Alan Shearer's bold Newcastle United verdict: This would take a ‘miracle’ this season
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Three 2-0 defeats in a row, including one at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final, have seen the Magpies slip to 6th place in the Premier League. Their stunning start to the season meant Newcastle entered 2022 in 3rd place, however, they have won just once in the league since Boxing Day to slip out of the top-four places.
However, despite this slump in form, Newcastle still have an opportunity of returning to European football’s elite competition for the first time in over two decades - but club-record scorer Alan Shearer believes it would be a ‘miracle’ if Newcastle qualify for the Champions League this season. Speaking at the FWA North East awards, Shearer told William Hill: “I think it would be a miracle if Newcastle were to get into the top four.
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Hide Ad“The job that Eddie Howe is doing with the squad that he has got, and when you compare it to all of the others in the top four race that he is battling against, to be in third/fourth/fifth for most of the season is a remarkable achievement.
“If they were to finish in any European place then that would be classed as a great season because looking back to where they were and where they are, it’s a huge, giant step in such a small amount of time. It’s going to take patience and little bit of understanding, but the more transfer windows they have and as they bring in better players, the better it will be. And that is going to happen, so it is only going to be a matter of time.”
If Newcastle were to qualify for the Champions League, then it’s likely they will need key man Bruno Guimaraes to be on form between now and the end of May. The Brazilian recently picked up the North East Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year Award and Shearer believes he was a worthy winner.
“Bruno Guimaraes thoroughly deserves the award,” he said. “He has taken to the North East and Newcastle have taken to him and rightly so. He is an exceptional talent, everything that goes through Newcastle goes through him and long may that continue.”