Abdulhafiz TeslimAlan Shearer is right to urge Matthias Jaissle to give Sean Steur more chances at Newcastle United as they continue to struggle for a creative spark.
The Newcastle manager has come under increasing pressure on Tyneside following their 1-0 home defeat to Aston Villa.
Villa’s victory at St James’ Park consigned the Magpies to a third defeat in their last four Premier League outings.
Jaissle needs results, and fast, to prove to Newcastle’s owners and supporters that he is the right man to lead the club into their next era.
Club legend Alan Shearer has outlined his confusion over the failure to bring technically gifted midfielder Sean Steur off the bench with the Magpies chasing a goal against Villa.
The Dutch talent’s statistics in the Eredivisie suggest that he should be given more game time in the coming weeks as Newcastle look to return to winning ways.
What has Alan Shearer said about Sean Steur?
Steur has featured in seven competitive games for Newcastle this season following his £23 million move from Ajax in July.
He impressed in wins over West Brom and Hull, but has failed to feature for a single minute in either of Newcastle’s last two games — defeats to Coventry and Villa.
Shearer admitted that he would have liked to see the 18-year-old introduced in both matches after Jaissle’s side fell behind.
Speaking on the Rest Is Football podcast, Shearer said: “Those two performances would really worry me. There was a lack of everything. They don’t look solid, and I was missing that killer pass. I said to you about the youngster Sean Steur, who could play that killer pass. He chose not to bring him on, and it was a worrying performance on Saturday.”
Steur can certainly feel hard done by over his lack of playing time, especially considering what Newcastle’s other midfielders produced across both games.
The teenager also impressed creatively for Ajax last season, further strengthening the argument that he deserves more opportunities.
Steur’s stats prove he can inspire Newcastle to return to winning ways
Newcastle managed just one shot on target against Villa, while Yoane Wissa failed to create a chance against Coventry from attacking midfield. Their only goal in that game came through a stunning strike from Sven Botman.
It is clear that Newcastle need to do more in the final third and create better opportunities for their attackers, with Steur’s statistics suggesting that he could make a difference.
He was among the best-performing Eredivisie midfielders in 2025-26 for line-breaking passes, averaging 6.19 per 90 minutes, while also recording 1.19 chances created per 90 and an 89.7 per cent successful pass rate.
The teenager created two chances in his last start for the Magpies as they beat Hull, while also making five passes into the final third — more than any other Newcastle midfielder.
With Newcastle struggling to create clear-cut opportunities, Shearer’s criticism is likely to increase the pressure on Jaissle to find a solution.
Steur could now have a major opportunity to prove his worth, with Newcastle facing Crystal Palace this weekend.
If Jaissle decides to hand the youngster another start, it could give Newcastle the creative spark they have been missing in recent weeks.
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Abdulhafiz Teslim