Newcastle United narrowly secured a spot in the FA Cup quarter-finals, but it was a close call. Eddie Howe’s team delivered a dismal performance at Ewood Park, reminiscent of their recent lackluster showing against Arsenal.
Despite labeling it as their season’s pivotal match, the Magpies failed to demonstrate the urgency expected. Ultimately, they clinched victory, albeit through a penalty shootout against Blackburn Rovers from the Championship.
Martin Dubravka emerged as the hero, returning from illness to rescue his struggling teammates, who have been consistently underperforming. Alan Shearer expressed deep concern about Newcastle United’s current state, reflecting on their worrisome form.
Alan Shearer is worried about Newcastle United
During BBC One’s broadcast of Blackburn Rovers vs Newcastle United, Alan Shearer stated why he is concerned about Newcastle right now.
“What worries me about Newcastle is last year, time and time again, we saw them outrun teams, we saw them out-power teams,” he went on to say.
“Yet throughout the last two or three months of the season, and especially tonight, we haven’t seen nearly enough of that. They appear to be very weak.
“The goal they gave away was indicative of how they play and give goals away. “I’m very concerned as a Newcastle fan.”
Newcastle were poor despite FA Cup win vs Blackburn
Eddie Howe has long stated that energy is crucial to Newcastle United’s identity, but this was not the case against Arsenal. It was not the case with Blackburn either.
The Magpies were extremely bad at Ewood Park, with Blackburn creating numerous chances. They might have been able to get through another night.
We continued our poor streak on defense. The goal we conceded was the result of an error by Jamaal Lascelles, who had replaced Sven Botman. The 24-year-old was resting and missed the FA Cup match.
But Howe fielded a very strong Newcastle team, which should have been far too excellent for Blackburn. However, they weren’t.
Instead, the Magpies were forced to rely on penalties.
While Howe will be pleased that his team has advanced to the next round, he will be dissatisfied with his players’ performance. They need to be told the truth in the coming days, because they are no longer recognizable as the team that performed so well last season.
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