Alan Shearer believes that Newcastle United have some big issues to address after their defeat to Chelsea.
The Magpies extended their winless run to five Premier League games on Sunday, with Newcastle losing 2-1 to Chelsea.
It was a frustrating afternoon at Stamford Bridge, with Eddie Howe‘s side allowing Cole Palmer to have the freedom of Stamford Bridge. Incredibly, it was a bad idea to give the best player in the Premier League so much space.
There were positive moments for Newcastle, but they were few and far between. Newcastle’s biggest moment fell to Isak in the second half, but he selfishly wasted it. Had Isak passed to Joelinton, the game would have been very different.
Alas, Isak infuriated Eddie Howe by going for goal himself, as he wasted the Magpies’ best chance to equalise.
The result means that Newcastle are down to 12th in the Premier League.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 10 |  FulhamFulham | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| 11 |  B’mouthBournemouth | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 12 |
| 12 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 10 | -1 | 12 |
| 13 |  West HamWest Ham | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 16 | -3 | 11 |
Alan Shearer explains what is wrong with Newcastle United right now
Newcastle have now lost back-to-back Premier League games, as they prepare for two more challenging fixtures this week.
There are plenty of issues for Eddie Howe to address, and Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has tried to pinpoint what is going wrong for the Magpies at this moment in time.
Speaking on the latest episode of The Rest Is Football podcast, Gary Lineker asked Shearer what he wants to see from his beloved Newcastle United.
“Better all over the park, better defensively, more creativity in midfield,” he said.
“They certainly need more goals. I mean, Isak got his goal today. He should have had another one with a chance that he created.
“But I look at Newcastle, I think, okay, what got them to where they were in terms of Champions League? It was their high press, it was their energy, it was their goals, it was how mean they were, how nasty they were.
“Not seeing too much of that. Certainly not enough, anywhere near enough of it this season. And they’ve got a tough run now.
“They’ve got Chelsea in the Carabao on Wednesday, and then they’ve got Arsenal at home next Saturday. So tough times for them at the minute.”
Newcastle a shadow of their former selves right now
Shearer has summed it up very well. There is a lack of intensity with this Newcastle United team. Intensity was once Newcastle’s identity, but that is no longer the case.
The Magpies were poor in both boxes on Sunday, which is worrying. The Newcastle midfield continues to cause real problems as well, as it was far too easy for Palmer to consistently find space and hurt the Newcastle backline.
When you look at this Newcastle team, they have not progressed since that Champions League qualifying campaign. The team has gone in the wrong direction, while Newcastle’s rivals have gotten so much better.
Chelsea are a prime example of that, having endured a strange few seasons. Enzo Maresca appears to have sorted them out, while Newcastle are now the club that seems rudderless.
The big concern is that things are going to get worse before they get better. Next up for Newcastle is Chelsea in the Carabao Cup, followed by Arsenal in the Premier League.
Even the game after that is challenging, as the Magpies face in-form Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
It previously felt as if Howe’s Newcastle side could beat anyone. Right now it is impossible to tell where our next win is going to come from.
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