MATCHWATCH : Newcastle United (h) sponsored by damage limitation

[CountryRoyal]

Horrific traffic j11 on the m4...

[Ian Royal]

That's actually close to what I think would be the right midfield mix. I'm not hugely impressed with Mutch and I'd prefer Evans to Joey, but in terms of the blend of playing style - holder, playmaker, attacker - I think it's right.

Not convinced by Grabban, presumably on the left, and I prefer Obita to Blackett... but in terms of 4-3-3 I think the blend is right, if not necessarily the personnel.

[sloughroyal123]

Horrific traffic j11 on the m4...

Been going up the skip road for the last 25 mins

[Melton Royal]

Starting XI suggests we're going to give it a go & take the game to them - just hope it works

[strap]

[Ian Royal]

Newcastle start by giving the ball away left, right and centre... Grabban should have buried a header in the first two minutes.

[Melton Royal]

Is it full time yet??

[Jagermesiter1871]

Whats with the Windows 98 minesweep screenshot Strap?

[Ian Royal]

Whats with the Windows 98 minesweep screenshot Strap?

Strap has an awesome RFC stat database.

[Jagermesiter1871]

All I can make out is Raphael Bentez.

[strap]

All I can make out is Raphael Bentez.

Right click on the image and "open in new tab"

[Sutekh]

Horrific traffic j11 on the m4...

Been going up the skip road for the last 25 mins

Not helped by bad organisation of buses outside the stadium though I suspect a lot of that was down to the state of the A33

As to the game, Reading appear to be on top though Newcastle are helping by not getting in the Reading players faces like most opponents down here

[From Despair To Where?]

So basically their match squad cost 10 times as much as ours.

Or to put it another way, their match day squad cost somewhere in the region of the combined fee for every player we've ever bought in our entire history.

[BR0B0T]

All I can make out is Raphael Bentez.

Right click on the image and "open in new tab"

where do you pull the data from or are you doing it by hand

[From Despair To Where?]

I seem to remember strap saying it was a labour of love over about 2 decades. I suppose from once it's complete, it's relatively simple to update match to match.


Hats off to the man. And his wife.

[strap]

So basically their match squad cost 10 times as much as ours.

Or to put it another way, their match day squad cost somewhere in the region of the combined fee for every player we've ever bought in our entire history.

Yep. Here's a list of our opponents' starting XI cost in the LCh this season. Tonight's Newcastle XI is only the 3rd highest so dar this season.



Of course, pretty much all transfer fees these days are either undisclosed or only estimates, so the table can only be a guide. Most of the fees I have found were on

http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/champion ... bewerb/GB2

[strap]

All I can make out is Raphael Bentez.

Right click on the image and "open in new tab"

where do you pull the data from or are you doing it by hand

Yes Despair is right. It's all set up so just have to update match by match. Usually do it during matches when I'm not at the matches. Currently working on the Southern League Years, so it has about 6,321 matches in it so far.

Usually use the OS, Sporting Life and Soccerbase.

[seahawk10]

Preston and Barnsley are doing well in 9th and 11th on their player costs then.

[Sutekh]

HT 0-0

McCleary is a left winger tonight

Grabban is not a right winger but isn't playing too badly though should have been Reading goal scorer after the first couple of minutes

Newcastle look very dangerous if they get the ball anywhere around 20 yards out

Reading playing much more controlled and relaxed but really haven't troubled Newcastle since the second minute

[From Despair To Where?]

I remember using transfermarket in the aftermath of the semi final defeat to Arsenal to work out that Ozil and Sanchez (£77m worth) cost more than all our signings ever. We've signed a few since then but not enough to take it up to the £80m Newcastle have in their squad tonight. I think I took a generous figure of about £5m for all transfers pre 1995.

I remember strap asking for help with some Southern League match lineups about 3 years ago.

I'd be happy to post about strap's database all night because it will mean we're playing out a dull 0-0 draw.