Quote of the day

"It’s a terrible debut for me – I’m so disappointed. I’m happy to be here and to play, but it is not the beginning I hoped for. I had a couple of chances, and I expect myself to finish better there. I’m not satisfied with that."

Luuk de Jong's post-derby comments exhibit a refreshing honesty and refusal to shirk personal responsibility in defeat. In fairness the damage had already been done by the time he was introduced at the break, but I like to see a player admit disappointment with his own performance - a few others could learn that lesson. Of course, such talk is worth little unless he now works hard and makes amends.

Toon get a Luuk in

On a busy day on Tyneside, Dreamboat's departure wasn't yesterday's only bit of transfer news, as we finally succeeded in getting a deal over the fabled line. Pleasingly we've been able to reach an agreement with Borussia Monchengladbach on our terms rather than what were reported to be theirs, signing striker Luuk de Jong on an initial loan so we can assess him at close quarters rather than having to commit to a hefty transfer fee.

The Netherlands international's arrival couldn't be much more timely, given that our attack has been blunted by injury and suspension. We need him to hit the ground running - a big ask for any player coming into the pressure-cooker atmosphere of a derby match, and particularly one who is desperately short of form and match fitness.