AdminNewcastle United legend Alan Shearer did not hold back following the Magpies’ humiliating 2-0 defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage on the final day of the season. The result officially condemned Eddie Howe’s side to a finish outside the top seven, ensuring they completely missed out on European qualification for next season.
While a number of Newcastle players looked entirely checked out, Shearer directed his heaviest ammunition at high-profile forward Yoane Wissa. Deployed to lead the line in a match where the club desperately needed a victory to keep their continental dreams alive, the Congolese international instead produced a woeful, detached display before being hooked in the 66th minute.
Speaking on the final-day post-match review, an incandescent Shearer slammed the attacker’s complete lack of fight.
”To put in a performance that gutless when European football is on the line is completely unacceptable,” Shearer fumed. “Wissa looked entirely uninterested. No urgency, zero movement, and absolutely no presence up top. When you wear that Newcastle shirt in a must-win game, you fight for the badge. Today, he gave the Fulham defenders a completely free afternoon.”
The match data underlined the legendary number nine’s fury. Throughout his 66 minutes on the pitch, Wissa failed to register a single shot on target, lost nearly all of his physical duels, and consistently disrupted his own side’s attacking transitions with poor hold-up play. His frustrating afternoon was capped off by a petulant yellow card just moments before Howe finally dragged him off.
With Newcastle’s campaign ending in a miserable whimper on the banks of the Thames, serious questions will be asked about the squad’s mentality heading into the summer. For Wissa, a brutal final day leaves him with a mountain of work to do to win back the trust of a furious fanbase.
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