Elliot Myles on for his debut in place of Hernandez Schwartau on for Fisher who looked like he was tiring
Sheffield Utd are also without several first team regulars. With the crisis in midfield, Thorup should be demanding reinforcements. There has not been a shot on target by NCFC all game.
Hasn't been a shot even close to the target. Dobbin selfishly shoots from a wide angle when we had 4 players in the box. We've looked pathetic since the first goal went in.
JHT may be begging for reinforcements but not airing it in public. For the sake of maybe 3-4 weeks when some midfielders return. There isn’t a bottomless pit of money. We have 8 CM options, it’s hard to justify having many more than that. In seasons gone by we’ve had 5 or 6 options. We are also without a fit main striker and our top goalscorer. The coach is responsible for how the team set up and play which I would say has been good today. Players not getting shots on target is the players fault who again are makeshift. Dobbin has only just joined us on loan. Hernandez isn’t really a striker that will get goals, Crnac has had to play a lot more than planned due to Sargents injury and looks in need of a break
How bad can a teams decision making be? Well, I believe we are showing the way. We, for the most part, appeared to be their equals, but to this was misleading. Nil shots on target. WTF. Sorry, no player, except Gunn comes out of this match with any respect. I will give Mahovo exception as I thought he was classy on debut for the time he was on.
I'd agree, but my exception would be Marcondes (7.0 on WhoScored) who worked his socks off while his teammates floundered around him.
(1) I hope yesterday spells the end of the experiment of playing Hernandez at 9. (2) The chief reason for Crnac's supposed "disappearing act" (CitySlicker) was Fisher, who barely made a progressive pass all afternoon, except on those occasions when his aim was to feed the ball to Stacey high up. Otherwise he invariably passed backwards or sideways. I'm not blaming Kellen; shifting the ball left was clearly by design: 49% of Norwich's attacking play was down that side (a percentage that would have been even higher if Sargent's arrival hadn't resulted in Hernandez being moved wide right, and then replaced by Miles). In any case, Crnac's 6.3 was the median rating on WhoScored, hardly a "disappearing act". (3) Yes, decision-making was often poor, but execution of intention was worse. How many times did poor weight of pass defeat the object of the pass? Promising attacking situations abruptly petered out with the ball being "passed" out of play. Even Doyle was guilty on several occasions.
I just don't understand some people. First season for the Coach and we are mid table, 10 points off the bottom 4 and 5 points of the top 6. We lose 2-0 away at the team who are currently top of the table and suddenly the season becomes a disaster and questions are asked about the capability of the new Coach. Most people realised that this was going to be a hit and miss campaign with major changes in players, age profile and playing style. The Club openly talked about seasons of transition. What did people think that meant? Top 6 this year and automatic promotion next season? Look at the age of the players we are having to rely on - they are still learning their trade. I am very optimistic for the future of this set up but for gods sake people - give it a chance. Young players make mistakes but they have to learn from those mistakes and the older players make mistakes as well - they are human. I'm just grateful that there is now genuine hope for the future unlike the dire rubbish served up under Smith and Wagner.
When Farke arrived he took over a squad of players many of whom were signed cheaply from the German second and third divisions. The result, not surprisingly, was a 14th place finish and a considerable amount of disquiet among the supporters. We then recruited Pukki on a free transfer and Buendia for a modest fee. They became the driving force of the team that won the Championship twice, but both of those successes were followed by disastrous and demoralising PL campaigns. Our club was sarcastically described as the Man City of the Championship and the well, Norwich City of the PL. Finishing last both times, we became synonymous with PL failure. The problem was that we couldn't afford the quality of players who were needed to make Farkeball work at the top level. Unfortunately we still can't afford the players we need so we now spend to recruit young players who we hope will succeed in the future. So far there is little evidence that Crnac(£8.5m), Forson(£4m), Schwartau(£3.5m) and Córdoba(£3m) have what it takes to make Thorup's tactics succeed in the Championship, let alone the PL. I very much hope they will, but from what I've seen so far, I'm not holding my breath. The players who have enabled us to achieve what we have so far this season are the ones who were already here, as well as Doyle, Marcondes and Slimane who came in on loan or for small fees and the last two of whom were known to Thorup in the Danish leagues. Doyle was a temporary measure, but none of them were really part of the 3 year plan, but they've made far more impact than those who were. We've now added Lewis Dobbin on loan and Matěj Jurásek for £5.8m, who, along with Sargent returning, we hope can strengthen the attack for the final run in but there seems to be all too little emphasis on strengthening our defensive play. This may well turn out to be something Hoffball has in common with Farkeball. We'll have to wait and see.
Rick, in what sense are Crnac, Forson, Schwartau and Córdoba "part of the 3 year plan" but Doyle, Marcondes and Slimane not part of it? The "3 year plan" is a set of objectives together with strategies to achieve them. As far as I can see, nothing that's happened under Knapper and Thorup so far represents a departure from it.
We're on the outside certainly, but it seems to me that Crnac, Forson, Schwartau and Córdoba were identified by Knapper's recruitment team before the window. Doyle can also be included in that, but he's a loan and unlikely to be a part of the plan next year or in 3 years time. It seems to me that Slimane and Marcondes were identified by JHT from the Danish leagues rather than by Knapper and co. The loan deal for Slimane may have been part of the original plan or not but the 29 year old Marcondes does not fit with Knapper's stated 3 year plan based on recruiting and developing young players. JHT was quite open about the time needed to be able to bring Marcondes into the team and I don't think the hesitation was down to Emi.
Nothing in "the plan" excludes signing a 29 year old player. Reducing the average age of the squad isn't incompatible with signing a 29 year old. Marcondes was definitely under consideration in the summer and, contrary to what you say, he is on record talking about a family situation which required him to focus on resolving. As for recruitment, once appointed, Thorup becomes part of the recruitment team. Whether a player has been targeted for possible recruitment before or after Thorup's appointment is irrelevant when it comes to this or that signing being "part of the plan".
