Newcastle’s season has been hard to watch after a massive summer investment
Newcastle United’s Nick Woltemade and (inset) Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer has once again criticised the summer transfer dealings at Newcastle United – claiming the business has set Newcastle back 18 MONTHS.
The Magpies legend has been outspoken about how he feels the club didn’t get things right during the summer window, when they spent an eye-watering £250m on four players.
Shearer has caveated his criticism by admitting that the structure at the club wasn’t right during this period. Newcastle had no cheif executive or sporting director, with Darren Eales stepping down through ill health and Paul Mitchell quitting within days of the end of the campaign.
That, coupled with the Alexander Isak bombshell, put Newcastle firmly on the back foot, but Shearer has questioned why such a huge amount of money was signed off, as he laid into the dealings which have seen Newcastle struggling for a centre-forward despite an outlay of £124m on Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa.
And with United struggling in 12th spot in the Premier League, he has called for a review into the season as a whole once the 2025-26 campaign draws to a close in May as he believes the next few months could be critical for manager Eddie Howe and the club if they are to try and regain lost ground.
“I think you have to look at the bigger picture,” Shearer said. “I’m not excusing any performance in the league because it’s been really poor. But you also have to look at how and why Newcastle are in this situation.
“I mean, clearly, last summer was a disaster and it’s probably set them back 18 months. So, they’re going to have to have a reset again this summer. And there were mitigating circumstances in terms of no sporting director, no chief executive. But then you have to ask why. Why wasn’t there? So, all of these things and all the questions have to be asked.
“How come they were allowed to spend an absolute fortune, yet they still haven’t filled the void of a centre forward despite spending £125m? How can you spend that and why hasn’t it worked? Who signed those off? All those questions have to be asked.
“In terms of the bigger picture, I think Eddie will be as disappointed as anyone on how and why what’s happened this season in the league. But we’ve also been in the Champions League.
“That doesn’t mean that there shouldn’t be a huge review of what’s gone wrong this season, and they will have to do that because this summer for Newcastle is going to be huge in terms of where they’re to be next season and the seasons after.”
The latest blow in a rollercoaster season arrived on Sunday when Sunderland came away from the Tyne-Wear derby with a 2-1 win. That completed the league double over their rivals, having won at the Stadium of Light 1-0 back in December.
Shearer called it ‘another kick in the teeth’ but admitted that Sunderland deserved the victory.
“Premier League-wise it’s been really poor for Newcastle,” he added to Betfair. “I think from the standards that have been set over the last couple of years, they’ve been miles off it and Sunday was another kick in the teeth because first off it was going well, we got the goal and could have got another, but the second half was really poor.
“They offered nothing in return to Sunderland’s fight and when they upped the tempo and when they had the better of the game, Newcastle didn’t have a reply, which was the biggest disappointment.
“You can’t be beaten in the manner that Newcastle have been beaten in both games home and away to your bitter rivals. That will be the hurt that the fans and players and everyone will be feeling. You’re not going to get rid of that this season. You’re not going to get rid of that until you play them again next season.
“But they [Sunderland] deserved it. They deserved the three points. You can’t take anything away from them as much as it hurts to say that.”