After Lisbon

UEFA Cup quarter final second leg
Sporting Lisbon 4 Newcastle United 1 (agg4-2)
What a disappointment tonight. I really believed Newcastle United were in for an aggregate win especially when we saw the way in which Dyer was opening up their defence. It could have been so different with the number of scoring chances we spurned. The resurfacing of the familiar problems at the back, particularly the lack of physical challenge against the Lisbon headers, meant there would only be one outcome.
This game could so easily have been won with an average degree of control in defence and midfield defensive work. NUFC seemed to be able to win the ball only for slack distribution to undo the good work
Souness now has his work cut out, deprived of Bellamy, Robert, Dyer, Bowyer all as a result of self inflicted quarantine, and not just for Cardiff.