Newcastle boss Graeme Souness says Laurent Robert had apologised for his midweek outburst, when he claimed the club had gone backwards. "He has apologised to the players," Souness said after the 4-1 FA Cup semi-final loss to Manchester United.
"Again we had two 18-year-olds and a 19-year-old on the pitch. We had that on Thursday trying to win a European quarter-final as well.
"A couple of things didn't go for us but we have to live with that."
"Right now I'm feeling sorry for all my players, supporters as well.
"We played a very good United team. We've played two games and travelled to Lisbon since they last played and, given our suspensions and injuries, it was always going to be a difficult afternoon's work for us.
"We'd have liked to have played with everybody fit and rested and that wasn't the case.
"But I can't be critical of any of my players. We've been bashed up physically and mentally on Thursday and after that sometimes it takes you 45 minutes of football to get your legs going.
 |  We need to stop leaking goals early doors and stop conceding stupid goals |
Magpies defender Steven Taylor admits the Cup defeat was "devastating" but knows they must move on quickly.
"Performance-wise, we were not the best," Taylor said.
"I thought we were better in the second half than in the first, but we had too far to go.
"Leaking eight goals in two games is bad, especially for me as a defender. It is just not good enough.
"We leaked bad goals, but we had chances and we did not take them. We had our best chances from set plays, but it was not to be.
"It's just an excuse, probably one of the biggest excuses, to say you are tired.
"It is not about that. We need to stop leaking goals early doors and stop conceding stupid goals.
"We have got to get over it. We said that after the Lisbon game but we need to start moving up the table."
Newcastle skipper Alan Shearer admitted they were second best in Cardiff.
"It's been a tough week and it hasn't ended on a good note," he said. "It's fair to say the best team went through.
"I think the damage was done in the first half where we stood off them and let them play.
"When you do that with the players they have they can punish you and they have done that."
MMIX
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