Utter s***e: Bellamy 3.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Answers

Actually, I didn;t think we were that good.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

I'd have hoyed a mat ower the first 90 minutes.

Eezy-peezy in extra time (sort of).

These bu66as'll be the death of me.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

I couldn't get to the match last night. The Journal and the free Metro paper suggest the game wasn't too bad. How does it seem in reflection to you all this morning?

Al for 120 mins = crazy.

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2001

It was always going to be a potential banana skin, but the result is all that counts.

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2001

Apart from having what seemed to be a weak midfield our defence seemed out of sorts and we couldn't pass for toffee. Robert was kicked about early on and was booked for diving, he drifted out of the game. I was hoping Shearer would be subbed for Bellamy in the second half, once again he was forced out wide as provider, this with two wingers on the pitch. I thought it was ridiculous for him to stay on when he was clearly exhausted but to drop him back as a defender?

Bellamy took Brentford apart, he could have had 4 when he squared it to LuaLua who by this time was on his arse in the 5 yard box, LuaLua got up retained possession and managed to tackle himself and force himself wide.

It was an enjoyable game I thought but in the back of my mind I was considering what MANU would have done to this Newcastle side. Must do better on Saturday.

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2001

For the first hour, we were utter, utter cack. We let them dominate proceedings, couldn't string four passes together and looked like we would need a penalty to score. No one apart from Craig Bellamy covered themselves in glory but Wayne Quinn and Nobby distinguished themselves by being shite beyond description. We really need to start learning how to deal with teams like this or we are going to struggle. We really need some height in the side, too.

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2001

Bobby - you are right: we struggled badly against Leyton Orient last year.

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2001

Well, I feel much better this morning - after all, BR says in the Journal that Brentford were better than Chelsea, so we must have been pretty damned good after all.

Bobby's statement, of course, is utter bollox, even though Brentford were very good for a 2nd Div team. As for 30 minutes on Saturday, we were appalling for the entire 90 minutes last night - and imo the performance does matter.

We were supposed to be capitalising on the "strength" of our squad last night, and yet Alan Shearer had to play for 120 minutes, including the final 15 minutes at centre back - 3 days before playing Man U. Before anyone chastises me for saying this by posting that AS only played CB in an emergency after O'Brien went off injured - let me remind them that situation only arose because Aaron Hughes was taken off at HT because he and O'Brien were embarrassingly bad during the first half - conceding a goal to a long ball played straight down the middle, following two earlier near misses via precisely the same route. Our defensive capability is still hopeless, and I only pray that Sylvain Distin is Jap Stam in disguise.

It should perhaps be added that Andy Griffin was hopeless, was physically spent after about 60 minutes, barely crossing the halfway line after that - perhaps adding weight to reports that BR doesn't play him because of his physical conditioning. Robbie Elliott came on at HT at CB - and was terrific, our best defender by miles.

Midfield was pitiful. Bassedas and Quinn were embarrassingly awful - neither of them is up to it, even against 2nd Div opposition - nuff said? Solano wasn't much better, with 4 out of 5 crosses/corners finding the first defender, and giving the ball away far too much. Robert was kicked about a bit - a portent for the future unfortunately - wasn't terribly effective, and was booked for diving - correctly imo.

Without Bellamy the movement was virtually non-existent, and was only reversed when he came on and tore the previously impenetrable, albeit tiring, Brentford defence to shreds.

Apart from Bellamy's growing influence, all this game showed to me was that the squad is still nowhere near strong enough, and the continuing over-reliance on Rob Lee in particular, and to a lesser degree, Nic Dabizas.

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2001

and I only pray that Sylvain Distin is Jap Stam in disguise

Clarky - I wish Jaap Stam was in disguise ;-)

Totally agree with your comments. I'd add that Harper didn't look too convincing either. Indeed, the only players who IMHO came out of last night's game with any credibilty were O'Brien (who surprisingly was voted MotM - just goes to show what happens when you ask a "corporate" to nominate - probably in the bar during ET), Elliot, Shearer and Bellamy (my MotM - 3 goals FFS), with possibly Robert and Shola in small doses.

In the utter sh!te class were Quinn, Solano (don't count the Opta stats - any of us could have laid on those balls) and Bassedas (he couldn't even hit passes into the open space last night!).

Like Tony, I wondered what would have happened if we'd out in a performance like that against ManUre. Doesn't really bear thinking about. Anybody would think we didn't want to progress into the next round.

And finally, I'd just like to say how impressed and how moved I was by the minute silence. Put the whole thing into perspective for me.

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2001

I couldnt bring myself to come to the match my ticket is lying on my desk. I firmly beleive the match should not have been played at all.

I only found out the result on the radio on the way down to leeds. and to be honest I dont care one way or the other.

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2001

Like you Kenny I'd lost all interest in the match last night...checked the result out on teletext this morning....just couldn't be arsed...

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2001

spoke to a mate of mine this morning whose job it is to sell real estate in new york to rich europeans and vice versa. he said there is a real sense of lets not change our lives because of this thing because life is what we/they are mourning and life is what is lost.

stuff the moping lads and lasses, enjoy the match, that is your life, and the best way to show those who are dead you care is by cherishing yours. and judging by the amount of time spent by most on here, football is a big part of your lives :-) so enjoy the score

nufc fans 1 bin laden(or whoever)0

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2001

Totally agree swift - we are all deeply affected by this appalling tragedy, but life must go on. At the end of the day, THAT is what this is all about.

As Screacher indicated, the 25,000 present last night paid their tribute to those personally affected in the only way we are able right now, with a beautifully observed minutes silence.

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2001

Harper was poor, especially in the 2nd half-he flapped a lot. Mind he was getting very little protection. Quinn was cr@p and Nobby just as bad. Bellamy should have been on much earlier. Shearer was asked to do far too much, and God knows how he'll cope with Saturday. Griffin was knackered. Rob Lee (and Barton) wwere sadly missed, which speaks volumes about our 'strength in depth'. All this, and two people ejected by the polis in extra time.

a great time had by all? Not quite.

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2001

Hey it could have been worse, we could have been playing away in S. Yorkshire. For Cup matches, and cup matches alone, the result is the only thing that matters.

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2001

I should say that the Ronnie says that O'Brien, Hughes and Quinn were all injured (long before they came off, I might add) so our strength in depth has been reduced further...Apparently Distin will start on Saturday.

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2001

Shearer was only kept on in case penalties were invoked. I think Robert was a bit surprised by the handling he got.

The ref was absolutely cr*p not aided by a cheating time wasting Brentford team.

Elliot was outstanding when he came on against a set of forwards that had caused Hughes & O'Brien hassle.

Bellamy showed what needed to be done.

I also think that the previous days happening in the USA had something to do with the performance. There was no cheer from the ToonArmy at the start and the 1st 5 minutes were played in total silence except from the R&W striped bunch up in the Gods - it was surreal.

As Mac says a result and we'll be 100% better on Saturday - question is - is it enough.

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2001