Alan Shearer reveals his major disappointment during Newcastle vs Tottenham draw

Alan Shearer says he left St James’ Park frustrated after Newcastle United’s 2–2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, insisting Eddie Howe’s side should have been “three up” long before the game entered its chaotic final stages. Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast alongside Gary Lineker, the former Newcastle captain dissected a match in which the Magpies dominated but failed to turn control into points — a failure that ultimately cost them two precious points.

The Toon Army shared Shearer’s frustration as Newcastle twice led but conceded late on, with Cristian Romero’s stoppage-time bicycle kick denying Howe’s men what would have been a statement victory.

Lineker revealed that Shearer had been texting during the match, complaining that Newcastle were not making their superiority count. Shearer confirmed the sentiment.

“That was the disappointment tonight,” he said. “I thought Newcastle played really well. There was an intensity about their game.”

Shearer praised Newcastle’s full-backs, who “played really well” and restricted Tottenham to minimal chances in the first half. But he kept circling back to the missed opportunities.

“They limited Tottenham to very, very little in that first half, but they didn’t score. Lewis Miley had a good chance. Joelinton hit the post. One or two other bits.”

Newcastle’s dominance was almost total before the break — but the lack of ruthlessness left the Premier League’s record goalscorer uneasy.

“And you always worry when you have that much domination in the first half, and you don’t score,” Shearer said. “You think, okay…”

His concern was justified.

Eddie Howe replaced Sandro Tonali at half-time — a change Shearer questioned, though he acknowledged the Italian may have picked up a knock. Bruno Guimarães came on and produced what Shearer called a “brilliant” second-half performance, playing with authority and control.

But while Bruno raised the team’s level, Newcastle’s collective game management collapsed. Players repeatedly surrendered the ball under no pressure, gifting Spurs momentum at key moments.

The biggest frustration, Shearer said, was how Newcastle “let Tottenham back into the game.”

The sloppiness in possession — particularly from Joelinton, who repeatedly gave the ball away in dangerous areas — released Spurs from the stranglehold Newcastle had applied for 60 minutes.

Newcastle conceded an equaliser after Romero’s first goal, responded immediately through Anthony Gordon, and still managed to let Spurs back in again.

Their inability to kill the game — or even manage it with maturity — is what infuriated Shearer.

Bruno Guimarães echoed those concerns post-match, admitting Newcastle’s “mentality” was not strong enough. After dominating the match for large stretches and taking the lead twice, Newcastle should have seen off a struggling Tottenham side.

Instead, they panicked, dropped deeper, played with fear, and allowed Spurs to dictate the tempo.

Tottenham’s stoppage-time equaliser felt inevitable as soon as Newcastle began retreating into their own half. Romero’s bicycle kick — though spectacular — came from Newcastle’s failure to clear danger and their insistence on inviting pressure.

“It’s the disappointment,” Shearer said simply. “Because Newcastle were the better side. And they didn’t win.”

This has been a familiar story in several matches this season. Newcastle play some of their best football in years, dominate key phases, create chances — but don’t win. And when a team repeatedly drops points from winning positions, the issue becomes less tactical and more psychological.

Newcastle must learn quickly from this collapse. With a busy December schedule ahead, Howe’s side cannot afford to keep dropping points from winning positions.

👉 Do you agree with Shearer — did Newcastle throw this one away, or did Spurs simply take their moments?