Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has concerns for Newcastle United ahead of this weekend’s Premier League match against West Ham United at St James’ Park.
Rafael Benitez’s side are yet to get off the mark since returning to the top flight following their stunning Championship campaign last season.
On the opening weekend, the Magpies were beaten 2-0 by Tottenham Hotspur on home soil, which was arguably expected.
The result was made extra disappointing due to Jonjo Shevley’s sending-off for stamping on Dele Alli.
Newcastle failed to bounce back in the following weekend when they took on fellow promoted side Huddersfield Town, as they ended up losing 1-0.
The club also crashed out of the second round of the Carabao Cup, suffering a 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest after extra time.
On Saturday, the North-East outfit face West Ham, who have also not yet won in the league following a 4-0 loss to Manchester United and 3-2 defeat to Southampton.
Merson, though, feels that Slaven Bilic’s side will have just enough to gain a 2-0 win, which will make life much worse for Benitez, who has already expressed frustration with Newcastle’s activity in the transfer market.
In his predictions for Sky Sports, Merson said:
“The way Javier Hernandez has started the season has been very impressive. Against a Newcastle side that need several signings before Deadline Day, and appears to be in disarray, I fancy West Ham at St. James’ Park. Things could unravel for Newcastle if they’re not careful. Rafa Benitez is not at the club to be an also-ran, he needs to be back in the market.”
