Here are your Newcastle United morning headlines for Sunday, November 22nd.
Alan Shearer hammers negative Newcastle
Alan Shearer slammed Newcastle’s performance in Saturday lunchtime’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea, in which Steve Bruce’s side had just 29% possession and one shot on target.
Bruce’s negative tactics were heavily criticised on social media following the defeat, and Shearer agreed with the sentiment.
“The manager has to take responsibility because he sent the players out,” he said . “They were very negative, there were nowhere near enough ideas going forward but also players have to take responsibility.
“They have to braver in possession, work harder closing people down. Lascelles as a captain and a leader has to stop demanding protection from midfielders in front of him and Allan Saint-Maximin hasn't broken sweat since signing his new six-year contract.
“Nowhere near enough (from Newcastle). Stop going forward and you're inviting pressure on yourselves. There were nowhere near enough bodies going forward and people prepared to commit to going forward.
“It's negative. Their first thought is going backwards and you're never going to score enough goals playing like this.”
Wayne Rooney almost joined Magpies
Former Everton and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney revealed that he almost joined Newcastle before making his blockbuster move to Old Trafford in 2004.
Rooney became the most expensive teenager in the world when United signed him for £27 million, but revealed that he almost joined Newcastle instead, asking for a clause in his contract that allowed him to move to Manchester should Sir Alex Ferguson reignite his interest.
“Once I knew they [Manchester United] did want to sign me, it was the only club [for me],” Rooney told the Utd Podcast . “I wanted to work with Sir Alex Ferguson and play with Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, Rio Ferdinand, these players, so I knew where I wanted to go.
“It was 40 minutes from my home, where I grew up, as well and it was a perfect fit for me. United actually wanted to wait a year, until the following year, but then Newcastle came into talks with Everton and with myself.
“I'd gone too far then. I couldn't wait another year, I couldn't stay another year at Everton, so I was prepared to go to Newcastle for that year.
“I spoke to them, we spoke about salary and what I wanted if I went there was, after a year, if Manchester United come in, you have to let me go.
“Newcastle were agreeing to that but obviously, with United, I went back to them and said, if you don't do it now, I'll go to Newcastle with a clause in place. United obviously didn't want me to go there so I came here. It was basically whatever Newcastle paid for me, United would have paid a year later.”
Merson makes £700 million claim
Paul Merson has claimed that it would require Newcastle to spend £700 million to build a team capable of finishing in the top eight.
While acknowledging the unacceptable level of Newcastle’s performance on Saturday, Merson defended the approach, stating that Bruce simply does not have the players to compete with a team like Chelsea.
“This is Newcastle for the last 10 years – a couple of good results, a couple of bad results, we’ll stay up, job done. We go over the same thing with Newcastle every single year,” he said on Sky Sports News’ Soccer Saturday.
"They haven’t got the players to open a football match up. They just haven’t got it, I’m sorry.”
Merson then added that, for things to change, significant investment is required.
“You’ve got to get players in,” he continued. “You’ve got to spend £700 million to get a team into the top eight. It’ll cost you how much?
“It’s alright everybody sitting there and going, ‘Get someone else in and spend someone else’s money’. It’s not that easy.
“What Newcastle do at the moment is a good job, in my opinion. They stay up.”
