Alan Shearer has backed Newcastle United to finish 14th in the Premier League after a turbulent summer window.
Alan Shearer does not expect Newcastle United to finish in the European spots this season.
Previewing the Premier League season, the Toon icon highlighted the “unknown” that awaits Matthias Jaissle’s first campaign in charge. A chaotic summer on Tyneside has resulted in Kieran Trippier, Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Eddie Howe leaving the club.
Newcastle 2.0 is underway - with Jaissle steering the rebuild through choppy waters. Five youthful signings have arrived and the Magpies are understood to be active in the market.
However, as it stands, there is a sense of underlying concern as Newcastle prepare to face Liverpool on the opening day. Shearer shares that trepidation - insisting Jaissle will “need help” in his debut Premier League campaign.
Alan Shearer previews Newcastle United season
“I understand the change of direction at the club,” he told Betfair. “I understand that we're not going to be qualifying for the Champions League.
“It is tough when you see your best players continually leave. I mean, that's another thing getting onto the rules, I guess. Villa and Newcastle fans will feel that. But we finished 12th last season with Tonali, with Gordon and with Bruno Guimaraes. So I think that tells you where Newcastle were and how they had to sell and how they had to bring in young, fresh talent. Now, that always brings challenging moments as well as losing your manager.
“I think it will be a very, very different season. I think it will be a challenging season because I think if it was that easy to sell your big players and then replace them with younger, energetic, hungry young players, then everyone would do that. My small concern would be that you're losing characters. Ok, we finished 12th, so those players didn't have the best season last season, but those players were all characters in the dressing room.
“If you take those three out and you're also losing Kieran Trippier, who was a huge presence in the dressing room, what you are losing is your characters and your leaders, and you're replacing them with young, inexperienced players. Not only young and inexperienced players, but young inexperienced players in the Premier League.
“That would be my concern more than anything, losing the leaders and the characters. I also think it's important to think ability-wise, as good as they were, we did finish 12th. This season we're going into the unknown. We've got a young, inexperienced manager who's going to need all the help and all the backing that we have to give him.
“Put that in with the players that they brought in, the young, inexperienced players. Albeit you've still got Schar, Dan Burn and Joelinton. Ultimately, I don't expect us to finish in a European spot.”
Cheeky Sunderland dig
Shearer has predicted Newcastle to underwhelmingly finish 14th. However, in a cheeky swipe at Sunderland, he still expects the Magpies to edge ahead of their local rivals.
Arsenal are being tipped as title winners, with Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United completing the top four. Shearer has named Fulham, Coventry City and Ipswich Town as the three sides to go down. Here is his list in full.
Arsenal
Chelsea
Man City
Man United
Liverpool
Spurs
Aston Villa
Everton
Bournemouth
Nottingham Forest
Brighton
Leeds
Brentford
Newcastle
Sunderland
Crystal Palace
Ipswich
Fulham
Coventry
Hull
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