Reading @ Newcastle - 12/6/06 - Pre/During/Post Match [R]

[aguy2die4]

didnt see the match on the account of it not only it being 4.45am in Korea, but also none of the cable channels were showing it. looks like there isnt going to by any taped delays either.

the BBC does a nice match report at least. shame Reading could not defend the lead or at least get one pt from this away game.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/6201436.stm

I beg to differ. Reading was solid but not good enough for 3. Maybe in the least a draw but they just didn't create enough shots on goal, and didn't take advantage of the insane number of corners they won.

hopefully Reading will further practice their set pieces. Sonko is tall and good in the air, as is Seol (scored a header from a corner for Korea not long ago) and even Lita who is not that tall is good in the air. Gunnarsson, Ingimarsson and Bikey is all of decent height. Little is not so little either.

[RichardL]

this wasn't quite the shock people here seem to be portraying it to be. Newcastle have good players, they just don't seem able to make them play well on a regular basis. It sounds like we were unlucky to hit them on one of their better days this season. It always worries me when you hear of managers saying about how many players they've got out, as usually such coments are rubbish.

And I hope the players aren't taking 3 points for granted at Watford on Saturday either. Other than Chelsea, I don't think anyone has had an easy game against them. We had two grinding 0-0 draws v them last season as they battle and scrap for everything.

[rms5555]

Quick note about FSC. They did it again with that damn banner. Mind you I was watching the repeat last night because I forgot to Tivo the live broadcast of the match, but they showed the result in their ticker again. Why would you show the result for the match you are showing while you are showing it? I try to avoid looking at the ticker for that reason, but it happened to catch around the 52nd minute that "Emre strike saves Newcastle" or something like that. I was feeling pretty good about our chances for a result at that point to. Just ruined watching the rest of the match for me, I just can't stand watching matches when I know the result.

[louis09]

this wasn't quite the shock people here seem to be portraying it to be. Newcastle have good players, they just don't seem able to make them play well on a regular basis. It sounds like we were unlucky to hit them on one of their better days this season. It always worries me when you hear of managers saying about how many players they've got out, as usually such coments are rubbish.

And I hope the players aren't taking 3 points for granted at Watford on Saturday either. Other than Chelsea, I don't think anyone has had an easy game against them. We had two grinding 0-0 draws v them last season as they battle and scrap for everything.

Well said we cannot take Watford for granted. that being said this team will come out hard and hopefully get a positive result. I was at the NY Knicks game last (why I dont Know) but I have the game on my tivo and will still watch it tonight.

[korean_soccer123]

solid play from reading, but not many real chances, dissapointing night from kevin doyle, did nothing, harper did a good job to get the second goal...overall newcastle obviously deserved the 3 pounts, good luck against reading

[T_Rock]

I was at work while I watched the game, so I missed long portions at a time. However, the defense for both teams looked disorganized to say the least. So many botched clearances it was laughable. From what I saw, Reading deserved at least a draw.

One of the most free flowing games I have watched in a while. Fun, except for the result.

[korean_soccer123]

Mate you must have missed the part where newcastle dominated, reading played well, but they juist didn't deserve 3 or even a point from that game.....maybe a point is arguable.....but it just wasn't there day

[T_Rock]

Mate you must have missed the part where newcastle dominated, reading played well, but they juist didn't deserve 3 or even a point from that game.....maybe a point is arguable.....but it just wasn't there day

I don't know if you are talking to me or not, but, just to clarify, I was not trying to say that Reading deserved 3 points yesterday. From what I saw, a draw would have been a fair result.

[ToonUSA]

I don't know if you are talking to me or not, but, just to clarify, I was not trying to say that Reading deserved 3 points yesterday. From what I saw, a draw would have been a fair result.

I beg to differ. A draw is maybe in the least something that could be argued, but in the end they didn't take their chances on set pieces and didn't generate enough shots on net. They also didn't defend well. Newcastle could have had 5 or 6 easily with the number of chances they squandered.

[T_Rock]

I beg to differ. A draw is maybe in the least something that could be argued, but in the end they didn't take their chances on set pieces and didn't generate enough shots on net. They also didn't defend well. Newcastle could have had 5 or 6 easily with the number of chances they squandered.

I do agree that was some of the worst defending I have seen in a while. I see your point that you think Newcastle deserved their win. I think Reading, having scored twice and going into half-time with the lead, should have gotten a draw. I don't have any ill-will towards you for your opinion, and, like I said, I only saw about 40 minutes of the game.

Regardless, it was an entertaining match. Not bad for some mid-week action!

[Katsbox]

I taped and watched the game yesterday and for me it was a real Jekyll & Hyde game, all the way around. We played better the first half, Newcastle played better the second. Sonko was massive as usual in the air, but made at least 5 poor back passes or dribbling inside the box that had me screaming at the televsion (loud enough that I am not sure why he couldn't hear me... in England... 6 hours in the past).

Coppell looked actually upset, and we all know for him to look, well, anything, is amazing. I think it was because to the poor level of play and,at times, complete bungling in the back line. Even Shorey made some bad decisions. Murty was fuming at them! Granted, Newcastle came with quality... they had a lot of speed, which our back four could not deal with, and one player (sorry - not sure who) had a little one-touch back heel flick-pass that he must have used 4 or 5 times that beat us everytime. But we made a lot of unforced errors, and let Newcastle impose their game on us the second half.

The thing that upset me most about this game was that Harper's brace - his very first two goals in the Prem - were totally overshadowed by a collapse in the second half.

So is it better to lose a game when you are playing poorly (at least you know have the quality and on another day you could win) or to play at your best and take the result, W, L, or D? I know how I feel when I play, and how I feel when I watch a game, and from everything I've heard Coppell say (actually, I haven't yet heard what he said after the game), I think he'd agree: perform, compete, play to your ability and that's all you can ask. We can ask a lot more from Reading.

[ToonUSA]

I do agree that was some of the worst defending I have seen in a while. I see your point that you think Newcastle deserved their win. I think Reading, having scored twice and going into half-time with the lead, should have gotten a draw. I don't have any ill-will towards you for your opinion, and, like I said, I only saw about 40 minutes of the game.

Regardless, it was an entertaining match. Not bad for some mid-week action!

The defending was horrendous and we didn't even have the crown jewel of crap in the backline, Bramble.

I agree that going into halftime with the brace from Harper, controlling the pace, and having taken the crowd out of the game you would expect a result. It was unfortunate for you guys, but it was a great result to hopefully turn us around and put us in a more familiar position towards the top of the table.

Good Luck to Reading the rest of the way. Hope you boys can keep up the form you have shown the beginning of this year.