For those interested: Follow Me and Leeds United blog by Heidi Haigh. Norwich v Leeds United 31st October 2021. http://www.followmeandleedsunited.co.uk/norwich-v-leeds-united-31st-october-2021-at-carrow-road
You're too nice, Heidi. I'd have turned around, got 2 cups of piping hot coffee, & accidentally spilled it over the clowns on my return. Actually, scratch that - make it coke instead - less likely to get the jail & more liquid to hit the target. On a footballing note, you've got me thinking by mentioning the ease by which the Norwich players hit the floor. I have no data to back this up - mainly as it's just occurred to me - but hasn't that been happening to us quite a lot this season? Not the better teams, but the others we've played all seemed to have this tactic, probably (& successfully) trying to break up our play so we lose momentum & intensity. (Burnley had their own version - kicking our players so they went down [genuinely] injured). Thoughts, anyone? Is this a contributory factor to us being so off the mark this season? Is this our true Achilles heel?
Ayling is a master at going down at the right moment. When you watch him play the ball out of defence he slows it down when a pass isn’t on and the minute he feels a hand on his back he goes down often ensuring his hands touch the ball or that it rolls out of play. Alioski used to do it a few times too. Ayling is often the go to player when we’re trying to bring the ball out, I think it’s a tactic used by teams when the opposition try to press from the front, unfortunately for us only Ayling is good at it, doubly unfortunate is that Cooper can’t resist putting a hand on the opposition. I think Shackleton and Dallas are not on the same wavelength or maybe they are just too honest. When Ayling comes back watch how many free kicks he wins
Yes it’s happening a lot this season and it does have an impact if the referees are blowing up in their favour. It does seem our heads go down a bit when they know we are up against 12 men again. Apparently the Norwich ref has a season ticket at old Trafford with his family. That to me is not an issue in itself but when they let personal judgements take over from a professional one then they gave crossed the line for me.
