The aftermath is a bit extreme, to be honest. Steve picked a bold formation, no complaints, and a strong side, no complaints. We were the better side and a 2- or 3-0 victory couldn't have been argued. But he's been let down by inexperience and characters with wafer-thin confidence. Even Perez isn't the cocky, backheeling SOB we know he is. Steve didn't buy Thauvin or Mitrovic; he may be subservient to the whims of our disgusting owner's dreadful stewardship, but so would anyone in his perilous position, more or less. Can't really pin today on Steve any more than we can blame Thauvin. Today's result, the last four in fact, plus the constant cup exits and pi$$-poor squad sit firmly - again - at the owners door. He is getting what he deserves, but unfortunately for us and unlike SD, there are other people who are emotionally tied to this failure. This for me is where it all falls down with his ownership. Having never sought to buy the club for the right reasons, it's inevitably going to fail.
The difficulty Steve and the players have is NUFC fans have suffered 3 years of garbage and lies, been through relegation, and are not fooled by false gestures "investing" £50m in players. We see through all of it now. Nobody wanted McClaren. He can't fool us. Everyone knows the part Ashley, Charnley and Carr play. We're no longer "just" football fans, annoyed at a cup exit. It was an ok performance - what we're sick of is the mis-management, top to bottom. He MUST understand this? But then, he probably lives in the same bubble as the rest of the football board and thinks we're all just a bunch of unreasonable bastads. It's not just that they won't listen - they don't even want to hear the criticism. And they work for another isolated, pig-headed idiot with such a small circle of trust he puts his daughters boyfriend - 24 years old - in charge of his property empire. It's a hopeless situation, self-perpetuating problems.
When was the last fans forum, for example? Cancelled, postponed, unattended. Nothing changes, nor can it.