Shearer: 'I'd Turn Back The Clock'!

Alan Shearer: "I am optimistic still, I am still confident that we can avoid the drop and my players are too, which is more important.

"One game in football is a hell of a long time - we have got seven.

"I am sure there are going to be twists and turns between now and the end of the season.

"Results-wise, other teams - that's gone against us as well, but we know we are in a fight and we will give it a fight.

"I thought it (Michael Owen's non-goal) was in from where I was standing - I would say that, wouldn't I? I'm a manager now.

"I have seen it on TV and it looks in. It's a mistake from the linesman.

"What it might have done was give us a rousing last five or 10 minutes, but it was certainly not his fault that we lost that game today.

"If we could rewind it back, I would like to start again. I am pleased it's over with.

"There are positives to take from it - we worked very hard, we can step up in quality, I know that already and I am sure we will step up in quality.

"We have got a very tough game next Saturday now that we are going to work on."