Good game today. Took 2 of the grandkids again and introduced them to league football. After the initial onslaught from a good side who like to play football we gradually started to play a bit and cause them problems. Once we realised we could give them a game the whole side looked up for it today in the heat. Oscar took his goals well and looked fitter and that’s potentially the key for this new side. Nervy last quarter but the atmosphere is growing and with a few more results like today it won’t be long before we have to dust down the Upper West. Trying to keep a lid on it.. UTT.
Hull boss Shota Arveladze: "As the seagulls follow the trawlers, so the game flows like salmon up the stream, we climb the river torrents, and are eaten by the bears if we do not swim with evasion, we hang and get to our destination and unleashed out virility..." Actually.... "I'm not saying this is the best game we've played but, strategically, we did very well. I think it's a great start to the season. "We have been watching their games and just didn't want to give them time. Maybe we started a bit too early to kill the game [after Nunez scored], but before that we had a really good game. "In some points they dominated, but not with really clear chances; they only had one clear chance in the second half. "You have to accept they have a stronger squad. It's a Premier League team. They dominated, definitely, but that's why we played two different systems and it worked." Norwich City boss Dean Smith: "It's a game we've dominated and been camped in their half. The last 25 minutes was like attack versus defence. "We could've won in the first 15 minutes, such was our superiority and the chances we created, but we gave a calamitous goal away and it gave them something to cling to. "We had a two or three-minute spell in the second half where we failed to do the things we had been doing previously. They ended up getting a shot from the box deflected for a corner and we didn't defend the set-piece well. "Nunez got us a lifeline with a superb goal that lifted everybody. If Ramsey scored we'd win the game. But I don't want to be a broken record every week. We're playing well enough to win, we're just making silly errors at the moment. "On another day, we definitely come away with three points. They'll feel they got out of jail a little bit and it's frustrating because there's some really good football there. It's just a couple of mistakes we're getting punished for at the moment."
Actually, we were getting battered before the subs and it was only a matter of time before we conceded. There was a spell after the subs where the extra bodies behind the ball gave us some breathing space and stemmed the tide for a while. Then we sat back too much and they came at us, and at us. Either way, taking Tetteh off was a mistake. We are in a false position at the top right now, but with a little time (and recruitment and injury returns) we might develop well enough to stay there. Better to be there than not
Not sure I agree. We’d definitely ridden our luck at the start of the game and without particularly playing badly, couldn’t have argued at being 3-0 down 30 mins in. Norwich have a better squad than us and that difference in quality was clear with the way they created their chances. However we had really grabbed the ascendency in the second half, the change of shape was what threw us off course more than the change of personnel IMO. At the very least the midfield 3 should have been kept together instead of shoehorning Tufan on the wing (WTF?!) and dropping Jones back into defence. As soon as we switched to 5 at the back we stopped pressing, gave their full backs freedom to push right forward and then got pegged back and struggled to keep the ball through the middle. But I’d agree on the face of it taking Tetteh off was a mistake and didn’t seem to be struggling, quite the opposite in fact. Maybe his knee or ankle or whatever he did when he went down after the back heel was causing him grief.
It could also be that shota didn't want to wear them off too much, got another game on tuesday with no room for more injuries.
Yeah but that’s on Tuesday. It’s a bit like not shagging your bird to keep her fresh for the next man.
Good post. Few that went today are fooling themselves about City at the minute. To be fair games like today will come along again and again and we could end up being tonked in a couple. The opposing squad today smacked of class yet we turned them over through sheer belief and defiance. Once we get everyone up to match fitness and the contract situation gets sorted I see no reason why the club cannot work it’s way up this division without the fear of relegation. Others may disagree.
Fantastic game and incredible atmosphere today, really enjoyed it. From what I saw we look like a different team when we played with a back 4. Fig and Greaves were more than capable without Jones. But Jones in midfield with Slater was the difference for me. It looked like we played a 4231? with Tufan playing slightly further forward finally gave us a bit of control and creativity in midfield. Oscar gave us a glimpse of the kind of striker he is, hard working, poacher who's relentless at closing the ball down and forcing mistakes. I thought Tetteh played his best game so far but he's no winger. Allahyar worked hard but didn't have his best game. Best player for me was Tufan, what a player he is, you can just see his quality and he's still not playing at 100%. He'll be a really important player for us this season and is a matter of time before he scores again. Negatives... Shota admitted himself he changed tactics too early, he really could have cost us 2 points if Norwich were more clinical. As soon as we went to our usual 5 at the back we lost all control of the game and invited Norwich onto us. I understand he needed to make subs but it should have been like for like and keep the same shape. Hopefully with what he's seen today we play this way more often. Add to that a couple of much needed new additions and we'll have a good season. Top of the league too, fantastic
I'm guilty of fearing a tough start. I just thought we'd have too many new players and not enough time to gel. But so far so good. So hopefully we'll can only get better.
I need to get myself back there too. Today did jolt my memory of Windass scoring the first goal In our win over Norwich back in 2007, then running towards us in the West Stand celebrating like a madman. At the time I remember thinking 'actually, this could turn into quite a good season.....'.
