Imperative We Get Result - Boss

By Craig Hope

NEWCASTLE United boss Alan Shearer insists it is "imperative" for his side to get a positive result from Saturday's tea-time showdown with Stoke City.

The Magpies are three points adrift of safety and six behind this weekend's opponents with seven games left to save their top-flight lives.

And Shearer told nufcTV that the Geordies will going all out for a win at the Britannia Stadium.

"It's imperative to get a result and we will be going to get three points," said the 38-year-old gaffer.

"I'm not going to says draws are no good for us, because we would rather get a point than nothing.

"But we are going to try to win the game. We need three points."

Shearer has watched from his Match of the Day sofa this season as the Potters have turned their Staffordshire base into something of a fortress with 28 of their 35 points coming on home turf.

And Big Al added: "They are a tough nut to crack and most of their points have come at home.

"They are big, strong and physical. They are very dangerous from set-pieces and we know all about them.

"But knowing and stopping are two different things.

"We can try and tell the players until we're blue in the face what they're going to do. But they have to go out and battle, scrap and fight for everything as they would do every other week."