Former Newcastle United defender Philippe Albert said Newcastle United's biggest concern is selling key players without signing better replacements as the club struggles at the start of the 2026-27 Premier League season. Newcastle have lost three of their last four matches and sit 14th in the table.
Albert's warning over squad changes
Albert told Flashscore: "The biggest concern for Newcastle at the moment is after winning some silverware, they are beginning to sell their best players."
He added: "If you sell your best players, you have to buy even better players."
He then said: "That's not the case"
Flashscore said Newcastle sold Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon after ending their long wait for silverware. Flashscore also said Newcastle lost Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon to Tottenham, Arsenal and Barcelona respectively, alongside manager Eddie Howe's departure.
Albert said: "But I can understand the owners when a club like Tottenham arrives and gives more than €100 million for Tonali, it's impossible to keep him."
He added: "It's far too much money for a player like him. That's crazy. Football is crazy over the last few years. Not just around the world, but in England especially."
His view on Matthias Jaissle
Albert questioned whether the quality of Newcastle's incoming players was sufficient to compensate for those departures. He said significant squad changes have made it difficult to assess manager Matthias Jaissle's performance.
Albert said: "Well, I don't know because over the last few years, the club has changed."
He added: "I always look at the results first, but I don't know which players have come in, which players have gone out. So, it's difficult for me to answer."
He also said: "But he's the manager at the moment. Time will tell. Results. It depends on results, if he gets results, no problem."
Leaders and support from fans
Newcastle conceded four goals in successive away defeats to Leeds and Coventry. Albert criticised the lack of patience shown towards managers in modern football.
He said: "A few years ago, a manager could stay three, four, five, six or seven years in the same clubs. Even here in Belgium."
He added: "Now, it's finished. If after three months you are in a bad position and you don't play well, it's bye-bye and good luck."
Albert said Newcastle could benefit from stronger personalities capable of inspiring team-mates during difficult periods. He said: "If you have some leaders, the others follow and you have better results than at the moment."
He added: "But leaders now, it's very difficult. If you go back to the start of the Premier League, you can name one or two leaders in every team at the time."
He also said: "Football misses leaders and football misses charismatic players. And that's the problem, not only in English football, but in France, in Belgium, everywhere."
Albert said Newcastle supporters will continue backing the team through difficult periods if they see commitment from the players. He said: "It was very heavy to put the shirt on when we were playing over there as well."
He added: "But if you give the fans some pleasure during the games and you give everything for the club, they will leave you be without a problem."
He also said: "But if you don't give everything and you take the p*ss out of them, it won't end very positively."
Crystal Palace record before Sunday
Ahead of Sunday's fixture at Selhurst Park, Newcastle have won one of their last 11 away league meetings with Crystal Palace, a 2-0 victory under Steve Bruce in 2020-21. Crystal Palace won the most recent meeting 2-1 in April and are seeking successive league victories over Newcastle for the first time since September 1972.
Flashscore said Newcastle risk equalling an unwanted 97-year-old record against Crystal Palace on Sunday.