Trouble is his match day performances nearly always seem to support the amateur rather than the professional. Maybe he's really good in training and just can't bring his A game to the match.
I can't remember where I read it now, but apparently he was on crutches on Thursday and needed a painkilling injection to play. He allowed himself to be rushed back so Farke could play 3 CBs. Given that, I'm prepared to give him a little more slack. If 3 CBs is the way Farke wants to play regularly though, I'd question whether Klose, Martin, Franke and Zimmerman are enough cover. With Raggett from Lincoln available for £350k, that seems like a no-brainer. Or I'd happily take another import based on Zimmerman's performances!
To be honest I thought Husband had the poorer game, RM had a unlucky deflection. Got passed Wildschut too easy, but lets blame RM anyway
In which case that's even more concerning, because what it says is that despite those issues the manager still considers our alternative to be a worse option. I've never doubted Martin's willingness to fight for the cause, just his ability.
In fairness, what really were the alternatives? Godfrey is the only other defensive player who could have conceivably come in if he wanted to stick with 3 CBs, or if we started with a 4-man defence then Wildschut would have been forced to play as a genuine RB which isn't his game. I can see why you'd pick the player with 300 Norwich appearances under his belt when we're bedding in seven debutants, including 3 who have never played in English football before.
Well although Zimmermann was pretty good, even he made a mistake, Husband wasn't the best, so why are we only targeting RM? is it because we all follow the sheep? With Pinto not fully fit and Klose out, who should we have played instead?
Klose and martin are the only experienced defenders we have. CZ and MF have not yet proven themselves - how can you in one league game and a few pre-season matches. So some form of inexpensive back up, like Raggett, would make perfect sense to me. If any of them have a sticky patch, you'd have options, plus the benefit of extra competition for places. And I bet Zimmerman, Franke and Raggett, if we decide to get him, would be on less money combined than Bassong was on last year
No I don't think I could be classed as a sheep, I was a lone voice on here moaning about Martin well before anyone else on here wasn't happy with him. The point with Martin isn't that he or anyone else makes mistakes, it's that he consistently makes them. When can you with hand on heart say that our ever present captain was MOM or even had an exceptional game. As for who should have played instead I would have given Godfrey a go, at least he doesn't have such a bad record playing Fulham.
I think he did have one good game against Arsenal in 2011-2012, but I hope he becomes more of a sub once Pinto is back fully fit.
Yep, sounds like a good idea, put a youngster who made a couple of mistakes himself last week in against a tough Fulham team.
From what was being said yesterday, methinks Paddy was wearing ‘Green & Yellow’ specs Angus Gunn – 6.5 Russell Martin - 6..5 Christoph Zimmermann - 7.5 Marcel Franke - 6.5 Yanic Wildschut - 6.5 Harrison Reed - 6.5 Mario Vrancic - 6.5 James Maddison - 7.0 James Husband - 6.5 Marley Watkins - 6.5 Cameron Jerome - 6.5 City substitutes Josh Murphy - 6.0 Nelson Oliveira - 7.0 Wes Hoolahan 7.0 http://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwic...-a-1-1-championship-point-at-fulham-1-5137029 Martin was playing even though he was in pain!!! Edit - Just seen this -
Hmm. I'd say: Angus Gunn – 7 Russell Martin - 6 Christoph Zimmermann - 7 Marcel Franke - 6 Yanic Wildschut - 7 Harrison Reed - 5 Mario Vrancic - 4 James Maddison - 6 James Husband - 4 Marley Watkins - 6 Cameron Jerome - 5 City substitutes Josh Murphy - 6.0 Nelson Oliveira - 7.0 Wes Hoolahan 7.0
Given only Maddison and Zimmermann (of the starters) get a rating other than 6.5, I'm not sure he was wearing specs at all. Is it really that hard to differentiate players? Ratings out of 10 are always so limited, outside of a 5-8 range is basically unheard of.
An excerpt from the 'new look' MFW - " For someone who arrived as a squad player, possibly third of fourth in the central defensive pecking order, Zimmermann has equipped himself superbly and has so far completely justified that faith of his head coach, for whom he was his captain at Borussia Dortmund II. Russ may have the armband; it’s Zimmermann who barks the orders and is Farke’s senior lieutenant on the pitch. Yet talking of Russ, it didn’t take long for the nonsense to start once news had filtered through that Fulham’s goal had been credited as ‘Martin (25’ og)’. I’ll offer the benefit of the doubt to the idiots and assume their knee-jerk over-reactions to have been made without observing the action, but anyone’s who’s ever kicked a ball will know there was absolutely zilch the skipper could have done about it. Worthy of note also is that on Thursday, Russ was on crutches and only a Friday full of ice baths and a pre-match injection enabled him to take his place in the back-three that the head coach wanted. He’ll continue to divide opinion but Russell Martin stood up and was counted yesterday and those looking for negatives were merely forced to create some. So, as opening days go that was pretty good. As days out at Fulham go it was pretty good. And as ‘managerial’ debuts go that was also pretty good. I’ll take that all day long. Article here - http://norwichcity.myfootballwriter...-cottage-and-the-farke-era-is-up-and-running/ Seems much more realistic!!!
Despite PD's 'green and yellow' specs re the player ratings on Saturday, His last sentence in today's offering sums it all up for me - "Optimism is rife." REALLY looking forward to the season ahead and what it may bring. Full article here - http://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwic...o-a-bright-new-dawn-at-norwich-city-1-5137974
EFL Stats@EFLStats Pass accuracy GW1 top teams: 1. Norwich 86% 2.Nott'm Forest 85% 3. Leeds United, Fulham 82% #ncfc #nffc #lufc #ffc
