I wasn't really sure what to write about the game. It was a strange one. It was a bit dull yet pleasing on the eye at the same time! I feel the result yesterday was (again) harsh on us. I don't think we probably did enough to win the game but we were the better team in possession and created some good chances and a point was certainly the least we deserved. Some of our approach play was lovely and we were good to watch but our profligacy in front of goal is a concern - one issue being that our best chances seem to keep falling at the feet of the wrong people, but we are creating plenty of chances in each match so its down to the players to start taking them. The goal probably wouldn't have happened had Bassong still been on the pitch. Turner is struggling for form and it happened shortly after he'd come on. However, Turner played very well after that so hopefully he's getting back on track. Newcastle hardly troubled us other than from range so again we looked comfortable. The penalty was a bit soft though it probably was, just about, the right decision. I don't think had it not been given that much fuss would have been made though. I've read some ridiculous things this weekend by 'fans' of various clubs wanting managers sacked five games in cos they aren't higher up the league, but for our own fans to be suggesting such a thing is the most ludicrous of all. What exactly did they expect this season? Are these people watching our games? Do they understand the size of the task the club faces? Do they understand football at all? Since when did Norwich City become a major force in the top flight and be expected to win games comfortably? We are definitely a better team at this stage than we were at the same stage last season and I think we are a better team than we were at the end of last season. We look far more comfortable on the ball and much more solid at the back. We look more solid in midfield, protecting the back four but also creating chances. The only area of worry is up front where its certainly not a lack of chances stopping us scoring. We still have the same personnel so we know they can deliver goals, but we just need a couple of breaks. Anyone can see that we are a developing side - Hughton is still trying to figure out our best team and what the best way to go forward is - these things can take time so we need to just get behind the lads and manager and be patient and supportive. We still have some potentially key players to return to action - Fox, Butterfield, Bennett etc. As I say, people need to be patient. Things don't always just 'click' when a new manager comes in. Hughton is going to be in charge for a long while to come regardless of divisional status in my opinion - people need to get over their obsession with Lambert - he is not our manager anymore - that ship has sailed. The number of muppets claiming 'we would have won that game under Lambert'... how can you possibly know that? And this notion that we should have carried on playing all out attack is disturbing and shows a lack of intelligence. Great to watch but effectively suicidal football over time. We have to have trust in the manager. And we haven't even become a defensive side despite what some would have you believe. We've just become more balanced. The days of the diamond and sticking five up front are long gone - it wasn't going to work long term. We are not far away from 'clicking', of that I am certain. If we are so defensive, how come we keep creating so many chances? We require a little bit of luck and a bit more belief in front of goal to make it happen. One off Holty's arse... an own goal... or two or three against Doncaster on Wednesday... anything could be the catalyst. I think Hoolahan played very well yesterday. I'd be keen for him to keep his spot in the team. Something which might work is Wes behind a lone front man - Simeon Jackson. I don't think its something that has ever been tried but I think it could work. Use Holt as an impact sub for the time being, hopefully he'll recapture his form that way. Just an option but I think we should play two up front against Donny. The two players we really miss are Pilkington and Bennett - the width they offer is vital to us - the sooner they are both fit and back in the team, the better. Finishing 17th or better is still perfectly possible. That is the aim this season and anyone who thinks otherwise needs to think carefully about what they are saying! We've had three meteoric years and eventually we would hit a wall. That may have happened but its hardly reason to be doom and gloom - we are in the Premier League and have a very realistic chance of still being there next season. People need to believe in the players and the manager, otherwise, things can go quickly wrong. I had the pleasure (?) of visiting the Portaloo on Saturday to watch them get beaten by an extremely mediocre Charlton side. Now THEY are a team with problems. Everything about them smells of relegation. We don't - on the list of 'good things' we tick most boxes - we just need to take our chances more frequently. IHWT OTBC
dave, no doubt some will say i'm just being optimistic but in truth i am a little worried about us not taking our chances. however, i've watched enough football in my time to know that the time to really worry is if you aren't creating chances, not if you're not taking them. if the chances dry up then we'll be in trouble but right now, nope - we're not far off being a good, mid-table side
Three or four of Hoolahan's passes yesterday were totally sublime and would have unlocked any defence in the division, but sadly no end product came of them. But as you say, when those type of chances dry up is when you know you have real problems. I hope they give Harry Kane a full 90 minutes on Wednesday, as he may be the catalyst we so desperately need - and deserve Great analysis, Supers. No individual player ratings?
i wasn't at the game (had to watch a dodgy stream). you don't get to see everything on the tv, so i chose not to give ratings hoolahan was our best player though.
As I said somewhere else, some numpty phoned in "the show that shall not be named" saying hughton has got 3 games to save his job . How can a so called fan of this club seriously suggest such a thing ! As you say supers we are a better more organized outfit from last season, but we aren't taking our chances which at the end of the day is completely out of hughtons hands. One thing we must do, which some obviousley won't agree with and thats whatever the outcome of the coming months we should stick with CH
i fear the 'lambert effect' (where's beefy when you need him?!). i think a minority of our fans will compare everything hughton does to lambert's approach and will therefore never accept him as our manager. i liked hughton before we approached him and i like him now he's our manager and absolutely nothing i've seen so far makes me think he isn't a good manager, which begs the question, why are some people getting on his back? it can only be because he isn't paul lambert. had we started this season under lambert's guidance and results been the same, would these same people want rid? of course they wouldn't. they need to get over lambert and over themselves. we are not a big club - we are expected to be in the bottom half and most of the time we aren't even expected to be a top flight club. unrealistic demands from fans only ever leads to one thing - failure. or, you could be more realistic and then maybe you won't be so disappointed when we narrowly and unluckily lose 1-0 away to the team who finished fifth in last seasons premier league.
I agree with you pjs, longwinded post. It's very simple: we are playing better than we did at this time last year, and with a tiny degree of luck, and a slightly better final ball, we'd be in a champions league spot
yeah, sorry about the post - just kept typing! not sure about champions league, but we'd certainly have won at least one match and scored two or three more goals with a little luck.
I never usually bother posting on these sites but after watching us in action at several pre-season games in the summer i had us down for relegation before a ball was kicked in anger in the league, not sure people getting on the managers back is going to help but for the record i don't think he has the technichal ability to improve what we are already seeing...i struggle to see where a win is coming from, the longer we go without a win the harder it will become and the rumblings of discontent at the carra certainly won't help. Some of our fans blind optimism on here is seriously delusional and somewhat embarrassing.....if we were still looking for our first win in Feb some folk on here would still be giving it the ole "we'll all right-get behind the manager-saw some good things" squit........open your eyes people, already we are in trouble - BIG TROUBLE! Can somebody tell me why we failed to sign a decent striker (JR or CMS anybody?) and let a sharp looking Vaughan go out on loan....and then signing a 2nd rate keeper from a 2nd rate team when we are more than fine in the keeper department?? The Cap....(hoping to be proved wrong but seriously doubts he will be)
oh dear - a canary caller. were there any fans that genuinely believed we wouldn't be in trouble this season? as far as i'm concerned i had us down 16th, a couple of points above the drop zone. i see no reason to adjust that prediction on what has gone on so far and wouldn't that be deemed success? why didn't we buy a striker? cos we couldn't afford one that was better than what we already had and the one we could afford, CMS, fell through. why did we sign a 2nd rate keeper? we didn't. we signed a very good keeper who gives competition to ruddy. why did we loan vaughan out? would this be the same vaughan who has scored one goal in 6 games in the championship and missed a penalty?
Sorry, couldn't be bothered to read your OP, I'm too lazy . Even as a law student I never really read the long-winded law reports available to us! Agree about people comparing him to Lambert - it doesn't help! Under Lambert it was a case of outscoring the opposition. Admittedly this is exciting, it got us some great results (Norwich 6-0 S****horpe) but also some bad results (Norwich 0-6 Manchester City). Under Hughton it's more of a case of defending and getting the odd goal. This isn't quite as exciting, so it looks negative. But it can be just as effective. We have just been unlucky so far.
no problem wonky, you lazy get. might not be as exciting goal scoring wise but its been pretty enough to watch. our passing has been crisp and we've kept possession much better than we did under lambert. lets face it, were it not for an inspired goal keeping performance at both white hart lane and against the hammers, we'd probably have two healthy wins under our belt right now and about another four goals! not a lot can be done if a keeper is playing that well. that's why its even more imperative to keep the ball out at the other end.
Sums up how I feel about our play so far. TOTALLY disagree about replacing Hughton and can't DMcN even considering it as an option. Would love to see what Vile fans are saying about PL!!!
just to add to that, you only need to take a look at all the teams of a medium size, such as ourselves, who have had sustained success in the top flight in the past decade or so to see the right approach. fulham - solid defensively stoke - solid defensively sunderland - solid defensively west brom - solid defensively bolton (until last year but spent a decade comfortably in the league) - solid defensively blackburn (until last year when kean and the chicken people screwed them over) - solid defensively charlton (spent a decade comfortably in the league) - solid defensively teams who went hell for leather include: blackpool - relegated 1st year hull - relegated 2nd year reading - relegated 2nd year ok, its by no means as clear cut as that but its evident that you've more chance of survival if you can be solid and difficult to beat. i mentioned the other day on here that its much easier to lose six on the bounce in this league than win three on the bounce. we did well last season but we couldn't carry on playing that way.
Retweeted by James Nursery a few minutes ago :- But no prizes for guessing that a faction of 'Canary callers' or similar are saying much the same about Hughton! Muppets. He's made us much harder to beat/score against - surely that's a reasonable starting point?
I know it is an easy option to say we are playing well and just need a bit of luck but I think that this is entirely the case. I think that we have played some superb football and that in parts we have looked brilliant. I think that Snodgrass has been a huge plus and that Johnson seems to have come on well and that Howson is a class act. The defence is looking far more solid and we are playing like a proper, established PL side, not a bunch of chancers who have to win a shootout every week which we managed last season but probably would have struggled to achieve again this season. I know that we are short of goals and I think that if the right player became available and was affordable then we would strengthen this area. But this did not happen. We should still have plenty of goals in the team with Holt/Morrison/Jackson/Kane supported by Snod/Pilks etc. Once we start scoring I thin that the goals will flow again. We are a better team and have a better squad than last season. Call me a crazy optimist but I genuinly think that we will roll Liverpool over on Saturday and finish little worse than last season.
