Newcastle United have had a "decent season in the circumstances" - but Alan Shearer dreams of "bigger and better things" for the club in the future.
The Magpies legend believes that, considering manager Rafa Benitez's aim for the campaign was always survival given that he did not feel he was offered sufficient backing in the transfer market last summer, then 2018/19 can be deemed as a satisfactory season for United.
However, Shearer - Alan Shearer backs the Rafa Must Stay campaign: 'It would be crazy to let Rafa Benitez leave', which aims to convince both Benitez and the club to do everything in their power to Rafa Must Stay: Sign our petition to show Benitez & Newcastle how much you want the manager to stay, earlier this week - wants to see Newcastle strive for more than merely maintaining their Premier League status in future seasons.
Alan Shearer backs the Rafa Must Stay campaign: 'It would be crazy to let Rafa Benitez leave'
Shearer accepts that avoiding relegation from the Premier League is United's current level - given the fact they were a Championship club as recently as two years ago - and therefore deems safety being secured with three games remaining as a "decent return".
The Magpies' all-time leading goal-scorer gave his assessment of Newcastle's campaign while sat in the home changing room at St James' Park in front of Salomon Rondon's No 9 shirt - Shearer declared that the incumbent of his former jersey was having a "very good season" himself, with nine goals and seven assists in the Premier League - during an interview with Coral.
"In the circumstances, decent," Shearer replied during an interview with Coral, when he was asked to sum up Newcastle's season.
"It's almost identical to what happened last season; the same number of wins, the same number of defeats, goals for, goals against. It's incredible, really.
"With everything that has gone, with what Rafa has been saying, with what he wanted, didn't get, got, then their objective before the season was to stay in the Premier League, and they've done that.
"We'd like to think and dream [as United fans] of bigger and better things, but that's what Newcastle is at this moment in time, and that's what we have to accept. So, all in all, it's been decent.
Rafa Must Stay: Sign our petition to show Benitez & Newcastle how much you want the manager to stay
