James

Could Bolton defend draws? Not all the time (usually the refs fault according to Sam) but pretty often they did.

OK, it is now: P10, W5, D2, L3, F17, A13, GD4 = 17pts At this stage last season, we were: P10, W2, D2, L6, F7, A13, GD-6 = 8pts Or comparing the results so far this season to the results we got in those fixtures last season, we get: P10, W3, D4, L3, F13, A11, GD2 = 13pts

I'd class Owen, Butt, Cacapa, N'Zogbia, Geremi, Martins, Emre and Smith as players who play to win. N'Zogbia only plays well driving forwards, possibly explaining his exclusion from the team, while all the others mentioned have spent several years at clubs who are genuine league and cup challengers every year. These players are used to playing on the front foot, controlling the game home or away, and regularly winning matches. Can you really expect these players, especially considering their ages, to learn to sit back away at Reading, and play for a draw or a lucky win? It is just not in their nature, just like it is not in the nature of England players who win several trophies at club level to sit back an defend a slender lead during international matches. The players, and even the club play for death or glory and nothing else. Whereas Allardyce was able to get Bolton to defend draws, I dont believe it is in the nature of our players or our club, we just aren't comfortable, and never will be. The sooner Allardyce realises this, the better.

Cacapa disallowed for offside. I HATE YOU NEWCASTLE UNITED!!!!!!

I HATE YOU NEWCASTLE UNITED!

FUCK!

352!

YES!

FUCK!

Allardyce said earlier this week that he would be pretty happy with a 0-0 as he'd have an away clean sheet which he could use to show the team how they managed it.

Emre is getting involved in the middle, unlike Barton, so I'd trade barton for the wideman.

No. World commentary is BBC Radio Newcastle

Big fuck up by Faye and Beye there.

Newcastle World is the service you buy from the official Newcastle website.

Emre is currently roaming right of centre.

Read the opening post.

http://www.newcastle-online.com/nufcforum/index.php?topic=46406.0

Come on Newcastle.

Reading: Hahnemann; Murty, Duberry, Sonko, Shorey; Harper, Gunnarsson, Hunt; Kitson, Doyle, Lita. Substitutes: Ingimarsson, Convey, Rosenior, Long, Federici. Newcastle: Given; Beye, Cacapa, Faye, Enrique; Geremi, Butt, Barton, Emre; Martins, Owen. Substitutes: Harper, Rozehnal, Milner, N'Zogbia, Smith. Post match reaction from here: http://www.newcastle-online.com/nufcforum/index.php?topic=46406.msg1053562#msg1053562 DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES REQUEST OR PROVIDE LINKS TO STREAMS. IF YOU DO, YOU WILL BE BANNED* *See http://www.newcastle-online.com/nufcforum/index.php?topic=19161.0 for more information.

Reading are pretty good out wide, but poor through the middle. Perhaps this team plans to counteract Readings width while pushing ourattacking pressure through the middle.

N'Zogbia may not be 100% fit from his cold yet.

Makes no sense. We played Bolton away in December and Villa home in January. It makes perfect sense. If you want to do better in the league, you need to turn draws against teams into wins, and defeats against teams into wins or draws. For instance, we've improved on defeats against Middlesbrough and Bolton. At the start of the season Allardyce said something about the importance of improving results against specific teams leading to improved league standings, and this comparison follows this philosophy. Obviously statistics aren't the be all end all, but the league table is also just a statistic in itself at this stage of the season, and we have to be prepared for the possibility that we aren't currently the 10 points better off we seem to think we are.

Read my next post, I realised upon reading my original post that it wasn't quite clear what I was doing.

Just to clarify, I'm comparing Bolton away this season with Bolton away last season, then Villa home this season with Villa home last season etc.

Currently, we have a record of P9, W5, D2, L2, F16, A11, GD5 = 17pts After 9 games last season: P9, W2, D1, L6, F7, A13, GD-6 = 7pts. That looks impressive, especially in the goalscoring and winning department. However, earlier in the season, the Spurs board were said to have compared the results of specific fixtures to justify Jol keeping his job. Doing the same for us (replacing Derby for Watford), you get: P9, W3, D4, L2, F13, A10, GD3 = 13pts. In that sense, we are still losing the same amount of games, just we've turned a couple of draws in to wins, meaning we've scored a few more, and won a few more than last season. In fact, our defensive performance has been worse than last year! So although we are definitely doing better than in past seasons, news of significant improvement are a little exaggerated. Obviously stats dont account for improved confidence or improved performances, but I'm going to keep a comparative record going on in this thread, perhaps including a few other seasons.