Not sure, but it could well be time to hand the keyboard to Duncan! Very impressive run though Suffolk. If only we could muster a reliable defence, for once.
I don't think the formation was at fault as it was back to individual errors. I thought our play was lively and direct and the third goal should have stood. Unless we cut out the errors we shouldn't even be thinking about promotion. We'd only be massacred again.
Yes, in patches I thought it was as good as we have played this season. But the patches don't last long and they're undermined by woeful mistakes at the back. The main plus of this game for me was that Sara looked good when he came on. If he doesn't begin games soon, my opinion of Smith will go down even further.
I know it will be controversial, but I don’t think Gibbs is quite ready yet. Yes he’s got buckets of promise, but he’s cost us quite a bit because of naivety. And this result was on the cards - we actually played better today, I thought, especially in possession. But we have too often been careless and not ruthless enough. I’m sure Smith recognises this needs a few rockets up arses, but the players need to take a look at themselves and ask how they let this happen.
You neglect to mention the great chances missed by Pukki. Maybe we need to start culling some sacred cows, Pukki, Arrons are 2 that rarely get the criticism their performances often deserve.
I think there are valid questions over Aaron’s’ performances, sometimes, but at heart I think we all know he’s not there for his defensive mindedness and IMHO he’s going to be playing in the Premier League for most of his career. For Pukki, though, I don’t think we can criticise. Yes, he missed chances and so in isolation might have had a bad day - but he’s never been a ruthless finisher for an entire season. He’s always gone through spates of easier chances being missed, just like he has stretches where every time he shoots he finds the net. His game is his movement and creating loads of chances - he did that today. The guilty parties were our midfield - young naivety from Gibbs, mixed performance from McClean - and Krul having one of his c.2 times a season horror shows. With a smattering of bad decisions throughout the rest of the team.
In my view Aarons is not a defensive player: that’s possibly why he has been touted as a transfer target in 8 transfer windows, but has never left. Going forward he is very decent, but gets caught out of position. Pukki has been a prolific scorer in Championship, but his 4 goals in 13 games translates to about 14/15 a season which is half of his totals in the past. Hugill is persona non gratis and with Idah injured again, we have just Sargent as a our main striker. We will surely not look at another striker in January transfer window so we will rely on others to score. There has been 14 different goal scorers this season, so perhaps this is the way forward? Defensively we might want to have Gibson back or a new recruit (very unlikely) in January window.
PNE scored 4 goals in twelve matches before today. On their 13th match they score 3 goals. This seems to indicate just how bad our defence is.
Masterful job you've done, Suffolk. Hopefully we won't need you again this season but, if we do, we'll be in good hands.
I haven't been convinced at all by Sara when I've seen him play this season, but today I saw a different player. He looked relaxed and confident.
Pukki provided the assist for Sargent's goal and has scored 4 goals and made 3 assists in our last 6 games, so no, I wouldn't drop him. He did miss one very good chance and some half chances, but I haven't seen the highlights yet. Aarons is an attacking FB who would be better suited to playing as a WB, but given that we only have two fit FBs I wouldn't drop him either.
This season Norwich are not easy on the eye , they play well for 5 or 10 minutes then drift off . Most of the goals conceded have cone from individual errors and luckily the finishing at this level has prevented a few more red faces . McLean scored what looked like a perfectly good equaliser at 3-2 and that would have kept the unbeaten run going . On the plus side they are scoring most games and often looked pretty solid at the back . I can't put my finger on it but despite our league position they still aren't playing well . Luckily Watford and Sheffield United are ****ing up too and I doubt QPR and Reading will keep up with the leaders . I want Norwich to go up because we receive suitcases of cash and will keep our better players and attract better players , but on the performances I've seen this season we would get demolished every game . Smith has been getting results but I don't see much improvement
Just finished watching MOTD. The way most of the Premier play, we would get battered every game Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, Newcastle, Liverpool etc etc are on a different planet. Never has the gap been wider
Just watched the highlights. I know they do not tell everything but from what I saw some awful finishing did for us yesterday. If it had been better we would have won 5-3. We would be rightly moaning about conceding but we would have the points and be top!
