At half time is was still all square at the Madejski stadium but Reading have had the better chances and Leroy Lita has missed two almost open goals, both of which he should have probably put in the net.
One thing is clear and that is Newcastle will have to raise their game as Reading should have been one – and maybe two goals up at the break.
12 mins Leroy Lita had an excellent chance to score from 6 yards out but somehow missed the ball as it came through a – a let off for Newcastle.
Geremi is playing out wide on the right but all 4 midfielders are naturally central midfielders in it will be hard to have some width today.
After 15 minutes Owen saw himself almost clean through on a high ball into the box and it looked like it could have been a penalty as Hahnemann bundled Owen over – but the ball went for a goal kick.
18 mins – Enrique breaks up the danger with a nice headed ball back to Given in the Newcastle goal.
19 minutes Lita has the ball in the box but an excellent tackle by Faye robs the England Under-21 international and Faye clears well.
21 mins Newcastle are trying to play the ball into the feet of the forwards and are playing quite good attacking football but Reading are starting to have more of the play.
22 mins A great cross by Enrique finds Geremi but he heads weakly past the post – a half chance for Newcastle.
38 mins – Lita gets through in the right channel and puts in a decent shot which Given saves well low to his left.
40 mins Newcastle have a free kick just outside the box but Geremi tries a placement and puts it wide of the post.
43 mins – An amazing let off for Newcastle as Given and Cacapa don’t communicate and Cacapa plays the ball past Given and it’s going into the net but Given gets back to dribble it clear before it goers across the line. Terrible communication by the two Newcastle players – Given should probably have gone and collected the ball from Cacapa.
44 mins Another excellent chance falls again to Leroy Lita and he hits the ball about 6 yards over the bar form 6 yards out – a terrible miss by Lita who has squirmed 2 excellent chances.
Just before the half time whistle a dangerous free kick is sent over the bar by Nicky Shorey.
Reading (4-4-2): Hahnemann; Murty (c), Shorey, Duberry, Sonko; Gunnarsson, Harper, Doyle, Hunt; Kitsonm Lita
Subs: Federici, Ingimarsson, Rosenior, Convey, Long
Newcastle (4-4-2): Given, Beye, Enrique, Cacapa, Faye; Barton, Butt, Geremi (c) Emre; Martins, Owen
Subs: Harper, Rozehnal, Milner, N’Zogbia, Smith
Ref: P Dowd
Attendance:
81 comments so far
Jinal
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:10 PM
Comment #1Get Geremi out of there! I dont know what he’s doing
Howie
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:13 PM
Comment #2maybe kitsons goal will wake us up and he will bring on zog and milner
JoshI
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:15 PM
Comment #3we have had all the possesion as well, but no real chances, just shows that we can’t create anything.
JoshI
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:17 PM
Comment #4Bring on zog, milner and smith
Lull
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:19 PM
Comment #5WTF! We suck at away!
JoshI
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:20 PM
Comment #6I know we suck big style away 🙁 it pisses me off so much!!! we can’t maintain any consistency :O:O :@:@
Howie
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:20 PM
Comment #7zg 4 butt and smith 4 martins
Howie
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:21 PM
Comment #8would have taken owen off instead
JoshI
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:22 PM
Comment #9so would i, we need all the pace we can get.
Southern_Magpie
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:26 PM
Comment #10It’s Derby all over again. I was hoping that was the last of these kind of performances. Sam has got it all wrong
JoshI
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:27 PM
Comment #11we don’t even look like scoring!… i have written off this match, we realli, realli need to sort out our away performances.
Sinead
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:30 PM
Comment #12Someone needs to get Cacapa an English dictionary. Looks like they’re still struggling with the language barrier. Lucky let off.
Lull
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:33 PM
Comment #13What happen to last week performance? 🙁 And why Zog & Milner on the bench?
JoshI
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:34 PM
Comment #14GOOALLLLL!!!!
JoshI
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:34 PM
Comment #15EMRE CROSS!!!
Southern_Magpie
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:34 PM
Comment #161 1 let off!!!
JoshI
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:35 PM
Comment #17now we need to capitilise!!… lets switch on!
Sinead
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:36 PM
Comment #18Or maybe Kitson’s goal will wake up Doyle and Reading more so.
Lull
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:36 PM
Comment #19Yay!!!
hadrian
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:37 PM
Comment #20COME ON LADS ! kill the game off take the draw
JoshI
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:37 PM
Comment #21That was a big stroke of luck.
Edd Case
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:37 PM
Comment #22This is absolutely awful.
What sort of a stupid formation are we playing?
For christ sake, we have some quality players for a 442 – why the hell does BS continue with stupid 4132 and 433 and so on?
Why play Butt? He’s well past it. Geremi is Ameobi in midfield.
We need Barton and Emre in the centre, Zog and Milner on the wings.
Martins / Owen and Viduka up top.
Also, Cacapa is crap, rarely wins a header and is slow.
Taylor and Faye, with Beye and Enrique, though Enrique also looked poor today.
15 mins left, absolutely NOTHING from Newcastle – Big Sam can’t blame the players this time, it’s ALL his doing and HIS FAULT.
JoshI
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:39 PM
Comment #23Edd case – i agree, tactics have been awful pretty much all this season, i don’t like the rotation BS uses, we should always play our strongest side.
Lull
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:39 PM
Comment #24We’re playing 4-3-3 again?!
Deejay
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:40 PM
Comment #25EddCase – get a grip man!
Butt has been our player of the season (IMHO) and Cacapa is a great defender.
One poor performance and suddenly we’re rubbish! We have a team in transition, and haven’t had time to gel and give great consistency.
Rodent’s team were nowhere near as good as this one, Sam’s improving the side but it’ll take time.
At least we’re not playing Chelsea on our bad day (who are 5-0 up against City!)
JoshI
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:41 PM
Comment #26at least we have started to shoot (nzogbia shot bounces wickedly infront of Hanemann, who parries to deny the visitors)
Deejay
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:41 PM
Comment #272-1 Reading. Crap!
Southern_Magpie
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:43 PM
Comment #28Why can’t we even hold a lead. Utter shite
JoshI
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:43 PM
Comment #29why are we so f*&*&king shit!!!!???…. we should beat Reading!
Deejay
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:43 PM
Comment #30because we weren’t leading?
Edd Case
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:43 PM
Comment #31This is incredible, Im watching the game live and we are a different team as 442 with Zog and Milner – we would piss over most teams if we stuck to a 442 with Zog and Milner on the wings, BS is a bloody idiot.
Lull
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:44 PM
Comment #32F**k! Who scored?! Damn it
JoshI
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:44 PM
Comment #33Long
Southern_Magpie
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:44 PM
Comment #34that should be draw not lead. i’ve just seen the goal – poor defending
Howie
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:44 PM
Comment #35reading fully deserve this we’ve been useless
Edd Case
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:45 PM
Comment #36At least we’re not getting a thumping at Chelski, like Man City – 0-5 down! Oowch.
e
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:45 PM
Comment #37omg..
Sinead
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:45 PM
Comment #38Long..LOL..he’ll never let Given hear the end of it. Can’t say it’s not deserved.
Edd Case
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:45 PM
Comment #39For christ sake.
We are f*&*&king awful, absolutely f&*&*king awful
JoshI
Oct 27, 2007 at 4:46 PM
Comment #40thing is….. imagine us away at chelsea? more like 10-0.