Shearer though appears to be all too aware about just how bad our record at Southampton is, claiming that a draw would be a good result at St Mary’s.
"We can go down there and get a draw and finish the job off at St James' Park,” he told the Evening Chronicle.
"With all those non-league teams and teams from the lower divisions still in the hat I could hardly believe it when we were drawn to play at Southampton.
"It's going to be a very tough draw for us and it could only have been worse if we had come out of the hat second with Chelsea, Manchester United or Arsenal.
"Southampton are particularly strong at home, and watching them yesterday you can see that Gordon Strachan has got them playing again after their slow start to the season.
"People may be tempted to say that, unlike Newcastle United, Southampton do not have an FA Cup tradition. But they were finalists last season and they won the competition in 1976 through that Bobby Stokes goal, while we haven't won it since 1955.
"But we have to be looking to win the FA Cup, starting off by beating Southampton in the third round, especially after what happened to us at Wolverhampton last season."