Club legend Alan Shearer has spoke out after a chaotic few months for Newcastle both and off the pitch after this weekend’s defeat away to Chelsea.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football with Gary Lineker and Micah Richards, Shearer said the Mags have found themselves in a “very messy” situation after a chaotic summer and concerning drop in performance levels.
“Well I’ve said it before, haven’t I, about all the upheaval at the football club with what’s going on,” Shearer said. “New sporting director, the two shareholders leaving, Amanda and Mehrdad. Darren Eales, the Chief Executive now leaving.”
With such a shakeup in the club hierarchy, including Dan Ashworth’s move to Manchester United, it’s no surprise that fans and neutrals alike can’t quite grasp just quite how all this has unfolded, but it certainly looks like there’s been an impact on the pitch considering the lack of major activity in the summer transfer window and mixed start to the Premier League season.
Shearer continued, adding “Hardly a player coming in, which Eddie wanted in the summer. So it’s all been very messy for Newcastle the last three sort of months. And they have to get back to what got them to that Champions League spot in the first place…you know the energy and drive and being horrible to play against – I don’t see much of it.”
In comparison to last season, Newcastle’s attacking output and aggression has been a shadow of its former self.
Whilst Alexander Isak’s goal at the weekend brought an end to a six hour drought for open play goals, Eddie Howe’s once-feared high press has been nowhere to be seen so far this season, and well-regarded attackers like Isak and Anthony Gordon are both yet to show signs of the double digit goalscorers we know they can be.
Is it perhaps too much to say that Newcastle’s off the field turmoil and lack of transfer activity has had such an impact on the squad’s key players?
The likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak will no doubt be the subject of much transfer speculation between now and the end of the season, and a return to form and stability is just the first issue Newcastle will need to address if there’s any hopes of keeping both brilliant players in 2025. Both, however, have a responsibility to up their game in the team time, as too many of our big players haven’t performed consistently so far this season.
Shearer’s words show he still has a strong sense of faith in Howe and his team, and many will be hoping that the backing of the legend and the fans, as well as a desire to enact revenge on Chelsea in Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup clash, can help kickstart a road to recovery out of this “very messy” situation the club finds itself in.
Lloyd Kelly on a free, who doesn’t look any better than what we already have, £20 million for a keeper we didn’t want, a striker for the future and a signing of Lewis Hall that was already in the bag.
Add to that injuries, a change in structure and being screwed by PSR, no wonder we are miles off the pace.
It says a lot about the position the club was in after fat Mike, this is going to take years to put right.
Joseph(Quote)
Tonali has done well .. hall is playing well and Dan burn has reduced the need for a centre back with his performances … Botman is coming back soon and there is money to spend in January … Wilson might be available for a month or so and trips too … no chaos it’s just football every club has had these injury finance problems ..
Mike(Quote)