Alan Shearer didn’t pull any punches on Match of the Day following on from Newcastle’s 4-2 loss away to Brentford at the GTech Stadium.
Despite an impressive if not defensively flawed performance against Liverpool midweek, Eddie Howe’s side failed to capitalise on Saturday and have now recorded just two wins in their last 11 league games.
Shearer echoed many fans’ frustrations with how the players have performed exceptionally against the big clubs this season (wins against Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea across all competitions, whilst avoiding defeat against Liverpool and Manchester City) but fail to do the job when it matters against other sides.
Shearer didn’t hold back on Match of the Day
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Speaking on Saturday night’s Match of the Day, Shearer was pretty scathing in his assessment, saying: **_“I don’t like the attitude of several of the Newcastle players. You can’t just turn up in big home games.”_**
**_“This is worrying: we were praising Newcastle all the time for their energy, their closing down, for their pressing. There’s none of it. That’s not good enough, it’s unacceptable.”_**
With a record of five wins, five draws and five losses in the league this season, the Magpies have now lost as many games as they did in the entire 22/23 campaign.
Shearer also highlighted how the once resolute and formidable defence has began to leak goals, with Newcastle now sitting on a negative goal difference.
“It worries me” – Shearer slates defence
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Shearer then slated our defensive display and explained why we look way off the side who finished fourth two seasons ago.
**_“From a Newcastle point of view, defensively they were all over the place. And it worries me, I look at them and they’re lacking the energy that we’re so used to seeing a year or two ago.”_**
December is a crunch month for the club to try and get their season back on the right track and position itself as an attractive prospect for any potential January signings.
A win against Leicester, as well as enacting revenge on Brentford in the Carabao Cup quarter-final should be the minimum expectation, or the Magpies may find themselves becoming entrenched in a mid-table struggle for the rest of the season.
Let’s hope things pick up soon, for the sake of our league campaign, cup hopes and Howe’s future!