i think expectations have been raised too high, but arguably they've been raised by those who expect too much of our manager. i personally can see us being bottom half again this season and have no problem with that. i want to see the structure of the side improve as the season goes on and i think there's already been one or two hints at that happening. we've struggled in away games throughout the history of the club - this isn't a new thing! we were better under lambert certainly but then our home record was ropey and if away form drops, which it often does for most clubs, its imperative that your home form is solid and ours is more than solid.
No ones pant wetting (well maybe Carrabuh) Olsson has been available and Hooper would likely as not not see any of the ball if had been. The problems are there for all but the blind to see. Can CH sort it out we'll see soon enough. Bah!
we've offered free coach travel to games before but that's about it i think. the club could do more to help away fans imo - its such a long way to get to every away game and we probably spend more as fans going to away games than any other clubs fans. the new point system is also **** and should be scrapped as it gives season ticket holders more power than regular away-day followers
you do realise that we will likely have 'problems' for the entire time we spend in the top flight. we can get better, no question, but our problems are not easily fixed. thankfully we've got plenty right about us as well.
I don't think there has been a lot of this "pants wetting" though has there? People are just saying that we are **** to watch, and I honestly can't see how anyone can disagree with that? All this talk of how we've not seen Olsson or Hoper yet may be valid, but I personally think it is clutching at straws a little. Our defence hasn't been a problem so whilst I think Olsson will be an improvement on Garrido I don't think he is going to suddenly make us a far better team to watch (which is people's gripe, not the results), and Hooper is a striker who thrives on chances in the box, so when you consider that we have created no more than about half a dozen chances in the box so far this season I'm not holding my breath that he is going to come in and suddenly start banging them in. RVW has been feeding on scraps and hardly getting a kick in attacking situations, why is this suddenly going to change with a different striker up top?
i meant over the hughton's reign - i think we've only lost four times and other than liverpool, all have been single goal defeats.
this is what grates me. so far this season our two (three if you count bury) home games have all been very enjoyable. i can understand the gripes about our away form and performances but to generalise and say we are 'crap to watch' is wrong and far too simplistic. as a home side there is room for improvement but we aren't far away from being a very accomplished team. no visitors gets an easy three points at carrow road.
Ah, so last season counts when it suits your argumment but if we bring up last season and the terrible antifootball it's in the past, irrelevent and it's now his team? and the dross can be forgotten. Couldn't resist got a nibble there! Bah!
I agree, but every team has problems, not even the mighty Swansea or Barca are with out. Its the way about which and to an extent the speed with which they are addressed and remedied that could be the making and breaking of an club or manager. And yes we do indeed have loads right at the club, makes ya proud dunnit!! Bah!
err, its basic logic in terms of home form. we've improved our squad while last seasons squad was still able to be very good at home, therefore we have little to worry about on that front whereas away there hasn't really been an improvement throughout all last season or the start of this so we should look to make gains on that front if possible.
I have to agree with you in the main, there have been improvements at home, I would still like to see us keep the ball better but we are showing signs of improvement , at home! I think some of the negativity is not only the away games fresh in our minds but also the hangover of last seasons viewing both home and away, which was more often than not truely awful. Bah!
The NCFC fan spectrum needs work: Happy Clapper ^ Staunch Hoolahanist ^ Prudence-monger ^ Lambert Nostalgist ^ Hughton Basher ^ Pink 'un Dweller ^ Pant Wetter
the general point with regards improvement over this coming season has to be 'keeping the ball better'. there is little debate about this in my opinion. we have improved the quality on the pitch so the passing needs to improve. we'll have our ups and downs though and people are too quick to jump up and down every time there is either a poor performance or a poor result. its funny but when we play well or win, these boards often go very quiet. says a lot...
i don't like any of these but there are certainly divisions amongst the fans and this is created, as indicated by the original article, by the fact we've now become a little too accustomed to our surroundings within the league. the buzz has gone to a degree and to be honest, i doubt we'll ever get it back while in this league, regardless of who is in charge. the previous four years were so unbelievable - how can we ever live up to that again? if we do, it'll be a cup run or top 8 finish but it won't be the same - i don't think everyone has come to terms with that yet but they'll have to at some point if they want us to be a top flight club. we aren't alone - teams like fulham, west brom etc are in the same boat but the longer they stay up the more the fans get irritable, longing for more. sadly, it can't happen anymore because the top of the table is a closed shop to the likes of us. we all know what happened to charlton and bolton etc when they tried to push on
But by your basic logic the truely terrible away form will also continue ad infinitum this season, actually you have a point it is!!!! Our home form god forbid could desert us as easily as the away stuff improve. The approach to the next couple of games will tell us a lot about CH and his visions for us. Try to attack Villa and I will think he's heading in the right direction, try not to lose and pinch it (Lets face it PL will be going for the win) and I will irrespective of the result start to pant wet. Stoke are improving under Hughes and so I don't expect anything by way of points, but what I want is to see some intent and not a meek surender. Bah!
Should pant wetter not be above pinkun dweller? I'd like to sit between Lambert Nostalgist and Hughton basher, Call me a Hughton sceptic Though I guess I,m definitely a bit of a LN and an HB too. Bah!
no, you completely miss the point! if we were a good home side last year and have made improvements this year then we have nothing to worry about with regards our home record. why would that suddenly fall off a cliff when we've made improvements? there is no logic to what you say. we might lose 4 or more but i can't see us losing 6+ home games for instance but i'd hope we could get more than two away wins. away from home we were poor overall so the new players will hopefully help to address that issue, although it will take a lot more than that to take us to a level closer to our home form. we've added pace which will certainly make us more threatening away but we need more than that and is why i keep saying that we need patience because despite the new additions we are a long way from the finished article that some fans seemingly think we should be! as for the villa game, its well known that villa are a side who cannot defend at all, so they try to force the issue but aren't particularly good at doing so. this is precisely the sort of game where being set up to counter attack would actually help us pick them off. stoke will be a very tough game because just like us, they are very difficult to beat on their own patch.
I can see what your saying and I know that mid table mediocrate is about as loftyer ambition as a club of our size can have. But its the manner in which we reach midtable that matters to me. When all outside our club and a number within it think we are playing abyssmal antifootball that bothers me. Will 4 more years of dire football under CH please you as long as its in the PL? Your right though it might improve. But it might not. I want gradual improvement, but I also want to be entertained. Can CH do 1, other or preferably both? Bah!
Amended ('Pant Wetter' remains at the bottom due to the element of panic!): Happy Clapper ^ Staunch Hoolahanist ^ Prudence-monger ^ Hughton Sceptic ^ Lambert Nostalgist ^ Hughton Basher ^ Pink 'un Dweller ^ Pant Wetter
