Just in case you are all depressed, I can't really speak for anyone else who was at SB, but it really wasn't that bad compared to Villa so no one should be depressed. HOWAY THE LADS!

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2001

Answers

I'm finding myself agreeing with you again....we weren't terrible, just simply outplayed by a better side....

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2001

is that really you dougal or is it 'robo' dougal who was impersonating you earlier...?

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2001

Not depressed this morning, once the Speckled Hen was opened last night at Half time I took upon a strange sense of realism!!

We'll lose again this season, probably worse than last night! If anything this sort of result shows the gaps in the squad and the quality of players we actually have at the club.

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2001

It's really me :) It's hard to be too depressed when the team that beats you is just better than you. There are things that have to be done to improve our side so that we don't get turned over by the likes of Villa but Man Utd could get beaten by a fully fit Chelsea, which is largely what we played yesterday. Permanent central defensive partnership (whether that's Hughes and Goma or Hughes and AN Other), Griff at right back and a new striker and we'll be sorted.

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2001

And in fairness, someone with a left foot :}

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2001

I take it no-one feels that Quinn is the answer then??

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2001

I would add a left winger to that list Dougal, one who is quick, effective, scores goals and can tackle as well. Ryan Giggs?! Requirements:

CB partner for Hughes, experienced, leader, forget playing the ball, a raw defender. Left Winger, bring much needed balance to the team and a link with Quinn at left back to stretch teams. Striker, because with Gallacher and Cordone probably being released in the summer we need a third stiker behind Shearer, Cort and in front of Lua-Lua.

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2001

I think Quinn has been okay but a case of 'unproven' rather than a 'must have'.

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2001

DB,

Ref strikers - aren't you forgetting about Abeobi, in addition to AS, CC & Lua-squared? Not to mention Michael Bridges! ;-{)

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2001

Thanks Dougal. I wasn't at all surprised at the loss, just had a glimmer of hope after the first goal and sounding like we were really competing in the first half. As long as our lads tried their best, there's not much we can do about being outplayed by a better side.

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2001

The heads went down a bit in the second half to tell you the truth but also a few of their players got better in the second half, notably JFH. The thing is, Zola's strike, for example, was just a great strike from a great player.

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2001

Even the webcat annoucers went on about how good Zola's strike was. Bobby made a great comment about Poyet though. Saying he's the bane of Bobby's life and he'd like to kill him and will certainly quit speaking to him - in Spanish - now.

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2001