So here we are at the half way point of the season. We have 19 points from 19 games, obviously that same trend would leave us on 38 points at the end of the season. Good enough to stay up? Hmm, maybe, but maybe not. Our goal difference is pretty bad compared to most, so I'd hazard a guess that 38 points might not be quite enough. So how should we view our situation? Well I suppose firstly most of us are probably a bit disappointed we're not on a slightly higher points tally. Perhaps somewhere around the 25 points would have been more the expectation. League position? 15th is by no means a disaster, but again I think most of us would have been hoping for a little higher, maybe around the 10th to 12th mark. Distance from the relegation places? Just 3 points, and this is perhaps the most relevant statement of position. To my mind this is the most disappointing aspect of our situation, that we are just one round of games away from potentially being back in the bottom 3. We've had some tough days with very poor results against some of the bigger teams - but it's the games against teams in and around us where we have failed to be positive and show the tactical nous/desire/passion/aggression/determination/flexibility that have left us in such a vulnerable position. Of the 19 games, I would say the following could be classed as 'disappointing' or 'bad' results: 0-1 at Hull 0-1 home to Villa 0-0 home to Cardiff 1-1 home to Swansea 1-2 home to Fulham On the other hand, results you might describe as 'good' or 'better than expected' might be: 2-2 home to Everton 1-0 at Stoke 2-0 at West Brom So, 5 'bad' results as opposed to 3 'good' ones. Obviously it's an unpredictable world otherwise we'd all be millionaires, and not all games will go to plan, but overall I think it's pretty clear we have had too many poor results - 5 from 19 games. In summary? We're not in a disastrous position, by any means. We have every chance of surviving and seeing another season of top flight football. We're not in a comfortable position, by any means. We have every chance of getting sucked into a relegation battle and losing it. And this, in a nutshell, is my problem with Chris Hughton. I think he is extremely limited as a manager of a top flight club, and whilst he is in charge we will be in a permanent state of not playing to our potential and getting too many poor results. I believe we need to thank him for his efforts but trot out the well worn cliche - he has taken us as far as he is able to.
Well written post, but I disagree with the idea that our only two away victories of the season are unexpected. Should we never expect to win away from home then? Otherwuse I agree with what you have said. I think the really telling statistics from this season are that: 1) We've won just 3 from 10 home games and lost four. And we still have Man City, Spurs, Newcastle, Arsenal and Liverpool to play at Carrow Road. 2) We have scored 16 goals. So we're on target for 32. Show me one team that has stayed in this division having lost more home games than they won and also scored 32 goals or less and I'll retract my opinion that Hughton now needs to go.
Given that only leaves hull,WBA,Sunderland and stoke at home, we are almost certainly going to have to beat one of those five top teams at home to stay up id have thought. Shows the importance of losing to villa and fulham and not beating Cardiff Also, I think it will be 37-38 points to stay up
I thought we had more decent home games left than that. So if we win all 4 of those, beat Palace away and take a point of Cardiff, Swansea and West Ham that's 18 more to give us 37 points.
Nope DH I take heart from today's performance against a bigger team though I'm sure we'll win at Least One more away game, we've got to beat bloody fulham some time!
Good post. Thought the performance today was the best I have seen this season but as indicated above 19 points for me is not enough at this stage, especially when you consider our last four fixtures against teams who will be going for the title or champions league. Not sure a new manager will be able to make a difference. Cannot see us getting anything against Palace or Everton, so considering our last four games and also away at United, that is 7 games were we are unlikely to get much at all leaving 12 games to get to 40 points. Not going to happen with this squad or manager. Our only chance us that there are three worse teams than us thus season so it's touch and go for me. Sorry to be downbeat but thats how I see it. Would appreciate something to cheer me up please!!
What makes the Fulham result worse is that they were stuffed 6 - 0 by Hull at home today. Can't say that Hull have a team of stars but are very well lead by Steve Bruce and are performing as I would have expected Norwich to have performed. I have little doubt that CH is not motivating most of the squad and has made the team predictable and lacking in desire to achieve results of which they are capable and we expect. Agree with surgeryman - here's hoping there are three worse teams than us. Biggest disappointment - RvW at £8.5m. Under CH we are winning only 1 game in 4
On RvW, I still don't think he's had a proper run in the team on which he can be properly judged, and we need to sort the service out too. It's all very well having someone who can put the ball in the net, but someone has got to make him the opportunity. Trying to be positive, 1 win in 4 is still ~30 points over a season, and we've already had 5 wins and 4 draws, so that's not the end of the world.
We had an awful festive period last year and with 19 games left, up until the last two games (WBA & Citeh), we only gained 12 points. A big improvement is needed quickly, especially bearing in mind our last four games, do you think with CH at the helm, we can do it?
Now until march is so massive for our clubs progression, we need to make carrow road a banker 3 points every week against the weaker teams and start taking the games to away teams more often so we have a chance of getting all 3 because at the moment it feels like luck when we do. We need to start creating our own luck and going for 3 points every week.
I think with Hughton it will be touch and go because I don't believe he has the courage to take risks, or the leadership qualities to inspire the players. We will grind out the occasional win (e.g. the 1-0 vs Palace) but whether it will prove to be enough is doubtful. I get the impression with Hughton that he doesn't really adapt to any change in circumstances, so even if we end up needing to win say 3 of the last 5 games he will still go out and try and nick them 1-0. I know today's result was a freak one in some ways, but can you really imagine Hughton presiding over a 6-0 thrashing? I can't, and the fact that we rarely score than one goal in a game is reason enough to show him the door.
Spurs and Newcastle at home are certainly winnable as are Palace, Cardiff, West Ham, Villa, Swansea and Fulham away. Plus, we play Man Utd and Chelsea around the champions league semi final stages. While I could certainly see it as a possibility that we go down, the game is not over yet. Anyway, got to go, this fence is starting to give me splinters!
I, as a Hughton-inner agree that the point total is not good enough. You should also consider the home win against Southampton as a positive result by the way, they are a good team although the draw with Cardiff, not getting a draw with Hull and most painfully the shambles of the Fulham game will haunt is. I think injuries have played a part and we could realistically have a few more points on the board had Tettey for instance been available. I would be very critical of the signing of Van Wolfswinkel but I am sure he will start scoring soon. Hooper has been a good singing along with Fer, although I have been pretty indifferent to Olsson, Redmond, Nash and Garrido. Still unsure about Elmander. I would be open to looking into managers at the end of the season because so far not much progress has been made. Changing managers now could see us become the next Wolves and depending on how we play for the rest of the season (with or without new signings) I will make up my mind as to whether I think a new manager is a good idea for the next season.
I feel RVW will score when he gets the opportunities, he's just not getting any yet. I think he'd benefit with the ball played to him from a much closer position and on the floor.
I agree with this, in that RvW's 7 starts came at the start of the season when the new players were bedding in and the rest were adjusting to a new style of play. Tettey's injury isn't the only one that has hurt. Pilks out has meant that CH is virtually forced to start Redmond every game which, IMO, he isn't ready for. The loss of Howson has also hurt, but I also feel that the service to RvW will improve and that goals will come as a result.
I certainly think we've played our best stuff when Pilkington has been involved, he can pass, shoot and cross better than Redmond. The real diffrence however is his positioning, he's much more willing to make a run past the defender to receive the ball. Makes a massive difference to how we play.
Last season we had plenty of feel good victories, this season we stumble between micro disasters with very little to shout about. We will lose to Palace away and Hughton will be dismissed after a crap Christmas blowing our home form.
