If we keep up this form Ipswich will be in the Premier League & we will be in League 1 All that TV money & player sales squandered
The Plymouth debacle was embarrassing but today's capitulation was a huge kick in the balls. Duffy's second goal looked perfectly legit & at 3-0 you would hope we would hang on , but this side like the last 2 seasons **** the bed rather than roll up their sleeves . Barnes would have been barking orders but we lack leadership & gonads without him
Yesterday was a prime example of why the Championship is the second best (second tier) league in the World, an amazing advert for the Championship. I had watched the Liverpool - Everton lunch time game, which was drab as far as excitement goes.
Idah was far from the problem yesterday he linked play well and carried the ball up the pitch when needed
I just don’t understand how Jekyl and Hyde this team can be from half to half. We seem incapable of stitching a complete performance together since the first 5 games. We have shown, as we did in the first half, yesterday that when we play with intensity and high pressing we can beat anyone, albeit Leeds missed a few good chances. But then second half we come out and look completely passive and watch Leeds play through us. In my opinion we need to drop to a 3 man midfield with McLean/Forshaw holding and Sara and Nunez/Gibbs playing box to box. Duffy needs to be told to hold position rather than stepping out of defence following a striker dropping short.
And can be beaten by anyone. We are architects of our own downfall, amply demonstrated by the perfomance on Saturday. And I'm not referring to any first half/second half disparities. We were fortunate not to go in at half time with Leeds already ahead. Just look, for example, at the one-on-one, first half, chance Piroe spurned (starting at 2.14 on the club's Highlight's video). Us having lost possession, Gray has the ball, under no pressure at all; at that point there are 7 City players in the opposition half including Gibson and both Sara and McLean (furthest advanced of the three). Our back line of Giannoulis, Duffy and Stacey, spread out across the pitch, are left facing three pacy attackers -- Summerville, Piroe and James. When Gray plays the ball to James, no one is pressing. The whole attack takes place without an ounce of pressure on any Leeds player. Or (second half, 7.09 on the video), take the Leeds goal which came from our free kick well inside the Leeds half. When Sara receives the ball from Giannoulis, he has every other Norwich outfield player ahead of him. Clearly not one of them is thinking "where's the danger?"; they are just intent on putting the ball in the Leeds net. So when Sara takes on the most difficult of all deliveries available to him, trying to pick out Stacey (with two covering defenders inside him), surprise, surprise, it's not the pinpoint accuracy required. Possession to Leeds, one pass out of defence ahead of the speedy Summerville, and bingo, Leeds goal.
Ben Lee's analysis of the Leeds defeat: https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/23874778.norwich-city-ben-lees-tactical-analysis-leeds/ This is the subscription-only piece for the EDP so not yet available free to view on Ben's own website.
