A possible reason for a fairly lacklustre performance

Which people may not realise was the heat. Most of us sit/sat in the shade for the majority of the game, but having stood by the side of the pitch for ten minutes after the game whilst waiting for and speaking to Robbie, it was very, very warm. He commented on it and said that they could have done with taking on more water.

It may not excuse a sloppy pass, or a misunderstanding between a goalkeeper and his defence, but it may explain why the players looked lethargic at times.

No doubt a lot of folk on this board will completely disagree and say it's no excuse, but if you've ever played football you'll know the effect such heat has on you.