aimaad22

Damn you, was just going to say even you would agree it is The problem with Anita or Perch been giving the job of tracking Berbatov is neither of them are anywhere near physical enough to control him. We're not going to shut him down, just have to hope the defense is on its game today. What happens today is invariably going to depend on how Sissoko and Cabaye control the midfield today. Its been a mess for a while now. Fulham are a good footballing side and we're going to have to stop being terrified of the ball to get the win today.

Same here. Cabaye really needs to be further up the pitch, get the attacking game going on. Hope Cisse is as up for it as he was in Thursday.

Would have been great to see Stoke and Sunderland battle it survive. Now that we are in the shite ourselves its not going to be nearly as fun. Not feeling confident about tomorrow at all.

In comes the Mutley avatar to try and lift the mood

The way things are going, you cant help but think if we're meant to get......well no use thinking that way. Certainly getting very nervy though, despite the fact we have 'easier' fixtures than some teams around us. Just the way things have been going this season...

Yup, fine margins and all. Could easily have been 1-3 although they were the better side on the night. At least we're still in it, I was sure the way things were going it was going to be 4 or 5 by the end of the game.

Only have ourselves to blame in the end. Passing and ball retention shocking as usual. Just cant sort that out can we? Started out so promisingly, and this being one of them years you really thought we had a shot of actually winning it. Devastated about the manner in which we've lost this. We're still in the tie but only barely considering they can actually pass the ball and which is something alien to us.

Just gifted them the tie. Devastated Zero composure on the ball

And the hoofball commences

Fucking shambles this. Individual errors. And we keep hitting the post. Not our day.

Excellent start, excellent goal. Was that really Simpson making that pass? Class! Shocking end to the half though, became a typical Newcastle away performance in the end. We look like we lack energy. Not a good sign considering we have a great deal of work to do domestically too. Sort it out at half time boys, cant afford to give them this much time and space.

Krul; Simpson, Taylor, Yanga-Mbiwa, Santon; Perch, Cabaye ©; Marveuax, Sissoko, Gutierrez; Cisse

A score draw would do nicely today. At the least Im hoping we can do enough to keep us in the tie for the second leg. Here hoping for an overdue good performance and a great European night!

Crap, Im sure O'Neill would have taken them down.

Needed that after today!

We play Fulham next weekend. By the time we play the mackems we could well be below them

This. Would have been nice to see a few people try at least.

I understand that, we might have still lost 4 or 5 nil. But at least we would have had a chance? At least more than we have had this way. And lets not forget the idea is to play football. I dont know what it was we were trying to play out there today. Oh well but just to forget this day, Benefica will be rubbing their hands in absolute glee though.

Not recently. I think it was against Arsenal, not sure, this season when he lost the ball and could be arsed to get back. Stood and watched, and we ended up conceding. Might have been a one off and he probably knew by then his time here was done but I cant get that image out of my mind.

We're going to need to win two of the next three to avoid being in the shit come May. Not going to be easy. The mackem game could well be a proverbial relegation six pointer.

Him and Obertan starting today, dont know why Im surprised with the lack of effort in the end.

4-0 Just what you deserve for trying to play with this mindset. Compare this with the way we played at Old Trafford. Lost in the end but gave them a right scare and left with our pride intact. Just dont understand why we go on and play this way. Grow a pair of balls Pardew.

After a break last week and a big European night coming up you'd think we'd be up for this. Get some excitement going on at the club. Staggeringly disappointing performance though. Once again our midfield and attack completely failing to link up. Cant keep the ball, cant pass it much, utter wank service into poor Cisse. I suppose you could see we came up against a quality team today but its been this way for a few games now. Wish this season could end tomorrow.