Expectations

[Superman wears Grant Holt pyjamas in bed]

patience is a virtue.

if we want our club to be successful in the long run, we need to be patient and respectful of our current situation.

good post norfolkbhoy

 

[Tony_Munky_Canary]

I know I'm a glass half full kind of guy but I thought we played well yesterday and loved our passing game where each player had a maximum of 3 touches.

So did I mate, and I'm still a bit confused as to why some people are saying we were pathetic, that this is "the end of the diamond formation" and more bizarrely that Wes and Simeon were both anonymous throughout the game

I thought Wes was all over the place and had his best game in a while, and apart from creating any clear chances for himself I thought Simmo was a real handful as well - not to mention how brilliantly he did to set up the goal. I thought Holty was off the pace (though he actually looked half decent on MotD2) and it wasn't the best of games for any of Drury, Ward or Surman, but also they didn't have shockers and apart from that I thought everyone did well. Foxy was always hungry for the ball, Zak and Ruddy were immense and I thought Crofts did ok as well.

I couldn't believe people were complaining when we were stringing a load of passes together in the midfield. Ok we didn't manage to open them up as much as we should have done but every time we resorted to lumping it up it just came straight back again - usually because we were aiming for Jackson or Wes' head for some bizarre reason and they weren't going to get any change out of the Wigan CBs. The first fifteen minutes it looked to me that we were going to take them to the cleaners and the diamond was working, but Martinez soon switched Moses out to the wing more than the central position he started with and we left it far too late to do anything about it - that was the only disappointment for me.

I'm convinced that the two subs we made were slightly panic reactions to the goal as I thought Lambert was about to take Wes and perhaps Jackson off instead of Crofts and Surman and go 4-5-1 with Morison up top on his own (which is also what I would have done). Just as he was about to make the switch however they scored and I guess he then wanted to leave it a bit more attacking so left Wes and Simmo on. Whilst this gave us width to counter the wide men they were deploying it left us short in the middle with Foxy as the only soul in there stopping the flow, and I actually thought they were going to nick the winner as a result.

Fortunately they didn't and we got away with a point that I was thoroughly expecting to be three after the first twenty minutes. Hey-ho, at least we didn't lose and it's another tiny step nearer mathematical safety and as I alluded to earlier I'm sure lessons will have been learned for the future

 

[Superman wears Grant Holt pyjamas in bed]

i wouldn't say we played well. equally we were not as terrible as many would have you believe! despite a quick start, i never felt city got out of second gear. that was the most disappointing thing because we all know we can play much better. wigan played well and probably should have won really but their finishing was wayward, thankfully. agree with much of your post munky

 

[redruthyella]

Sorry lads I have to say I disagree with the punching above our weight theory. We have 36 points because we earnt them all. Despite Wigans length of stay in the Prem they are not likely to be one much longer and we are well clear of them so we are a better team. If we had won (hindsight is brilliant of course) on Sunday we would have been a mere point behind Liverpool who are seventh and have far more experience than Wigan. And the value of a player doesn't mean he's any better than a player at half the fee. To be honest I thought Sundays poor performance was the managers fault with his selection and tactics rather than players ability. They have been more than good enough for half of the teams for 25 games.
Lets accept we are NCFC, Premier League until further notice.

 

[ncfcwonky]

I bet there are Man City fans moaning less about their defeat to Swansea and they have more of a right to moan!

Bad performances/results happen every now and then. Just look at Tranmere two years a go and Doncaster last year. Sometimes teams have their good days and sometimes they have their bad days.

Obviously, as a Norwich fan, I want us to do well but it's never going to be easy.

Just because we have 36 points and are 12th doesn't mean we should beat all eight teams below us. Just like Manchester United don't expect to beat all 19 teams below them. It's what makes football exciting. The unpredictable results make it worth watching. I wouldn't want to see Man City go through 38 games winning every one with ease. It is never easy.

All this season was about was staying in the Premier League. Yes it's not mathematically certain yet but we are pretty much there with ten games to go. I want to, and I will, enjoy it. Every team has a blip, as did Man City on Sunday, as did Chelsea against QPR earlier in the season and so did Manchester United against Blackburn. These are teams playing Champions League football yet bad results happen. The players didn't go to these games expecting to win and they didn't. Both teams in each game tried to win and it just happened to work out for the better for the underdog. Whether your 1st or 20th in the Premier League it doesn't mean the players and team won't try and the lower placed team deserves to lose.

 

[Tony_Munky_Canary]

Agree 100% Wonky

I always find it rather short-sighted when we try to take all the credit for winning games, and also take all the blame when we lose. Allow me to use the Bayern Munich game as an example, on paper there was absolutely no way in the world we should have been able to get a result there, none whatsoever, but a combination of us playing exceptionally well and our opponents playing pretty poorly and taking us lightly conspired to create a night that will long live on in the memory for any Canary fan fortunate enough to have been around. Of course we will always hail the performances of our heroes on that famous night, particularly Gossy and Marky Bowen for slamming in the goals - but you never hear Norwich fans banging on about how badly Munich had been that night.

Similarly with the infamous Fulham 0-6 game, yes we were pretty piss poor that game and deservedly lost, but you never hear about how up for it and how well Fulham played that afternoon. By all means be disappointed when we play badly and get beaten, but please never lose sight of the fact there are two teams competing in any match and on any given day anybody can beat anybody else - as it proved up and down the country on a weekly basis

 

[Superman wears Grant Holt pyjamas in bed]

sorry but its blatantly obvious that we have punched above our weight to a certain degree. there is nothing wrong with that at all. yes we have earned all 36 points but in terms of wages and money spent on players and where they all came from, we are clearly punching well above our weight. the great thing is, that because the management and players have done so well, the club can address this quicker than we would have done had we gone down. we all know that the players are good enough for this level but they have had to play at the top of their game throughout the season to be where we are

 

[ncfcwonky]

Agree 100% Wonky

Are you sure Sid? I don't even know what I'm saying half the time!

sorry but its blatantly obvious that we have punched above our weight to a certain degree. there is nothing wrong with that at all. yes we have earned all 36 points but in terms of wages and money spent on players and where they all came from, we are clearly punching well above our weight. the great thing is, that because the management and players have done so well, the club can address this quicker than we would have done had we gone down. we all know that the players are good enough for this level but they have had to play at the top of their game throughout the season to be where we are

Agreed.

 

[Norfolkbhoy]

sorry but its blatantly obvious that we have punched above our weight to a certain degree. there is nothing wrong with that at all. yes we have earned all 36 points but in terms of wages and money spent on players and where they all came from, we are clearly punching well above our weight. the great thing is, that because the management and players have done so well, the club can address this quicker than we would have done had we gone down. we all know that the players are good enough for this level but they have had to play at the top of their game throughout the season to be where we are

Pretty much sums up my thoughts on it - nobody is saying we don't merit our points and position and Premiership status, just that we have exceeded our expectations and probably achived more than we "should" do with the current resources we have and that we need to improve incrementally to raise expectations next season and hopefully continue to punch above our weight in 2012/13 and subsequently.

 

[Cruyff's Turn]

Were we in QPR's position I might be a little worried about our apparent lack of form.But we are not.We are in a situation where if we don't take a point from our last ten games we will finish 16th or 17th.How many City fans would not have taken that just seven months ago?

And if you look at the loss of form it comprises of a last minute defeat to a team heading for another title,a 1-0 away defeat to Stoke and a draw to a team in the relegation dogfight.I think we will get better results against teams in the middle with nothing to play for.

 

[redruthyella]

sorry but its blatantly obvious that we have punched above our weight to a certain degree. there is nothing wrong with that at all. yes we have earned all 36 points but in terms of wages and money spent on players and where they all came from, we are clearly punching well above our weight. the great thing is, that because the management and players have done so well, the club can address this quicker than we would have done had we gone down. we all know that the players are good enough for this level but they have had to play at the top of their game throughout the season to be where we are

Its not blatantly obvious to me. What is obvious is we are better than the teams below us. Double over Bolton and QPR for a start. We are punching our weight. If others teams aren't punching theirs thats their problem.

 

[Cruyff's Turn]

Exactly,nobody in that bottom five has scored a win over us.

 

[ncfcwonky]

But it is obvious we are punching above our own weight. Two years a go we were playing against teams like Exeter. The fact that we have got into the top flight so quickly is amazing. So much so that back to back promotions had not been done for 10 years since man city.

When we got promoted from league 1 the plan was survival, as most fans, lambert and pundits said at the beginning of that season. Yet we got promoted. How many people would have predicted that back then?

When we got promoted to the premier league, again, the aim was, and still is, survival. Fans would be happy with 17th, lambert is still aiming for survival and pundits at the beginning of the season were predicting we were going to be somewhere near the bottom for most of the season and most likely get relegated, fighting it out with with teams like wigan and swansea for survival.

Therefore, I think we are punching well above our weight.

 

[Walsh.i.am]

Therefore, I think we are punching well above our weight.

Read the first paragraph of this to see David McNally's view on it!

http://www.pinkun.com/norwich-city/...645?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

 

[ncfcwonky]

Read the first paragraph of this to see David McNally's view on it!

http://www.pinkun.com/norwich-city/...645?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

I'm not going to argue with that! I don't think any further evidence is needed!

 

[redruthyella]

I'm not going to argue with that! I don't think any further evidence is needed!

He said the club was the 12th best supported in the country and the ambition was to break into the top 10.

And we're 12th in the table, the defence rests.
Come on guys, get away from this aren't we lucky syndrome. Little Norwich should says thanks for getting into the Prem. Bullshit. Of course we were in L1 two years ago. But we won it. We finished runners up last season and earned the right to play in the Prem. And the personnel who got us in the **** 4 years ago aren't there any more. Its a brand new Norwich with a pragmatic manager, ambitious and thinking manager and talented players. I'm glad we are still a friendly family club but we go out to win every game and respect but don't fear the opposition.
Norwich City have spent as more years in the Prem/1st Division since the early seventies than any other division. We have won the League Cup twice and lost in two other finals, three FA Cup semis and Championship/Div2 titles and L1 title.
Add that lot up and think how many clubs have achieved similar. I'm not going to troll other clubs sites but I bet thats more than Stoke, Wigan, QPR, Swansea and Fulham and maybe even Bolton.
Live in the now. We are Premier League, say We are Premier League.

 

[Superman wears Grant Holt pyjamas in bed]

as a football club we are not punching above our weight, that is true in as far as potential. however, from the situation we found ourselves in to change so quickly means of course we are to a degree! nothing wrong with it - as i said before we are in a position now where we can build quicker than ever. there are still players here who got us relegated to league one but its the fact we've spent so little on wages and fees that mean we are punching above our weight. its not a difficult concept to grasp, surely? we are beating teams with far greater resources and experience than us. we might not be punching above our weight in terms of quality and support but we are in every other aspect

 

[redruthyella]

as a football club we are not punching above our weight, that is true in as far as potential. however, from the situation we found ourselves in to change so quickly means of course we are to a degree! nothing wrong with it - as i said before we are in a position now where we can build quicker than ever. there are still players here who got us relegated to league one but its the fact we've spent so little on wages and fees that mean we are punching above our weight. its not a difficult concept to grasp, surely? we are beating teams with far greater resources and experience than us. we might not be punching above our weight in terms of quality and support but we are in every other aspect

Resources mean nothing. Its what you do with them. We have used ours wisely and still have money left over to clear a lot of our debt.
Liverpool have spent a fortune. Would you rather have Holt or Carroll? Downing or Bennet? Pilkington or Henderson?
QPR: SWP or Pilkington, Bothroyd or Morison, Zamora or Holt?
We are just not as stupid or pathetic as the other clubs who spend money for the sake of it.
You could buy Robinsons Orange Cordial or Coop Orange Cordial for half the price. Fact is they were both made by Colmans.

 

[JM Fan]

Liverpool have spent a fortune. Would you rather have Holt or Carroll? Downing or Bennet? Pilkington or Henderson?
QPR: SWP or Pilkington, Bothroyd or Morison, Zamora or Holt?
We are just not as stupid or pathetic as the other clubs who spend money for the sake of it.
You could buy Robinsons Orange Cordial or Coop Orange Cordial for half the price. Fact is they were both made by Colmans.

redruthyella - All I can say is. Excellent post and really puts things in perspective.

 

[Norfolkbhoy]

Don't want to harp on about this (but going to anyway!). the "punching above our weight" relates to our current situation. Resources ARE completely relevant as they determine the players you can attract to the club.

As Redruth correctly states we have got excellent players DESPITE not paying over the top prices for them. We have, in essence, done more with less hence we are punching above our weight.

We may be the 12th best supported club in the country but this counts for little in comparison with having access to Sky premiership monies or having a multi-squillionaire owner as Man City/Chelsea have. Consider Blackburn - we are considerably better supported and have a far superior record over the past 30 years yet they have won the Premier League - why? Because they had Jack Walker's megabucks and could buy the likes of Shearer and Sutton. At that time they were a heavyweight club, now that others have similar backing they are back to the middleweight division.

Currently we cannot compete with most other premiership clubs in terms of the personnel we can afford or attract ot the club. This will change assuming that we can stay up for a few years. Then we could be like Wigan with £10m to buy a forward. We may choose not to do so and to keep with the policy of buying good young players with protential but it is not liklely that PL can keep pulling rabbits out of the hat.

I don't think anyone is saying that we are not where we deserve to be or that Norwich are not a Premiership club just that we are doing rather well considering we have had successive promotions without the beneift of being able to buy expensive "big-name" players as Man City and Fulham (the last two clubs to rise so quickly) were able to do on the way up.

I don't think that anyone on this board has a "plucky little Norwich" mentality. We want our club to go on to do great things. We want a bigger stadium to facilitate this. We want to be challenging for cups and European football but some of us accept that this will take some time to achieve and that to do this we do need to consolidate our position in the premiership. I don't htink that any of this is as controversial as Redruth seems to think.