I've only just got to a PC, so my turn ...

Basically two ways to win a game. First you have to compete in the tackle and give yourself the opportunity to show your skills. Once it comes down to skill you show you have better skills.

Yesterday we were as committed as they were for the start of the first half. We made lots of chances. We should have won as our skill was clearly superior.

From our high viweing position tactics are far easier to see. After half an hour we dropped back 10-15 yards, stopped competing in their half and gave them some momentum. Now we didn't have the opportunity to show off our skills as they were getting the ball more often.

Dyer is not hurting the opposition, but no one is (apart from the odd Caldwell tackle).

For me the best we have played this season is 4-4-2 with BOTH Dyer and Solano playing. Then we hurt people. They have similar fast minds, and nimble feet. Rather than Solano trying to hurt from the half way line it is the penalty box. Dyer also has company to hurt.

-- Anonymous, November 19, 2000

Answers

I agree. We do have more technique than the makkems, and Bobby & co did feck up tactically by playing back 10 to 15 yards especially in the second half when they scored their 2 smash and grabs. I dont see any point in playing men behind the ball to defend a lead at home. Simply they should worry about us, not us them.

I also believe we didnt win the last derby because of this tactic - although to a certain extent you can accept this tactic then, because we were the away team.

'It's really irrating how we gave them momentum, why did we?'

I would rather lose 4-3 at home than 2-1 any day. I believe simply, that when your at home it plain feckin homely manners, with napkins, to attack the opposition. Nothing less should be. You dont give them the respect to go and express themselves offensively, they are naturally wary and defensive as the away team any way, so why, why, did we allow this??

Surely Bobby and co would of known if they got the equaliser the psychological advantage was with the mackems to get the winner.

-- Anonymous, November 19, 2000

Yes 4-4-2 is better then 3 at the back. Solano (wonderful player) struggles as a wing back. Domi is a greater overlapping fullback but weak as a wing back.

We need two good centre backs - Hughes and Caldwell will be great next season and with Dabizas out for this season, Goma injured and Marcellino, well Marcellino, they coped almost perfectly against the SMBs. We need more experience to play alongside these two.

Rob Lee helped Hughes and Caldwell out but he is better used in front of a back four where his passing is one of the few bright sparks in flat mid-field. Too many passes are going to feet and not into space

That leaves one free mid-field position - pick any of them.

We then have to find someone to play alongside Shearer. Talking to Cort in the NUFC box after yesterday's match (he was i wasn't) he reckons two months before he'll be back so we need someone up there. Maybe Ameobi should be given full game. He's big, strong, keen and looked useful in his home game. God help us if Al gets an injury

so Given/Harper

Barton Hughes Caldwell Domi

Solano Lee Any Dyer

Shearer Amoebi

Well maybe.

-- Anonymous, November 19, 2000

Perhaps it looked different in person than on the box, but I didn't think we had a sniff at goal in the second half - other than the free kick and the penalty. In fact I didn't think we had a sniff the last 25 minutes or so of the first half. They didn't do much, but they always looked the more likely scorers to me - at least after the break. I thought Given had some work to do after the break and their keeper didn't.

-- Anonymous, November 19, 2000

I watched the 'highlights' [hmmm] from way over here and they didn't have a sniff at goal [somebody else said this].

Anyway, the reason we gave the second goal away was because the midfield was too slow tracking back after an attack broke down. Grrrr. Professional footballers in a derby game - and they all ball-watch, thinking someone else will do the running.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2000

I've never felt so gutted as I did Saturday night, having avoided all contact with that poxy match all day. I was even sort of glad I'd cocked up by agreeing to go away for the weekend without checking the fixture list first.

I'd have found it a bliddy sight easier to live with missing us stuffing that bunch of no-hope malignants, than coping with their reaching the absolute pinnacle of their worthless miserable existance That was one game we HAD to win, no excuses whatever.

I don't give a shti how hard Speed or Lee or any others of the useless fcukers grafted, or who had a good game under the circustances, or showed promise or any other garbage we're expected to swallow as consolation, that's just about the worst defeat it's ever been my good fortune to miss.

It's a million times worse than last year's farce, cos there's no useless manager git to carry the can. And if Aaron Effinghughes EVER again allows himself to be quoted along the lines of 'We're bound to win, we're the better footballing side' I'll really spit me dummy out. Do they never learn, for fcuk's sake ?

It's a bliddy long time since losing a game has had me still seething two days later. USELESS FCUKING SPINELESS TAWTS. Masacreeing Liverpool, the Arse and Newton Heath won't get them onto even just the bottom rung of the ladder back into my good books. USELESS FCUKING SPINELESS TAWTS. Having got that off me chest, the subject is now taboo, AFAIC, The editor's decision is final, no further correspondence will be entered into.

And a preposition is something you must never end a sentence with.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2000

Sorry, Pit Bill, but I have to say just one thing: I still haven't quite taken it in.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2000

"....that's just about the worst defeat it's ever been my good fortune to miss".

Think yoursel lucky man - its about the worst defeat it's ever been my misfortune to watch. I said on another thread that the last time I took a single defeat so badly was the '74 FA Cup Final defeat - my first of my six losing visits to Wembley.

In all honesty PB, they were sh*te - a utter disgrace to the shirts they wore.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2000

?

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000