Shepherd (r) has left Souness under no illusions

"He has been criticised but he knows what he wants and he is going after it. Now he knows it is time to produce.

"The bar has been raised considerably because we have been a top-six club for so long and that is why last season was such a major disappointment.

"We are out to put things right this season and I believe we will," Shepherd told the Newcastle Chronicle.

Souness was subjected to criticism after last season's 14th-place finish in the Premiership and his side's failure in both the Uefa and FA Cups.

There were further problems following rows with Craig Bellamy and Laurent Robert, who have since been sold, but Shepherd is fully behind his manager.

"He is a footballing man who sees in players their good points and wants to bring them out. I have never heard him run down a player technically.

"We know it takes time for a new manager who wants to either change the players or the way the team play. Graeme wanted to alter both.

Dyer agrees new contract

"Last season's 14th placing was the only failure in the last 10 years since John Hall moved in," he said.

"The rest of the time, we have finished runners-up twice, third, fourth and fifth, played in the Champions League, in two FA Cup finals and a Uefa Cup semi-final.

"I know we have not won anything despite being so close, but we will. We will get there.

"Yes, we failed last season, but we played something like 54 games because we did so well in two cups and that caught up with us. That is not an excuse, it is a fact.

"We all made mistakes through good intentions, but I refuse to keep looking back. If you live in the past, you die in the past."