BFTG Newcastle (H)

[Hound]

Blackett's a good player. I'm definitely a fan of his defensive work, and he has plenty of ability to work with

Obita though to me is a more complete left back, as he offers a lot more going forward and is more mobile, whereas Tyler looks like a CB playing left back to me. You can also push him further into midfield if needed and he can do a job as a left midfielder/defensive winger

I like the Blackett/Obita combo on the left side when we play 5 at the back - I think they work very well together there

[Rudolph Hucker]

I have to agree with oh ROAR's comment about our centre backs last night. With Moore off the pitch my heart sank when I saw Dwight Gayle coming on but McShane & VDB had him in their pockets and he hardly got a touch. Their positional play and interceptions were brilliant and after Murphy's header midway through the 2nd half I don't think they had another clear cut chance.
It was also good to see Blackett & Obita combining well down the left - perhaps there is room for them both after all?

Definitely one of the better 0-0's we've seen down there

[Royal Tezza]

Last minute to attend last night as my toon supporting mate was heading to the game from Clapham Junction. Sweet lord. I am never getting public transport to our place again, and if I do, I'm betraying myself and leaving before FT. 45 minutes waiting for a bus in the pissing rain to just about make the last train home, at home at 1am on a school night I know it was a big attendance but jeeeesus

Much better performance today, would have been delighted with a point before KO although in retrospect I thought Newcastle looked tired from their recent exertions and possibly there for a beating. That said if we had gone a bit more gung-ho at them they definitely had the potential to damage us on the counter. I think both teams will be happy with a point.

Not much to say on individual players except Grabban was absolutely useless on the wing - I don't know if he's ever played there before but he should either be playing as a main striker or not at all. I've watched so many great wingers charging down the right flank over the last 10 or so years, the guy that was supposed to be there tonight was completely invisible. Don't know why Beerens or Popa didn't get a run out in light of this. If you're being generous you could say Grabban is in there as the bigger goal threat but based on the last 180 mins I've seen him play this is unjustified.

[Woodcote Royal]

Very harsh. We were okay, nowhere near utter dross. Improved much more than "a bit" in the second and domin8ed - actually a lot to do with Williams and Obita more than G-Mac I thought, who only really threatened in the last 10 minutes.

Kelly had a right shocker, though.

I'm with jd82 here. We were so poor in the first half I nearly fell asleep - all of our possession was just in front of our penalty area and Newcastle had the bulk of the chances. I've not seen Kelly play such a bad half of football and it was no surprise he didn't reappear for the second.
We were much better in the second half and at least we had spells of decent possession in newcastle's half. Blackett looks so much better as a central defender than a full back so I don't know why Stam keeps picking him over Obita.

Weird innit.. might have something to do with the fact I don't go that often so I'm not used to this torturous style of play.

Obita must be spitting every week when he sees Blackett ahead of him at lb

There's nothing weird about it all. You are living proof that this club has always been handicapped by more than it's fair share of Grade A Twats in the fan base.

Most supporters were desperate for a top 10 finish back in the summer. Then, as the season progressed with results proving better than expected, an increasingly vociferous minority started to come to the fore by booing the team for keeping possession rather than moving forward more quickly.

Slowly but surely these idiots were silenced as the team moved into the playoff places but the cost was reduced attendances as many "know nothings" mercifully decided to stay away.

In time honoured fashion it was never hard to predict the sort of fixture that would tempt some back. Just as 40k we're happy to travel to Wembley for a meaningless cup final when we often struggled to attract 5k to Elm Park, the mighty Newcastle at the Mad Stad was clearly too big a temptation for the whinging stay aways to resist and we were treated to first half boing because we were keeping the ball in our own half.

I trust last night was sufficient to keep you and others absent for the rest of the season.

[genome]

Seeing loads of comments about the st8 of the buses/traffic/etc.

I read the warning on Twitter by the club about getting there early, so I got a bus from town that got me to the stadium for 7, without a hitch. I stayed to the final whistle and got back to the buses without rushing, waited no longer than 10 minutes and was back in town by half ten.

[Ian Royal]

Great stuff reading all the reviews, thanks. The extended highlights do seem to put things in a similar light, which is nice. Bit concerned by the number of times we were shown sloppily giving the ball away first half. Mutch and Grabban certainly didn't appear in a great light on them.

[jd82]

I'm with jd82 here. We were so poor in the first half I nearly fell asleep - all of our possession was just in front of our penalty area and Newcastle had the bulk of the chances. I've not seen Kelly play such a bad half of football and it was no surprise he didn't reappear for the second.
We were much better in the second half and at least we had spells of decent possession in newcastle's half. Blackett looks so much better as a central defender than a full back so I don't know why Stam keeps picking him over Obita.

Weird innit.. might have something to do with the fact I don't go that often so I'm not used to this torturous style of play.

Obita must be spitting every week when he sees Blackett ahead of him at lb

There's nothing weird about it all. You are living proof that this club has always been handicapped by more than it's fair share of Grade A Twats in the fan base.

Most supporters were desperate for a top 10 finish back in the summer. Then, as the season progressed with results proving better than expected, an increasingly vociferous minority started to come to the fore by booing the team for keeping possession rather than moving forward more quickly.

Slowly but surely these idiots were silenced as the team moved into the playoff places but the cost was reduced attendances as many "know nothings" mercifully decided to stay away.

In time honoured fashion it was never hard to predict the sort of fixture that would tempt some back. Just as 40k we're happy to travel to Wembley for a meaningless cup final when we often struggled to attract 5k to Elm Park, the mighty Newcastle at the Mad Stad was clearly too big a temptation for the whinging stay always to resist and we were treated to first half boing because we were keeping the ball in our own half.

I trust last night was sufficient to keep you and others absent for the rest of the season.

Just

[Maguire]

Seeing loads of comments about the st8 of the buses/traffic/etc.

I read the warning on Twitter by the club about getting there early, so I got a bus from town that got me to the stadium for 7, without a hitch. I stayed to the final whistle and got back to the buses without rushing, waited no longer than 10 minutes and was back in town by half ten.

Well good for you. I got on a bus in town at 1920 and missed the first ten minutes of the match. Probably the worst I've ever seen it.

Thought a draw was a fair result. If they'd scored during their period of ascendancy in the first half then I doubt we'd have got back into it but credit to Reading, dragged themselves back into the match and played their part despite never really looking like scoring.

- Mutch I thought was a total passenger.

- Grabban isn't a winger nor does he challenge for anything in the air.

- Defence acquitted itself well after Moore went off.

- Newcastle threw fewer and fewer players forward in the second half and clearly took the point with 20mins to go.

- Woodcote Royal has come across as a right chopper

[mambo3]

It's funny - I was on the bus with some Newcastle fans on the way back and they were saying that they thought the game was pretty awful and the standard of football dreadful. They were asking me if 'it's always this bad' at the mad stad. However I thought it was one of the more interesting Reading games i'd seen this season - certainly better than Wolves on Saturday.

Compared to the later Adkins/Clarke days at least we look like a solid football side that isn't going to shatter under the slightest pressure.

Have to say though that I still think that Kermorgant is the weak link. He's another Pogrebnyak. Football fans can often be blinded to the failings of their own players and anyone that thinks he's good enough for a promotion chasing team is mistaken. Until we get in a £10m striker I can't see us being competitive in the big games.

Call me crazy but I would actually argue Kermie has been one of our best, most consistent players all season. Sure he could have got a few more goals, but he puts in a shift week in week out, I rarely come away from a game thinking that he hasn't played well.

Best Defender you mean. No point putting a shift if he isn't scoring that's what he's paid to do.

[genome]

Best Defender you mean. No point putting a shift if he isn't scoring that's what he's paid to do.

12 goals in 40 (9) league appearances for us, not bad for a 35 year old in the second tier.

[Basildon]

It's funny - I was on the bus with some Newcastle fans on the way back and they were saying that they thought the game was pretty awful and the standard of football dreadful. They were asking me if 'it's always this bad' at the mad stad. However I thought it was one of the more interesting Reading games i'd seen this season - certainly better than Wolves on Saturday.

Compared to the later Adkins/Clarke days at least we look like a solid football side that isn't going to shatter under the slightest pressure.

Have to say though that I still think that Kermorgant is the weak link. He's another Pogrebnyak. Football fans can often be blinded to the failings of their own players and anyone that thinks he's good enough for a promotion chasing team is mistaken. Until we get in a £10m striker I can't see us being competitive in the big games.

Call me crazy but I would actually argue Kermie has been one of our best, most consistent players all season. Sure he could have got a few more goals, but he puts in a shift week in week out, I rarely come away from a game thinking that he hasn't played well.

Best Defender you mean. No point putting a shift if he isn't scoring that's what he's paid to do.

Disagree, he brings others into the game better than most in the division. He would have probably scored more as well if we got some better deliveries into the box, final ball has been lacking quite a lot this season.

[mambo3]

Best Defender you mean. No point putting a shift if he isn't scoring that's what he's paid to do.

12 goals in 40 (9) league appearances for us, not bad for a 35 year old in the second tier.

How many from set pieces?

[genome]

Best Defender you mean. No point putting a shift if he isn't scoring that's what he's paid to do.

12 goals in 40 (9) league appearances for us, not bad for a 35 year old in the second tier.

How many from set pieces?

Oh, sorry m8. I forgot they didn't count as goals.

[mambo3]

12 goals in 40 (9) league appearances for us, not bad for a 35 year old in the second tier.

How many from set pieces?

Oh, sorry m8. I forgot they didn't count as goals.

Just to correct you its 8 goals from 29 games 2016/17 Championship. all being equal he scored 5 in open play

[Basildon]

How many from set pieces?

Oh, sorry m8. I forgot they didn't count as goals.

Just to correct you its 8 goals from 29 games 2016/17 Championship. all being equal he scored 5 in open play

Don't know if that really counts as correcting.

[Victor Meldrew]

Nameless wrote:-
The fact that Shelvey was anonymous suggests our midfield were doing something right !

As has been said often on BFTG threads we all see such different games.
I thought Shelvey was the only player who looked Premier League class apart from McCleary who was a bit special in the second half.
Not a bad game for a 0-0 which suited both sides.

A shame about Grabban-I thought he was brought in to replace Kermie through the middle, taking advantage of through balls within a front 3 playing at pace but Stam has just accommodated him in the team and it hasn't worked.
As for Mutch I thought he was o.k last night trying to make space and making himself available but I agree with the other poster, he is yet another of our soft players.

Don't get the over-the-top remarks about Joey who had it easy playing so deep as an extra centre-back even in the first half but if rating him as a genuine midfielder IMHO he doesn't create very much.

The crowd, for both sides, were on much better form than was shown on the pitch but we are cementing this 5th or 6th place so early summer holidays are starting to look out of the question as the play-offs beckon-once again, well done Jaap you have found a way to generally make us hard to beat even if we have to get used to those long periods where nothing happens.
It might be dull but it's good to be in 5th and dull compared to 17th and dull and he deserves great credit.

[genome]

How many from set pieces?

Oh, sorry m8. I forgot they didn't count as goals.

Just to correct you its 8 goals from 29 games 2016/17 Championship. all being equal he scored 5 in open play

a) No, it's actually 9 this season
b) The 40 (9) stat includes appearances (and subs) in the second half of last season.
c) I'm still not sure why it matters if a goal is in open play

[Westwood52]

After Saturdays dross-the team played exceptionally well-albeit that a few players are struggling.

The system suits us & Stam got the tactics spot on & I thought we shaded the game-that said there is a lesson there-they shoot on sight & we don't (except for Macca).

IMO

Al Habsi 7 : Couple of good saves-but a few fumbles.

Gunter 6: Usual-started badly ;then got better, not really a threat overlapping, although got close a few times.
Blackett 7: How can he play so badly on Saturday , but so solid last night. One horrible shank.
McShane 8: Absolute monster.
Moore 5 : Nearly gave a pen away again, early doors-not great in the air-was he fit enough to start ?
Joey 8: MOM , best I have seen him play. The system completely threw the Newcies.That tackle on Gayle, saved us.
Kelly 3: An absolute mare -I suspect after a promising season-his season is now done.
Mutch 5: Don't know what to make of him-struts around, but has brought little impact to us.
Macca 6: Not at his best-but provided our only threat.
Kermit 5: Completely dominated by Lascelles-looked his age.
Grabham 6: Bad miss first up-off the pace most of the game-but there were some classy moves.

Williams 7: Had to rein himself in & and did very well in a restrained role.
Obita 7: Posed a threat.

Newcastle-I have seen better teams than them this season-Ritchie & Shelvey disappointing-that lot will go straight down again.

Ref pretty good-East Stand Lino appalling.

Traffic on big Tuesday nights now a real problem . Why aren't there hatchings on the A33JM4 roundabout-big lorries just block the junction , trying to get across-perhaps a Tesco Warehouse access ban between 6.00pm and 7.00 pm ? When we go up- the number of those big Tuesday nights will come around more often.

[Ian Royal]

12 goals in 40 (9) league appearances for us, not bad for a 35 year old in the second tier.

How many from set pieces?

Oh, sorry m8. I forgot they didn't count as goals.

three assists as well.

He doesn't score enough, and ideally we'd want better. But he brings a lot to the table. He's certainly much improved on last season from what I have managed to see. ALF could score, didn't do much else. It isn't all about goals.

[Muskrat]

Right here we go. The archetypal game of two halves. First half we were dire and should have been a couple of goals down, even taking into account Grabban's missed sitter in the first minute. Continual passing across the back three, several uncomfortable back passes to Al Habsi and our goal leading a charmed life.

We had no discernible shape and Newcastle showed how a well drilled 4-4-2 formation can easily stifle our chaotic gameplay. I was so bored just before half time that I took to the Internet to get the Hob Nob view of the game.

Second half started in pretty much the same vein and then came the pivotal moment of the game - the injury to Moore. From that moment on we had to change our style because JVDB simply did not trust Blackett with a sideways ball, which wasn't surprising after his first half performance where he couldn't trap a bag of cement.

So Joey started pinging 40 yarders across the field or out to the wings. I don't think Benitez quite knew what to do about this, what must have appeared as a stroke of tactical genius and they shrunk back into their shell and let us dictate the play a lot more.

So even though they had twice as many shots and five times as many shots on target than us, I think we deserved the draw for a battling performance with no little skill and desire on show.