Fergie has the right to pick team he wants - Shearer

May 24 2009 by Neil Farrington, Sunday Sun

But the Magpies’ latest Messiah is neither asking nor expecting any favours from a manager with even bigger fish than him to fry.

Asked if he would put out a weakened team three days before joining battle with Barcelona for the title of European champions, Shearer adds: “Of course I would, if I had as big a squad as his.

“He has earned the right to put whatever side out he wants by winning the league early and being in the Champions League final.

“You are talking about Manchester United, the biggest football club in the world. They will want to win the game on Sunday.

“But Alex Ferguson will do what is best for his football club.”

In terms of the ones that got away, Fergie rates Shearer as second only to Paul Gascoigne.

Losing out to Kenny Dalglish in 1992 and Kevin Keegan in 1996 for the greatest striker of his generation still rankles with the Scot.

Only two months ago, Ferguson branded players turned TV pundits, of whom Shearer is – or was – as big as they come, a “disgrace”. But Shearer insists: “I have had a million encounters with Alex over the years and we have both said our stuff. We get on fine.

“There is no problem between us at all. We have laughed and joked about it.”

And such is his faith in Ferguson’s intent to get a result at Hull that Shearer is convinced victory for Newcastle at Aston Villa will secure survival.

“I am a betting man,” he says. “And I would bet if we were to win the game it might be enough.

“I say might, it might not. But I would have a guess it would be.”