IMO TC - it's about time Basil was given a chance to see what he can do and he certainly took it on Saturday. I've seen him in the under23 games and he's been excellent, so let's hope he starts for the next few games as well.
To be fair Jerome has had very little support and the negativity of Tettey and Hoolahan have held us back. Yesterday we got the ball forward much quicker.
Possibly Thai - without him up front to lump it to our play had to be more cohesive, slick and intricate. Pritchard was the key here and his passing was sublime and he certainly pulled the strings. We looked swifter and more aggressive without Tettey and (ducks for incoming missiles) Hoolahoops to slow things down and we regularly carved open the Bees defence. OK, Brentford were poor (in comparison to last time they played at CR when they [or should I say Pritchard] rang rings round us) but we made them look poor which was a rare delight these days. As said elsewhere on here the return of Howson and Pinto made a huge difference and also exposed a slight concern that if one or both of these players aren't available we don't look as good or threatening. We looked a bit vulnerable at the back a couple of times and Hogan missed a couple of good chances but all in all it was a good performance and chalk and cheese with the dross we have witnessed recently - it was like watching Norwich City again instead of a group of blokes in yellow and green. OTBC.
Excellent summary ocf - especially your last paragraph!!!! You certainly won't get any 'incoming missiles' from me as regards both Tettey and Hoolahoops and my only hope is that AN will start with more or less the same 11 at Oakwell.
I've been a big critic of Hoolahan in the past, but I'm wondering if his late starring role for the ROI has meant he has been found out by managers and so been given no room to perform? English managers will have seen him on the international stage a lot more than managers of opposing Countries! Just a thought!
Howson is one of those players who makes things happen without being showy about it but he's a key player for linking between the defence and attack, particularly with the CAM, which is one reason why Wes hasn't been very effective during Jonny's 5 week absence. He also forms a triangle with RB and WR which is very effective as he reads the game so well and passes so well. I also think that this has affected CJ's effectiveness up front. Had he been playing yesterday I'm pretty sure we'd have seen a different CJ.
Oh well, the Yoofs are out of the Checkatrade - fielded a strong side too. Shame - thought we could go all the way.
Yes, I would have liked another trip to Wembley. I thought the red card was harsh, especially when a similar offence by Luiz wasn't even a foul.
The referee ruined that game, "I'm in charge everyone look at me"! Some stupid decisions and he wouldn't allow the game to flow! Didn't understand why he disallowed Morris's goal either!
Work commitments prevented me from going tonight ILD - I've enjoyed watching the lads in this competition and it's a shame we are out, especially under the circumstances you describe.
Agreed OCF, but I have to say that Swansea seemed very well organised and the harsh sending off certainly didn't help matters. We have the rearranged PL2 match against Villa to look forward to - it should have been played Monday. Edit - comments by Dmitri in today's EDP - "The Canaries had Ben Godfrey sent-off in the first-half, after he was adjudged to have hauled back match-winner Oliver McBurnie, before Carlton Morris’ second-half close range finish was disallowed for a foul by the striker in the build-up. “We do feel hard done by. Very much so,” said Halajko. “We felt those two key decisions were unjust and shaped the game. We thought they changed it in their favour and that was the difference. On the red card it was so wide it was not a clear goalscoring opportunity, the ball was wider of the 18 yard box and there was a coming together so if there was a touch it was as much their lad running into Ben as the other way around. I don’t think there was enough deliberate contact for it to be a red card." “On the disallowed goal it was given for a foul. We have just watched it back and their player grabs hold of Carlton Morris as the cross comes in. Carlton hands him off, shrugs him off, and their player goes back a couple of steps allowing him to tap it in. It was a foul on Carlton but because he is a big strong lad he has shrugged the player off and it looks worse than it is. We want Carlton to be strong in those situations." #consistentrefereeing
Some words from AP - "How many did we win in a row at the start? We can do it again. I know we’ve lost a few on the bounce but that’s football and we’ve broken that run now, so hopefully we can go to Barnsley and get another good result. It would be nice (to stay in that role), but it’s up to the gaffer isn’t it? For every player it’s frustrating if you’re not playing. So to get a chance, I had to take it with both hands and I think I did that, so now we’ll see.” Full article here - http://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwic...romotion_back_to_the_premier_league_1_4808743 What's the betting Hoolahan gets reinstated on Saturday????
I don't think there will be many changes for the sake of it. Wes rarely starts in away games, but he might play the following Tuesday at home to Villa in the interest of rotation as the matches come thick and fast over Christmas. Similarly, AN has to decide whether Howson and Dorrans is the right CM pairing for an away game. Tettey could replace Dorrans for Barnsley, but Dorrans could come on for Howson in the second half and then both of them could start on Tuesday. The final question is whether Pinto and/or Olsson will be fit. If Pinto isn't, Martin could come in and if Olsson isn't, Brady could carry on at LB with Naismith WL again. Jarvis played 45 minutes in the U21 game (coming off for tactical reasons after Godfrey was sent-off), so he could be on the bench at the expence of Josh perhaps. Being the manager means making a lot of tough decisions really.
