‘They just lacked’… Alan Shearer has just given his honest verdict on Newcastle’s attitude vs Man City

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Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer simply thinks the Magpies were beaten by a better team as they crashed out of the FA Cup.

Eddie Howe‘s side have been knocked out of the competition at the quarter final stage, losing 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium to end their FA Cup dreams for another year.

The frustrating thing is that both goals were avoidable, as they both came directly from deflections. Luck was on Manchester City’s side, as if they need any…

At the other end of the pitch, Newcastle struggled to create many chances. Their best opportunity went to Alexander Isak, but he squandered it. That surprised Alan Shearer, who believed that the 24-year-old should have scored.

While Shearer was disappointed with Isak’s miss during the first half, he did not have too many issues with the Magpies’ performance. It was an underwhelming night, but he believes that was largely down to Man City’s quality rather than Newcastle failing to perform.

Alan Shearer happy with Newcastle’s attitude during FA Cup exit

Following Newcastle’s FA Cup exit on Saturday night, Shearer shared his immediate reaction on BBC Match Of The Day.

“Despite the two lucky goals, they were much the better team,” he said.

“I think the simple truth is they were better than Newcastle, and are better than Newcastle, in every position. That’s where Newcastle want to get to – that’s the standard.

“They tried. No problem with their attitude. They just lacked that bit of quality in terms of the opposition who they were against.”

Newcastle simply not good enough against Manchester City

It won’t make the defeat any easier to stomach, but I think Shearer’s assessment is a fair one. It will be easy for fans to criticise the players and say that the performance was unacceptable, but the game was more about Man City’s quality and control.

Yes, you could argue that Newcastle should have done more to hinder Man City’s control, but that is easier said than done. They won the treble last season, and could very easily do it again this year.

Howe’s side simply were not good enough on Saturday night, and it was another painful reminder of the level the club need to reach to match the ambitions of PIF. They want Newcastle to be among the elite, but they are a long way from that becoming a reality.

But the defeat means that Newcastle’s trophy drought goes on for another year. All they can focus on now is the Premier League, as they desperately try to get back into Europe.