Back from the game....... I really hate geordies

[John Madejski's Wallet]

From BBC:

Chris Hughton's men rarely needed to get out of third gear

and

The home side looked set for a hiding but a Simpson own goal gave Brian McDermott's side a much-needed boost.

//What sodding game were they watching??

I know we rarely troubled their keeper, but we did all the pushing in that game and I have to take my hat off to the strong, last-ditch defending of the newcastle players.

Fairly enjoyable game I thought, with a frustrating lack of end product. The difference between walking the league and sitting where we are was shown by their clinical attacking on the break

.....anyone else notice Nolan kick Feds in the head while he was on the floor??

[biscuitman]

The referee was poor, completely and utterly shite

[floyd__streete]

Well, that was actually quite an enjoyable load of old mince really. Plenty to keep you entertained tonight; standard soft-goal conceded at near post for Federici, Shola Aameobi getting rinsed by the AWESOME Gunnarsson and resorting to kicking Bryn up the bum in temper and then of course Kebe's laughably shanked cross when well plaed in the dying seconds to serve as a timely reminder to those who had forgotten that he is actually a little bit mince . Apart from a spawny goal, Reading had no real luck insomuch as we only had one recognised centre half to start with and then we ended with 10 men thanks to Bryn's injury.

I think it is fair to say that with Zurab and Mills playing we may not have lost that game tonight; I really want to like Pearce as a youth product but fact is he is as mobile as an arthritic sloth and was outperfomed tonight by a 34 year old midfielder playing out of position. At the other end, Colocini must have laughed so hard playing against Shane Long in the first half that he had to be taken off at half time. Newcastle were not one of the better sides I have seen this season and they moaned and groaned and bumped and lumped their way to a win.

Things are shaping up nicely though. Bring Griffin in full time, put Rasiak out to pasture - the recently deceased polish president was better in the air than Rasiak is, a desperate signing by ROFLodgers that was. We are looking good for a good five years or so of mid-table obscurity in the Championship, hurrah!

[FiNeRaIn]

They were 2-0 up while in second gear, lucky own goal as we never looked like scoring. After that we put some pressure on.

[Wimb]

Well mixed emotions.

Fairly good performance out there but we lacked any cutting edge and I'd be lying if I said we should have got 3 points tonight.

Newcastle personified 'gamesmanship' tonight. They used all their experience to bully us without getting punished and whilst that annoyed the shit out of us, its no different to what we did in the closing stages of the West Brom game.

At the end of the day Newcastle showed why they have walked the league and with that much talent in their team we were always going to be up against it.

Not really much else to say, I thought Tabb was a bit poor with his passing today and they marked Kebe out of the game. Still plenty to look forward too next season.

Oh and Nolan is a complete to55er

URZZZZZ

[earleyroyal]

Got to say that game reminded me of why being in the Premiership had its considerable downsides. It also made me glad that I don't support Newcastle, it must be an effort to put aside your morals on a weekly basis in order to support that lot - two players who should be behind bars and several who behaved like typical top-flight prima donna wankers. Special mention to Kevin 'I should be in the England squad' Nolan and Shola 'shit' Ameobi, how he didn't get sent off I don't know - can anyone remember a worse refereeing decision than that?

Also I'm fairly sure I saw Nolan and Ameobi squaring up to each other before the start of the second half and pushing, it seemed to be about who was going to take the kick off which would be roughly on an intellectual level with the rest of their performances.

All in all a really good performance but punished for our lapses and no shame in losing to a team which can call on an Argentinian international centre back (who stood out by miles) and winger (who didn't), as well as ex-England internationals, no shame in being a team with a shred of integrity either.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

They were 2-0 up while in second gear, lucky own goal as we never looked like scoring. After that we put some pressure on.

Really?
I'd say they were 2-0 up while flapping like crazy at the back.

Damned clinical when they got their chances mind

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Did you even bother looking?

That said:

I really want to like Pearce as a youth product but fact is he is as mobile as an arthritic sloth

the recently deceased polish president was better in the air than Rasiak is

[Focher]

i really enjoyed that game, we gave everything, dominated play outside their box ( ), and showed we are a good team.

To sum up Newcastle, forgetting their twatty poofy premier league moaning and diving, they are everything a top team needs to be, strong, athletic, mobile, organised, and score when called upon. Yes we deserved a point out the game, but i could see exactly why they are far and away the best team in the league.

Best players on the pitch, both left backs.

[brendywendy]

Thought we mostly bossed that tbf.they were clinical and proffesional and took their goals well,but looked average for most of the game. Griff, bryn,howard and tabb did well,and considering he was asked toplay with his fifth partner of the season so did pearce. Well played and on to next year.

[chilipepper91]

We were good and controlled it without creating too many chances. They had 4 chances and took 2. That's why they're top.

And that's where the niceties end. What a bunch of pcunts. Nolan kicking the ball away then refusing to go to the ref to receive his yellow card. 5 bookings for dissent. Ameobi's kick on Pearce (the worst refereeing decision in a very long time). Even Hughton got in on the gamesmanship, holding the ball out for Gunnar then dropping it. The arrogant strides around the pitch. Nolan going to the fans to celebrate his "3rd" before it even went in. Smacked of the "deserving to be in the Premier League" attitude.

We played well but we didn't have the composure in the final 3rd. Siggy looked a class above today. Our game plan was fairly easy to work out - Long flick on for Kebe in behind. Problem being when Long did win the header (which tbf he did a fair bit more than I expected) Kebe was nearly always offside. Federici possibly at fault for the first. Bertrand had a good game, got forward a lot. Griffin had a good game too.

[Basingstoke Royal]

They need to take a long hard look at themselves, to call half of them footballers is a joke.

Criminals, thugs, cheats, gypos, scousers - that sums up that team.

The problem was the ref is already treating them like a premiership team. It was as though he was scared of them and let them walk all over him. Ameobi and Nolan should have both been sent off.

They won't get many harder games than that this season, and if mills and Zurab played we wouldn't have conceeded either of those goals.

We need a decent striker. That's all we are missing. Ship out rasiak, send church out on loan and let long, hunt and one other lead the line. Scoring goals has been our problem all season. We need to splash a couple of million on a proven striker, then we will go up.

[Allyh84]

I am POSITIVE Ameobi got booked twice and then nothing

The one where he kicked Griffin (???) as he ran away from our boxthe ball, then there was another foul on the centre circle and I am positive he showed a yellow. Unless it was another black player, but I cant think of any others.

[floyd__streete]

I am positive he showed a yellow. Unless it was another black player, but I cant think of any others.

Racist. I can think of loads of black players; Pele, Laurie Cunningham, Keith Jones.

[Messiah]

They need to take a long hard look at themselves, to call half of them footballers is a joke.

Criminals, thugs, cheats, gypos, scousers - that sums up that team.

[West_Reading]

Thought Newcastle were pretty average looking, although obviously they have little to play for with promotion and the title (pretty much) sewn up. They scored with their first 'attack' of the game (Long punt, Gunnar slips, Peace outmuscled to the ball and Fed gets a hand but can't keep it out) and then we were hit again due to giving the ball away cheaply in midfield. We looked decent at times but thought Howard and Sig were poor, which meant we looked toothless in the final third. I would have kept Tabb on and definetely taken Howard off. Bertrand, Kebe, Tabb, Griffin and Gunnar were all excellent.

Fed - 6 - Should have saved the first from what I could see. Poor kicking from backpasses
Griffin - 8 - Was excellent against Gutierrez and linked well with Kebe
Gunnar - 7 - A few slips but overall was very good. Kept Ameobi quiet all game.
Pearce - 5 - Not a fan sadly. Too immobile and missed a few headers
Bertrand - 8 - Excellent going forward and for the most part kept Routledge out of the game
Kebe - 7 - Looked a threat all game but end product was lacking
Howard - 6 - Too many nothing balls meaning we gave up possession easily
Sig - 6 - Tripped over the ball a few times and lacked his usual cutting edge
Tabb - 8 - Thought he was everywhere and won nearly all his headers. Always shows for the ball
Mcanuff - 6 - Never really got into the game, apart from one good cross on his left foot in the first half.
Long - 6 - Was too isolated today and I think this was in part due to Howard and Sig having quiet games.

Subs -

Church - 6 - Nothing much of note.
HRK - 6 - Looked lively, two good crosses.
Rasiak - Little time to make impact. Kept heading back towards our own goal.

[Allyh84]

I am positive he showed a yellow. Unless it was another black player, but I cant think of any others.

Racist. I can think of loads of black players; Pele, Laurie Cunningham, Keith Jones.

What about Chris Birchall for Trinidad & Tobago?



A true Caribeean LEGEND

[Ian Herring]

'Then we will go up'...

and have to play cocks like that every week.

No ta.

You can stick the hairband premiertoss or whatever it's called these days up your retail outlet.

What a real 'man's' team those Geordies were. Lots of girl hair. Prancing, And other less-than-macho non-North-Eastern pouvery.

Nonce cases.

[Question Mark]

Sig - 6

MOTM IMO

[Kurtz]

tbh I dont think the ref saw Ameobi kick Pearce, at least didn't get a proper view. I think he was already turning away to follow the ball and had to go by a guess based on the crowd's reaction. He was pretty poor tho and bottled a straight 2nd yellow on Nolan.

Tabb should have stayed on and Jobi should have gone off earlier.

Thought they looked very average at the back despite their defensive record and despite our lack of clear cut chances. I think England's favourite runners up will need to invest heavily over the summer if they're to just miss out on a European place nex season.

Overall a decent team performance but their clinical finishing > our clinical finishing.