I think that if Ipswich were to take the lead we could see another Boro type game although I doubt a team managed by MM would stoop to the dreadful gamesmanship employed by Boro but if we get ahead they will have to come at us and commit a few more players out of defence or just revert to having a back eight and humping up seagull-worrying passes for Russell Martin to head straight to their forwards........oh bugger. No - I think plan A must be dominate the midfield and then keep Ipswich on the back foot with a Hooper-Jerome front two. Leaves us a little thin up front on the bench but surely we have to look to win it in the 90 minutes.
If we go behind it will be difficult, I think us chasing the game away from home would suite you boys down to the ground, however if we take the lead it will certainly be game on.
I can actually see us finding extra time really useful. I know it's risky, but Binners will be well organised from the outset, but that takes concentration and high energy, whereas we get stronger later in the game. I would not at all be surprised to see us drawing after 90.
I think far to many of you are giving the Binmen way too much respect. They do not warrant it and have not earned it. They have been crap in every game we have played them this season. I'll say this now with total sincerity, I don't think they will get more than one shot on target all game.
Back on talking crap again I see....have you won some award or something cos the bollocks you spout certainly deserves one?
'I think far to many of you are giving the Binmen way too much respect. They do not warrant it and have not earned it.' Any team finishing in the top 6 have earned it and should be respected, no matter who they are. True, the last two games in the league we did play better than them, but if they beat us in the play offs, that wouldn't mean anything. To think we will beat them comfortably is a bit foolish.
Totally agree Drunky. Our worst results seem to follow our self-inflicted hubris brought about through arrogant over-confidence (like 'quadding' Ipswich). Just play our best football, be well organised, concentrate throughout and we should be all right.
" Though if I'm honest I think us at our best v you at your best would almost certainly end badly for you. " Well Bournemouth and Watford thought that - they couldn't beat us in four attempts. We'll see! First goal key. I also thought the game at Portman Road we didn't play too much hoofball and at times played some decent stuff of our own. Sure it's quite direct, it's not 35 passes in big moves but it's effective enough. Some of the criticism of our style of play I find laughable - not aiming this at Norwich but fans of football. The idea is play to your strengths - what many a manager quite simply fails to do.
For what it's worth we took 10 points out of 12 against Bournemouth and Watford, beating the latter 3-0 home and away.
" They have been crap in every game we have played them this season. " Well if we were crap Sat you guys, were equally crap. 50-50 game. 2-0 Carrow Road - sure you were the better side, you look at actual chances = 50-50. The league has 44 other fixtures - we were crap home and away to Reading, but class home and away to Watford. I'm sure you've got a side you've killed and a side that's murdered you also?
We lost home and away against Reading as well, those that were the results that did for our automatic promotion
The Reading game certainly appears to have cost Michael Turner his City career - has he played since the second of those games where he got out-muscled for both goals from corner by an 18 year old?
Not really, actually. That's been the weird thing about our season. On paper, you would have expected us to murder a few of the weaker teams, but the only matches where you could say we murdered them on scoreline were Blackpool, Millwall and Huddersfield. The Huddersfield game we struggled to break down 10 men for more than 30 mins, in fact. And Millwall were in such disarray at that time it would have been difficult not to score a hatful against them, but it was pretty stilted as all our games under Adams were - we lost the next one against Reading. The only team I've felt we really put to the sword was Blackpool. And the only team we've been comprehensively outplayed in was 'Boro away. So actually our season hasn't followed that typical analysis at all. It's been one seriously odd, but exciting, season.
I'm pretty sure you've taken the lead in something like 14 old farm derbies in a row. Strange stat! At least we'll both know who our finalist opponent is come Friday. Also, found out an interesting fact yesterday. I assumed we'd keep our home gate, you'd keep yours etc. I was wrong. 50% of the gate revenues for the play off semis get split equally between us, you, Boro and Brentford. Fair to say Brentford have the most to gain, and probably with us charging cat A v you, us the most to lose.
IMO, Turner was a casualty of Neil coming in, as he spoke very favourably of the impact Phelan had had on the team in the Pink'un, then never played again after that. Perhaps he was to Neil as Bassong was to Adams. Don't think he'll return from Fulham.
