‘Laughable’ - Alan Shearer rages at Newcastle United to echo how supporters feel

Despite a decent first-half performance, the Magpies capitulated in the following 45 minutes to surrender in West London. Newcastle were found wanting defensively, with Alexander Isak also missing a golden chance after rounding the goalkeeper.

Eddie Howe blamed defensive mistakes for United’s latest setback in the capital. He said post-match: “(It was) really frustrating. We are really disappointed with the manner of the goals we conceded. It is not even individual mistakes.

“We have to do better in those situations. We had control of the game in the first half, then it got away from us after the third goal. We looked like a good attacking unit but we have to put it all together and it has led to inconsistent results.

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“It is always difficult to face the supporters when you haven’t delivered what you want to give them. You want to make them proud and feel elated, you want to give them all the opposite emotions of what they were feeling today.

“I would like to thank everyone who came today and I’m really sorry for what we delivered and my pledge is that we will always work as hard as we can to put it right. I’m very disappointed with how we defended.”

Toon legend Shearer has now ripped into Newcastle for a “laughable” defensive performance. He told Match of the Day: "From a Newcastle point of view, defensively they were all over the place. It worries me because they are lacking the energy that we are so used to seeing.

"This is laughable (the third goal). A long ball from the goalkeeper from a free-kick, Fabian Schar is nowhere near the ball and a centre-half runs straight through, a long ball up."