Alan Shearer tells Man Utd to replace two players after dismal Newcastle defeat (2025)

Alan Shearer named three signings Manchester United ‘desperately’ needed to make after their embarrassing Premier League defeat to Newcastle United.

Ruben Amorim’s side were thumped 4-1 at St James’ Park on Sunday, a 14th defeat of the season seeing the Manchester giants slip to 14th in the Premier League.

Newcastle and England legend Shearer said it would take ‘a lot of time and a lot money’ to ‘fix that football club’ following United’s latest setback but insisted the struggling club should ‘stick with’ Amorim.

Amorim will be keen to bolster his Manchester United squad in the summer and Shearer believes they ‘desperately’ need a new striker, goalkeeper and central midfielder.

Shearer’s comments highlight United’s problems at either end of the pitch, with Rasmus Hojlund scoring just three league goals this season and Amorim deciding to leave Andre Onana out of his squad for Sunday’s trip to Newcastle.

With Onana offered time to ‘rest and disconnect’ at the weekend, Altay Bayindir had the chance to stake his claim over a starting berth but the Turkey goalkeeper also struggled at St James’ Park, meaning Amorim will likely go back to Onana for Thursday’s must-win Europa League quarter-final clash against Lyon.

‘For them to go forwards in terms of recruitment, everything relies on winning the Europa League and getting back in the Champions League,’ Shearer said on The Rest is Football podcast.

‘We know Ruben Amorim has got a huge job on his hands, it’s going to take a lot of time and a lot of money to fix that football club. They need to stick with him. They’ve made their decision.

‘He needs two or three transfer windows because they’re in desperate need of a centre forward, they’re in desperate need of a goalkeeper, they’re in desperate need of some legs in midfield.

‘It’s a huge job so you need to stick with him. But he is asking players to do something they can’t do, they’re really struggling.’

Shearer added: ‘Their season isn’t about today. It’s all about the Europa League. Their Premier League season has been a disaster and is pretty much over.

‘What I find interesting is the fascination with playing out from the back. They’re basically not very good at it and had a goalkeeper today who isn’t good at itbut they insisted on doing it.

‘If you’re not very good at it Newcastle are going to pick you apart and that’s exactly what they did. They just kept on doing it.

‘A manager’s job is to make players and the team better but Amorim is asking a lot of these players when they’re not very good at playing out from the back.’

As is often the case, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes fronted up after the dismal defeat to Newcastle United.

‘There’s not much to assess, we lost the game,’ he said. ‘In the first half we did good, in the second half we couldn’t keep up the way we wanted to play.

‘We know that it’s been a tough season, nothing to add to that. Our position in the table is not where this club belongs, but unfortunately we are not getting the results.

‘We need to look forward as we have a big game coming up, we need to clear our heads and go for it.

‘We are in this position because we have not been consistent in the performances we put out. We lack being more fearless, being more brave.

‘Today this was not the case because we ended up conceding goals by trying to be brave.

‘It’s easy to criticise because this club has never suffered like this, so it’s normal. You have to be aware you play for United and criticism will be there.

‘Our fans have been there all season during bad moments, today they were there at the end trying to cheer us up. Its time we give something back.’

Manchester United’s Europa League quarter-final tie with Lyon is finely poised at 2-2 ahead of the second leg at Old Trafford.

While Sunday was a desperately difficult afternoon for the Red Devils, Newcastle’s victory saw them climb to fourth as they aim to qualify for the Champions League.

Magpies assistant manager Jason Tindall, who took charge of Newcastle in the absence of unwell Eddie Howe, said: ‘Me and Eddie have worked together for 17 years, and in that time he’s never missed more than a day or two, so he must have found it hard to be missing this week.

‘All those years people have criticised me for being up at the front with Eddie… maybe that helped today!

‘We went out and delivered a performance he would be proud of. Hopefully he is back very soon.’

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