CAN WE PRESS FAST FORWARD?

The end of the season can't get here soon enough.

That has to be the prevailing sentiment among Newcastle United fans after watching Sunday's 3-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.

It was a loss in which most members of the away team — save for the tireless Jonas Gutierrez — appeared to simply go through the motions. Maybe they're ready for summer as well.

Newcastle actually dominated possession for a good chunk of the match, but a combination of horrid defending and hopeless attacking meant United never looked likely to score, never mind get anything out of the match. Liverpool wasn't overly impressive, but the hosts didn't need to be.

Now, to be fair to Newcastle, it's been a long and trying season. The squad isn't big enough or good enough, and Sunday wasn't the first time that became apparent. And while we've heard plenty of quotes about the players' desire to finish as high up the table as possible, they're no doubt well aware that — barring something disastrous in the season's final three weeks — they've successfully avoided relegation. So maybe there's just a tad less motivation for a team that's been out to prove its critics wrong in this first season back up in the Premier League.

I'm sure plenty of Newcastle fans will point out that part of Alan Pardew's job is to inspire that motivation, but it's unfair to criticize the manager much over a lackluster performance by his team in a fairly meaningless late-season match.

What Pardew needs at this point isn't necessarily better tactics, team selection or motivational speeches. He needs better players.

So, please, summer, hurry up and get here.