Poor game, and an even worse performance by the lads. We seemed to be playing 3-5-2 with Griffin and Barton as left and right wing-backs. Hughes, Marcellino and Stevie Caldwell across the middle. Lee, Acuna and Bassedas in midfield with Shearer upfront and Dyer floating behind him. Griffin struggled badly in this role and Barton did little better. Though Marcellino had a few good moments we lacked authority in the middle of defence (both goals were poor), but for my money it was in midfield where we lost the game with none of our lads matching Burley and Powell. Acuna in particular was on the receiving end of a few heavy challenges but we didn't show enough aggression ourselves, rarely gained possesion and had far too few options when we actually got the ball. As a result it frequently went back to the defence +/keeper and was subsequently lost. Dyer buzzed around, and an obviously half-fit Shearer still managed to be our biggest threat. With Given going off injured at half-time and Harper getting a knock early on at one point I wondered if we were about to run out of keepers. We lacked ideas, and width. Our South American contingent didn't impress. Glass came on and missed a sitter and when Rams fans started singing 'can we play you every week' it was a bit too close to the bone. One piss-poor performance and one defeat aren't the end of the world but with tough games coming up this won't have done anyone's confidence any good. We need strengthening otherwise the second half of the season could be one of struggle.

-- Anonymous, December 23, 2000

Answers

Thanks for the report, Stevo. Oh dear, so we really were that bad? I guess I was hoping we had actually played half way decently and were just getting kicked around too much. Or something. Clutching at straws. Funnily enough I can see us somehow managing some kind of result either on Tues or next Sat. It seems to take getting beaten by a "poor" side to spur the lads on to a more battling performance the next game.

-- Anonymous, December 23, 2000

Sorry you had to suffer such a poor performance Stevo. Don't they realise that folks travle half-way round the world (or at least from Hamsterjam) to watch them? Are you up for any matches in Toon? If so, see you in the Straabeery??

-- Anonymous, December 23, 2000

ONce upon a time I was happy when we went one down because it spurred us on and 9 times out 10 we got back and won.

Where's the fighting spirit ?

Thanks for the report Stevo. How long are you back in UK.

-- Anonymous, December 23, 2000

Thanks for the report Stevo (even if it didn`t make happy reading). Hope it won`t spoil your Christmas. (:o)

-- Anonymous, December 23, 2000

I'm just back for a couple of days to be with the family at Xmas. Unless anyone has got a ticket to sell I can't make it to the Leeds game. Lets hope the lads can play with a bit more verve and commitment at home on Boxing Day than yesterday.

-- Anonymous, December 24, 2000

Agree with much of what Stevo has to say about the game. Playing three centre backs gave out rather defensive messages before the game started but it really was a three man rather than five man defence. Barton in particular, was playing very much as a wide midfielder. Having said that, our intentions were made clear at one point in the first half when Caudwell passed the ball back to Given from about 10 yards inside the opposition half!

Of the back three I thought that surprisingly, Marcellino was the best by some distance. Caudwell looked out of his depth. In midfield Acuna looked good on the ball but was too easily knocked off it - he needs to adjust quickly to the pace of the English game. I didn't notice Bassedas much but Rob Lee was putting himself about and eventually got booked for what can only have been persitent fouling - the tackle prior to the booking was not worth a yellow card on its own.

Dyer and Shearer got little service but Dyer showed a pleasing tendency to try to commit defenders when he got the ball. I was sitting in the Toyota Stand with a Derby mate who was visibly shaking when Dyer got the ball - sadly it was too infrequently to have an effect. Shearer looked our only hope. He had our three best efforts - a bullet header just over in the first half, a snap shot cleared off the line and a drive from about 25 yards on the turn which went just wide in the second. Glass's effort probably looked like a sitter but the ball came at him very quickly at a difficult angle. You need to take half chances like that in this league though I suppose.

I thought our first half performance was kak but we started the second half much better - to the extent that when Derby scored it was in my friend's opinion, somewhat against the run of play. It was a bloody awful goal to concede. Burton moved 10-15 yards without a single defender tracking him.

Best laugh of the afternoon came when Mr Jacko looked at the dugouts and their occupants and said "Those white boxes - is that the technical area or the area for bath chairs!"

Man of the Match - without a doubt the Geordie crowd who gave a master class in how to support your team to a soporific home crowd who only burst in sporadic life after the goals. Well done lads and lasses.

-- Anonymous, December 24, 2000