Subs and missing players

[royalbarclayfan]

Answer to first question: Nope, and it isn't Hughton's either. His brief from the board for this season is to keep us up, full stop. Doesn't matter how.

Answer to second question: in the opinion of the board, yes. The priority for NCFC is to stay in the Premier League.

That doesn't mean that the board regard relegation as a total disaster; only that it would delay implementation of their ambitions for the future. People need a more robust sense of where we are right now and what the priorities are. If we can average a point a game to the end of the season we will be fine. If we can get some stylish wins in that time, that's a bonus.

Exactly - and in my opinion the board are absolutely right, staying up is essential, especially with the extra revenue coming in next season.

Strange thing is, that I´d be prepared to bet that those now moaning about the dire state of our football, would be the first to call for us to dig in and pick up a few 0 - 0 draws or 1 - 0 wins if we were playing cavalier stuff but sitting 3 or 4 points adrift at the bottom. The players and manager would soon be criticised for being naive, and more interested in being entertaining than actually picking up points. It´s a tough job pleasing all of us all of the time.

 

[Tony_Munky_Canary]

Yesterday's game was like watching pub football, absolutely bloody dreadful it was and koo pee arr were equally as bad as we were. Yes I'm happy with the point nearer safety in what could have been a tricky game, but how anyone can say they were happy with the performance I just don't understand.

I'm leaning towards Carrabuh's camp in terms of being critical of our approach, yesterday was the worst example of it yet. We just seem to be intent on shutting up shop (by any means necessary, we were a bunch of whinging cloggers yesterday, the koo pee are fans' complaints are justified for once) and then looking to win as many free kicks as we can, praying to score from a set-piece. Yes it may be relatively successful (only just about though) but my God is is **** to watch! Totally agree that if that was Stoke, West Ham etc we'd be criticising like mad, and I know I'm going to get some stick from mates at work tomorrow who would have watched it because I can imagine from a neutral perspective it would have look awful. Have to say I was embarrassed by how bad we were are keeping possession for long periods of the game.

And as for Holt, yes he put a few tackles in (usually in our own half) and huffed and puffed doing his best to win free kicks whenever he could (again, embarrassing at times) but for someone playing the lone striker role I don't recall him having a touch of the ball in their box. Not even one. He was just interested in winning free kicks which is getting really annoying. He was crap in the first half and when he tumbled to the floor after about 25 seconds of the second I could tell it wasn't going to get much better. I never criticise Holty at a but I'm afraid yesterday from an attacking point of view he was awful and should have made way for Becchio (bang in form don't forget) for at least the last 20 minutes. He won more headers when he came on than Holt did all game. Watching MotD last night (and again this morning, thanks Poppy) players like Lambert, Carroll appear to be offering far more than Holty does at the moment, and that's not something I'd have said in the past.

We clearly went there, as we have done so often this season, looking for a nil nil draw, which we got so as far as that goes it was job well done. But to say it was a good performance for me is wrong, it was hardly Old Trafford, this lot are bottom of the league and even worse than us so I'm disappointed we didn't at least try something different in the second half (not 4-4-2, I'd have just brought on Becchio in a straight swap) and have a bit of a go.

 

[robbieBB]

.................. Yes it may be relatively successful (only just about though) but my God it is **** to watch! .....

There's a simple solution to that Munky, don't watch! You can start watching again when the team get through this particular trough in performance and start playing a bit better.

 

[Walsh.i.am]

There's a simple solution to that Munky, don't watch! You can start watching again when the team get through this particular trough in performance and start playing a bit better.

What about the poor souls who have shelled out on a season ticket in order to be 'entertained'? They have a vested interest to watch - but it's still unimaginative and turgid football for them, too.

 

[Tony_Munky_Canary]

Rubbish comeback mate, I've been watching them for well over thirty years, rain or shine, and in that time we have been even worse so I'm not going to stop anytime soon thanks. My problem is that I know we're better than this, a lot better, and it's frustrating that our creativity seems to be getting strangled out of us.

So are you happy watching us at the moment?

 

[gorlestongirl]

What about the poor souls who have shelled out on a season ticket in order to be 'entertained'? They have a vested interest to watch - but it's still unimaginative and turgid football for them, too.

I only have a home season ticket, so can't speak for our away performances, (went to Anfield, but I have forgotten what happened there). At Carrow Road this season, I have watched only a couple of games which I would say were unimaginative or turgid. By that I mean both teams were poor, and the game was not worth watching as a whole. I have watched some games where we have lost but the game has been good. I have to say, I 'enjoy' watching world class players, even when they deservedly beat us. That is not being 'little Norwich', I just enjoy watching professionals at the top of their form. Lastly, there have been 4 or 5 games, so far, where the football we have played has been the polar opposite of unimaginative and turgid. Being there to watch the goals against Man U and Arsenal was priceless. So far, I feel I am getting a reasonable return for my £40 a month.

 

[redruthyella]

I only have a home season ticket, so can't speak for our away performances, (went to Anfield, but I have forgotten what happened there). At Carrow Road this season, I have watched only a couple of games which I would say were unimaginative or turgid. By that I mean both teams were poor, and the game was not worth watching as a whole. I have watched some games where we have lost but the game has been good. I have to say, I 'enjoy' watching world class players, even when they deservedly beat us. That is not being 'little Norwich', I just enjoy watching professionals at the top of their form. Lastly, there have been 4 or 5 games, so far, where the football we have played has been the polar opposite of unimaginative and turgid. Being there to watch the goals against Man U and Arsenal was priceless. So far, I feel I am getting a reasonable return for my £40 a month.

That is good GG. It's all about being happy with what you get and value for money. I don't pay to watch for obvious reasons so the second point is irrelevant in my case.
But my point, and looking at many posters, which is not unique, is that Prem football at any cost is not what I want. If that is the board's philosophy, then fair enough, we have to go along with it. But you cannot expect anyone who doesn't agree with that tactic, to post anything other than their view on the game. Facts are facts, and we are playing wholly unattractive football at the moment. And we just differ from people who are happy to sit there and be bored but delighted with a point.
Nobody is saying who is right and who is wrong and believe me nobody wants the best for my club more than me but I have to tell it how I see it. If I was the only one I could accept I was wrong. But I'm not the only one.
And this isn't the Pink Un site. We are all people with rationale on this site.

 

[canary-dave]

redruth, this is a football forum, if we were all clones with exactly the same outlook, there would be no need for fora such as this, providing we can post our point of view, without dropping into insults and name calling, then there is a purpose for us to see the "other side" of the coin.

In the words of President Truman I believe, "I disagree with your point of view but I will fight to the death for your right to hold it!"

 

[ThaiCanary]

That is good GG. It's all about being happy with what you get and value for money. I don't pay to watch for obvious reasons so the second point is irrelevant in my case.
But my point, and looking at many posters, which is not unique, is that Prem football at any cost is not what I want. If that is the board's philosophy, then fair enough, we have to go along with it. But you cannot expect anyone who doesn't agree with that tactic, to post anything other than their view on the game. Facts are facts, and we are playing wholly unattractive football at the moment. And we just differ from people who are happy to sit there and be bored but delighted with a point.
Nobody is saying who is right and who is wrong and believe me nobody wants the best for my club more than me but I have to tell it how I see it. If I was the only one I could accept I was wrong. But I'm not the only one.
And this isn't the Pink Un site. We are all people with rationale on this site.

Nicely put.

I must admit, while an away point was good I am a little critical of how we are approaching games, especially away games. Okay, away to the top half sides then trying to hold firm is not a bad tactic although the chances are we will still come unstuck on many occasions but to go away to QPR, who cannot buy a goal and can barely shoot on target, I feel could have been approached very differently, and three points were on offer, assuming we could find a way past the inspired goalkeeping.

I was also getting concerned to a degree of just how we tackled - 22 fouls against us? That is a lot in anyone's book and most of them could have been avoided if the players could actually pass to each other and not give the ball away needlessly so often, letting QPR come straight back at us. It was horrible to watch and I really hope next week sees a vast, vast improvement.

 

[gorlestongirl]

I simply don't agree with the facts then, Redruth. Spurs last Wednesday was not unattractive. Neither were our performances against Man City and Chelsea. And that 28 move goal against Sunderland was mesmeric. I'm not an expert, and I would really like to know what 'unattractive' means, because I'm clearly not seeing games in the same way as others. Not being confrontational, but I just don't get it.

 

[gorlestongirl]

I do agree with the fouling against QPR yesterday, but didn't see the whole game, just the so-called highlights.

 

[gorlestongirl]

I mean I agree with the criticism of the fouling!!!!!!

 

[Dangerous Marsupial]

Some people need to learn the difference between an exciting performance and a good performance. Where we exciting to watch yesterday? No, of course not, but Michael Turner/Mark Bunn/Seb Bassong were all at their absolute peak yesterday, and I can't think of a single player who I felt didn't have at least a quite good game, except maybe Tettey who was ok.

 

[robbieBB]

Rubbish comeback mate, I've been watching them for well over thirty years, rain or shine, and in that time we have been even worse so I'm not going to stop anytime soon thanks. My problem is that I know we're better than this, a lot better, and it's frustrating that our creativity seems to be getting strangled out of us.

So are you happy watching us at the moment?

Munky, I have been watching for even longer than you. Thirty years only takes us back to 1982; I can't expect you to have acquired the perspective that those of us who watched in the 1960s or even earlier have acquired. But why make yourself miserable, or angry, or put your blood pressure up needlessly? It's like the news, if it makes you miserable just don't buy the papers or turn on the TV or radio.

My point is that we are where we are, with the players and management team we have. We know from what we have seen in the first half of the season that the team can play better football than they are doing at the moment. But when they aren't playing as well as we and CH (and the players) know they can, I don't see any point in making yourself miserable over it. I have said time and again on here that I would like to see City playing in a style that would have carrabuh drooling. But I am not expecting to see it this season, or next for that matter, or even the next; but if we do manage to stay up this season, I do regard it as an achievable longer term aim. And as I said, if we go down, it will take a bit longer, that's all.

 

[robbieBB]

........and three points were on offer, assuming we could find a way past the inspired goalkeeping.....

In reality, and despite all the criticism, overall we were anyway the team most likely to take the three points. Hoolahan had two great chances to win it for us; Cesar wouldn't have had an earthly with the first one that he put over the bar.

 

[stilljaroldcanary]

We are in the PL we will always struggle to stay in this division and that struggle will inevitably lead to periods of nervous football which probably ain't great to watch , to be fair I thought the Spurs game was very entertaining

 

[JM Fan]

Some excellent posts on the topic of our playing style of late. When we were on our '10 game unbeaten run', there were very few negative comments appearing either on here or on the 'PinkUn' message boards, as we were playing quite attactive football (who can forget the wins over ManUre, Arsenal or better still - Swansea!!!). I'd love to see a repeat of our game at the Liberty when we go off to the Stadium of Light next month and hopefully we'll have Whittaker back fully fit (not to much to complain about Rusty, but just feel Whittaker offers us more) and the team in general will have learned the technique of passing to their own players and passing the ball out of defence, instead of wanting to get rid of it as though it was 'a grenade about to explode', by just hoofing it up to Holt.

I think the time has come for CH to change the formation for home games, or at least bring a sub on so that they have at least 30 minutes to get used to the game and play an active role in the result - I would like to see subs BANNED in the last 5 minutes of normal time, except in the case of a player having to leave the field due to injury!!!!!

I'm not in the 'survive at any cost' camp and there MUST be a style of play that our players can adapt to that is somewhere between PL's - 'we don't care if you score, we'll score more than you' and CH's - 'we're going to do our utmost to prevent you from scoring'!!!!

On a final point - I felt that if those two opportunities that Wes had from Snoddy's crosses had fallen to a striker, at least one of them would have been in the back of the net. Maybe it's time to start with him on the bench and bring him on either at the start of the 2nd half or with 30 minutes to go.

PS - I'm with gg and think that my £40 a month is good value, as with the exception of the game against Newcastle, we at least look like we'll score.

 

[JM Fan]

I thought that out of the last 4 home games, only the one against Newcastle was turgid to watch and the one against Man City the most exciting.

I see MotD chose not to show our claim for a penaty - no surprise there then!!!!

 

[redruthyella]

Some people need to learn the difference between an exciting performance and a good performance. Where we exciting to watch yesterday? No, of course not, but Michael Turner/Mark Bunn/Seb Bassong were all at their absolute peak yesterday, and I can't think of a single player who I felt didn't have at least a quite good game, except maybe Tettey who was ok.

If you think Garrido was even just OK, despite our willingness to argue sensibly, I would have to question what game you were watching, contoversial or not.

 

[robbieBB]

...... On a final point - I felt that if those two opportunities that Wes had from Snoddy's crosses had fallen to a striker, at least one of them would have been in the back of the net. Maybe it's time to start with him on the bench and bring him on either at the start of the 2nd half or with 30 minutes to go .........

Yes, if those two chances had fallen to, let's say, Michu, or Defoe, or any of a host of "strikers" including Holty or Becchio, one would have been scored. Likewise, if they had fallen to Mata, or Lampard, or any of a host of attacking midfielders, one would probably have been scored. Question is, what would have been happening at the other end throughout the game?