Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes pulled no punches as he gave a withering assessment of his side's 1-0 loss away to fierce local rivals Sunderland.
The Black Cats took three points and secured local bragging rights in the North East thanks to Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade's own-goal at the start of the second half at the Stadium of Light.
The win continues Sunderland's great season back in the Premier League after securing promotion from the Championship via the play-offs last campaign.
Regis le Bris's men are in the top half of the Premier League table in seventh and are now four points clear of their rivals, who remain in the bottom half of the top flight standings.
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Guimaraes captained Newcastle against Sunderland and played the entire match at the Stadium of Light, picking up a booking in second half injury time.
And speaking to reporters after the defeat, the Brazilian made no excuses for his side's performance as he tore into his team's overall showing as he labelled it 'a mess', claiming that Newcastle did not play like the 'better team' he feels they are when compared to Sunderland.
He said: "I'm very angry, I'm so embarrassed and I'm so frustrated.
"There was no crossing, no passing and no shooting. No nothing. It was a mess, in my opinion.
"We know we have a better team than them (Sunderland) but we didn't play like the better team. It was a mess.
"The consistency isn't there, the mentality isn't there. We didn't compete. The fans expect and deserve better.
"We accepted the way they play with the long balls. You need to compete in a derby and we didn't."
Guimaraes added it was his most painful defeat as a Newcastle player stating: "Definitely, yes. Not just as a defeat, more the way we play. Disappointed, frustrated, lack of energy, don't put the things that we are able to do, cross the ball, pass the ball.
"We were like a mess in my point of view. Disappointed, angry. This one is a tough one to accept.
"I've played many, many derbies in my career. It's not easy to get a defeat, but today I think we disappointed the fans. We disappointed the fans in general because they were expecting much more. We were as well.
"But we didn't perform like the team that should come here with the right mentality. So yeah, we understand the fans.
"Now we have just, for me, one way to go. That is beating everyone, improve our form, qualify the club for the semi-final of the Carabao Cup, qualify for the Champions League and improve our level in the Premier League as well. And just a final one for me, Bruno."
Newcastle are back in action in midweek when they host Fulham in the quarter-finals of the League Cup, before taking on Chelsea at St James' Park next Saturday back in the Premier League.
Magpies boss Eddie Howe admitted the loss against the Black Cats was a 'horrible feeling' after Woltemade's own-goal proved decisive.
He told Sky Sports: "It was not our finest game. The effort was there but the quality was not. It was a game of really few chances decided by a freak goal and we could not create the opening we wanted.
"The goal came at a really bad time and was bad in its construction - Nick has not meant to do it but it has decided the game. I thought we had defended pretty well.
"The quality was missing in both halves, we were disappointed with our creative output. There was more intensity and more bravery on the ball after the changes without creating the chances and their goalkeeper was not overworked.
"We know how much this means and all the focus on today was huge. We tried to deliver our best performance and we haven't done that.
"We feel disappointed in ourselves and that we left something on the pitch and that's a horrible feeling."
Topics: Newcastle United, Sunderland, Premier League
John McDougall