 55, which would coincide with Shearer's contract with BBC's Match of the Day coming to an end.

"United's greatest ever player actually said over the weekend that he found all the speculation linking him with the United job "embarrassing".

"That may be the case, but I have always felt Shearer will be manager of his beloved United one day."