Alan Shearer reacts amid Eddie Howe sack latest at Newcastle: ‘I’m not sure it will get any better’
Eddie Howe is continuing to feel the heat at Newcastle as they were beaten 3-2 by Brentford at home on Saturday.
The Magpies took an early lead through Sven Botman, but found themselves behind at the half-time interval as efforts from Vitaly Janelt and Igor Thiago turned the game on its head.
A Bruno Guimaraes penalty levelled things up at St James’ Park in the 79th minute, but the parity only lasted for six minutes before Dango Ouattara found the winner for the visitors.
Newcastle are now winless in their last five games in all competitions, and that has seen the pressure continue to mount on Howe as they remain rooted in the bottom half of the Premier League table.
Alan Shearer reveals Newcastle concern amid MOTD analysis
Howe emerged among the favourites to become the next Premier League manager to lose his job in midweek, after his team were soundly beaten by Manchester City in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.
The bookmakers now view the 48-year-old as one of the most precariously positioned bosses in the top flight at the moment, alongside the likes of Thomas Frank and Arne Slot.
Alan Shearer was asked about Howe’s current predicament during his analysis of Newcastle’s defeat to Brentford on Match of the Day on Saturday night, and he indirectly expressed his fear for the boss.
The former Magpies striker criticised his former club’s summer recruitment and suggested that the lack of productivity from their newest arrivals is an issue that they must get to the bottom of.
“He (Howe) is having a really tough time, the toughest time that he’s had since he’s been at Newcastle,” Shearer said.
“It was a tough situation in the summer with the (Alexander) Isak situation and with no sporting director. But there’s no doubt that their summer signings, other than Malick Thiaw, haven’t worked as yet.
“They’ve spent an absolute fortune on four players, and they’re yet to get anywhere near the heights they did at other clubs. That is a huge problem for Eddie and Newcastle, and until they solve that, I’m not sure it will get better.”
What have Newcastle’s summer signings produced so far?
Nick Woltemade continues to be criticised at Newcastle after his £69million move from Stuttgart in the summer, as the German striker is now without a goal since 20 December.
The Magpies’ huge outlay has brought them just seven league strikes so far, and Woltemade’s struggles have also been reflected across the majority of the newer additions.
| Player | Transfer Fee | Games | Goals | Assists |
| Nick Woltemade | £69m | 22 | 7 | 2 |
| Yoane Wissa | £55m | 11 | 1 | – |
| Anthony Elanga | £55m | 21 | – | 1 |
| Jacob Ramsey | £43m | 15 | – | – |
| Total | £222m | 69 | 8 | 3 |
Anthony Elanga, a £55m arrival from Nottingham Forest, has produced just one goal and one assist from 33 games in all competitions, while £43m buy Jacob Ramsey hasn’t even managed that.
The £55m that was splashed out on Yoane Wissa took the Tynesiders’ summer spending to well above the £200m mark in the summer, and he has found the net just once in the league.
The four new attacking additions have shared a combined eight league goals in the first half of the season, so it is clear to see why Shearer has pinpointed them as the major failing of the season so far.
All four showed plenty of promise at their previous clubs, and if Howe is to be sacked in the coming weeks, then he will surely feel that their failings have played a large part in his fate being sealed.