Speaking to Betfair, Magpies legend Shearer defended Howe amid mounting pressure on his position, and suggested that the summer addition of Woltemade has unbalanced the team. "I guess a manager's always under pressure to get results, but I think the job that Eddie Howe has done at Newcastle and what he delivered in the Carabao Cup, the trophy, I guess he's got a lot of points in the bank," he said. "What I would look at is Eddie's Newcastle team have always been full of energy, being tough to play against, not giving the opposition any space. That in the away performances is missing, and even home form really. The thing that is missing for me is the high press and the energy.
"I've said before that as good as Nick Woltemade is with the ball at his feet, he is a problem for Newcastle because he's not the quickest, and he can't press, and he doesn't run in behind. Eddie's teams have always done that. Look at what Alexander Isak did or look at what Callum Wilson did, they all pressed and ran behind. But this guy can't do that, and that's a problem for Newcastle."
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