Lou Macari: "I was at Newcastle for Alan Shearer's big homecoming on Saturday and I have only one word to describe their performance - awful.Macari: 'Newcastle Are Awful'!
Lou Macari: "I was at Newcastle for Alan Shearer's big homecoming on Saturday and I have only one word to describe their performance - awful."That's not the word I really want to use, of course, but this is a family newspaper.
"I was particularly interested to see what effect Shearer would have on his struggling team ahead of their visit to Stoke this coming Saturday.
"Well, when it comes to spirit and effort, Stoke already have the contest won.
"Newcastle's only real hope of a result at Stoke, it seems to me, is getting those breaks any struggling team needs.
"After their 2-0 defeat by Chelsea, I heard a Newcastle fan on the radio saying there had been an improvement on what had gone before under Joe Kinear and then Chris Hughton.
"Well, if that's true, I can only say I'd want my money back on the previous 15 games at St James' Park - because they must have been truly shocking if that was an improvement.
"The alarming thing for me was the lack of fight in those Newcastle players - even with all the Shearer hype to spur them on.
"So as far as I could see, Alan Shearer made no difference whatsoever on the day."