A pitiful display from both manager and playing staff on Thursday evening saw Newcastle crash depressingly out of the UEFA Cup for the third time in four years. A gutless and bored performance from the Magpies, complete with insanely negative tactics from the laughable Roeder, had the 1000 travelling supporters suspecting the worst from only the first few minutes. Newcastle had kissed their European prospects goodbye for yet another year, literally from within the opening stages.

A bizarre starting line-up was enforced by Roeder, with an almost identical line-up to last week’s game. The only immediate switch was by removing the yet-again injured Carr for Huntington, who is still oddly being chosen above the much more accomplished Edgar. Dyer continued in the right-wing position and Duff, subdued to the point of invisibility, somehow managed to hold onto his left-flank spot.

Nevertheless, the line-up chosen by Roeder was one that should have been expected to prevail, having launched into such an impressive lead in the last leg. However, the boss inevitably switched to negative tactics, as he stood and watched his side pummelled by Alkmaar’s forwards from the very off.

With Newcastle’s defense having a track record of collapsing when it really matters, Roeder can only be slated for enforcing such tactics. If he were to have his defense play deep and told to stand off, then surely he should have had Dyer advance, and switch our play to counter-attack? Evidently not. Instead, he had the defenders pump uselessly long balls forward to the unreliable Martins and Sibierski. AZ could never possibly lose, with their dynamite attack pasting our porous defense at every opportunity.

The initiative was grabbed by the home side after only 13 minutes. Koevermans, a constant menace to our pathetic back-line, was allowed acres of space on the right-flank. As Bramble and Huntington comically had themselves mixed up in a confusing offside trap routine, Koevermans was given all the time he wanted to play a cross in. His low ball evaded Taylor’s wretched attempt at an interception, and was coolly slotted home by the onrushing Arveladze.

Taylor, whose season had been progressing promisingly, was having something of a mare - and was fortunate not to see a red card shoved in of his face, following a clumsy elbow to Koevermans’ head. Accompanied by the awful Bramble, who seems to have returned to his former self, aswell as the clueless Huntington, Taylor was arguably the best of a bad bunch. Even Solano had a poor game by his standards - surrendering possession at an alarming rate.

With our swift attacking nature of the first leg now something of a distant memory, we somehow squeezed through to half time only one goal down, thanks to atleast one great save from Given.

Upfront, absolutely nothing was happening. Long balls were being thrown forward to Sibierski who to be fair, won almost everything in the air. However, the ineffective Martins lacked industry and was rarely able to latch onto the Frenchman’s knock-downs. The obviously poor tactics led to Newcastle’s inability to create anything at all, which was becoming as clear to see as sunlight through a window. Yet Roeder didn’t change things upfront for the entirety of the match. Martins and Sibierski finished the game as they started it. On the pitch and doing very little.

It wasn’t long into the second half before Newcastle suffered the crucial blow. A largely unimpressive corner kick was inexplicably allowed to be converted, as Koevermans easily lost the lumbering Bramble, to nod home at the near-post.

From that point on, the tactics went from the bad to the absolutely ridiculous. Damien Duff, who most had forgotten was actually on the field of play, was replaced by Emre, as Roeder decided to fill the middle of the park with four centre-midfielders. N’Zogbia and Milner sat patiently on the bench, dazed and confused by the manager’s wacky verdict. Up until the 86th minute, where N’Zogbia was pointlessly introduced, we played with no one on the wings whatsoever. Nobby was expected to work magic down the right, while Huntington struggled against Jenner, who had a painfully easy game for the Dutch side.

Somehow, we managed not to concede a third in a second half that had becoming tormenting for the on-looking Newcastle supporters. Newcastle huffed and puffed going forward, but with four midfielders crammed into the central area of the park, it was obvious that nothing was going to prevail. The decision-making by Roeder had been absolutely useless.

We were counting our chickens not to be well and truly thrown out of the competition, as Arveladze saw a shot clipped onto the bar, following another defensive mix-up. Then, a few minutes later, Huntington headed off the line, as we precariously somehow managed to keep the score at 2-0.

Things were getting no better from an attacking point of view either. The pitiful formation that simply could not be deciphered, was doing nothing for the cause. Emre’s driving spirit ignited a slight change in pace, but to no avail.

The closest we came was when Dyer shaved the post following a well worked free-kick, and Martins had what looked like an easy chance comfortably smothered by Waterman in the closing stages. A déjà vu for Oba. Also, Parker had a goal ruled out following a nonchalant shove by Dyer in the box.

Two dreadful corner-kicks from the little Turk, followed by a wayward free-kick, extinguished any hope of Newcastle getting themselves back into the tie.

The team and the manager had literally embarrassed the supporters with an absolutely terrible performance. We crashed out of Europe again, swallowing any hopes of silverware and/or dignity for yet another season. The tactics enforced by Roeder were laughable and the defensive performance was an absolute joke. There was no attacking panache down the wings, nor through the middle - Parker and Butt struggling to push themselves beyond the halfway line all match long. Martins and Sibierski tried their hardest, but the formula was not working in any way shape or form, and the fact that it was not changed was despicable. The non-use of our most productive player all season, Milner, was confusing to say the least and the pointlessly late introduction of N’Zogbia took the mickey.

Roll on a non-European 2008. We’re not competent enough to win this yet and we’re simply wasting energy by competing in it. UEFA says come back when we’re good enough.

Man of the Match: Given. Because he made one or two blinding saves.

Donkey of the Match: The players were rubbish but undoubtedly Roeder. If I had to pick a player, it would be Huntington, who was clearly out of his depth and absolutely mauled down the left by Jenner.