Could some one who goes to the match at Kingston opark, give me your verdicts on the three aformentioned players, so I can sell the story to team talk.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

Answers

Lost 1-0 to a Leeds side boasting Bridges and Huckerby...According to NUFC.com, Bassedas was canny but took time warming up.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

half time ??? according to .com

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

Now full time. Same score.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

Result in fact 1-2. Niall and Biffa still have 0-1 up there(possibly to catch out anyone copying the scoreline, as they are scamps like that)

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

Hey Softie,

How long are you out of the Kingson Park scene for?

BTW , if you go to the reserve games, do you HAVE to get a voucher from a club shop? Can't you just turn up with a season ticket, or sneak in through a fire exit?

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

Idon't reckon Robson is over impressed with Ullathorne, He's mad him have a game against Darlo, Blackburn and Leeds and we've lost all three. Not his fault I suppose but he's being very cautious, couldn't he just put him on a monthly contract?

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

Having sat in a 30 minute traffic jam getting into KP, I missed the first 10 minutes of the game. Even leaving with 15 minutes to go to avoid the exit rush didn't work as it still took a full 15 minutes to get out of the bloody car park.
Anyway, a fairly strong Leeds team - despite their long injury list - including Darren Huckerby, Michael Bridges and Robert Molenaar, were too strong for the young Toon side. They were one up when I got in, and it was 3-1 when I gave up and left for home.
Our passing was generally poor with many moves breaking down in midfield, and against some very tough Leeds tackling that incurred at least three yellow cards.
Poor Ryan McGuffie had an absolute'mare' - he had a tough time against Huckerby in the 1st half, gifted Leeds their second goal and then to complete a miserable evening managed to head in their third from a corner. Either Green or Kerr (I can never distinguish them) then contrived to miss a penalty just to make things even worse.
The younger Caldwell looked good at CB, and along with Shola Amoebi was probably our best player.
Despite it being publicised that Lua Lua was to play, he didn't, which was a big disappointment to a good crowd of perhaps 2,000, compounded by Gavilan's early departure with a knee injury.
Robert Ullathorne only played the first half, but I thought he looked very accomplished at LB. Whether he could cut it in the PL however is another question.
Cristian Bassedas, playing in the middle of midfield, showed the odd neat touch, but wasn't heavily involved, and looked badly in need of a few games to sharpen up his touch. He is clearly a central midfield player, looking more of a creative type than a hard-tackling ball winner.
A disappointing performance (unless, of course, they scored three quick goals in the final 15 minutes!)littered with errors and misplaced passes, and leaving a good crowd disappointed, not to say frozen stiff.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

Thanks, Clarky. WE need to get a win soon. However, Huckerby and Bridges would be someone's first team, so it's difficult to be too ctrical, I guess.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

we must be in the bottom 3 or 4 in the reserves league after that game. I bet the likes of Bridges is well chuffed to be playing at Kingston Park, shame we don't need another striker.

Clarky next time you go to the Park, fancy gioving me a shout, I think It's about time I made my debut, I've been really bored all night....

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

it's difficult to be too critical (I presume that's what you meant pet). Hell, of course it's not difficult. You've simply just got to put yer mind to it! I'd have been surprised if Lua x2 had played. I think we know enough about him already not to waste his time and energy (not to mention risk of an injury) playing for the Resorves. Which is why I'm wondering why Diego is such a regular for them.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

Gavilan's got Dyer and Solano ahead of him, I don't see where he will fit in in the future and Nobby and Solano seem to be fighting over the right midfield space. The only available slot is at left midfield wher niether Gallacher, Cordone or Glass have said I WANT TO PLAY HERE. I see bassedas as sharing the central midfield two places with Speed and Lee.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

Gavilan worries me a bit, too. Why pay that much for a lad who only plays in the reserves? Did we buy him to sell the United brand in Paraguay?

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

In all honesty, I thought the Reserves were poor last night. There was plenty of effort, but a lack of guile and high-level skills.
The KP pitch had plenty of grass on it but the ball bobbled all over the place - as you would expect on a rugby pitch - AND, as usual it was blowing a gale. I simply don't know how we expect to develop high level skills in our young talent playing on this kind of surface, and in an open stadium regularly subject to high winds.
Without wishing to be pessimistic, I don't share the present view that we have a conveyor belt of top talent. I only hope the Youth teams are producing a crop of good youngsters as I have strong reservations about most of those presently in the Reserve squad.
The two Caldwell lads show promise and could well make it. Amoebi is tall, strong, looks confident and has a nice touch and could be a good 'un if he continues to develop. My initial earlier impressions of Ryan McGuffie were positive but he an absolute nightmare last night - admittedly against a good and very fast opponent. Jamie Coppinger is nippy and as brave as a lion, but I simply don't think he is equipped to make it in the PL - he's a nice player and I hope I'm proven wrong on this one. The rest I'm afraid I really don't rate as PL quality material.
Des Hamilton came on as a 2nd half sub and confirmed what I always thought - how ANY pro manager could watch this guy and decide he was worth spending #1.5 million on simply beggars belief.
The crowd was reported as 2,600 - a figure they can readily attract, depending on who is in the team and who they are playing. Outside of the playing surface and wind, last night confirmed to me that KP is totally incapable of handling a crowd of even this modest size - the roads around were virtually grid-locked beforehand. I didn't wait to see what happened afterwards. IMO, this whole issue needs to be rethought.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000

Crap first half. Bridges scored within the first minute. :-(( He and Huckerby ran everyone ragged. To show how bad it was - things actually livened up when Des Hamilton came on for Gavilan! Bassedas won a penalty on the edge of the area just before half time. Pity he didn't take it as Green contrived to miss it.

Second half was better. I began to notice Bassedas who had some nice touches. Still far too many wayward passes and nobody willing to finish even when through on goal. McGuffie was continually skinned by Huckerby. Leeds were lucky to keep 11 men on the pitch after some nasty tackles which saw 3 yellow cards. Final score was 1-3. One to forget.

Rik, you have to get the tickets in advance from any of the club shops - free with your season ticket. They are not available on the gate.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000

Clarky, where were you? I was stood to the right of the dug-outs. I got the Metro over there and Jon came along later in the car. Took forever getting out - would have been quicker if we'd parked at Tesco's! Good crowd, wonder how many will turn up for Sheff Wed now the normal KP weather has kicked in!

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000

Morning Steph.
I was with my son. We went over to the far side to get a seat and a little shelter in the temporary stand. While we were out of the wind it was still bloody freezing.
I don't think I'll drive if we go again, it's just too chaotic, and the car park stewards were worse than useless. All this chaos with 2,600 spectators!
When we left it was apparent that people had parked their cars all over the grass verges - presumably to avoid missing the entire 1st half. However, I've heard from Falcon supporters that the Police usually go around posting tickets on cars that do that.
I did think about using the Metro but wasn't absolutely sure where the Stadium is in relation to the station - I'd use it next time though.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000

Clarky,

The Metro station is about 5 minutes walk from KP. Just cut through the housing estate and aim for the floodlights - can't miss it!

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000

From Ananova's report on the match....."To make matters worse for Newcastle, Paraguayan midfielder Diego Gavilan suffered a knee ligament injury and Ullathorne picked up an Achilles problem."
great!

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000

Diego limped off and was lying on the grass ouside the dugout getting treatment for a while before he was subbed.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000