Alan Shearer couldn't believe what some Newcastle United players did after FA Cup defeat

Eddie Howe’s side were knocked out of the competition by League One club Cambridge United on Saturday. The game was played in front of a sell-out 51,395 crowd at St James’s Park, and some players headed straight for the dressing room at the final whistle.

New signing Kieran Trippier was ignored when he urged one team-mate to applaud the club’s support before heading down the tunnel.

Howe went on to the pitch to acknowledge the club’s fans, and, speaking after the game, insisted that he expects his players to be “brave enough” to “front up” after losses.

“We have a way of working, and my personal opinion is that we should always appreciate the fans, thank them for coming and thank them for supporting the team,” said Howe. “I never run from that moment."

Shearer, idolised by Cambridge goalscorer Joe Ironside, felt that the visitors “deserved” their 1-0 win.

Newcastle’s all-time record goalscorer also told of his “surprise and disappointment” that some players didn’t applaud fans before heading to the dressing room.

“They were the better team,” Shearer told BBC Breakfast. “They were hungry, they went after Newcastle. They thoroughly deserved it. Newcastle were hopeless.

"It was a really disappointing day to be a Newcastle fan. I was really surprised and disappointed to see some of the players just walk off the pitch without acknowledging the superb support inside St James’s Park. It was a very disappointing day for them, but great for Cambridge, and brilliant for the FA Cup.”

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