Shearer Tears Into Woltemade After Newcastle's Home Collapse to Everton

Newcastle's latest stumble in their top-flight campaign saw them fall to a 3-2 reversal at St James' Park on Saturday, surrendering the chance to climb above Everton and Sunderland into the upper echelons of the Premier League table.

The defeat represents another false dawn for the Magpies, who appeared to be finding their feet in recent weeks before this setback. Languishing in 12th position, 12 points adrift of the Champions League spots, Newcastle have now tasted defeat in five of their last six league outings—a run that tells its own damning story.

Eddie Howe's recent tactical tinkering has included an experiment deploying £73million German striker Nick Woltemade in central midfield, a gambit that backfired spectacularly at Everton. Whilst the arrangement showed promise when Woltemade occupied the number ten role behind Anthony Gordon, his performances operating in a three-man midfield have been decidedly unconvincing.

Speaking on Match of the Day, Newcastle icon Alan Shearer delivered a withering assessment of Woltemade's contribution, branding his output "nowhere near good enough." The former striker highlighted the stark statistical evidence: across matches against Manchester City and Everton, Woltemade managed no goals, no assists, no shots, and failed to register a single touch in the opposition penalty area. Against Everton specifically, he managed just 14 touches.

Shearer acknowledged the broader dysfunction on display, particularly during the opening half-hour when Joelinton occupied the left flank, Woltemade patrolled the centre of the park, and Gordon led the line. Howe's subsequent reshuffle, moving Woltemade forward, yielded no improvement.

"There's a player in there, but he's really, really struggling," Shearer reflected, whilst emphasising that responsibility for Newcastle's malaise extends beyond one individual. The tactical conundrum facing Howe centres on extracting the best from a centre-forward whose natural strengths—operating with his back to goal—are being systematically neutralised by unconventional deployment.

Shearer attributed Newcastle's domestic difficulties to the contrasting approaches teams adopt. In the Champions League, where Newcastle have navigated to the last 16, opponents venture forward. The Premier League, however, presents a different proposition entirely, with sides content to sit deep and frustrate.

Speculation surrounding Woltemade's future has intensified, with German media linking the former Stuttgart man with a summer return home. However, Football Insider reports that Howe remains committed to finding a solution rather than entertaining a sale, believing the investment can still deliver value. That conviction may face further testing should Newcastle's domestic struggles persist—particularly if questions about Howe's own position continue gathering momentum following this disappointing run.