'They have to': Alan Shearer has spotted the problem at Newcastle and states what must change
Only 12 points from nine games ????
After nine games played, Newcastle United are 12th in the Premier League, a far cry from where Eddie Howe would have envisioned.
Despite Alexander Isak’s return to scoring, Newcastle fell to a 2-1 defeat away to Chelsea, a performance which lacked creativity at times.
Interestingly, in the absence of Anthony Gordon, Howe turned to Miguel Almiron on the right wing, a player who he is seemingly keen to move on from.
However, a new right winger never arrived in the summer, explaining why it was Jacob Murphy coming on to replace the Paraguayan, rather than someone like Michael Olise.
Newcastle didn’t enjoy a fruitful summer in the transfer market, and they’re already now suffering the consequences.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 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 |
Newcastle suffering the consquences of not backing Eddie Howe’s plans
That being said, when speaking on ‘The Rest is Football’ podcast alongside Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer spotted a big issue at Newcastle right now.
Shearer mentioned all the ‘upheaval’ at the club as well as the fact that Newcastle failed to give Howe what he wanted in the transfer market.
READ MORE: Curtis Jones says Newcastle have a player who is ‘so underrated’
Shearer said: “Well I’ve said it before, haven’t I, about all the upheaval at the football club with what’s going on.
“New sporting director, the two shareholders leaving, Amanda and Mehrdad. Darren Eales, the chief executive now leaving.
“Hardly a player coming in, which Eddie wanted in the summer. So it’s all been very messy for Newcastle the last sort of three or four 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.”
Lineker replied: “It reminds me a little bit. I mean, it’s different, but of when Brendan Rodgers went in Leicester the last season, that he’d gone to the club and said, I need backing and support and one or two more players. He didn’t get it.
“And then ultimately, it’s the manager that takes the blame for it all, isn’t it? When it doesn’t quite work out. But that’s forever been the case.”
Alexander Isak looks frustrated in a Newcastle shirt
Whilst he’s seemingly happy at the club in terms of his longer-term future, Isak doesn’t appear to be at the peak of his powers right now.
Despite scoring at Stamford Bridge, Isak looked frustrated throughout, and he wasn’t quite able to bring Newcastle level late on.
Sean Longstaff was crying out for Isak to square the ball once he had rounded Robert Sanchez, an opportunity that was then taken away when the Swede stalled.
In fact, Isak currently looks like something of a microcosm of all of Newcastle’s issues right now.
A player who is unable to replicate his form of last season, and one who looks endlessly frustrated in his attempts to do so.
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