Derby disaster at St James’ Park – Newcastle 1-2 Sunderland

A complete and utter disaster at St James' Park as Newcastle United delivered another abysmal second-half display to lose the Tyne and Wear derby to a weak Sunderland side.

After a morning of pre-match nerves, early pints and police escorts outside St James’ Park, we were all hoping this would be the day. The day we restored some local pride after December's defeat on Wearside, the day we got right back in the mix for those European places, and the day we finally beat the Mackems 10 years on from our last meeting on Tyneside.

Instead, what we got was another capitulation and a frankly spineless effort. The perfect start was wasted after Anthony Gordon's early opener, then a second-half display that was nothing short of pathetic.

Sadly, it was deserving of those post-match boos as the squad did their customary lap of the pitch at full time. There was so much at stake - local pride and our European hopes in the league - yet we were weak, lifeless, lacking in energy, quality or ideas. Howe got it wrong and never recovered, while his players appeared to bottle it on the big occasion.

While Sunderland were without key players Roefs, Mukiele, Ballard, Le Fee and Reinildo (which makes today's defeat even worse), we made two changes from our midweek battering at Barcelona, as Sven Botman and Nick Woltemade replaced a benched Malick Thiaw and absent Sandro Tonali.

Newcastle XI: Ramsdale – Trippier, Botman, Burn Hall – Ramsey, Joelinton, Woltemade – Elanga, Gordon, Barnes

Substitutes: Pope, Wissa, Thiaw, Osula, Livramento, J.Murphy, Neave, Willock, A.Murphy

Sunderland XI: Ellborg – Geertruida, O’Nien, Alderete, Hume – Xhaka, Sadiki, Diarra – Rigg, Talbi, Brobbey

The first half was a scrap, with us starting well but failing to stay on top. Not a great deal of chances and only one yellow card, but separated by one Sunderland error that we pounced all over, as a poor attempt to play out saw Woltemade intercept and Gordon find the finish to send us 1-0 up after 10 minutes.

St James’ erupted and Sunderland, who’d been trying to waste time from minute one, were breached early. We had fleeting moments after our opener, with Elanga firing into the side netting and Botman’s header hitting the post, yet we let the Mackems come back into it.

Brobbey was bullying Botman, Ramsdale made a vital save to deny Talbi’s long range curler and their long throws were occurring too often, with O’Nien constantly hurling balls into the box. Considering we had home advantage, the crowd up and a 1-0 lead against a weakened Sunderland side, perhaps the writing was on the ball that we didn't know how to kick on from a position of strength.

Attacking the Gallowgate in our biggest second half of the season, we hoped for a huge 45 minutes but witnessed an absolute horror show. No intensity, no cohesion, no fight and no ideas.

Howe made changes, throwing on Willock, Osula, Murphy and Wissa, with Thiaw also replacing a concussed Botman, but none of them worked. Le Bris had tweaked it, Sunderland were allowed to grab a hold of a game we’d lost all grip of and our response, both as a team and individually was pitiful.

Talbi’s equaliser had been coming and, other than two Gordon efforts blazed over the bar, only one side looked likely to win it at 1-1. And then came the knockout blow. More pathetic defending, an easy ball across goal and Brobbey smashed home, all while surrounded by black and white shirts.

And that was that. A must-win game thrown away like it was nothing and a totally abject second half display, seeing us get what we deserved against a Sunderland side who were sadly more competitive, courageous and committed to getting the job done.

Next up, a long international break and some serious questions that need to be answered by Howe and these players when they return at Crystal Palace in three weeks time.

Keep the faith. HWTL.