It wasn’t an entertaining game last night at Reading but the Newcastle defense was again strong and that was our 18th clean sheet in the 43 total games we have played in all competitions this season.
That’s a massive improvement from last season and in our 36 league games this season we have conceded only 29 goals – the best in the division.
That’s a lot better than the 65 goals we conceded last season in our 38 Premier League games.
With a little luck we could have won the game last night, but we’ll move on and hopefully we can get a home win against Fulham on Saturday and in front of another sold out crowd at St. James” Park.
Jonjo Shelvey in action last night
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23 comments so far
Tsunki
Mar 8, 2017 at 12:54 PM
Comment #1To Let.
Comment Box, recently vacated , clean , suit new poster or seasoned Google professional. Enquiries treated in confidence.
supermac69
Mar 8, 2017 at 12:57 PM
Comment #2Aye very quiet today but well happy with 7/9 and can’t see us getting beat again this season hwtl
Essex Geordie Bill
Mar 8, 2017 at 1:00 PM
Comment #3Tsunki
Very good, 🙂 🙂
Essex Geordie Bill
Mar 8, 2017 at 1:07 PM
Comment #4Just thought I’d fill the comments section a bit. 🙂
Essex Geordie Bill // Mar 8, 2017 at 11:46 AM
Martoon
Just curious but are you talking about a free trade banana, a straight banana, is it just the skin or does the contents of it come into play.
But more importantly is it similar to the other banana skins we have in the main skipped around with no problems so far.
47Essex Geordie Bill // Mar 8, 2017 at 11:51 AM
What would be really amusing and with large dollops of schadenfreude if Wenger left, would be Arsenal finding themselves in a few seasons of relegation battles, or even getting relegated. ?
48barkel // Mar 8, 2017 at 12:00 PM
The problem Arsenal have in replacing Wenger is who can they actually get that will be an improvement, with us wanting to replace Pardew with had a massive number of options.
Anyways, very glad we don’t have that problem and we have a manager that most can agree, without blowing smoke anywhere, is by far the best in the Championship and is up there with the top managers in the Prem
49martoon // Mar 8, 2017 at 12:10 PM
EGB @46 -That’s a bit deep & meaningful – I guess it’s just the skin ? I did say the Bristol game was also a banana skin and look what happened there.
Tsunki
Mar 8, 2017 at 1:13 PM
Comment #5What we need is a hotlink to an obscure foreign provincial newspaper that appears to talk about a player who has never been linked with us.
But who can do that? Just don’t know.
Ibizatoon
Mar 8, 2017 at 1:29 PM
Comment #6Do you want me to search the local papers Tsunki?
martoon
Mar 8, 2017 at 1:34 PM
Comment #7Essex Geordie Bill – definitely a slow news day!
Tsunki – I can’t think who you are referring to? 🙂
On topic I really couldn’t choose a MotM from the commentary on BBC Newcastle. It sounded like Dummett had a good game but earlier a poster who was at the game said Lascelles was his MotM and yet he was hardly mentioned on the commentary!
Rotonda heights
Mar 8, 2017 at 1:34 PM
Comment #8It’s funny club’s different perspectives and ambitions. wenger won the FA cup and charity shield a couple of years running before last season and has for 18 consecutive seasons reached the knockout stages of the CL.
As well as wining the double twice with Arsenal (Henry,Viera et al), being the ”invincibles” going one whole season unbeaten, narrowly losing the CL final, all achieved whilst playing probably the best football you’ll ever see in the English game.
Bayern are Bayern. Even Barca lost 4-0 to PSG. Maybe it is time now for Wenger to go, but imagine if we had had won 9 trophies and had a further 9 runners ups in 20 years, compared to our last meaningful silverware back in 1955 !!!
Just don’t get all the negativity towards the guy. Wenger had a fraction of what Mourinho had to spend in a much shorter time frame.
Essex Geordie Bill
Mar 8, 2017 at 1:37 PM
Comment #9How about The Outer Mongolian Gazette a paper that supports the Corvus species of bird linked to a an underachieving English football club.
beautifulmind
Mar 8, 2017 at 1:41 PM
Comment #10We only need 6 wins out 10 realistically. Even then Huddersfield would need 8 wins and a draw to overtake us. Can’t see that happening!
Jail for Ashley
Mar 8, 2017 at 1:45 PM
Comment #11Rotunda,
I think it’s because people want him to go before things get nasty and they can remember him as a great, all he’s doing now is making the board money and I think the fans want to see more silverware.
lochinvar
Mar 8, 2017 at 1:53 PM
Comment #12Trying to predict the results of the top three for the rest of the season is energy sapping.
However everything in life is apparently mathematical and every time Huddersfield and Brighton drop points our position improves if we continue to add points to the existing points difference between these three clubs.
As Radar says one game at a time and see where we go from there.
lochinvar
Mar 8, 2017 at 1:54 PM
Comment #13Radar Benitez – has a certain ring but Rafa it is
Hail Wor Ashley
Mar 8, 2017 at 2:07 PM
Comment #14Looking back at my predictions for the season.
100pts total is looking a good estimate.
Perez to get 23 goals not so much 😆 Though I was basing that on him be used as a ST and starting the majority of matches.
Tsunki
Mar 8, 2017 at 2:15 PM
Comment #15Wasn’t he in M*A*S*H Lochinvar?
WWSBRD
Mar 8, 2017 at 2:17 PM
Comment #16There’s no real point to comparing Wenger to Mourinho. Compare him to Ferguson who always had Man Utd atleast challenging for the title Arsenal have been stagnant at 4th for years
Wenger has had money available to him and decided against using it can’t blame others for that
g.s.tooner
Mar 8, 2017 at 2:22 PM
Comment #17I was at the Reading game.
It was one of the dullest games of football I’ve ever had the displeasure of sitting through.
The game was played at walking pace for most of the 90 minutes.
Reading must have made more than 100 passes along their back 4. Rb to CB to CB to LB. Is a pass on… yes? no? OK no… back to CB to CB to LB (repeat for ever).
I have no doubt that Rafa was playing with the mindset that a draw was fine, if we could nick it great but what ever happens DO NOT LOSE!
Very negative performance – we sat as a phalanx in our own half as Reading knocked the ball from side to side until they tried a long ball over the top which we gathered up and then tried a long ball of our own thus restarting the cycle.
They had zero quality and if we’d tried we could have put them to the sword…. Very disappointing.
BlacknWhiteBarmy
Mar 8, 2017 at 2:28 PM
Comment #18Was there last night but got back too late to post. Not a great game and one we should of won – and almost lost at the death.
Two points – Darlow is a great shot stopper but needs to command the 18 yrd box – too often do we give away needless corners when a call to leave it would result in a goal kick.
When Gale came on we had Perez, Gayle, Atsu upfront but he still persisted in the long high ball – even Murphy was getting beaten in the air.
Perez – for all his skill he lacks pace and too easily brushed off the ball – sits on ar$e and waves at ref – see also Ritchie (must be practiced in training)
7 from 9 not a bad return on three v hard games – only NUFC could fall at the ‘easiest’ hurdle 🙂
Mister Tuff
Mar 8, 2017 at 2:57 PM
Comment #19The “do not lose” philosophy seems to be working at the moment (obviously) and is acceptable to get points to get out of this division.
Last three games appear to have been CLEARLY under this instruction – keep it tight/do not over commit/ hit em on the break.
If it works to get more points than our rivals -great.
However it must be said that the concept does produce dull football – really dull football.
But that is fine for this season.
Next season (in PL) HAS to be different – want to see some flair and excitement – edge of the seat stuff.
Ketsbaia9
Mar 8, 2017 at 3:05 PM
Comment #20We need to have a clear out for next season. These players need to be shipped out:
Colback
Dummett
Sels
Hanley
Haidara
Hayden
Saivet
Vuckic
Sammi Ameobi
Adam Armstrong
Mitrovic – Loan
Murphy
Perez
Gouffran?
Gamez?
We need to sign flair players like Shaqiri etc.
sing in the corner
Mar 8, 2017 at 3:09 PM
Comment #21Personally I’m happy with how Rafa is concentrating on making us hard to beat. Would I prefer pure, beautiful attacking football every game? Absolutely.
It’s going to take time to build a squad with all the right ingredients for success. We are on the right track. If / when we are up we will need to consolidate next season. It’s not realistic to expect us to go gung ho and morph into ‘the entertainers’ immediately. Top 8 and so on is a pipe dream next year. It’s consolodate and build. If the football isn’t awe inspiring straight away then so be it, as long as we are up and competing, heading in the right direction.
Jail for Ashley
Mar 8, 2017 at 3:11 PM
Comment #22sitc,
I’m absolutely dreading next season when we aren’t winning as many, Moanster is going to be in his element.
g.s.tooner
Mar 8, 2017 at 4:07 PM
Comment #23Kets
Might be easier suggesting who is good enough to stay…
1st XI starters
Any of Krul, Darlow, Sels are good enough.
Yedlin (borderline – fine going forwards sceptical about defence)
Lascelles
Mbemba / Clark
Atsu (borderline)
Shelvey
Colback(borderline)
ritchie (borderline)
Gayle (borderline)
The Bench
Selz / Krul / Darlow
Clark / Lascelles
Perez (borderline)
Mitrovic(Borderline)
Armstrong (Who knows????)
Everyone borderline could do a job but, if you’re honest, you’d probably want on the bench.
We NEED a new TOP TOP quality
LB, ST CAM (back up to Shelvey)
Would be nice to have an extra TOP quality
RB, CDM, LW, RW,
not too much to ask 🙂