It was a blip, the man's a genius, give him 10 years! (If you're reading this Delia, no I don't mean it)
Well, having just got back from watching the game (via the pub and then waiting for a bus), I can honestly say that that was the most enjoyable game I've seen since we beat 1p5wich in the playoffs. The entire team seemed to play really well together and there were certainly fewer passes going astray and the ball went from defence to attack a lot faster than usual (could it be because Hoolahan wasn't playing????). I would give Pritchard MotM and even Naismith played well. It's great to have Howson back and I've only just realised thattTettey wasn't playing. Edit - seems severa fans agree with me re Pritchard -
The Board still need to keep their options open and as said above, AN hasn't suddenly become the answer to our promotion hopes. I expect the team will become more defensive at Barnsley and with 5 games in three weeks starting next Saturday, he may have to shuffle the pack.
Maybe dropping the the undroppables worked as I have been saying for a while . Klose Tetty Jerome Martin
From Paddy's 5Pointers after today's game - "5. Defensive concerns persist - Churlish perhaps given the margin of victory but there was a spell either side of the interval that underlined City are still vulnerable. Better sides with better attacking weaponry are going to test the Canaries moving forward but a first clean sheet in many months is a start."
Though I think all of our players played well yesterday, Barnsley will pose different challenges. I could see Olsson coming in at LB and Brady moving up to WL. AN will also have to decide whether a CM of Dorrans and Howson is strong enough defensively away from home, though both were excellent yesterday. As for the 'vulnerability', Brentford did have to change their approach after going 2-0 down and they went for it more, but in the end that just allowed us to score 3 more goals and they ended with 4 shots on target to our 11. Paddy Davitt seems very 'picky' and even possibly a bit prejudiced in his analysis.
By a mile Pritchard. As I said throughout the first half. He ran the show and popped up everywhere. He looked so dangerous every time he had the ball at his feet.
Also with Tettey missing fewer balls went backwards, sideways and to the opposition. Which as JM rightly points out meant we got the ball forward quicker, thus creating more chances. I also saw less standing watching in midfield, more attacking the loose/second ball.
So was it just the change of personnel or was it a change in CR politics that gave us this win after a turgid few months? I can understand AN leaving out Tettey, Hoolahan, Martin and Jerome but why Klose?
If Hoolahan is restored to the starting lineup next Saturday, then it just confirms that AN has to go. With Pritchard, the ball was nearly always going forward, not sideways and he caused the Brentford defence no end of problems. IMO, it was more a change of personnel (I'm with you on Klose)and they seemed to be able to play as a team, something which has been sadly missing for several months. I know DD will harp on about we should have bought Gayle, but surely the fact that we had 5 different goal scorers yesterday shows our versatility. I'm now quite looking forward to our next 2 home games and as long as AN doesn't make too many changes, we can give both Villa and Huddersfield a game!!
Pritchard and Oliveira - and to an extent, Thompson (get well soon!) must feel they have a point to prove and try that little bit harder having been snubbed so many times for 'teacher's pets' Hoolahoops, Jerome and Tettey, who are always on the team sheet regardless of whether they've performed brilliantly, shyte or indifferent the week before!
