QPR are very lucky to have got a point there. Plenty of positives. Snodgrass looks quality, Bassong and Barnett were great. Howson and Johnson played well. Garrido also settled in effortlessly. Ok we should of showed a bit more composure in front of goal. And QPR are really awfu. But on that showing I don't see why Hughton and the lads can't crack on this season. I'll admit I was very doom and gloom after last week but today has restored my faith. Lamberts Villa also got smashed. So all in all satisfied if not over the moon.
bit peeved their goal stood. surely the only job of the referee's assistant when a penalty is taken is to monitor for encrouchment. Zamora might as well have taken the kick
Can't wait to watch back the penalty, it looked total ****e, can those with playback assure me it was a load of ****?
Was very very dubious. Neville that was commentating said it could have gone either way. Shouldn't have been in my opinion. The zamora stepping in 2 yards more than.anyone else before the pwn was taken is the bigger issue
What pleased me nost about today was the fact that the whole team played as though they wanted to play - unlike last week, when no-one seemed bothered!!! Definitely felt we should have won, but today's performance has reinforced my belief that we stand a reasonable chance of being in the PL next season. I wasn't happy with what happened a week ago, but CH and his staff appear to have the same formula as our previous manager to galvnise the team. More of the same from now on please!!!!
If we'd played like that first game, I think we'd all be feeling pretty pleased. To come together and put on a cohesive display after last weekend, and with new faces coming in at the back, was really pretty impressive. Whilst we didn't look world beaters, there was plenty of promise shown today. Little periods of understanding and movement hint that we could well be going in the right direction. With time for the new players to settle in a bit more and partnerships to gel, as well as having a defensive midfielder to introduce, there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful tonight. Best of all, I think, was that in shrugging off last weeks misery, they've shown an effort and commitment to each other & trust in the manager. With a new manager in place, it would have been easy for cracks to form after a performance like Fulham (even after just one game), but today put any notion of that to bed. Still a unified team and making progress. Onwards and upwards!
This was a different Norwich we watched today. Last season was kind of like watching a bunch of heroic young Tommys coming out of the trenches, charging over no mans land and overrunning a German machine gun emplacement. Today was like watching an Apache pilot menacingly hovering and then periodically unleashing a barrage of missiles. Also, I thought the new boys looked ****ing brilliant. Bassong was super-cool and dealt with almost everything in an extremely compentent manner. Watching Garrido play in the LB position was just like watching Drury in his prime - quick, assured, and always in control. His overlapping play was very good and let's hope he gets the chance to build up adecent partnership with whoever ends up being the right winger. All in all, really happy with today, was a brilliant match to watch.
So many positives, but for me it was: 1) Ruddy's penalty save 2) Our defence looked better than last season, and with a bit more confidence will work wonders this season, hopefully getting a few more clean sheets 3) Johnson's return to form 4) Garrido and Bassong slotting seamlessly into the side on their debuts and playing well 5) Jackson scoring, we all know he is a confidence-based striker, so this is brilliant for us 6) Interplay between Snodgrass, Howson and Johnson was lovely to watch...as you say watching some attacks it was a never ending series of recycling and putting it back into the box: great stuff! No negatives for me except our players switching off during the penalty.
One more point...I reckon there are still 2-3 players left to come here during this final week of the transfer market Bunn, Biglia (Loan) and he who shall not be named but has now scored two goals in the championship in just 2 appearances (striker)
I was really pleased with how Bassong seemed to be marshalling and encouraging Leon at the back. There was a moment when they high fived after dealing with another QPR attack which will help Barnett no end. He is another form player so this will do his confidence the world of good. To all those Simeon Jackson haters... Sit down! There have been a few of us on hear saying about his movement and the way he works the channels and tracks back and gets stuck in and links up mightily well with Holt! He was superb today IMO. Johnson was playing like a man possessed. You could really tell he knew he was playing for his place after our recent dabble in the transfer Market and that only bodes well for the future. I agree with what most of the rest of you have said so far but if I was to pick up on a couple of things, I do get concerned that Pilkington goes missing in games sometimes. Cannot fault his first half performance and the way he teed up the opener was fantastic but did anybody see anything of him in the second half? The thing that annoyed me the most today was the piss poor atmosphere! It was a good game, a really good game of football, yet at times it was far too quiet for my liking. Unless everybody else had the same problem I did, which was to lose my voice after 20 minutes after weeks of not shouting, there was no excuse. Perhaps the crowd were fearful after last Saturday but that's a lame excuse and we should have got behind the team better than what we did.
As much as I hate to say it, i think the Biglia is a no go now. I think a striker to come in and we will be ready to go!
Speaking of strikers, do you think CH rates C. Martin, or is it just that Martin is happy to play second fiddle as a squad player in the way Vaughan wasn't?
Maybe, but he did have a couple of neat touches and looked quite mature in the 10 minutes he had, i thought
I agree that it was a better performance than last week with some positive signs - Bassong looked assured and confident, Barny was solid, Garrido looked good and when fitter and more cnfident will make more a big contribution down the left side, Snoddy was quality and Jackson worked hard and ran the channels well - our goal was superbly crafted too. But ...... despite badgering away Johnson's distribution was woeful and gave the ball away too easily too often, Pilks drifted in and out, Howson sat too deep at times and too often our end ball was a dink over the top for Jackson to run onto and it got a bit predictable .... we also seemed a bit slow at times in the build up. Maybe I'm being picky but these are my views and although the positives outweighed the negatives there's a lot of work for Hughton to do still. Also, I thought CR was a bit quiet at times - there was a nervousness about the place which is understandable after last weekend. The final thing for me, and the biggest positive to come out of the day was that the defence, despite two newbies in it and Barny (who's probably fourth choice) looked composed and confident and if Tettey provides the steel in midfield then I think we'll be more solid at the back but we do need more "genius" going forward and I think another striker must be on the shopping list for this week (please) .... OTBC.
It made sense for Martin to be on the bench today, but bringing him on would seem to suggest CH thought there was something to have a look at. As far as finishing goes I can't see Martin being up to it, but as an 'awkward' supporting forward maybe he could have a role. Sure there's someone coming in, though.
Interesting to hear that Barnett had a good game. Clearly hughton has seen something he likes in barney and today's performance would have reinoforced it Great we have strength in this position now Also I hope biglia still happens!!
We played some good football and in all honesty we could of battered QPR! I agree with that Mark Twattenburg ****ed up royally as usual! It's early days though lads so lets get on with the season.
