Not your finest way to spend an entire Saturday

It's not the finest way to spend your entire Saturday. Getting the Metro to SJP at 9am, to reach the ground for midday and get home at 5pm. Simply because we can't be trusted to behave.

It seemed the height of pessimism before kick-off. The banter was pretty good-natured, some good inflatable dogs and even a dog mask, the old derby songs all making an appearance and only a small welcoming party at the SoP.

On the pitch. A changing in the tide you say PL? Does one win in eight years, and one in 28 years in sunderland (that's supposed to be lower case) - signify a change in the tide?

Ok. We could have had a point. But we didn't deserve it. We had a lot of the ball but had just one chance apart from the goal.

By now what happened on the pitch is almost irrelevant, apart from the relegation fight we're now in. My view of events was:

1. Barton warms up, gets booed, holds NUFC badge at us. Warms up again in front of disabled fans. Idiots run down from their seats to get at him and throw stuff. Barton gets told to move by cops and does.

2.Three goals go in , and after each one cops race to flashpoints at either side of the away end.

3. Final whistle goes, cops don't appear. Idiots run on pitch to celebrate, more idiots run on pitch to get at Newcastle fans, more idiots run out to greet them, cops appear, steward is helped away hurt from the bother, cops separate fans, fans eventually go home.

Wasn't this one of the arguments for fencing at grounds? Does anyone really want that to happen?

Looking forward to West Brom on Tuesday. Barton and Jonas should both start and there's also an argument for Charlie and Enrique.

We need all the pace and guile available to us to beat these teams and somebody to fill the chasm between the midfield and attack.
I'm just glad Paul's not at work this week.