English FA Cup: With little in their recent past to inspire confidence, Newcastle might have looked to their more distant history in search of omens ahead of yesterday's traumatic 4-1 FA Cup semi-final defeat by Manchester United at the Millennium Stadium.

The closest thing to a straw worth clutching at, though, had been the fact it was in the season, 50 years ago, when Chelsea last won the league that the Geordies last got their name on the cup.

For the Londoners the long wait could be over by next weekend but the frustration of those who made the arduous journey from England's north-east to Cardiff and the even more painful one back home seems to be never-ending, and after near misses in 1998 and 1999 the team appear to have taken several strides backward.

"We have the players, an ex-England captain and internationals, some of whom can't even get into the team," said Ireland's Andy O'Brien later in what just might have been a reference to himself.

"Everything at the club is geared towards moving forward and winning things. We'll do it some day," he added a little forlornly. "Whether I'm still around to see it or be part of it I just don't know at this stage."

This wasn't petulant transfer talk from the 25-year-old central defender who has had to settle for a place on the bench in recent weeks. Rather it was a frank admission of the sense of bewilderment that has once again engulfed everybody associated with a club that, though big and brash enough to be successful, simply can't seem to add winning things to its repertoire.

"The manager has drilled it into us in there that this is no time to go feeling sorry for ourselves," he added. "We've a game on Wednesday and we have to pick ourselves up, while in the longer term we have to take something away from this.

"Manchester United are used to playing in games like this, used to winning them, and that experience told out there today. They were the better team and we were well beaten but we've got to learn something from it if we're going to move forward."

A short distance away at the first of the managers' press conferences, Graeme Souness looked as flat and dejected as his players had through much of a one-sided game. He has not been slow to show displeasure with them in the past but yesterday he stood by them, insisting they had simply been outplayed and overrun by a better side at the end of a particularly tough week.

"They're a good side and you'd like to play them when you're at full strength but we didn't get that chance," said the Scot, who went into the game without not only the suspended Kieron Dyer and Lee Bowyer but also the injured Titus Bramble and Jermaine Jenas.

"I can't criticise any of my players today," he said. "They took a hammering on Thursday and then had to travel back for this. Physically it was a lot to ask and I thought we looked tired in the first half, although I thought we at least made a bit of a fight of it in the second.

"The fact is that the two games exposed how thin things are at the club just now. I had two 18-year-olds and a 19-year-old in a side trying to win a Uefa Cup quarter-final on Thursday and the same again today trying to reach an FA Cup final. We need to strengthen things in the summer - I don't think anybody would argue with that."

Alex Ferguson was, predictably, more upbeat, having seen his side progress to a meeting with Arsenal in next month's final thanks to a commanding display. There were also the bonuses of Ruud van Nistelrooy's first goals for the club since November and what was only Paul Scholes's second in 13 games.

"It was just good to see the team play so well . . . we're through to meet Arsenal in the final for the first time since 1979," he said. "I can still remember the winning goal from that day, and everybody at the club will be very excited about getting another chance to come up against them."