Glenn Roeder has revealed he will concentrate his efforts on Newcastle's much-maligned defence in training this week.
Roeder will also talk to £9.5million signing Albert Luque about the lack of form which saw him left out of the 16 at the weekend on Monday, but, naturally for a man who made his name as a cultured defender, will concentrate his efforts on the back four.
"I don't see any alternative other than practice and working with them as a unit," he said. "It's great that we have all week - next week, there's no midweek game, so we can be uninterrupted - and that will be the first port of call, to work with the back four.
"At times, for one reason or another - and I don't know why - they haven't looked like a unit, and I know myself you have to work together, the back four and the goalkeeper as well. They have got to work in tandem and look safe.
"You can't afford to be letting in two or three goals because it's impossible to score three or four goals in the Premiership. You have to play for clean sheets and ones."
Former Newcastle boss Ruud Gullit is fond of repeating his opinion on Alan Shearer's influence at St James' Park.
He did so once again just last week as Graeme Souness' reign as manager came to a disastrous end, as his own did back in August 1999.
The Dutchman's theme is that the 35-year-old striker is too dominant a figure and that the men around him - and even, on occasion, the manager - are hampered as a result.
But on Saturday, as he has done so often in the past, Shearer demonstrated exactly why Gullit is wrong, and his timing could hardly have been better.
With Souness having been shown the exit door on Thursday, it fell to caretaker boss Glenn Roeder, assisted by his captain, to select and prepare a team for the Portsmouth match which had to be won.
Ninety minutes later, Roeder had his first win, Newcastle had three points and 50,000-plus members of the Toon Army were heading home with smiles on their faces for the first time in weeks.
Shearer's 64th-minute strike sealed victory and handed their talisman a record-breaking 201st goal for his home-town club.
There are those who claim that the 38 Jackie Milburn scored in wartime football should be taken into account, but what is not in any doubt is that Shearer has established himself among the ranks of the all-time greats on Tyneside.
It was Shola Ameobi who paved the way for his strike-partner to beat the superb Dean Kiely, who had earlier denied him three separate occasions, and spark a major celebration.
"Shola did ever so well to get his body in front of the defender," Shearer said. "He saw me running and played it into my path with a great little touch. I managed to take it early and that feeling when it hit the back of the net was just unbelievable.
"They [the cheers] were still going some five minutes after that and even I have to admit I got a bit emotional with that. It was brilliant."
Chairman Freddy Shepherd has never made a secret of his admiration for Shearer, bought for £15million in the summer of 1996, and as he launches the search for Souness' replacement, he is determined to keep him on board in whatever capacity he can.
"He was brought to Newcastle to score goals and he has done exactly that, 201 goals is a fantastic achievement," he told BBC Radio Five Live's Sportsweek show.
"How do we replace Alan Shearer? With great difficulty. He has made it quite clear he is retiring at the end of the season. He has been a great servant to this club.
"I don't care if Alan is on the turnstiles or in the top job, I want to see him involved with Newcastle. He feels the same way."
