2013 Pre-season Mega Thread

That could well be a likely scenario, particularly if we stick with one up front.

My early thoughts are that Wolfswinkel is going to be left high and dry by the style of play.

 

When do we play Arsenal? Apparently they only have 11 fit players at the moment. Could be a good time to play them!

 

Because it would prove you right. It's not Euro 96 anymore, one up top is not necessarily negative and plenty of very successful and entertaining teams are using it. In fact, the vast majority of the big clubs are.

You moan about 4-4-2 then moan about only having one up front? Do you want an upside down Christmas tree or some sort of three-dimensional formation with wes on Leroy Fers shoulders?

My early thoughts are every time we win you will retreat to the batcave and we won't hear from you until we lose.

Holt didn't work in the Chris Hughton system, then Wigan came along with an offer that he can't turn down at his age and suited his family situation. You cannot begrudge the man that and he worked very hard last season and got a reasonable return and is undoubtedly a legend.

I'd like to point out to everyone that he handed in the transfer request before Hughton was even appointed manager btw, seems to have slipped a few peoples minds. You know, when our "attack minded" manager left us for a club he considered bigger then tried to sue us for the privilege.

This is a new era with new players and a new way of playing. You can bellyache about Lambert not being around any more but the fact is he ****ed off amd we got a very well respected manager that has done his job and is building what can be a very successful football club.

I can't wait for Saturday and I predict a Norwich city win. Just a shame some are desperate for us to lose and our transfer record signing to hand a transfer request in.

 

A single striker isn't negative, but from what I've seen, we're not offering him the right type of support. Now there's going to be a bedding in period where we get used to that, but playing Fer as a CAM just suggested to me that Hughton wants to play the same system, just with Fer rather than Holt as the target man. RvW is always looking to make runs in behind, but nobody's looking to slip him in.

Now that I want to see!

 

I don't think we can comment on how we are going to play this year, all we have are snapshots of different techniques used in games

RVW is 6 foot 1 btw, same height as holt and no pushover.

Annoys me that some people think Chris Hughton is this Tony Pulis/Sam Allardyce character when we clearly have and will play good football.

Mind you, when we play good football it's because the players have "gone it alone" I guess, what a crock of ****. I find it pretty pathetic that we can't unify as fans because a section are still clutching at photos of Paul Lambert crying their eyes out.

 

I'm not moaning about 1 up front. I like 1 up front. I said the players might.

I said style of play would not suit Wolfswinkel, not formation.

I have no idea why you continue to go on about Lambert, nobody else does.

 

We don't really know how CH is going to play tactically yet, I think we need to see how the first games go before we can start making judgements, even then we need to consider that there is going to be a bedding-in period because we have signed so many new players. I would like us to bring in a AM but we have two possible candidates for that role if CH doesn't.

 

I agree with carrabuh - we have to be more 'attack-minded' - especially at home and definitely against teams outside the 'top six!!!!'

Bring on 3pm tomorrow and let's get behind the team.

 

It will be good if CH plays Howson in a AM role, hope he does as that will make a big difference to our goal scoring opportunities

 

Nobody has yet said it, so I'll get it in first: HERE WE GO AGAIN

PS Has anybody bothered to read the article linked in my signature?

 

A quote from Paddy's column in today's EDP. What CH said at yesterday's press briefing - "It’s now our responsibility to give them the ammunition they need to be able to do what they do best, (Referring to RvW and the new GH!!!)” he said. “That’s the challenge but this is such a tough league and every game is a tough game."

My question is this - can he prove carrabuh and others wrong and send the team out to play more attacking football?? Only time will tell, but I'm quietly confident!!!

 

It would be nice to see a more attacking approach, I would like to see more counter attacks after we concede a goal. Having said that there is a danger of running before we can walk. With the new players bedding in I think it would be unwise and risky to be too aggressive in our tactics.

 

Nothing is going to convince some people but I know what you mean.

That Chris Hughton managed to achieve what he did last season considering all the constraints put on him (time, lack of money, replacing a "messiah type" manager) proves he is a good manager.

Now he's had the time and has his own signings I am expecting good things.

 

there appears to be a misconception about 'attacking more'. that's not the case, what we need to do is give better service to the strikers than last year. we can still be cautious, we can still sit back, we can still soak up pressure but we need to get the ball into better areas with more quality. we regularly we got into good positions last season and the final ball was dreadful and then had to rely on set pieces where strangely our quality was outstanding and it'll be important to keep that aspect of our game in tact as we scored many valuable goals from them.

 

"Norwich City agreed a deal to sign striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel from Sporting Lisbon in the summer for an undisclosed fee, thought to be in the region of £8.5m.

The Netherlands international, 24, signed a four-year deal on 1 July and is set to start against Everton in their opening Premier League fixture tomorrow.

But how are Norwich going to fair in the Premier League this season? Tweet us your thoughts via #plpredictions"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/23722319

Should be interesting to see where people think we'll finish

Edit:

Quite a few people tweeting a prediction of 8th and 9th for us, now that would be great!

 

i really don't see us being that high but as i keep saying, there is little to choose between 8th and 15th so we could slot anywhere into those spots, hopefully no lower!

 

Phil McNulty has predicted us to finish 16th, non-shocker...

I wouldn't object to this per se, but I do on the basis of his analysis:
"It's been a busy summer in the transfer market for Chris Hughton after an anxious end to last season. At first glance he looks to have bought very well so there is real scope for potential improvement.

Ricky van Wolfswinkel at £8.5m and Gary Hooper from Celtic at £5m is an investment in goals while Hughton has real belief in the talent of young Nathan Redmond, who has joined from Birmingham City.

It will be interesting to see how Netherlands midfield man Leroy Fer, who saw an £8.5m move to Everton collapse on medical grounds last season, plays. Plenty of good judges rate him very highly."


"at first glance"? So are you suggesting at second glance they are not Mr McNutty? Well at least say so - the second part of your sentence suggests the opposite.
"real scope for potential improvement"? Well, apart from "real scope" and "potential" being a contradiction in terms, how do you equate this with your prediction of a slide from 11th to 16th, Mr McNutty?

He then proceeds to list our good transfers. The guy's not only an idiot, he is an unjustifiable idiot. Who is the editor?? Someone needs to do something about this drivel because I wouldn't object to it in a private news organisation, but given that our taxes go on this, I think we have a right to demand better quality.


Even Simon Bird in the Mirror manages a significantly better piece in a much shorter sentence:
"15. Norwich
Chris Hughton did a magnificent job guiding Norwich to 11th last season, and they've had a real go in the transfer market. Their goals problems should be solved by the arrival of Ricky van Wolfswinkel (Sporting Lisbon) £8.5m. Problem is lots of clubs have also spent the new TV cash. Survival without too much end of season trauma has to be the first aim."

 

I think you could justify it by saying he expects us to have a more comfortable season without the dramatic slump, but that the mid-table is going to be more spread out, so we're going to be closer to where we perhaps ought to have been last season?

I'd rather not try and interpret it like that though, the man's a prat and I hate the fact I in any way pay for him to spout such drivel.

 

phil mcnulty is the worst sports journalist going. he's so biased to liverpool and the big clubs in general, it's actually scandalous that he got the top job at the beeb

 

Cant argue with that