I can assure you Beef, the only person with an opinion which is boring is your own. Back your own point up, don't run away changing the subject.
You say in an earlier post that pre-season results don't matter then it that last post you say "What does a win against a non league side, two defeats and two draws prove" If your going to have a point at least try and keep it consistent over one forum page, jeez.
I was disagreeing with that opinion Beef, remember (difficult I know) you're the one saying that our performances are proving things to you, not me!! Jeez!!
So pre-season is all about results and not about fitness and learning about your new players and where best to play them. Just seems yet another excuse for you to slag off the team basically.
Change the record Beef. Do you actually come on here to post about football? or just come on here to winge about some negative comments? It's sad. Anyway, didn't see the game. Glad to see Hooper got a couple of goals though, also on the RVW and Hooper working debate. I think they'll work fine, will take a while to understand how each other play but I think once they do we'll have a strong strike partnership. Fer is the signing I am most excited about, seems like he can really boss a midfield defensively and offensively, something we were crying out for at time last season.
The thing that annoyed me was RVW had to work to even get a sniff of the ball, I know this will translate in most Norwich fans brains as 'He works his socks off and gets back and defends his a grafter' rather then the principle problem that the supply chain around him was flawed and didn't help him out enough, people need to see to wake up and see the bigger picture.
Has Fer and Redmond maybe proven anything? Did Olsson prove anything tonight? Did we learn anything when we changed formation? according to you when we played well and scored two goals it was because Braga gave us loads of space, absolutely laughable, you make Mark Lawrenson look as happy as timmy mallet. Nah, guess nothings been leaned. Lets just have Ruddy in goal and David fox on his own.
Well, I'd confidently predict that 90% of those watching the game would say that we were given a lot of space for the first 45 and that 90% would say they didn't in the second half. It was plainly evident. That's not to say Hooper didn't exploit it very well, because he did.
Beef, you're on an island with this one I think. As for the game, Fer looked good, the midfield was noticeably lacking when he came off. Redmond was as energetic as he has been all pre season. Hooper certainly showed he can finish well and he is in the right places at the right time. Wes certainly helped to control that game in the first half. The lack of creativity without him is pretty stark. on that showing (And baring in mind current injuries) This would be my starting day squad: Ruddy Whittaker, Bennett, Turner, Olsson Fer, Wes Snodgrass, RvW, Redmond Hooper RvW and Hooper, if they can figure each other's game out, would be good interchanging in the 9 and 10 role. I feel we need Wes in the team at the moment, with Fer alongside him in that slightly deeper role, it could work well (I'm not a fan of having Tettey and Fer together. It's like having Fer and a slightly less classy Fer in the same team, not that I think Tettey is bad!) As for the defence, you have pretty strong competition for most of those places, that's just the 4 I'd go for, Hopefully Bass will be fit for the start of the season.
In the first half we played pretty well. Fer and Tettey were very solid in the middle allowing our fullbacks, E.Bennett, Snoddy, and Wes a lot of freedom. However, Braga were not playing very well at all. Hooper took his first goal nicely and showed his poaching instinct for his second. We deserved to be leading at half time. The second half was completely different. Braga started to hurry us, and we looked very disjointed with both Hooper and RvW on the pitch. Braga had found some real energy and forced us to make errors leading to their goals. Once Hooper came off we started to get on the ball a bit more, but RvW still looked rather isolated. I was very happy with Hooper, he looked lively. As I said, Fer and Tettey were generally solid. Snoddy, Wes and E.Bennett worked nicely together in the first half. RvW was almost non-existant. Whether it was lack of service or his positioning (or both) I'm not sure. Howson didn't play well when he came on - we seemed to miss Fer's athleticism in the middle. Redmond had a couple of runs late on, but spent most of his time chasing down Braga players as they passed it well for the most part in the second half.
Beefy, give us a break. People on here are only doing what Hughton is bound to be doing as well - analysing what worked well and what didn't, and thinking about how to solve the latter.
Didn't see any of the game myself, but it sounds as if it was a really worthwhile pre-season exercise. Braga are a good side; I'm not at all surprised they came back at us in the second half. Judging by what I've seen of them in recent seasons in the CL, to compete properly with them we would need our best eleven and all fully fit. I remain of the opinion that we would benefit most now from an older midfield head to steady things when we are being pressured off our own game. At the moment we don't quite have the technique in midfield to relieve pressure and reassert ourselves.
I take nothing from any of the results of pre-season so far because none of the players are truly giving their all and we don't appear to be using our best XI in every game (we haven't even finished buying players yet). Who wants to risk a hamstring or broken leg in a pre-season friendly? I wouldn't Forgive my ignorance here but would we really lose to MLS standard teams if there was actually something to play for?
With all the excitement about the new signings, I think we are forgetting the scale of CH's revamp of the squad this summer. He has been using this pre-season not just to build up to full fitness, or even to begin the process of integrating the new players into the side, but also to reach conclusions about which of our existing players he's going to keep in the 25 for the coming season. So I think even in pre-season terms, we are a bit behind where we would hope to be. In addition, we still haven't been able to put out a full strength back four due to Bassong and Turner being injured. Although there are still two weeks before the Everton game, and two good standard friendly matches to come next week, it will be touch and go IMO as to whether we will be able to quite "hit the ground running" as we would have hoped.
Also, it amazes me that anyone thinks that RvW could just walk in and start showing us what a quality player he is. If you compare Giroud at Arsenal for example, he struggled virtually all last season to adapt to playing in England. There were signs he was getting it together towards the end of the season, and he seems to have carried that on now in pre-season. Hooper, with his background, is in a completely different situation from both Giroud and RvW. Also, how on earth can people think that his not living up immediately to their unrealistic expectations somehow shows RvW not to be the talent whose signing they were gobsmacked at only a few weeks ago? I suppose some of us are such great spotters of ability on the football field that it just takes a few pre-season cameos for them to see right through the pretence of his being any good, and entitles them to discard all they know about his career to date. Ye Gods!
I agree wholeheartedly Jus' hoop e can sort oot arr relegashun form Orr itull be ceasar tickuts frown at hooton thyme buh
Hold on Beefy. This is becoming a habit. Can't you find something to disagree with me about. I'll feel much better!
I do feel sorry for RVW, his price tag represents untried territory for us and a lot of fans are going to expect him to instantaneously become the greatest player ever, spurred on by the likes of michu doing well. He won't have a lot of time with some fans and last night a few doubts started to creep in All I can keep Saying is "it's Pre season"
