I understand all the woe on here but somehow I don't feel it, to the same level as I'd normally expect it.

If you picked our first 18 players at the start of the season as being Harper, Given, Barton, Marcelino, Goma, Dabizas, Domi, Hughes, Griffin, Acuna, Dyer, Solano, Lee, Bassedas, Speed, Cort, Shearer, Gallacher then we were missing 9 of them by the end of the game last night.

I have an expectation of being able to cope with 4 or so injuries but not the level we are at. In my view we have an okay goalie (either of them), one very classy defender and one getting there (Griffin), Dyer and Solano have a touch of class and that's it. The rest can play well occasionally, but not often enough. I'm still open to Acuna and Bassedas improving but I don't think it'll be til next season.

Nothing that happened last night was that unexpected, surely. We've not had tackling midfielders since Batty left. So we knew we'd not win much there. The boy up front is lovable and will make a great target man, but he's not a natural goalscorer, and he we need to recognise the difference. Gallacher isn't a goalscorer either.

The 7th position is faintly amusing, if only because of what it implies regarding the rest of the division.

I feel the rest of the season is going to be pretty miserable, and I'm not sure how we get a lift between now and May. To stay (?) sane we have to just accept that things will be better one day. It'd be nice for Sunderland to start and get some results/injuries they deserve :0)

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

Answers

MacBeth, I have to say that what has upset me most is the poignancy of our remaining players playing their hearts out and looking like they were in a different division from Villa and our fans singing their hearts out. It was a poignant night. Oh, and the following e mail from the office Makem: Firstly, commiserations mate - that ball could have gone anywhere really - although I'm sure Vassel will claim it was intentional. Secondly, did you see Quinn's goal - sublime. Phillips was also on fire and the jinx is finally broken We'll get over it, though.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

Old soldiers never die - they just sign on here and try to make everbody's life a misery using the excuse that being old is enough justification for trying to brainwash people into pulling their heads out of the sand and facing facts (their version of).

Must be character building, at least, for the unfortunates who constantly have their tolerance and long suffering eaten into.:-)))

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001