I didn't say it was DH. What I said was that CH put out exactly the same team as against Southampton. So my conclusion would be that he wanted to play the same type of game. What stopped us doing it was Spurs, whose high tempo, accurate passing and constant pressing meant that our midfield couldn't reproduce anything like what they produced against Saints. Even so, we were only 1 down at half time, and as I said before, if Ruddy hadn't let that cross slip though it is quite conceivable that we could have got a foothold in the second half as the tempo from Spurs dropped. Thai is complaining that the team were told to do nothing but stop Spurs; you are complaining that they weren't set up to stop Spurs and rely on counter-attacking! The only constant here as far as I can see is that, when we lose, it is always Chris Hughton's fault. We lost a game and people are disappointed. Well, what a surprise.
Yeah but they might, (In your scenario), defend for most of the game, but they'd smash them on the counter and end up winning 3-0...that's what good teams do!
it really is very simple. we played very well against southampton two weeks ago. spurs looked a little disjointed against arsenal. when hughton picks an attacking side away from home some people now say he's 'too attacking' - ****ing unbelievable bull****!! stop this hughton-bashing agenda because you look foolish. hughton will have felt that the side who did well the other week deserved a chance to go again and assumed we could get at them because they looked so disjointed the other day but unfortunately they clicked immediately and when you have players as good as they now do, its easy to be completely overrun all over the park. we certainly didn't play very well ourselves but our opponents played extremely well and didn't allow us any time on the ball at all. could he have changed it? sure - but no doubt everyone would have moaned that he made the team too negative when we should have been chasing the game! he couldn't really win because the personnel picked couldn't pass the ball to one another but again, that was more down to spurs pressing so well, harrying and making it so difficult and our players weaknesses were highlighted by this. hardly surprising we have players with weaknesses - if they didn't they wouldn't be at norwich! sometimes you have to hold your hands up and say 'fair play' to your opponents and today was one such occasion. we still had one or two good chances which on another day may have brought us back into the game but we wouldn't have deserved it. could we have done better? of course! but there is no shame in getting outplayed by that tottenham side - we all knew if they clicked they could be very, very good and the evidence was right there today. they could challenge for the title, they really could - their squad is fantastic.
My point is that you can't expect to be able to play the same way against all opposition though. I can see Supers' point that Hughton may have expected Spurs' to still be disjointed and not yet a cohesive unit, so in that context "going for it" with two strikers seems logical. In Hughton's position, I'd have seen that they've got £100m of fresh talent and some undoubtedly quality players, and anticipated that they were only ever going to improve on their last game, and so we should plan accordingly. I didn't see the team sheet until the game had started, but I would have said the same thing then as now, I thought we'd need the extra body in midfield. The manager sees it one way, I see it another, but equally I'd like to think that if we had got a result, I'd have credited CH for a formation/personnel I didn't expect to work. It's not a case of being behind the manager or not, he's got my support, but no manager is perfect, so I don't see why in supporting him I have to agree with his every decision. As to disappointment, it's not the loss that disappoints me, it's the way we performed that does. I expected us to lose, and I believe even predicted it that way in the various leagues, but I'd have liked us to show a bit more of a threat than we did, and I think something more closely resembling 4-5-1 than 4-4-2 would have helped with that.
All that may be true, but you'd have to agree that Spurs won't pick up an easier 3 points all season.
@Superman I'd only add that Spurs obviously came into the game still smarting from the defeat at the Emirates last time out. We were the unfortunates who found ourselves in the firing line. It could have been a lot worse.
completely agree but they played extremely well and will be a little frustrated they didn't add to the score. many of their chances were from distance so in that respect we defended pretty well. we were just poor across the rest of the pitch and made to look even poorer by the home side
i'm not even sure it was a factor but it might have been - they were just on it from the first whistle. they'd have likely beaten most teams convincingly today - we didn't help ourselves but at least we weren't humiliated with a thrashing which we probably would have been last season.
From what I saw they cut through your defense at will, but it was always that final ball that was found wanting for Spurs, and you had no answer to them all match.
I'm down the pub now and in a reflective mood after a few drinks. We can't pass the ball away from home. We need to do something about it, but I'd rather tune that against spurs than palace. I can't wait for the villa game now basically. Bring on those midland bastards and their judas manager haha!
For me a quality CAM signing would have made all the difference. With three central midfielders, we can carry Johnson's "tackle hard and play the simple ball" approach, but alongside him we need Fer, and then the more advanced option. I've not seen enough of Elmander/RvW in a deeper role yet to see if they can provide that yet, but I'd still currently prefer an on-form Wessi over Howson in that position - but if Hoolahan isn't playing well he's incredibly frustrating, whilst if we had someone better there we could probably afford for them to be less than their best over a game.
It's not as simple as people are making out, is it? It is a formula as people have suggested, have to figure out the best way of supplying the front men, wingers and front men, while retaining defensive cohesiveness and effective central midfield possession. Wow, I've had one too many I think. Basically, chill out guys, it's the "new derby" next. I believe we can win at home.
Actually if it wasn't for Bassong and Turner it would have been 5 easy, both made several blocks and last ditch tackles and I though they played very well considering, it was the inability of the midfield to move the ball away and hold on to it that was the problem. though Javi got caught far to often again today looking forward to seeing Olssen.
I'm going to be controversial here but I'd like to see Snodgrass dropped to the bench for the Villa game, this season so far he looks like his been out on the piss on the Friday night, people cry about Hoolahan losing the ball this guy takes the piss sometimes, his deliveries are sloppy and he seems to be more bothered about lying on the floor, he was easily one of our best players last season but regardless of injuries we have a squad, no-one should have their place cemented, let's bring Redmond across to the right and put Pilkington on the left.
Agreed he's not been at his best and maybe we could benefit from playing Pilks and Redmond for a game or two. I think for "out on the Piss" you should read "has a new baby" though, he's a professional but somethings can't help but affect your working life.
He had a lot on his plate in summer but to me he seems to of given it a 100% against England at Wembley, but he hasn't seemed to of recovered yet.
I think that it's probably easy to get fired up for a scot playing against England at Wembley, when he's on form he one of our best players and I would want to seem him out of the team for long or leave us. last season only Baines created more chances, if he is struggling with something we need to see him managed through it, not left out because of it.
Actually surprised by the measured response to this result from our fans. The answer to how we sort out our away form is far more technical than "Hootun oot buh" it's a technical challenge. I Duno ill think about it tommorrow.
Fully agree with this. I thought the same thing. Redmond could get to the byline and put in crosses then, it's just not been happening with Snodgrass. Hope he finds his form again though.
