Alan Shearer has delivered a scathing verdict on Newcastle United’s performance in their 1-0 defeat to Sunderland, describing it as “awful” and “pathetic”. The former England striker pulled no punches in his criticism of his former club, saying they “offered nothing up front at all” and were “miles off it for a derby game”.
Shearer, speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, was particularly disappointed with the team’s lack of desire and energy, saying, “I wasn’t (okay). Newcastle were dreadful. They were rotten and I was really shocked at how dreadful they were because, I mean, that is pathetic in any game, let alone in a derby game”
The defeat was a blow to Newcastle’s European hopes, and Shearer questioned the team’s attitude and commitment, saying, “Seriously, you’re going to play in the biggest game of the season at your rivals, and you’ve heard all the players all week, ‘We know how much it means to the fans and we’re going to do this and that.’ Well, lads, they did nothing. They were awful, honestly”
Shearer’s criticism was echoed by Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes, who admitted he was embarrassed and angry at the team’s performance. “It’s so embarrassing for me,” Guimaraes said. “We know we have a better team than them, but we didn’t perform like a better team today. It makes me feel angry”
The defeat was Sunderland’s first win over Newcastle in the Premier League since 2017, and it lifted them to seventh in the table. Newcastle, on the other hand, slipped to 12th, and manager Eddie Howe will be hoping to address the team’s inconsistency in their upcoming fixtures
Shearer’s verdict was clear: Newcastle’s performance was unacceptable, and they need to up their game if they want to achieve their ambitions this season.
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