Newcastle United suffered a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday, marking the team’s first loss of the season and highlighting growing tensions behind the scenes at St James’ Park. Alan Shearer, the club’s legendary striker, has shared his insights on the situation, suggesting that the discord between manager Eddie Howe and sporting director Paul Mitchell could be impacting the team’s performance on the pitch.
In the match, Newcastle fell behind early to goals from Raul Jimenez and Emile Smith Rowe. Although Harvey Barnes managed to score shortly after halftime, the hopes for a comeback were dashed when Reiss Nelson secured the victory for Fulham in stoppage time. The defeat underscored not only the team’s struggles but also the increasing friction between Howe and Mitchell, who has publicly criticized the club’s transfer strategy, prompting Howe to defend their recruitment efforts in recent transfer windows.
Shearer emphasized that the issues off the pitch are undeniably influencing the team’s performance, stating during his appearance on The Rest is Football podcast, “What’s going on off the pitch is an issue. Unless that gets sorted out somehow, it will affect performances on the pitch… it always does.” He noted that the team has not performed well overall this season despite some positive results, and the loss to Fulham was a wake-up call for the squad.
Reflecting further on the match, Shearer described Newcastle’s first-half performance as “rotten” and “dreadful,” pointing out that the team had managed to scrape by in previous games without truly playing well. He acknowledged that while the second half showed a slight improvement, Fulham was clearly the superior side and deserved the win. With ten points from their first five matches, Newcastle currently sits in sixth place in the league, but the path forward appears challenging, particularly with upcoming matches against formidable opponents like Manchester City, Chelsea, and Arsenal.
Newcastle was also scheduled to play against AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup, but that match was postponed due to severe flooding at the League Two club’s stadium. The game has now been rescheduled for next Tuesday at St James’ Park, giving Newcastle a full week to prepare for their crucial showdown with Manchester City on Saturday. The need for a turnaround is pressing, as the club seeks to stabilize its performance amid rising expectations and internal conflicts.
Remz Remz 
Isaac Isaac