Gary Lineker and, inset, Alan Shearer watches on
Gary Lineker and, inset, Alan Shearer watches on
Alan Shearer has admitted that Newcastle United are 'on the edge of being stale' as he challenged the Magpies to 'get back' to what they were at their best.
Newcastle currently lie in the bottom half in the Premier League following a run of just two wins in 11 top-flight fixtures. Although Newcastle are only five points off Nottingham Forest, in fifth place, Eddie Howe's side have shown few signs of being able to go on a run to mount a sustained challenge for a European place up to this point.
Last week summed up Newcastle's maddening inconsistency. Following a 3-3 draw against league leaders Liverpool at St James' Park, Newcastle suffered a bruising 4-2 defeat at Brentford just three days later.
Shearer's frustration was clear to see and the Newcastle legend repeatedly swore at the television screen in a clip Match of the Day host Gary Lineker 'secretly' filmed while they watched the game at the Gtech Community Stadium. Reflecting on the defeat, a few days on, Shearer reiterated he was 'slightly worried' by what he saw from Newcastle and the club's record goal scorer said the way the black-and-whites defended and their 'lack of energy and pressing didn't sit easy with me'.
"It can't have been an off day," he told the Rest is Football. "They're in the bottom half of the league, aren't they? They haven't been great. Against [Crystal] Palace, they didn't have one effort on target all game. The goal they got was an own goal.
"It's not great at Newcastle. Their next three games are huge because you know what happens. The pressure comes on.
"They have got Leicester at home at the weekend. They have got Brentford in the quarter-final at home. They have got Ipswich away so the next three games are huge.
"They have to get back to what Newcastle were 18 months, two years ago. Remember when we were talking about their energy and their high-pressing and all of that? It hasn't happened enough this season and it feels as if it's on the edge of being stale and that has to improve."