Marginally interesting graph: please log in to view this image Basically, the closer to the top left corner the better (conceding few goals, and performing above average against each shot against them). Tim Krul comes out as distinctly average. Conceding basically the number of goals you'd expect him to based on the shots the opposition have got away. Darren Randolph (Boro) looks very good out of this, Chris Maxwell and Declan Rudd (both PNE) have the dubious honour of conceding 3 goals for every 2 you'd expect them to.
Boro may be conceding fewest goals, but they've only scored 22 and their GD is only 9 against our 13. IMO, GD could be VERY important at the end of the season!!!
A great read over your cornflakes (other cereals/porridge are available!!!) - https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/robin-sainty-ahead-of-bolton-game-1-5810153
Can you imagine the comments by Shearer and co had Aarons’ deft flicked header been executed by Trent Alexander-Arnold?? It was sublime!!!
I'm starting to get concerned about him with the next window less than a month away. He's got to be worth £5-6m already and to our club with no significant financial backing I just feel we're particularly vulnerable if we receive a decent offer - ( which we will ), despite what DF and SW have said.
I can see a desperate club (and there are several) coming in with a bid > £10M and that would be VERY difficult to turn down. It's worth remembering that the 'P' word is worth approx 10 times that!!!!
There are a lot of different factors involved. How defensively the team is playing(Boro, as you say), the formation used, playing time together and so on. Krul hardly played last season after a long injury and he's had to develop a partnership with our defenders having had no preseason. The CBs also bear some responsibility for not dealing with the parries after saves. Look at the goals Gunn was conceding early on last season. He improved greatly as the season went on and Krul will too. As Robin Sainty says: "That includes goalkeeper, where Krul has come under fire from some quarters. Had he still been making the sort of errors that cost goals against West Brom and Leeds early in the season I’d be concerned, but the fingers pointed at him for Swansea and Rotherham’s goals might equally be trained on defenders who failed to react quickly enough to the initial save."
Aarons will certainly attract attention, but whether he's played enough yet to attract big offers I'm not sure. We thought that last season with Lewis, but it never happened.
I think he will attract relatively big offers. Club's like Citeh or Spuds like to get these guys young before the cost really skyrockets. I just hope that Arrons at al realise that right now knowing they are playing is the best thing for their development and that the big bucks will come when they are ready. Bah!
Not sure what this shows or how useful it is, but if nothing else it would seem to suggest that letting Rudd go wasn't such a bad decision as some on here suggest.
So, we are now down to the last 4 games of this year and Boro definitely have the easiest run. We have 2 VERY tough games after Xmas, but at least both teams should come here to attack and hopefully give us more chances to score. Villa are starting to look strong, but they are 11 points behind us!!!
Hate to put the mockers on things but we never seem to do very well over Christmas. Lets hope it's just another curse DF and the team can slay.
Never? Why only last season we W2 D1 L1 over the Xmas period. beating: Millwall, Brum, and drawing wilh Burton with a loss to Brentford 22/12. Not bad I'd say. Bah!
Updated after the Bolton game... There's a bit of light between autos and the chasing playoff places. please log in to view this image
Fortunately (I think) I've been supporting Norwich for more than just one or two years and from my experience it seems generally speaking that we always struggle over the Christmas period. Not sure I'd class last Christmas's results as doing "very well" bearing in mind the opposition & the players we had at our disposal. I think if we were playing the same teams over this Christmas I'd be looking at getting more than 7 point's, not that we could play Burton of course as they got relegated.
Boro may have the easiest run of games but their form has faded big time. Form table halfway down this article: www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/how-aston-villa-west-brom-15529076 IMO it's good to have the two home games against Derby and Forest while we're going well. That's two top third six pointers in the second half of the season gone early.
Great article analysing how our rise this season has come about: http://www.squawka.com/en/news/how-...dium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#WLbygUoyB1CCd7Se.97 The final conclusion is particularly interesting: "With Farke’s emphasis on passing and possession, as well as the scouting of Stuart Webber’s recruitment team, Norwich have developed into a truly awesome side. They are well run and very well coached. The potential for them to scale up should they stay the course and win the Championship is genuine. Should they return to the Premier League, Farke’s tactical acumen will give the Canaries a chance to fly again."
