Would Shearer Appointment 'Put Off' Buyers?
He said: "They would have been better off putting on something saying, 'We are clueless', that's literally what it amounts to.
"It just reflects the urgent need for leadership at the club both on and off the pitch.
"It's clear that on the pitch, the leadership can be given by Alan Shearer in terms of sorting out the football side of things.
"With Alan Shearer in charge, it would not be just about what he can do as a manager, but he can be a person everybody can rally behind and start to rebuild the club.
"The sharp end of things is that there are only three weeks until the players are back for pre-season training, and the season starts on August 8.
"It would be urgent in any other circumstances, but with the predicament we find ourselves in, every day that goes by, as Alan Shearer has said himself, targets are missed and all the rest of it.
"The especially frustrating thing is that if Alan Shearer was not an option, it would be a totally different situation.
"But he is there ready and waiting, he wants to do the job and there's a chance to start to put things right which is just not being taken.
"After all the terrible decisions Ashley has taken, he is not willing to take one that could get the work started."