Match Day Thread Norwich V Saints 2/1/2016 KO 15:00

Badly need a striker and at least one winger. Long isn't up to it and we can't count on Pelle. I hope Koeman gives Reed a slap to have a word with Kat.

 

We have played like that so many times this season. How about selling mane and wanyama now (gone in the summer anyway) get 40 mil and buy 4 players to replace them. At least they'll have a head start on bedding in for next season. Big couple league games now. Need a win or it will start to look a bit dangerous for us!

 

Corrected.

 

We just don't have the team spirit anymore, perhaps the large turn over of players?

 

There's probably only 50 nor606ers who would offer to warm you up!

 

Had Romeu been available I reckon Vic would have been subbed at half time.

 

Team spirit will be low given how **** we are playing.

 

In other news, we could have lost 3-0 but for Martina, or won 3-0 if Long had connected with all the balls Cuco put in his path in the box. Funny old game isn't it?

 

Ah well pointless getting upset about this - the manager is happy with the quality we've got, there isn't a problem, we won't get relegated [apparently] so time to watch some ice-hockey. G'night all.

 

I'm actually way angrier about that game than any of the recent losses, because it wasn't settled by a technical deficiency, a tactical error, a moment of magic (though it was a nice finish, granted) but by someone just being a massive twat. When he went charging across it was almost like a slow motion "NOOOOOO moment".

 

Martina And Clasie were the only two positives for us today.

 

Yes, I wonder if three games in six days was too much for our smallish squad.

 

HIghlights out of the way first...eek. First game Clasie has looked up to speed for me, between him and Martina for MOTM.

Reed looked good when he came on and we immediately attacked quicker. He looks to pass forward more than Wanyama.

Bad points. Tin tin has been on something or he is GMI in disguise. Koeman did what he had to do. You can't treat Mane any different to how you would treat any other player or you will lose the squad.

Hopefully a decent bid will come in for Wanyama in this transfer window. I agree with Beefy that you can't leave a player like Wanyama on so long on a yellow however we would be wasting subs if we always take a player on a yellow off. He has to be able to control himself and to make it worse, he can see Martina is going to deal with it, he can see it is in a nowhere part of the pitch and yet still? Romeu / Reed can cover that position for the rest of the season at worst and I can see both or either of them being able to fill that position going forward once given a proper chance.

£20m for Vic and we can spend that (and the other pennies that Kat gives) on some more attacking options, we don't need any more pure midfielders.

 

Pfff, sorry, I don't buy that. Norwich aren't exactly blessed with a massive squad, and neither are West Ham.

 

He isn't happy.

 

Oddly, not too upset by this.

I thought Martina and Clasie both played very well. That's important.

We were undone by Mane and Wanyama... two guys who aren't going to be around anyway. Wanyama's red solves the "How do we find time at DM to transition to new players" dilemma. Give someone two games, see how they do. Wanyama had a bad game from the start, tbh. His first yellow was also silly and he gave away some other bad fouls as well. He also made one awful pass and was dispossessed too easily when he turned right into a defender at a bad spot. I'm not sure if Wanyama is tired, or just had a mare, or if it is attitude issues but in any case a couple of games off will help.

And as far as I'm concerned we can sell Mane whenever, since our offense wasn't that great even with him plus this is not the first time he's been benched for not turning up on time.

Bertrand was a little disappointing for me. Started off well when we were in control but then was rather sloppy and had trouble getting back to defend at times. I wonder if his knee is still bothering him a bit?

But mostly, the players we needed to do well did. Which gives me hope as we go forward. This result kind of forces us to shake things up a bit, which is risky but increasingly warranted.

 

I forgot to mention that I noticed Bertrand was spent at the end. Either he is carrying an injury or he isn't fit. He was knackered at 70 minutes.

 

That often happens when you are doing the work of two people.

 

This is a bit silly. Gaston hardly played and really had nothing to do with the loss. He's leaving at the end of the season. No reason to waste any time or effort trying to get rid of him for peanuts.

As for Wanyama, he really hasn't been bad, other than today. Plenty of teams will want him.

 

That's our fifth one goal defeat in the league this season - only Everton, City and Spurs have beaten us by more than one goal (which is nothing to be ashamed of in my view, all three of them are good sides).

On the flip side, only once have we won by one goal. All our others wins have been by two, three or four goals.

We've also had six draws. So in total, that is 12 league games this season (out of 20) involving us where there has been a maximum of a one goal difference. But only one of those 12 has seen a Saints victory. Sunderland away aside, we just cannot seem to win these close games. Which takes me back to something I, and a few others, said last season when we were flying high. Rarely were we winning comfortably or losing comfortably. Generally they were close games which we were just edging. Fine margins (I specifically recall a thread of mine where I mention "fine margins" about five times!!). This time we're the other side of those fine margins. We need to find a way to reverse that, and quickly. There is every chance that Watford and WBA will also be close games. One out of 12 cannot become one out of 14.