MKSC

I think he's been ok this year. I wasn't really buying into the thing about him only looking good because of the poor opposition. But after last nights performance I think we seriously need to find a new first choice next year. If that is Krul then so be it, but I'd prefer a more experienced custodian to start with and blood Krul in a few games - not leave him sitting on the bench for years like Harper did. Harper will be acceptable as a back up.

When the bookies made us favourites to go up I couldn't stop laughing. I had us down for mid-table at best. Delgihted to have been proven wrong. I hope to continue this shocking level of foresight by stating we will be relegated by February next year.

A very strange game last night. I can agree the atmosphere didn't really get going. The reading fans were fairly noisy but I was getting a bit annoyed with their "We got the record, 106" song. If I could have thought of a song for "50 thousand plus for a championship game" I would have been singing that back. I did try and get a "he'll play for us next year" chant going when they bigged up Sigurdsson as he took a corner right in front of us but there was very few people inclined to join in. I concur there were lots of kids and southerners (like myself) there which could have contributed to the lack of noise. We were beyond terrible in the first half. No ball retention, no options up top, an inability to clear the ball from around our own box, Harper looked very nervy, Simpson and Raylor were all over the shop and Smith was anonymous. We would have been lucky to go in at 0-0 but to be 2 up at half time was absolute robbery on our part. Fortunately Reading didn't really create anything clear cut, apart from maybe Long's shot from a tight angle that went accross the six yard box after he beat Harper to the ball. They pressed us really hard and didn't allow us to settle which seemed to make us rush our passes and seem flustered in posession. The second half was a lot different. We actually seemed to play a lot better. Simpson was excellent at CB and Jose steadied up the left side. Kebe did get by him a couple of times but all bar one occasion Jose got back to stop him getting a cross or shot in. Shola wasn't really doing much and should have been taken off early in the second half if not before. Smith got a few tackles in but did little else aside from completely missing a ball that was played in to his stride on the edge of the box. If he'd collected it he would have been in one on one with the keeper. Reading seemed to stop working so hard and just bombed forward which gave us more space and we had a few good counter attacks with both Routledge and Jonas having good runs. Nolan should have had his hat-trick but his header hit the foot of the post, it looked to me like Federici got a finger tip to it but I haven't seen it again to confirm. If he did it was an absolute worldy of a save. They had a few half chances in the last ten minutes but I think that was a combination of us sitting in and them camping outside our box. Hughton's subs astounded me. Shola was poor all night, Smith did little and Nolan was out on his feet. Routledge was probably our best outlet all night and of the three CM's on show Guthrie had the best game. Maybe he was saving them for the next couple of games or thought his subs would sure up the defensive side of the team but it didn't really have that effect. Still, can't really argue as we got the win and are only one point away from winning the league.

I think you just laugh at Joey's jokes whether they're funny or not. Actually Joe, I find that a little bit offensive. BANG!! That's what happened to Dabo, y'know. He didn't like Joey's knock knock joke.

I'm always hesitant in checking anything suggested by Delima. I'll wait for someone else to take the plunge.

Roll up, Roll up. 5 tickets for a pound, prize every time.

That similarity in facial expression is uncanny. LVB was a self proclaimed special one aswell. All a bit spooky if you ask me, Reincarnation?

And Benfica. Would love Fulham to be the last English club left in europe this season. What odds would you have got on that in August?

"Robben goes to ground" One of the most used phrases in Football?

He's hardly a poor player. Just wasn't strong enough there. He's a lovely passer of the ball but strong and dominating he isn't.

:iamatwat: That is a truly fantastic piece of music video history.

That will teach you for not having a wee wee before going to sleep Kevin Nolan's overhead kick made me do a sex wee. Does that count.

Sweeping statement there Neesy.

It may come as a surprise to you but we do have fans outside of Newcastle . I know. [/Nessa]

Skintight shirts look mongy even on fit people, clothes for cunts For obvious reasons I agree with crofty.

I know it's a bit rich coming from me, but did anyone else notice how none of the newcastle fans they interviewed before the game for the FLS had a geordie accent. Also, anyone care to name and shame people acting up to the camera behind the bbc bloke. Come on, someone must know who they were.

Nicky Butt. Licked. Sounds like some good old fasioned Rimming has been going on in the dressing room.

I'm pretty sure that if we are languising around 15th or below there will be a large portion of people, including our own fans, claiming we are too good to go down and a bottom half finish would be a disgrace and an embarrassment for our massive club. Personally I'd take us doing a hull (last season not this one) and scraping it survival on the last day of the season. Obviously if we are safely sat in 11th come Feb with no hope of getting europe or relegation then I'll be delighted, but given the last 18 months I'd be happy just to stay up. In the longer term after a couple of seasons I'd hope we start challenging the likes of Villa and Everton but let's not get too far ahead.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/08/19/article-1207771-061D0FD9000005DC-789_468x326.jpg AC challenges the Wednesday defenders in our 1-0 home win back in August.

Huzzah!

Good stuff. It's practically over. Would take six straight losses for us, five straight wins for Forest and a 20+ goal difference swing. Can't get up on monday for the game but will be watching in the Cock and Lion here in London, should be a good night. My bet is it will all be irelephant as Cardiff should take a point off Forest at least.

That'll steady the ship. Overhead kicks all over the place.

Martins on for Wolfsburg.

An old boy who was stewarding up on Level 7 said to me literally about 10 seconds before we scored that we would win, 1-0 mind so he got that wrong, but he was of the opinion we would scrape it with one in off somebody's arse. This was while he was attempting to clear out the extra 30 or so people who'd appeared in the back row as the game went on.

Me too and quite a few others. No way were there 7,000 empty seats. I was gobsmacked when I found out there was apparently only 45k there. It looked on a par with the Boro game. cue stories that if the attendance is quoted at that level then the money from the others can be deposited in someones back pocket. Well that's been doing the rounds since the Lord Westwood era - and probably quite a long time before that too. It wouldn't be the first time a club has fudged the attendance figures. It's very common, particularly lower down the leagues and often in cup games where gate receipts have to be split.