In picking up the pieces of Newcastle United's Tyne-Wear derby capitulation you will be lucky to find anything more than the empty words and empty promises which came before a ball had been kicked.
After watching what was supposed to be a "motivational" video beforehand, it was also hoped United's stars were in the zone for the biggest game of the season bar none.
Well, perhaps they would have been better spending some time around the pubs and clubs of Tyneside to get a proper feel for the game.
Because it will be those watering holes which will contain the glummest faces of them all until the next Tyne-Wear derby.
If United players are not hurting as much as their fans after this, some of them may have already run their race for the Magpies.
The pre-match vows to ensure local pride would still be intact come the end of the visit of Paolo Di Canio and Sunderland may well be fish and chip paper now.
However, they also serve as proof too few of the current Newcastle team fully understood what was at stake on derby day.
In a season of excuses and reasons why the Magpies have failed to hit the heights this term using tiredness – whether mentally tired or physically tired – was never going to wash with Geordie fans.
For a start, four of Alan Pardew's starting XI did not even feature against Benfica this week, while others had only played cameo roles in the Europa League quarter-final.
In a fixture in which adrenalin and pride drags players through games, there will be no sympathy for the first side to slip in a home derby for 13 years.
They went out of Europe to applause despite the Europa League exit confirming the wait for a trophy will go on for a 45th year.
Confidence among fans in any regime, though, always takes a battering when the white flag is tossed in during a derby.
If you cannot win it, then just do not lose. Surrendering like this is not even in the question, but that is what happened yesterday.
One thing they simply will not accept from the players they turn up in droves to worship is a hiding from Sunderland – especially in their own backyard.
Unfortunately much talk and bravado from United overseas players that they understood what the Tyne-Wear tussle was all about did not ring true – leaving the debate for Newcastle's severe lack of Geordie players wide open for debate again.
This was gutless, abysmal, lacklustre and less than sub-standard as Newcastle allowed themselves to be walked all over by their bitter rivals.
The fact even Sunderland – a team who have been unable to fight sleep this season and had not won for nine games beforehand – seemed stunned by their own exploits on Tyneside said it all.
They looked like a team which could not believe United had handed out written invitations to take the points and the pride from the word go almost.
This season has tested the patience of many a black-and- white but to be outfought, outplayed and outthought by the Wearsiders just is not acceptable in these parts.
United could not match Sunderland's enthusiasm or hunger from the offset as Di Canio's side controlled the game for long periods.
If Di Canio had spent the week running round like a madman and shaking the living daylights of a team which has been relegation fodder for so long this season it had the desired effect.
They created the better chances, took their goals well and worked the hardest by pressing the Magpies for every 50-50 ball.
Even after making a tame start and falling a goal behind to Stephane Sessegnon, this Toon team did not pick up on the signals from the crowd that what they were serving up was not good enough in the first half.
It was never going to be good enough to match Sunderland's application. Sadly, Pardew's team did not have a reply to it.
United had started the game looking like they might have enough spark to end what has been a long week with the glory of winning the one that counts.
Sunderland could have had a penalty when another one of Steven Taylor's rushes of blood saw him claw back Danny Graham.
Referee Howard Webb was having none of it, but Newcastle did not learn their lesson as th Wearsiders strode forward again.
Jonas Gutierrez sloppily lost the ball on 27 minutes and Stephane Sessegnon was allowed the freedom of St James' to weigh up his shot and hammer it past Tim Krul.
Yet it was the visitors who were unlucky not to go in 2-0 up at half- time when Carlos Cuellar was given time and space to attack Krul's poorly-protected goa.
Yes, he had every right to go for the loose ball but Webb might have argued he had every right to send him off before producing just a yellow card.
Hatem Ben Arfa's introduction slightly lifted United but it looked like there was too much pressure on the shoulders of the skilful Frenchman.
Yohan Cabaye looked a spent force long before he was taken off and the scary thing was he was meant to be the man driving Newcastle on.
When Krul went off with a dislocated shoulder to sum up what type of a day it was going to be, the belief was draining out of United by the second at that stage.
With Sunderland looking like a changed team, Adam Johnson's long range strike put the visitors within touching distance of victory.
That David Vaughan was allowed time and space to lash home the killer goal showed too many Toon players had by then long since thrown in the towel.
Their staff celebrated like they had won a trophy and the worst nightmare of Di Canio given the run of the hallowed turf was too much for some fans, who quickly departed this high-noon horror show.
Sustaining such a dent to local pride was bad enough, but the Magpies could have bigger problems than this unless they wake up and smell the coffee.
Pardew must lift his players before it is too late because they are now on the brink of being sucked into a relegation zone.
However, in a season when United departed both domestic cup competitions at the first hurdle, failed to win either derby game and will end the campaign fending off relegation, there is plenty of food for thought this summer.
United may feel the criticism they are on the end of this week is harsh but, after 150,000 Geordie fans clicked through the turnstiles for the last three games, one thing they cannot argue with is the black and white faithful deserve better than this. Much better.
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