Bobby Robson said: "I''m happy. We''ve won 4-3 here and we''ve given the crowd a match.

"We needed a win at home, we needed to score goals and we''ve done both, and we''re in the next round.

"We were three up and it went to 3-3 and they deserved it at the time. They played with a lot of spirit but, for the first half-hour, they weren''t in the game.

"That was as good a half-hour as we''ve played all season. We were in the driving seat and we made a mistake for the goal which got them back to 3-1.

"Then they get a second one from misplaced handling from the keeper and they''ve got nothing to lose.

"It''s a one-night match. They''re 3-2 down, they may as well be 7-2 down because the effect is the same. They just threw caution to the wind and it goes to 3-3.

"But we got the winner and we were inches away from getting another one at the end.

"You''ve seen a great game, a fantastic game. That''s cup-tie football, you get results like that. It could have finished 6-4 this game."

However, Robson admitted that he did not see one of the seven goals scored - Shearer''s second - because he was arguing with the officials over a penalty incident.

"I have to tell you this, I didn''t see the third one. I was arguing with the linesman because we had a handball in the area.

"In my anger at him, I missed the goal, but we got what we deserved because we should have had a penalty."

-- Anonymous, November 01, 2000

Answers

Lovely moment towards the end when Mick Wadsworth was about to twat the linesman and Bobby grabbed his collar and hauled him back!

-- Anonymous, November 02, 2000

Sounds like a pretty irrational evening all round!

-- Anonymous, November 02, 2000

The interviewer in the TTV highlights didn't get the lickings of a dog either. "You've got through bobby, bu ".

"Don't 'but' me bonny lad. You people are all alike ....." etc etc etc

Poor bugga never got another word in.

Good on yer, Bobby.

-- Anonymous, November 02, 2000

Great exchange on RTG:

Makem: Anyone see old Compo on Tyne Tees last night? Posted by WoB on 02 November, 2000 at 10:48:25: He was in a right stinking mood. The Tyne Tees gadgy interviewed him after the game and his firsdt question was something like 'Well, Newcastle go through to the next round Bobby, but...'. The Senile Auld Bastard jumped down his throat saying 'there's no but's about it' and generally wailing on about how the media always have to say 'but'. Think it must have been way past his bed-time, maybe he'd forgotten to take his pills and was missing his bed socks and cup of cocoa. Silly old fool... Mag: Re: Anyone see old Compo on Tyne Tees last night?

Monkey Heed would have told him to F*** off when asked if he could give an interview, then reluctantly accepted after swinging on his tree for a second. Then he'd proceed to switch his weight from one foot to the other, eagerly anticipating the end of the interview as he can see a nice juicy flea on the interviewer's head and he can't wait to pick it and shove it down his throat.

-- Anonymous, November 02, 2000

Bobby, but........

I hate to be churlish after a victory and a place won in the next round of Any Cup....but...... we were garbage. There I've said it.
I just knew we'd get all this "7 goal thriller cr@p" in the media, but it's a little disappointing coming from Sir Bobby.
I simply cannot comprehend this team or what is wrong with it. We played brilliant footy for 25 minutes - pass, move, cross, score. We give a stupid goal away and the whole damned thing goes to sh*te.
I described it last night on Scratchy's bbs as "pantomime football", and in all honesty, I can't recall a more inept performance than ours in the 2nd half last night. Midfield wasn't weak - it was absolutely non-existent. Bradford simply streamed through at will, we couldn't get a tackle in, and when we won the ball we promptly gave it back to them.
We were ghastly - so please don't insult our intelligence by describing this farce as "a thriller". Angina inducing, yes!

-- Anonymous, November 02, 2000

I'm with you Clarky, it is difficult to see how a team that initially looked streets ahead fell apart. Bobby explains it as Bradford had nothing to lose so steam-rolled for goals but I, like you, think the midfield went AWOL and I identified Acuna as particularly anonymous. I realise the defence was not the first choice but when you surrender a three goal lead like that to a team of that stature it is cause for concern.

I didn't think Rob Lee was bad as a sweeper but he tends to hang onto the ball too long. Solano was pick of the bunch for me. Harper was not assured and looked 2nd choice.
We are a definite Jeckyll & Hyde team just not usually in the same match (not since Gullit anyway).

-- Anonymous, November 02, 2000

Tony,

On further reflection, I think part of our early success was down to Rob Lee pushing out with the ball into midfield. Bradford cottened onto this and in the second half pushed players onto RL much quicker and stopped him playing it out. They also better occupied Solano on the right, and then outmanned GS and Acuna in midfield, with YKD just running around like a heedless you-know-what to no great effect.
Even at the time I felt we were under so much pressure in midfield that Bobby should have changed the formation to 4-5-1 and moved RL into central midfield. I suspect he was too concerned with leaving young Caldwell exposed to do that.
In the 2nd half both Acuna and GS were dreadful - but I think that was at least partly due to the formation and the fact they found themselves swamped. I hate to say it, but I think we were out-smarted tactically yet again - fortunately on this occasion we were already 3 up before Bradford changed things around to cope with us.

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

......forgot to mention that Bradford were, of course, playing with 10 men in the 1st half - Collywobbles was an absolute disgrace. It was only when they reverted to playing with 11 men in the 2nd half that they had the manpower to stop RL and Nobby from driving us forward.
Actually, Solano was probably my MOTM.

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

Ahhh the enigma that is Kieron Dyer. With Shearer up front Solano will always occupy the right wing/WB berth so what are we going to do with KD.

Is it part of the reason why we have effectively gone to a 3 man midfield? Interesting to see that Claudio Ranieri is playing 3-4-3 or 3-4-1-2 at Chelsea to some success.

If Lee and Dyer can learn when to make the move into/from midfield then it will make the sweeper system so much more adaptable. For instance when Dyer pushes up front that should be when Lee makes a move into midfield shouldn't it? A lot is dependent on Dyer's awareness of what is going on in midfield and defence. A job for Bobby?

It also needs someone to point this out to everyone on the pitch which is another good reason for Lee operating further back.

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

I have to say that I didn't think we looked particuarly at ease with the 3-5-2 system versus Bradford - although admittedly it's only the 2nd time we've tied it. It all seemed rather 'off-the cuff' somehow.
I do think that with the players we've got, we are probably more suited to this system - if RL can adapt to the sweeper role - but even then who would fill in if he was injured?

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000