Match Day Thread Canaries vs Preston N.E. Sat, Sept 19th - 15.00 hrs

So, we unfurl the welcome mat for Alex Neil in our first home fixture of the new campaign.
And I imagine one of our strikers can't wait for 3 p.m. to arrive.

Still no fans allowed, sadly, due to a rethink by our government, who allowed crowds into the first day of the St Leger meeting at Doncaster - but sees fit not to allow them in to venues where they can be controlled, safely distanced and stewarded in and out of the grounds.
Team news will be very interesting, will there be starts for Gibson, Hugill and Placheta?
Watch this space...............................................................................

 

Look at you with your content

 

Be surprised if we see the winning line-up changed.

 

The home game two seasons ago was very even. Rhodes and Pukki played up front. We won it 2:0 with both goals coming in the last 10 minutes (the second being Tettey's pile driver). Even stevens in terms of xG (City 0.8, PNE 0.9), you could say we robbed them at Carrow Road. But then Preston did the same to us, only more so. at Deepdale, winning 3:1 (PNE xG 1.8, City 2.9). A good illustration of how, in DF's oft repeated words, "football is not fair".

Taking the 2018--2019 season as a whole, and classifying results into (1) those where "xG justice" was done (i.e. result goes with xG/xGa), (2) where "we wuz robbed" (i.e. result goes against xG/xGa in the opponent's favour), and (3) where we did a smash and grab job on the opposition (i.e. result goes against xG/xGa but in our favour), of the 46 games, xG justice was done in 24, we were robbed in 8, and in 14 we smashed and grabbed our way to points. (Two other examples: the home game against "Frank Lampard's Derby" was a classic in which we were robbed, and our victory at Elland Road against Leeds an equally classic example of a City smash and grab).

 

Not sure this is the appropriate thread so apologies in advance if not , but Skipp for me was magnificent Saturday and I can't help but think his time with the other young lions helped him seamlessly fit into the rhythm of our team.
What a player.

 

Very impressive debut. You'd hardly guess he's only 19. Could prove to be a huge player for us this season. The interception in our penalty area was excellent, but then to play the ball forward to enable a break by Hernandez and Pukki shows his ability as a pivot.

 

N'gollie?

 

That performance just goes to show what we've been missing, a genuine ball-playing DM. Hughton brought in Tettey to fill that role, but Skipp took it to another level on Saturday.

 

That's pretty impressive. Don't suppose there's an option to buy is there?

 

Don't think we have enough Dosh for that!

 

Couldn’t agree more - he was my Norwich MotM as you can see from the MDT

 

I read that a couple times earlier but just now got it. Stick with the serious negativity would ya, Robbie? I get thrown off when you're being funny.

 

"Serious negativity"? You surely mean "constructive criticism" CS. When Webber spoke about lessons having been learned, he obviously meant from reading my posts. The arrival of Skipp for one; I've always argued that we needed a genuine DM pivot in place of Tettey. And on Saturday, my inveighing against both FBs bombing forward simultaneously had obviously been taken to heart. Aarons was notably reined in, while Quintilla played a major part in our heavily left side-weighted attacking -- in which McLean was able to engage more freely, courtesy of Skipp. This is all clearly illustrated by the players' heat maps on whoscored.com. Not that there weren't negatives as well ........

 

"constructive criticism" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! by that you mean continuously banging on about the same thing over & over again and selective quoting facts & opinions to support your views. Never seeing the positive because that doesn't suit your view that the club is doomed, you've shown as much constructive criticism as Fraser in Dad's Army.

"in which McLean was able to engage more freely". Is that the same McLean before the game you wouldn't have played.

 

Some days the fish just can't resist the bait ......

Re. McLean, my point was about the impact of having Skipp. Whether McLean played, or A N Other, is irrelevant. Nothing on Saturday changed my opinion of McLean; roll on the day the classy Sørensen makes that position his own

 

Count me out

 

Someone who has been particularly critical of DF's loan signings to date, are you going to give DF any credit for getting it right with Skipp then? Nah, I didn't think so. As for fishing on the Norwich forum , seems like a rather immature past time for such a long standing supporter of NCFC....But whatever floats your boat.

 

You watched alot of second division Danish football over the years ?

Other than a few youtube clips you will know absolutely nothing about him or how suited he will be to English football like the rest of us .
He played in pre season but didn't do anything out of the ordinary.


We can all have hopes and aspirations for our unheard of acquisitions but to state that he is better than McLean or Tettey players who have made hundreds of first team appearances with club and Country is just daft .

Or did I just take the bait too ?