I think teams are clearly looking to double or even triple up on Sainz and there appears to be a big effort from teams to really block off the shot from the outside of the box, we’ve not seen him get many of them away in the last few games. Unlucky not to score today again
Goes without saying! We now know the secret of Hoffball - lure the opponent into over confidence with indifferent passing and then put Forson on!
I was at the game today. Lots of frustration during the first 80 mins (mostly summed up in all your comments on the match thread) but you can't beat being at Carrow Road when you get a last few minutes like that. The place went nuts, as did yours truly - unashamedly!! Well worth the journey and loving listening in the car to Chris Goreham's commentary at the end. OTBC !!!
Sainz’s main problem is he’s now a marked man. Literally. All opposition have had him virtually man-marked and usually a second rapidly presses him when he gets the ball. And he’s not experienced enough to stay patient, he still wants to do everything even though that plays into the opposition’s hands. And without Sargent we don’t have another seriously pacey/threatening outlet to draw defenders away from Sainz. I think Thorup needs to find a way to calm him down in matches. Mind you, if he gets a six game ban as feels likely given how we’ve been treated this season, it’s not a problem that needs dealing with immediately…
I love Goreham's comment: " Four minutes left, Norwich have to make the most of them." A huge result in so many ways. It keeps Suffolk's unbeaten run going, it helps Forson's confidence and keeps morale high during the FA Cup break. It also moves us up to 4 points from the top 6 with Sargent returning and it will help recruitment during the window. With Sainz's possible suspension looming, Dobbin now has two weeks of training and a cup match to adjust to the team and tactics. He received a 7.1 rating on WhoScored for his 34 minutes on the pitch last night, so initial indications are good.
Both Chris Goreham and The King of Spain were excellent. Simon Lappins’ enthusiasm for NCFC is infectious. One of the most dramatic late winners of recent years.,Remember Adam Druary’s late equaliser against Middlesborough to make it 4-4?
I remember listening to it on the radio I would pay for good quality video stream of every game with his commentary, but alas that is not what is offered in Australia, some games if they are not on TV... erm no thanks
JHT on the final four minutes: “It's a fantastic first goal and I think as a coach, I can take 2pc credit for that goal, the rest is down to him. We saw that there were some openings, especially in that pocket, and we wanted the left footed player in that position, but the quality and the accuracy, also, in that finish it's impressive, and the second one is what makes the day for us. The second we score, I start thinking about, ‘Okay, we changed some positions. We have a different structure. We have a very offensive structure. We have a lot of offensive players out there. So how is our structure going to be now when the score is 1-1?’. You celebrate for a second or two, and then you start thinking about, ‘Okay, we have to give some information here’. And then when I started to approach Shane (Duffy), to begin with, and Kenny (McLean), they said, ‘Okay, we just have to go for it. We just have to keep pushing for the second goal’. And probably to be fair to them I was a little bit more defensive in my mindset. I said, ‘Okay, it is probably one of them where we have to accept that it's a draw and be satisfied with that, and then improve to the next one’. But they wanted to push. And then sometimes you have to let go as a coach as well.”
Ben Lee's analysis of JHT & Co's tactical breakthrough in the final 4 minutes: The key players were Marcondes on the left and Forson on the right as Sainz and Hernandez occupied the central defenders. The opportunities came to Forson and he took them both. As Ben concludes: "Perhaps the game state influenced some fans’ perception of City’s performance. This was a game won by the side with nearly 70 percent possession and with 24 shots to their opponent’s 6. This was not a smash and grab; this was about gaining three points the hosts deserved."
I have seen comments on other threads about Sainz being 'rumbled' etc, however watching the highlights for the Coventry match he both drew others to him creating gaps and chances, but on another day he could have scored two or three.
I completely agree with this statement - "Perhaps the game state influenced some fans’ perception of City’s performance. This was a game won by the side with nearly 70 percent possession and with 24 shots to their opponent’s 6. This was not a smash and grab; this was about gaining three points the hosts deserved." I was starting to wonder if I had been watching a different game, I thought we were much the better side throughout the game but were unfortunately behind on the scores.
