Benwell Lad

He's a left back. That's about it. Does what it says on the tin - no added ingredients. That probably suits Rafa especially as he's young and willing so could be moulded into what his manager requires.

From last night's pre match thread on here :- Football / Re: Reading vs Newcastle United - 07/03/2017 @ 20:00 (No TV) « Message by BrickTop on Today at 01:55:50 AM » Would love to get tickets to an away game this season. Just one would do! Ahhh this club of ours is far too well supported. So why can't we have three different self-congratulatory threads after every match titled "Our Fans" or something equally pukey..........?

We've used 28 players this league season, Reading have used 27. We're nowhere near the top of players used this season Aye. Seems like a lot of Championship managers don't bother letting facts get in the way of the agenda driven clichés they roll out.

I heard that Mbemba's problem stemmed from his inability to speak decent English and probably more to the point not bothering his arse to do much about it. It came to a head with the manager and he hasn't really featured since.

Yeah remember thinking that. The late turnaround at home to Norwich also really changed things. Shows how pivotal certain games can be in a season. The question now is whether Brighton will do a Norwich now or not............ I commented at the time that there would be quite an adverse mental impact on Brighton after losing. It was their biggest game in a long time. They genuinely expected to win it. Statistically everything favoured them once they were leading and it was late in the game when things turned. It took more out of them than just a defeat. Chris Hughton has his work cut out right now.

Yeah remember thinking that. The late turnaround at home to Norwich also really changed things. Shows how pivotal certain games can be in a season.

We have the master tactician. A bit disappointed with the bitterness in Wagner's post match comments. I thought he was better than that.

The same we have all season. Keep it tight, cover the space and retain possession. Yeah. Wagner seems like a very competent coach but we have the master tactician. Will be interesting.

Hadn't seen much of them before Wednesday but I guess the first team play the same way, i.e. a Klopp style, Dortmund high intensity pressing game. Will be interesting to see how Rafa sets up to counteract it.

NUFC TV have highlights of the U23's game against Southampton. Worth a look to see Luke Charman's second goal.

Aye a knaa, but that is still quite a remarkable stat for a team who are in most people's favourites for relegation.

Less conceded than Man City and Liverpool and the same as Arsenal. Unbelievable really.

Sunderland 33.3% - i.e. everyone has voted for them I know we always think they'll fluke it but they just look worse than ever this season. With their board, management and even their players looking like they don't really want to be there it doesn't look good for them either short or long term.

I suppose being unable to be able to deal with looping headers is not really a "mistake" but he just couldn't deal with anything coming to him that way and it cost quite a few goals. Tim was a great young keeper and prospect but sadly he regressed at an age when he should have progressed.

Good interview on NUFC TV. He's a nice kid.

A quick look at their forum from during and after last night's game shows them up as some of the bitterest men (and women) around. Mountain sized chips on the shoulder about anything Newcastle. You can tell that this latest abysmal season, after they expected so much, while we are having fun and playing in front of sold out stadiums is really hurting. Their opinion seems to oscillate between "Rafa is shit and being found out" when we're losing to "Well he spent a hundred million and should have had the league won already" when we're winning Will be interesting to see how they fare in this league, if as expected they go down. Not very well is my hunch.

His game recently has been a mixture of the sublime and a bit of ridiculousness. Still think there's potentially a very decent goalkeeper in there.

A total fluke is when it hits a player unknowingly and diverts into the goal. Although it arrived at him accidentally and spun over everyone in the net, he definitely repositioned his body to direct the ball goalwards. He made it happen and it was a clever piece of improvisation.

Hope your gaffer's sympathetic Have a good day mate! I hope my gaffers symathetic... I just stuck this on his laptop screen He a seagull ?

Was talking recently about why Brighton get so many penalties and we get so few. Opinion was there style of play put them in more situations where they are likely to win them. Well last night both visually and statistically that was not borne out. Bizarre how many more they have been awarded.

Hope your gaffer's sympathetic Have a good day mate!

Tense game to watch, almost had a derby like feel to it. The difference those last ten minutes, and turning defeat into victory, will have made to the general mood and confidence going forward will be immense and it will probably have the opposite affect on Brighton.

No great concern. Dummet is a good marker and will relish the test. However because of this I think Rafa will want to double up so we can forget about Atsu, even though his defensive work rate was quite impressive on Saturday.

From what little I've seen of Brighton I think their normal style will play into Rafa's hands. He'll prefer this situation to one were we have to get at a weaker side at home. Chris Hughton is a deep thinker and it will be unsettling him, he may have to change from his usual style but he's clever and will come up with something. Very difficult to predict, I just hope the referee doesn't become the main talking point.