NEWCASTLE chairman Sir John Hall has ordered a massive shake-up at the FA Cup finalists and is giving manager Kenny Dalglish one month to come up with a masterplan to put the Geordies back at the top of the Premiership. Hall, clearly back in the driving seat at the club he left earlier this year, has ordered Dalglish and the Magpies' top executives to attend a two-day think-tank session which will lay down targets for the next decade. He expects to be given a list of transfer targets and details of team tactics as well as solutions to their off-field problems. The millionaire property developer said he had ordered the shake-up in an attempt to put United back at the forefront of British football. "I'm determined that we'll look back on this season in a couple of years and consider it just a blip in our progress, he said. We'll get together and drive this club on. Our long term plans haven't changed, we're still ambitious, and we're still in the Premier League and back in Europe. Hall, whose son Douglas brought disgrace to St James' Park with his well-publicised trip to Majorca in the company of fellow director Freddie Shepherd, is already attempting to rebuild the club's tattered public relations by meeting editors of club fanzines today. "I want their thoughts and I want to give them assurances," he said. "That's why I've invited officials from the fanzines in for a frank exchange of views." And he plans to appoint a female director of PR, explaining: "I've just got a feeling that a woman is more sensitive and responsive to situations which can arise. We need to be positive and show our real face, a caring face. The Stevenage farce, for example, mustn't be allowed to happen again. We must be very conscious that we're a brand name and market it accordingly. We're very involved in the community, but we must put that over publicly." Hall's revolution indicates that he will not be stepping down as acting chairman of the club on May 31, as was indicated when he returned to the club following his son's resignation. It also comes on a day when Newcastle have received bad news about their latest transfer target and had their season branded disastrous by the club's own chief executive. United thought they were close to agreeing a deal with Auxerre for France striker Stephane Guivarc'h, but the club are demanding £8m for a player Dalglish values at only £3m. They have also been knocked back by Bayern Munich after a £4m approach for German international defender Markus Babbel, but do look likely to complete the signing of Brazilian central defender Alexandre, who would cost around £2m, from Portuguese club Guimaraes. Chief executive Freddie Fletcher, who will play a key part in any future transfers, told the Daily Mirror yesterday: "There's no point denying that it has been an absolutely disastrous season. We need to work extremely hard this summer and give Kenny a lot more support in his efforts to pull things round. We have scored a lot of own goals in the PR department and we need a 100% improvement. We understand the fans' frustration and we must ensure that we never have another season like this one.

LIVERPOOL MUST SIGN A FAB FOUR   MARK LAWRENSON has outlined a transfer strategy to keep Liverpool manager Roy Evans in his job. Writing in the Liverpool Daily Post, the former Anfield favourite argues that ideally four, and at least three, players are needed to turn the team from nearly men into winners. The key problem as Evans himself has acknowledged is at his old position in central defence. Lawrenson argues that ideally there should be two signings: If Liverpool had two dominating centre backs, opponents would be discouraged from throwing the ball into their box. This season, Liverpool conceded far too many goals from corners and free kicks and other teams have spotted their weakness. Evans is reportedly looking at Croatia's Dario Simic, who has been linked with AC Milan but currently plays for Croatia Zagreb. In the recent past, though, he has been linked unsuccessfully with a host of candidates for the centre back role, including Marcel Desailly, Massimo Paganin, Sol Campbell, and Matt Elliott. At the last moment, the Merseysiders even outbid United for the services of Jaap Stam, but the PSV Eindhoven player had his heart set on playing for his boyhood idols. Lawrenson also feels that a left-sided midfielder is badly needed to replace the right-footed incumbent, Oyvind Leonhardsen. Evans seems to be approaching this problem from a sideways angle, by targeting Oldham left back Carl Serrant. The 23-year-old has been rested from his current club's end-of-season tour to avoid an injury that would jeopardise the rumoured £2m deal. If the 23-year-old does join, then Stig Bjornebye the current left back could move into midfield. The fourth player on the defender-turned BBC pundit's list is a striker, a target man to play alongside Michael Owen, at least while Robbie Fowler is out injured. Mark Hughes is his ideal choice, and there are clear advantages for Evans in signing a senior player. If he signs a young top name to play alongside Owen, will he be able to keep everybody happy when Fowler returns? Hughes, already playing off the bench for the most part at Chelsea, is less likely to object to being a stop-gap. But the biggest transfer this summer could see someone leaving the club. Another former Anfield defender, Tommy Smith, has come out in favour of cashing in on Steve McManaman, who will be available on a free transfer at the end of next season. McManaman has frequently been linked with Barcelona, and has just come second in a poll asking Barca supporters who they most want the club to sign. If he does go, it would surely be unpopular with Liverpool fans - yet it could be the source of the money to pay for the signings Lawrenson, and possibly Evans, feels are necessary.

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