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

[Wantage Royal]

I thought Newcastle showed why they are champions to be honest. Went away to one of the strongest teams in the league this year, soaked up the pressure, took their chances (let's not forget they were an inch away from a third as well) and went home with all three points. Classic away performance and I was very impressed with the organisation and defensive commitment they displayed. How different to Newcastle teams of old.

Nolan - cockpiece without any shadow of a doubt and yes, the ref was intimidated but that hardly cost us the game.

Reading did okay but also showed why we're not quite there yet. I too think we should have gone with two strikers earlier in the match given the scoreline and how out of the game Shane Long was on his own. Otherwise no real complaints and at least now we can all put our feet up for the next four matches, enjoy some football and not worry about the damn play-offs any more.

Have to agree 100% with that.

[Wycombe Royal]

It is quite funny looking through all the bitterness on here, would it be fairer to say maybe Newcastle weren't at thier best last night? ?They still won. How many times did fans of other teams say that about Reading in 2006? How we'd be 'straight back down'.

There is absolutely ZERO chance they will get relegated next season. Not in that dross league. They will have a bit of dosh to add 1 or 2 players to what is a Premiership squad already.

Hughton has done a great job, now their moronic fans have stopped chanting for someone who was born in Newcastle, and have just got on with the job, they've got someone that's had a lot of experience coaching at big clubs who has moulded a team when their 'saviour' couldn't.

I don't know if Newcastle were anywhere near their best or not but they did enough and thats all that matters isn't it. The first half was a bit of a smash and grab but after that they looked pretty comfortable.
I agree they won't struggle next season.

They will struggle if they don't spend serious money on strikers. Nolan's goal won't keep them up, and if they are going to rely on Ameobi/Carroll/Ranger/Lovenkrands then they are going to be deep in a relegation battle.

[The Surgeon of Crowthorne]

I thought Newcastle showed why they are champions to be honest. Went away to one of the strongest teams in the league this year, soaked up the pressure, took their chances (let's not forget they were an inch away from a third as well) and went home with all three points. Classic away performance and I was very impressed with the organisation and defensive commitment they displayed. How different to Newcastle teams of old.

Nolan - cockpiece without any shadow of a doubt and yes, the ref was intimidated but that hardly cost us the game.

Reading did okay but also showed why we're not quite there yet. I too think we should have gone with two strikers earlier in the match given the scoreline and how out of the game Shane Long was on his own. Otherwise no real complaints and at least now we can all put our feet up for the next four matches, enjoy some football and not worry about the damn play-offs any more.

Have to agree 100% with that.

Me too. In fact, I stated exactly the bit in bold to my mate at the game.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Great game last night. The lads put in 110% effort and we ran Newcastle very close. Every Reading player on the pitch put in a decent performance. Another pathetic ref who missed some blatant fouls throughout the game, and was it me or was Gunnarsson fouled by Ameobi in the lead up to the first goal? He pulled his shirt and throw him to the ground.

Most of the Newcastle players who played yesterday were utter twats. Kevin Nolan (as much as I like him as a player) and Shola Ameobi already thought they were in the Premier League. The two Argentinian players can oxf*rd off with their arrogance.

Top notch atmosphere last night from the home fans. Newcastle only sang for about 10 minutes and stopped. They must of foreseen their impending relegation back down here.

[Maguire]

They will struggle if they don't spend serious money on strikers. Nolan's goal won't keep them up, and if they are going to rely on Ameobi/Carroll/Ranger/Lovenkrands then they are going to be deep in a relegation battle.

I dunno - Wolves, West Ham, and Wigan might all stay up without a single player getting into double figures.

[SpaceCruiser]

They will struggle if they don't spend serious money on strikers. Nolan's goal won't keep them up, and if they are going to rely on Ameobi/Carroll/Ranger/Lovenkrands then they are going to be deep in a relegation battle.

I dunno - Wolves, West Ham, and Wigan might all stay up without a single player getting into double figures.

Next season, there will still be some shit teams in the Premiership, including those you mention plus Stoke City, West Brom and whoever comes up through the play-offs. So I think Newcastle will stay up next season.

[Adz1871]

What about the coin throwing incident? Aimed at Howard in the first half. THEN the stewards have the nerve to come and tell us to sit down?

[Wycombe Royal]

They will struggle if they don't spend serious money on strikers. Nolan's goal won't keep them up, and if they are going to rely on Ameobi/Carroll/Ranger/Lovenkrands then they are going to be deep in a relegation battle.

I dunno - Wolves, West Ham, and Wigan might all stay up without a single player getting into double figures.

I didn't say they wouldn't stay up.....I said they will be deep in a relegation battle just like those 3 you mention, although Wolves have pulled away from it now.

[Allyh84]

What about the coin throwing incident? Aimed at Howard in the first half. THEN the stewards have the nerve to come and tell us to sit down?

Came to post this. What oxf*rd.

I also liked the "106" song, can't believe we didn't sing about it before to wind up leading teams.

[Ian Royal]

Ian, I'm curious. How bad would a player have to be before you awarded lower than 5? McAnuff was very poor, and in the minutes leading to his substitution just didn't look bothered.

You'd have top be specatularly bad to get lower than a 4 IMO, I think I've given Long those scores a few times. Ipswich away last year where he spent the entire game controlling the ball to the opposition or into touch. 4 has to be pretty bad. McAnuff wasn't awful, he just did very little positive.

[Gatecrasher]

The 106 chant is embarrassing, no-one else gives a toss about the record apart from us, and especially not a team that's already promoted. If one day we get promoted with only 104 points I think I could live with it.
Nearly as embarrassing as chanting "you're coming straight back down" mind. I mean when you're already promoted you just laugh at this sort of feeble attempt at a wind-up. That's a great thing about getting promoted with games to spare, the opposing fans can't touch you.

[BR2]

Pretty much agree with the more recent posters in Maguire,AP and Pearcey.
Did we actually have a shot?
We were too easily outmuscled and hardly created anything-they didn't create much but what they did create was simple and effective.
Apart from us needing to harden up a bit (and that goes for some of the earlier whingeing softy posters on here as well as our team) the thing that disappointed me most was that for most of the game we looked to play long ball to Shane in the vague hope that he might flick on to Kebe as our only tactic.
In recent weeks we have played much more of a quick passing game through midfield and yet last night with a 5-man midfield we chose to by-pass them all and of course the opposition had the standard two tall centre-backs for whom the long ball was just meat and drink.

Looking to next season if we are going to play with 2 wingers they really do need to offer something defensively-maybe Antonio returning will give a more physical presence.
Pearce and Church-the modern game is supposed to be about pace but neither of these have got it and with Church I have never seen a central striker who cannot nor will not jump for a ball-Simon it's part of the job m8.
The crux may well be about what loan players we keep and what new ones are brought in but in Bertrand,Kish and Griffin they may all take a bit of replacing regardless of the fact that we need to improve on those and the rest if we are to make a serious challenge.

[SpaceCruiser]

The 106 chant is embarrassing, no-one else gives a toss about the record apart from us, and especially not a team that's already promoted. If one day we get promoted with only 104 points I think I could live with it.
Nearly as embarrassing as chanting "you're coming straight back down" mind. I mean when you're already promoted you just laugh at this sort of feeble attempt at a wind-up. That's a great thing about getting promoted with games to spare, the opposing fans can't touch you.

Oh, shut up.

[Big Foot]

Very spirited performance last night I felt against a team who we showed too much respect to in the first half. At times we let them knock it about too easily and didn't take our chances, indeed it was a rather naive first half from us - almost like watching a Brendan Rodgers' side play.

No real MoTM, Griffin played well but was ultimately skinned by an Argentinian international who looked dangerous all night. Tabb was committed at all times and harshly booked. Bertrand got forward well but didn't let shine defensively, Routledge was a handful.

Church was full of energy when he came on, not too sure why we didn't get the ball to Robson Kanu much as he seemed to be having a better time of things vs their right back than McAnuff.

[East Grinstead Royal]

Look at the Stats
RFC 0-Toon 2
Possesion 49-51

I looked at the stats at half-time, and it showed 66:34 possession in Reading's favour. Not sure how Newcastle turned it around to 49:51, that means they must have had 32:68 after HT. Certainly didn't seem like it. Perhaps they held the ball while Gunnarson was getting treated, and I suppose they were deemed as in possession while Harper took his time, spitting on his gloves, etc, for every goal kick.

[No Fixed Abode]

Results business.

End of thread.

[Wycombe Royal]

Tabb was committed at all times and harshly booked.

He was not harshly booked. Nolan got booked for doing the same thing early in the match and I doubt anyone would be saying that was harsh.......

[Row Z Royal]

What about the coin throwing incident? Aimed at Howard in the first half. THEN the stewards have the nerve to come and tell us to sit down?

Came to post this. What oxf*rd.

I also liked the "106" song, can't believe we didn't sing about it before to wind up leading teams.

Sorry to get all Spacey on your ass, but when was the last time we hosted the team who were top of the league?

[LoyalRoyal22]

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.

Send Church on Loan? are you serious? Im sure he has got to double figures for a mid-table Champ side, not bad i think. But we do need more options upfront

[Jack Celliers]

It was an excellent game - truly entertaining - and we played really well at times, but the scoreline is a bit of a wake-up call. We will need to improve a little to have a chance of automatic promotion next season. They were cleverer than us really.

Federici 6 - another mistake, but there haven't been too many this season
Griffin 7 - seemed to enjoy himself
Bertrand - 7 - attacked well
Pearce - 7 - improving
Gunnarson - 8 - played a real man's game

Tabb - 8.5 - so impressive in the first half
Howard - 7 - passing needs tightening up
McAnuff - 6 - not quite there
Kebe - 8 - coped well with having three players on him

Sigurdson - 9 we have just got to bite the bullet and pay him what he wants for a year

Long - 6 - seemed to get lost (Church seemed sharper

Ref - 9/10
I thought he was brilliant.