'I am hopeful': Alan Shearer says he would be 'disappointed' if Newcastle United fail in their mission this season

Newcastle United have perhaps surpassed expectations already this season after lifting the Carabao Cup by beating Champions-elect Liverpool last month.

Since Eddie Howe first took Newcastle back to the Champions League and Wembley in 2023, there has been a feeling around the club that silverware was coming, but after failing to really improve the squad in the last three transfer windows, very few expected it to happen this season.

However, despite ending the club's 50-odd-year hunt for silverware, the Magpies' season is far from done.

Newcastle may be guaranteed European football next season already, but the mission still remains to get into the Champions League via a fourth or fifth-placed finish this season.

Alan Shearer still holds out hope that Newcastle will qualify for the Champions League this season

Results over the weekend certainly made Newcastle's task easier with the two clubs the Magpies are chasing both dropping points, but our destiny is in our own hands with two games in hand and just a three-point gap to assail as things stand on Monday morning.

Indeed, Alan Shearer is still hopeful that Newcastle will grab one of the available Champions League places as he said on The Rest Is Football podcast, but he has stopped short of revealing his level of confidence, actually sounding quite trepidatious.

“I really am hopeful. I would hope that the good form Newcastle are in and the good feeling that the club should have.

“Leicester this evening, their game in hand is Crystal Palace at home. I know they’ve got to play Aston Villa as well, but Palace and Villa are still in the semi-finals of the FA Cup, and I think Newcastle play both of them just before.

“Yeah, I am hopeful. I would be slightly disappointed if Newcastle weren’t to make the top four or top five.”

Shearer won't let himself get carried away

Shearer speaks like a proper Newcastle fan, one who has seen the club in these kinds of positions many times and somehow let it slip, so we can't blame him for being guarded.

In fairness, we wouldn't be slightly disappointed if we didn't qualify for the Champions League like Shearer. We'd be completely devastated.

It's right there for the taking, if we don't make it now, we only have ourselves to blame. Mathematically, it's in our hands thanks to the games in hand we have over City and Chelsea. That game against Crystal Palace is going to be vital.

We've got this, though. Surely.