I very much agree with all of this and like Tony Munky, am rapidly losing patience with the ranting on here. Discuss the football and what could be done to improve things, by all means, but do so rationally please. IMO, too many people overate and expect too much of our squad at this stage of the season. Unlike Derby and Watford, for example, we have had a lot of changes and injuries to key players. We now have the same number of points as we did under Lambert after 16 games in the Championship, so it's not all about the manager. The players have to buck up their game and soon. On the positive side, Howson has scored two excellent goals in the past two games and hopefully that will continue. Martin and Hooper also scored great goals, and hopefully Hooper will get a start now. Not everything is wrong, but the defending yesterday was far too casual at times and we paid the price. Hopefully Phelan will be able to help sort that out soon.
Yesterdays game was like a Hollywood movie it had the lot red cards penalties briiliant goals and we fought back for a draw. Annoying that we let 3 cheep goals again but it was better than a Hughton 0-0.. Like a few others I feel like this forum is becoming depressing with the negative rants every week, what makes it worse is people were complaining when we were winning and top. Call for a new manager and CEO and kick out Delia by all means but that could easily turn us into another Blackpool Portsmouth or Coventry . Be careful what you wish for.
One of the things that puzzles me is how I seem to have switched from tolerance and patience under CH, to zero tolerance and complete impatience with NA. I think it is because I could see a plan that CH had and I still believe that he could have done a good job (to some this may make me sound crazy and think everything I have to say is utter bollox), but under NA I can see no plan at all, the team looks disjointed and lacks ideas. Some people have rightly pointed out that the players have to shoulder some responsibility, but unless a game plan is imposed upon them they end up dispirited because most of them know that they can, individually and as team, perform at a far higher level. They get to the final third and appear very slow paced- I don't think it's about the players, because unless there is a fair degree of certainty about what to do and how to do, then safe options are picked, or when someone tries an ambitious pass, it is not going to be anticipated because there has been minimal structure/tactics employed during training. it appears as if the tactics don't fit the players or the coaching is not good enough to enable the players to employ the desired tactics of the manager. if MP can help to impose a structure and playing format on the team and help NA to evolve then that would be great for the club- I really hope it happens, but I am concerned that bringing in a very experienced coach to work under NA (they say alongside, but there is an implicit and explicit hierarchy) will cause some tensions- await to see if it a good or a bad thing.
The reason there was complaining while we were top was because we could see the short comings that have now dropped us down to 10th. The actual football on display in the early games wasn't fantastic, we we're just over powering teams. I'm usually the last person to call for a sacking but its clear Adams is making poor decisions and not setting up the team correctly, mostly in defence, and it's costing us points. We've lost the early season luck and haven't improved in quality, either Adams sorts it out in the next few games or he has to go I'm afraid.
Fair dos but you should really be dispatching a team that is 5th bottom in the league at home... Shouldn't you?
This league is unpredictable the bottom sides pick up points against the front runners every week. The only game this season we had no chance of winning was Middlesborough away. You may think I'm making excuses but we were unlucky not to beat Brighton Forest Charlton Fulham and many others. At 2-1 up yesterday we were well on top. You can sense if your team is going to achieve something well maybe a long time ago at Ipswich but this season we may scrape the play offs but we are not good enough to ein it .
Was at the game yesterday and made the following observations. -Our ball movement is absolutely atrocious we are so slow at moving the ball about, we have a very indecisive bunch of players at the club they need to be quicker. -Hooper has got to start, Grabban was poor and didn't look bothered at times, I was shocked at Adams inability to make a substitution earlier on. -Time and time again we fall asleep and allow teams to play through our midfield, defence is a main problem they look seriously disorganised, it would help having a genuine leader at the back. -Adams lost the plot with the formation, not sure who was supposed to be on the left of the midfield as Johnson was always drifting in and Olsson was having to play as a wing back at times with support from Redmond switching the wing occasionally. All in all an absolute **** storm of a game, great if your a neutral but as a Norwich fan it's was a piss poor performance. Can take away a couple of positives Howson was good, Hooper scored and Jerome covers every blade of grass for the team. Other then that furious at the powers that be and I don't think Michael Phelan is going to solve anything immediately the clubs a mess.
I agree about the ball movement being slow, but I'm not convinced that the indecision is down to Adams, who understandably made changes after the Forest game. I also agree that Hooper could have come on sooner and I hope he gets a start against Reading. I felt the midfield and defence underestimated Brighton players and were simply far too casual at times and paid the price for that. For me, that is a player issue. Olsson is underperforming and I'd like to see Garrido given a chance. I'd also like to see Miquel given a chance at CB after the disappointing performances by Cuellar and Hooiveld. Formations are always difficult. Under Hughton, many said it was him 'shackling' the players. Adams believes in giving the players more freedom, but that doesn't absolve them from defensive responsibilities. A game in which we scored 3 excellent goals wasn't **** poor, but conceding the goals we did was. See all of the good as well as all of the bad. IMO, it isn't a 'mess', but improvements are required, and soon.
I agree Rick We scored three excellent goals yesterday, Rusty's must surely be on the 'goal of the season' shortlist, and perhaps one of the best ever at Carra Rud - but let's not fanny about talking about silly things like positives now eh?
Absolutely amazing that Martin's goal didn't impress the posters on here, it was one of the best goals I have seen for ages since Tettey's last season. I'm done with this place for a while.
Thank you Dave, very kind - yes now I can see what all the fuss is about - cracker! he´ll certainly be hard pressed to score a better one.