Went in at half-time 1-0 up and thinking 'job done'. Not for the first time this season we have dominated a game, taken our foot off the gas and ended up with nowt. YBR is old enough and wise enough to realize he has a genuine problem here, after all, with a little more grit and determination we could easily be sitting 3rd in the table, even if we picked up half the points we've thrown away at SJP this Season we'd be sitting pretty. My immediate post-match reaction was 'Jammy mackem pigs - you've fluked it again' but in hindsight they bloody deserved it, and with the exception of Lee and Caldwell it has to be said that they wanted it more than us. Yes, we played the prettier football, yes, we've probably more talent in every department and, yes, we're far more familiar with how to administer personal hygiene than anything or anyone that chooses to dwell or play football on Wearside, but forchrissakes we've got to put some bloody effort into it. I suppose if anyone can get this message across its got to be Young Bobby, but if he doesn't sort it soon then what promised to be a pretty groovy Season could go pear-shaped very rapidly. Don't want to add too much gloom to your already depressed dispositions, but have you checked who we're playing between now and the new year?

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

Answers

Yup. It all seemed to be going nicely with the script we had in our heads. The players forgot it was up to them to write the script.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

> have you checked who we're playing between now and the new year?

Which is precisely why we needed to win against the likes of Soton, Charlton, Everton etc.

Any room left on that bridge?

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

People...this is not making me feel better about my upcoming trip to the Golden City. Leeds, MoanU, Spurs away, FAC and Coventry. eek! Perhaps someone can put a word in the teams' ear that a run like the same period last year would be appreciated? :-)

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

Well, on the positive side Ciara, YBR [and any Geordies they meet along the way] will have left them in no doubt that they aren't performing and that they're a bloody disgrace.

You will two one of two things: a/ an inspired, fluid, winning team, or b/ a nervy, broken and dispirited team who will get beat.

As for the rollercoaster, all i can say is: that's supporting Newcastle United. You knew that anyway, right?

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

Maybe this is the kick up the arse they need. We DO have some tough games coming up but maybe that's what we need to galvanise them into action. One thing, Shearer should be out to make someone sufffer.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

Oi Kia Ora...stand by for "Moan United" to pan yer arses..ok?

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

Kick up the arse? How many times this season have we heard either Mick Wadsworth or Robson talking about a goal supposed to give us a KUTA? I imagine that the team's collective arse is somewhat bruised yet nothing resembling a whole team response has been sighted.

I don't know how you go about getting a team to motivate each other, but I'm sure that Alan's captaincy is a bad idea. Rob Lee should be reinstated immediately.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

LR, you said that last season....

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

Bobby, I don't think we've played the same team twice running. You can't legislate for the bleeding appalling luck we've had with injuries. Someone will mention Leeds, no doubt, but they have always had two first class forwards and players of the calibre of Lee Bowyer playing.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

I think you'll find that we play better against "better" teams. I am looking forward to the next six weeks and can see no reason why 3rd place by new year isn't a strong possibility.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

I guess what this means is that we find it fifficult to match the 'scrapping' teams at thier game and are unable to beat them playing our natural passing game, i.e Mackems, Everton.

We are able to beat teams like Spurs, Coventry and Ipswich who try to pass the ball. But when it comes to playing teams like Arsenal and Manure, who can pass it around better than us and can scrap better than us. Logical really isn't it.

We just need to learn to match the scrapping of the scrapping teams and combine it with our passing and we're looking at top six easily.

Last season we dug ourselves out by scrapping so well and combining that with some half decent passing?

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

Ack! Rik! No league table standing talk! It was a curse last season and we certainly don't need any more bad luck this season.

Anyhow I'm still not giving up hope for the Dec/Jan matches. I expected us to lose to Liverpool last season and we managed a draw. Of course it could have been a win but for the usual complacency when we're ahead. Hmmm.....well, it'll be nice to see the bbsers again! ;-)

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

Sorry gang, but I think there's more to this "malaise" than a lack of effort or us taking the foot off the gas. IMO, the team isn't good enough - full stop.

We're still far, far, far too dependent on a very small number of top class players. A number of the younger talent (eg. Domi, Dyer) have simply not 'stepped up to the plate' (to use a baseball expression) - only Aaron Hughes has progressed: some of the players who performed really well after BR came in last season (eg. Solano, Speed) are not performing as well this season: and the new players have not made enough impact (eg. Gavilan, Cordone, Cort, Bassedas) for various reasons.

Without the serious brass needed to enable BR to boost the top-class player pool, I feel we're back at best to a season of consolidation and survival. In the meantime the existing top-class players get older and closer to needing to be replaced. Unless players like Dyer, Domi, Griffin, Gavilan, Lua Lua, Cort, Bassedas, and Caldwell develop quickly to the point of being able to take over the mantle from AS, RL, GS & WB etc. we'll be in deep dood.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

Aw Shite, I was never one for the old boys thing. Give the younguns a run in the team, and a decent run at that. Catch 22 as they say, can't play him cos he is inexperienced, well give them the experience. They won't get it unless we play them and lets face it, they can't do a lot worse than the old squad. Alright, I admit it, I have had a few pints but I am still pissed off about Saturday.

Pete

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

Ciara, Agree wholeheartedly. No league position predictions please. Even score predictions make me pull the blankets up over me head.

-- Anonymous, November 22, 2000

Clarky the only problem with your "not good enough, full stop theory" is the fact that we played the mackems off the park for over half an hour. They showed more grit and determination and it paid off, it took their second goal for us to wake up and push for an equaliser, when again we looked a better side. I agree we will not win anything with this team but we were a better team than the mackems an that is what is so galling.

-- Anonymous, November 22, 2000

I'd dearly love to agree with you Tony - but the 'knuckle-draggers' have taken 7 points out of 9 from us over three games and 14 months, with 2 of the 3 being at SJP.
We can reasonably argue that we could have won all three of them, but the facts are that we didn't.

I agree that the mackems are far from being a good side; however, the fact that we haven't been able to beat them only confirms my point.

I would also argue that "Grit & determination" are an essential part of the make up in really good players - technically gifted players without grit & determination rarely if ever achieve top grade in the PL.

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2000