Alan Shearer believes Ipswich Town are a great opportunity to get Newcastle back into the Champions League after Saturday’s humiliating 4-1 defeat to Aston Villa.
The defeat halted a six-game winning run in all competitions and their first defeat since February. While victories at the weekend saw Chelsea and Manchester City both widen the Premier League table.
Third-placed Newcastle and seventh-placed Villa are now just two points clear at Villa Park. Shearer admitted the hosts deserved victory and that Newcastle lacked “the energy”, something assistant manager Jason Tindall agreed with after the game.
“Villa were outstanding,” Shearer told The Rest Is Football podcast. “Villa did to Newcastle what Newcastle have done to other teams in the last two or three months. They outplayed them, they had more energy. “
Villa were so much more energy, they won every game, they were better in every position and Villa thrashed Newcastle. They should have been better, they were outstanding, Villa did it.”
Shearer urged the Magpies to “forget” the defeat as they head into their final five games, which includes a game against relegation-threatened Ipswich Town. They travel to St James’ Park next weekend and need a win.
“I think Newcastle should forget about that and move on as quickly as possible,” Shearer added. “What I would say is, if you get beaten like you’ve got, you want to play your next home game against a team that’s in poor form like Ipswich. “
They’ve got a really good home game to look forward to and hopefully they can bounce back. The fight for the Champions League is incredible.”