Newcastle beat Manchester United on Sunday afternoon at St. James’ Park.
Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has delivered a stark warning to Rafa Benitez’s men in his BBC Sport column by stating that the club must score more goals if they are to avoid relegation come May.
The Toon defied the odds on Sunday afternoon to beat second-placed Manchester United 1-0 at St. James’ Park, thanks to an excellent rearguard defensive display that saw Matt Ritchie’s goal remain decisive.
Now up to 13th, Newcastle are still only two points above the relegation zone and a lack of goals continues to be a concern, scoring just 25 times in 27 games as Joselu and Dwight Gayle continue to struggle.
Shearer stated that there is a “lot more work to do” and believes Benitez needs to find a way in which to help his side prove more prolific if they are to retain their top-flight status.
“It has been obvious all season that Newcastle need more firepower and, although it worked against Manchester United, scoring one goal will not get them a win every week,” Shearer said.
“The reason they managed to hold on this time was down to their spirit and resilience [against Man United], which are both positives, but they are going to need more goals to go with that too.
“This was a brilliant win, but it remains incredibly tight at the bottom of the table and there is a lot more work to do.”
Benitez is set to welcome Leicester City loanee Islam Slimani into the side ahead of their next outing against Bournemouth on February 24, with no game scheduled this weekend due to their 3-0 loss against Chelsea in the FA Cup.
Slimani was signed on loan until the end of the season on deadline day, and fans will be hoping he can prove more prolific than both Gayle and Joselu as the fight for survival in the bottom half of the Premier League begins to hot up.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
