'It is worrying': Alan Shearer slams Newcastle United forwards after Boxing Day defeat to Manchester United
Newcastle United spoiled their fans' Christmas by not converting their absolute dominance over a barely recognisable Manchester United side at Old Trafford into a win.
A Patrick Dorgu wonder-strike was all it took to settle the tie on Boxing Day as Newcastle United saw almost 70% possession and spent the entirety of the second half of the game camped in the Man United third, only to come away with just three shots on target all game.
Once again, Newcastle failed to pick up points on the road, but it was really the nature of the defeat that worried a lot of fans.
Newcastle have struggled all season to create the kind of attacking play that made them such a joy to watch over previous seasons, and it is something that Alan Shearer has now said is a real concern.
Alan Shearer was furious at Newcastle's decision-making in the final third
Speaking on Match of the Day last night, Alan Shearer spoke about how Newcastle's attacking play leads to very little in terms of chances and how that's a huge problem.
“When you’re putting 46 crosses into the box, or attempting 46 crosses, then someone has to get on the end of them. This is a brilliant ball (Jacob Murphy in the first half). There weren’t that many great balls but this was one of them last night.
“(Anthony) Gordon or Woltemade have to get on the end of that. The movement has to be better. Same thing again here (Gordon’s chance). Gordon might be looking to score but look at the four or five Newcastle players there. There’s not one of them in the six-yard box.
“If someone is and they’re attacking that, they’re getting a tap-in. So it’s decision making as well as the lack of quality. Again that (Harvey Barnes’s ball to Gordon) has to be rolled across to Wissa.
“It’s not a difficult ball. He chooses the more difficult chance to pick Gordon out. It is worrying, there’s no doubt about it.”
Newcastle must change their style of play
It still feels as though the team are trying to play the same way as they would if Alexander Isak were on the pitch, and that's just not the case. Nick Woltemade is a very different attacker from Isak, and if we don't adapt our style soon, that £65 million is going to look like a waste.
We have Yoane Wissa, who will play more off the shoulder of the last man like Alexander Isak did, and hopefully, he's getting nearer to being able to start games and see them through.
Ideally, though, we need to come up with a new way of playing. Our current style has been found out completely now, and teams know how to nullify us. We could have played for another hour on Friday night and never scored because Man United knew how to keep us at bay.
We need inspiration, we need change.
