Just got back and been reading all the post-mortem stuff on here. It's made me feel worse!

Yesterday was a wretched match. Al could have scored 10 and that tw*t of a ref would have only given one. Plus the Ipswich defenders were a joke falling all over the place to get the goals disallowed. The 3rd goal was more of a foul than the first 2 FFS!

However, like many of you - I am pretty gutted at yesterday. Ipswich are a poor side and were there for the taking. But this appears to be par for the course with the Toon. They build you up only to let you down AGAIN. Both Chelsea and Leeds make ground on us and appear to have hit form at the right time. We haven't even won a game in March. One point from 3 games.................ugh.

It's been said on here but I agree re the madness of the substitutions. In a sense I can accept Dyer for JJ but Lua Lua for Solano who was our best player was bizarre. heard an interview with BR, sounding annoyed, he heard the boos for his subs and got the message. HE was annoyed so were 50 000 supporters Bobby. BTW O Brien was ill apparently but Bobby wouldn't sub him as he needed to swap around the front players. Should have come off at half time. Still the ball bouncing off his legs into Bent's path had nowt to do with illness.

The pressures getting to them I think. Same old Toon, falling at the final hurdle..................

PS - Anyone know when Speed is back?

-- Anonymous, March 17, 2002

Answers

While I'm blathering on - do you think Bellamy and Speed will be back for Arse? There's a WElsh friendly the Wednesday after and Bobby will not be happy for them to go there and play with the Everton game on the Friday. He might keep them out next Saturday.

-- Anonymous, March 17, 2002

I suspect Speed and Dyer will play v Arsenal, but not CB.

Team selection issues are the same again - revert to the style that was successful for us most of the season, or stay with the failed ploy of two target men?

As most of us have been saying for weeks, Robert or Dyer playing up front with AS would best replicate the fast attacking style that has worked so well for us. However, BR is a stubborn bugger and I fancy he will stick with Cort up front - and that we'll lose, yet again.

-- Anonymous, March 17, 2002

There's some merit in what you say. You can't imagine any of the other top clubs failing to take 3 points at home from a poor Ipswich side. I wonder if Shearer's penalty miss will prove to be the most expensive miss from a financial standpoint in the history of the club. Certainly if it costs us a place in the Champion's League you could make that argument.

Massively Disappointing.

-- Anonymous, March 17, 2002

Southpaw - how you doing bonny lad?

I would prefer to blame Referee Riley's ludicrous disallowing of two perfectly good goals. Anyone can miss a penalty, and to be fair to AS doesn't miss too many.

-- Anonymous, March 17, 2002

Clarky I agree re BR.

Sometimes he does make decisions that seem to be purposely against the view of everyone else.

I'm not coming down on him or anything, he is a great manager, but like everyone he has his faults. I just hope this particular fault doesn't cost us more than 2 points.

-- Anonymous, March 17, 2002

As I point out elsewhere we lost 2-1 with the original XI and won 1-0 and missed a penalty with the subs on. So what's the problem with the subs? I suggest that the last few minutes were our most productive of the game in terms of possession, territory, shots and corners.

I'm afraid the skipper has to carry the can for the 2 lost points. Missing the net completely from a pen is shocking let's face it.

£40,000 QUID A WEEK?!!! £40,000 QUID? They should pay me £40,000 quid a week to go and watch them! (With apologies to Nick Hornby)

-- Anonymous, March 17, 2002

To be fair he has taken the blame entirely.

-- Anonymous, March 17, 2002

First I've heard of O'Brien being ill. Still, it seems the subs might have been more effectively used even with taking O'Brien off. Hughes could have moved into the center, Nobby move back with Luax2 in Nobby's usual spot, and Dyer on for Cort. Ah well, I don't get paid the big bucks to make these decisions. ;-)

-- Anonymous, March 17, 2002

I agree Paul, I'm sure that Shearer, honest professional that he is, has fully accepted the blame for Saturday, and I'll bet he hurts about it too. I feel for the man. (Despite the fact that our respective net wealths diverged by a further £40020 during the 90 mins!)

I think WE should accept the blame lies there and not with Robson's substitutions which did the business really. And yet a substitution was booed which I found unforgiveable, that Robson, who has given us such a fantastic season, should have his decision booed by large sections of the crowd is not on. The subs swung the game for us so Robson was right! We can't blame the ref too much either. The game was won when that pen was awarded and then it was thrown away.

And I'm NOT saying that people arent entitled to query or criticise Robson's choice of subs. He might have been able to do better than he did, but the subs he put on did enough to win the match, and the booers were therefore totally out of order and should remember which side their bread is buttered before booing a manager of YBR's standing.

-- Anonymous, March 17, 2002

jonno, I agree with you there marra.

Having said that, there is no rule to say that they (the people who bought the tickets) aren't allowed to boo. I'd say 90% of the boos were out of sheer frustration and not (directly) directed at YBR. I'm convinced that I wouldn't ever boo, but, in that heat of the moment, I couldn't say for sure!

I've been criticised on here for "having a go at Shearer" (his penalty miss) - he's brought me far more pleasure than pain over the years!.

I don't really believe I did criticise AS that harshly, again just shear (sic) frustration (= human nature?) and,...... I bought my own ticket!

-- Anonymous, March 18, 2002

Taking a positive view, maybe the booing should be seen as support for the guys going off. I mean, they would hardly have appreciated going off to cheering.

-- Anonymous, March 18, 2002

I wonder if either of Jenas or Solano thought the boos were directed at them?

-- Anonymous, March 18, 2002

BR nows says he took off Solano as "he was looking a little tired, and we needed some fresh legs".

He presumably thinks Carl Cort was leaping around the field like a gazelle!

-- Anonymous, March 18, 2002

And if O'Brien was ill, surely that would make him tired too?

Solano didn't look tired to me to be honest.

That's the beauty about him and Robert, they don't run about constantly for the full 90 minutes, so if they have a chance in the last 10 they are more likely to stick it away.

-- Anonymous, March 18, 2002