Newcastle goalkeeper Karl Darlow insists the players share the fans' frustration after their dismal Carabao Cup exit at Brentford.
The pressure is back on manager Steve Bruce after the Magpies lost 1-0 in west London, missing a golden opportunity to reach a first major semi-final in 15 years and a first in this competition since 1976.
Sections of the perennially disgruntled Toon Army are once again calling for Bruce to be sacked, and Darlow understands their anger.
"We're the same. We're frustrated as well. I'm frustrated," Darlow told NUTV.
Steve Bruce on #BRENEW: "I'm hugely disappointed because we've missed a wonderful opportunity to take the club into a semi final. We simply haven't played well enough to win the tie. We should have had enough to win the tie – that's why I went as strong as I did." pic.twitter.com/NInkNqyseK — Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) December 22, 2020
"It's a case of doing what we can back at the training ground and finding some confidence. We look like we don't want to go forward.
"We didn't play well enough, we didn't start the game quickly enough for what it was – to get into a semi-final.
"We should be coming here and bossing the game, we're a Premier League team. It wasn't good enough all around the pitch.
"Playing a Championship club to get into a semi-final – you've got to be winning these games.
"We've got to show more than we did on the pitch. Everyone knows that. We need to look at ourselves and make sure we put it right, quickly.
"The ball didn't really drop for us up front. It was a cagey cup affair, one goal was going to win it and unfortunately it's gone to them.
"But we need to be coming to these games and making sure we boss the game and come out with the victory. We should be in the semi-final."
Josh Dasilva's 66th-minute strike fired Brentford into the first major semi-final in their history.
Yet with Newcastle once again floundering in the Premier League and the upwardly mobile Bees fourth in the Sky Bet Championship, the result did not come as much of a shock.
Brentford have also beaten Southampton, West Brom and Fulham on their way to the last eight.
😍 This Group#BrentfordFC #BRENEW pic.twitter.com/cVoyG668yI — Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) December 22, 2020
Already 25 matches into a gruelling season, Thomas Frank's side are now one game from Wembley and two from qualifying for Europe.
"That would be fantastic," smiled Frank. "But let's take that once we've beaten Cardiff, Bournemouth, Bristol City, and then the semi-final.
"I think now we must be the team that has played the most games in Europe. Compared with Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, we are up there.
"With that in mind I need to praise my players and staff. It's crazy that we compete against bigger clubs by playing this amount of games."
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