Alan Shearer Exclusive: Newcastle will face summer raid without European football | OneFootball

Can the Toon turn their season around?

It's been a tough week for Alan's beloved Toon and he muses on the possibility of losing some of their stars if European football is not achieved as well as views on Haaland, the two Manchester clubs and inconsistent Spurs

Newcastle's forward play is really hurting the team

Compared to last season and what we've got used to, it's been largely disappointing from Newcastle this season. Having said that, we're in the FA Cup and Champions League play-offs. The away form has been a major concern, and it certainly was at Liverpool and Man City. We've got a terrible record at Anfield and the Etihad.

Eddie Howe set things up differently again by going three at the back against Man City and they made too many mistakes in the first half and were, again, miles off it in forward positions. We created chances and just didn't take them. That's been a big problem for Eddie this season - the investment that's been made in forward positions hasn't worked as yet. For what they paid, you'd expect a lot more from players that've been signed for big fees and at the minute, that's really, really hurting the team.

I guess the transfer situation with Newcastle in the summer hasn't benefited anyone. It certainly hasn't benefited Alexander Isak or Liverpool and without doubt it's impacted Newcastle right up until now.

For whatever reason, whether they didn't have a sporting director or chief executive, they weren't able to get signings that they wanted over the line and Hugo Ekitike was one of them. That's what's hurting and damaging Newcastle up to now because the ROI isn't working as of yet.

When you're going to Liverpool and playing Anthony Gordon who hasn't scored a goal from open play in 13 months in a centre-forward position, ahead of two players that you paid near £125million for, that tells you the story of what's happening to Newcastle's season.

Newcastle risk losing their stars if they don't get European football

Sandro Tonali hasn't hit the heights of last season, but I guess what'll happen is, if Newcastle aren't going to qualify for Europe or be competitive in the Premier League other clubs will look at Newcastle and try to buy their best players.

Although Arsenal's bid for Tonali was a surprise in the January window, I think it'll happen more in the summer if Newcastle don't achieve what they have in the past few years. Top players want to play Champions League football, and we know there's no real loyalty in football. I'm not saying Tonali will do anything like that, but we know if clubs don't get into European places, other clubs will try and pick players up.

Newcastle have to start winning games and go far in the FA Cup and hopefully the Champions League to try and rescue what - certainly Premier League wise - has been a disappointing return. I know we got to a semi-final and all those years ago we'd have craved that, but then given the money that's been spent and put into the club and where the club wants to go to, it's been disappointing.

Man City's defending will cost them the Premier League

I'm not seeing anything different from Man City to what I've seen all season. They'll always score goals, but they do give you chances. Even on Wednesday when leading, Newcastle were missing big chances. Newcastle missed two big one-on-ones last night when they should've punished City.

That's been Man City's problem this season, they've certainly not been as tight as before. And that'll probably be their undoing. I know they've signed Marc Guehi and he played last weekend. If they don't win the Premier League, it'll be their defence that'll cost them.

But it won't be long before Haaland is back firing on all cylinders

Erling Haaland has made it look easy for the past few years and that's the hard thing for him now because it's not easy.

More than ever this season, we're seeing teams sit deeper and give less space to forwards than they have done for a while. I always say that the best players find a way around that, whether a great pass from midfield or a great run and finish. The best players always find a way.

Just because you've been prolific, there are going to be times in your career where you'll have to sit back and try to take it in and think it'll only be a matter of time before the goals start rolling in again. My guess with Haaland is that it won't be that long because he's that good a player.

Don't forget, I didn't score for England for two years before Euro '96. In my early days at Southampton, I wasn't prolific and had long periods where I didn't score. Not so much at Blackburn. Newcastle, maybe four, five or six games. It wouldn't have been more than that. You just have to deal with it and cut out the noise.

You enjoy it when everyone's saying great things about you, so you have to take it when you're not scoring. That's the life of a centre-forward.

Spurs won't achieve anything if unpredictable form continues

It is not good at Tottenham at the moment and that is because they're so unpredictable. You just don't know what you're going to get from them. The first half and second half last week were typical of what's happened with them this season.

On one hand, they were really, really poor and the second half, they turn up and put in a much better performance. You can't do that at any level and expect to achieve things.

Rogers and Bellingham should both start at World Cup for England

A sever injury woudl put Jude Bellingham's World Cup place at risk. Because of the massive competition in his position, we'll probably talk about it a lot more in the build up to the competition. For Jude and England, it'd be a huge blow if he wasn't to be fit and going to the World Cup. There's no doubt he's one of our best players and England would be a better squad with him in it than not.

I'd have Bellingham in the starting XI for England at the World Cup, yes. But I'd also have Morgan Rogers in there as well. I think he deserves the chance to do that. Whatever system Thomas Tuchel chooses to play, he has favoured Rice, Anderson and Rogers. Whether he'd go with both Rogers and Bellingham, we'd have to wait and see.

That's the great thing, they're both such great talents and we've also got the likes of Phil Foden and Cole Palmer who can play there too. We're talking about world-class no.10s here who'd probably get into any team in the world. We've got three or four of them and may have to leave a couple out.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a superstar but going on strike doesn't look good

There's not many people on over £400,000 a day and go on strike. It must be a nice position to be in to say I'm not coming to work despite being on that amount of money. It's bizarre when you think about it.

He's a superstar but going on strike at that level doesn't look good.

Haircut looming for United fan

The Manchester United fan on social media has got a great chance of cutting his hair now.

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What a job Michael Carrick is doing. The turnaround from every single player is chalk and cheese. I guess it was us questioning Ruben Amorim every single week and we were justified to do that because what we saw with him compared to with Michael Carrick is remarkable.

Michael deserves great credit. He has everyone working. There's a real understanding of what he wants. He has them really well set up and has managed three unbelievable games so far. They've got a chance of winning the fourth and fifth. They've put themselves in with a shout of a Champions League place, there's no doubt.

It's a different Man United now to what it was a couple of months ago.