Following their 3-1 loss against West Ham United on Sunday, manager Eddie Howe said his side looked unrecognisable and out of shape as they missed out on 3 points.
“The dynamism wasn't there,” said Howe. “The physicality and the energy were missing. We scored early and could have grabbed hold of the game but we didn’t and let it slip away.
“It didn't look like a Newcastle team that we've seen in recent seasons. The body language, the collective spirit on the pitch, loads of little things weren’t there. It was a by-product of us just not being where we needed to be mentally.”
Speaking to The Rest Is Football podcast, Shearer has blasted his former side who now sit 13th in the Premier League table, far from a European spot.
“Seriously, how bad were Newcastle? I mean, they were rotten. They were awful. It's as bad as I can remember under Eddie Howe for a long time. Until the last time you said this last season at some point. It was so bad. I mean, they were lazy.
“They were lethargic. They had no energy. I mean, other than maybe Murphy who scored the goal, there was not one player who could come off that pitch and say, I did alright today.
“They were terrible. Every single one of them, from the goalkeeper to the centre forward, right the way through. They were awful and got what they deserved.”
The Magpies are yet to win on the road in the Premier League this season in what is a shocking statistic for Howe whose side often need the boost from home supporters. Shearer believes that is exactly the case and explained how home supporters won’t allow a subpar performance.