Message from Mick

Dear Coxhoe Branch,

Our overall performance was decent but no-one wants to hear that. I'm here again saying we've played well and created chances....
But yes of course I take heart and confidence that we've played well in the game. We're getting punished aren't we? That's for sure.
Then again Vassell's a current England international and Andy Cole's a former England international; he's scored goals all the time and so is Trevor Sinclair [an England international]. It's fallen to them and they have punished us.
We didn't have that touch of quality when it was required.
I'm sure Anthony [Le Tallec] is a bit disappointed about his first-half miss but he scored a terrific header and could have had two more.
But it's not to be. He [Le Tallec] grew in the game and got better and better. He can be pleased with his overall performance.
Welshy [Andy Welsh] was always playing. I had a contingency plan if he couldn't but as far as I was concerned he was always playing.
I thought Stephen Elliott was excellent - he's a good footballer. I thought him and Welshy had the ability down the flanks to win the game for us but it wasn't to be.
It's very quiet [in the dressing room]. We've lost three games on the spin. It's kind of difficult because it's come on the back of winning a lot of games.
We're in the Premiership and we've lost three games. I think judging on the performance that they [the players] were encouraged by the Liverpool performance and they'll feel they've played well tonight.
But footballers want to win, it doesn't matter how you play. They will feel the hurt of defeat and nothing else.
The margin between the two sides was the ability to put the ball in the net when the chances fell to them.All the best,Mick McCarthy