Match Day Thread Ralph’s Marauders (aka Plucky Little Saints) vs Norwich City. Fri. 25 Feb. 20.00

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Norwich will undoubtedly sit back and look to hit us on the break. Players and fans may need to be patient. It's never easy breaking down teams who stick 10 men behind the ball. Armstrong and Elyounoussi will be important again.
And the FB's. Getting to the byline will be vital, and I wonder if Perraud will be a better option for this, with KWP returning to the right. Bring Tino on later to run at tired legs.
 
Norwich will undoubtedly sit back and look to hit us on the break. Players and fans may need to be patient. It's never easy breaking down teams who stick 10 men behind the ball. Armstrong and Elyounoussi will be important again.

This.

These games for me, in their own way, are at least as hard as the games against the big teams. Our weakness tends to be in breaking stubborn teams down, not tearing into teams that come at us.
 
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And the FB's. Getting to the byline will be vital, and I wonder if Perraud will be a better option for this, with KWP returning to the right. Bring Tino on later to run at tired legs.
Perraud will still be unavailable surely. Even if tests negative before Friday he won't have been able to train.
 
I guess not, suppose it depends how ill he has been.
It's not so much that, it's the fact he hasn't been involved in team training and Ralph tends not to select players who haven't been involved in at least a couple of team training sessions before the match.
 
It's not so much that, it's the fact he hasn't been involved in team training and Ralph tends not to select players who haven't been involved in at least a couple of team training sessions before the match.
Yes, it's a shame though. My only criticism of KWP playing on the left is that he only tends to go one way to beat his FB. Hopefully he can get Elyounoussi overlapping.
 
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Norwich will undoubtedly sit back and look to hit us on the break. Players and fans may need to be patient. It's never easy breaking down teams who stick 10 men behind the ball. Armstrong and Elyounoussi will be important again.
An early goal would do nicely forcing the kinairies to open up and give us more attacking opportunities.
 
An early goal would do nicely forcing the kinairies to open up and give us more attacking opportunities.
That would make life a lot easier (assuming it's us that gets the early goal of course). I just think it would be dangerous as fans to assume we are going to win this at a canter.
 
That would make life a lot easier (assuming it's us that gets the early goal of course). I just think it would be dangerous as fans to assume we are going to win this at a canter.
I don't think it matters what us fans think! I am 100% sure that Ralph will have scoured and bleached any traces of complacency from the entire squad for this game.
 
I don't think it matters what us fans think! I am 100% sure that Ralph will have scoured and bleached any traces of complacency from the entire squad for this game.
I think it does. Against smaller clubs, our fans can get frustrated very quickly if things don't go our way and then the moans and groans start and the negative atmosphere will find its way onto the pitch. The fans need to show patience as well as the players if Norwich frustrate us.
 
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I think it does. Against smaller clubs, our fans can get frustrated very quickly if things don't go our way and then the moans and groans start and the negative atmosphere will find its way onto the pitch. The fans need to show patience as well as the players if Norwich frustrate us.
Oh I agree, but there is a minority of fans who will still moan, even if we are 8-0 up after 15 minutes!

Edit: mostly at Forster!
 
Yes, it's a shame though. My only criticism of KWP playing on the left is that he only tends to go one way to beat his FB. Hopefully he can get Elyounoussi overlapping.

He's so good cutting in though. Even if it is 'predictable', he managed to get four shots in against Everton. Was really unlucky that none of them went in, and if he gets that number of opportunities in most games surely he'll get better luck. His cutting in offers more of a threat than his by-line crosses from that (or either) side.
 
He's so good cutting in though. Even if it is 'predictable', he managed to get four shots in against Everton. Was really unlucky that none of them went in, and if he gets that number of opportunities in most games surely he'll get better luck. His cutting in offers more of a threat than his by-line crosses from that (or either) side.
That’s fair enough, but Perraud can go both ways, which was my point.
 
I wonder if Norwich at home is a game where we can try Small again, except as the only change in our otherwise full side. Rather than part of a completely changed defence
 
I think it does. Against smaller clubs, our fans can get frustrated very quickly if things don't go our way and then the moans and groans start and the negative atmosphere will find its way onto the pitch. The fans need to show patience as well as the players if Norwich frustrate us.
I think you should get on the tannoy & give a few Delia Smith type shout em up & calm em down announcements! <laugh>
 
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