Everyone at the three clubs, supporters included, are drained. When we had it on the deck we looked a threat. In the air though a complete waste of time. Playing Woolfy up front in the final stages sent a message of desperation.
I’m hoping the pressure is more on Ipswich and Leicester allowing a huge points advantage to slip. Truth is none of us know who it’s getting to the most. Today’s game with Watford a prime example of a team playing with no pressure, they’re not making the playoffs and they’re not getting relegated. Spanish saying he hopes Coventry and Hull are out of the playoffs before facing you, that’s very dangerous, they’re decent teams and facing them when they have no pressure won’t be easy, far better playing them when they have a chance still and the nerves start to set in. Also, after this weekend we have 9 days before our next game, that’s a nice gap to freshen up. Ipswich have 14 days, is that just a bit too long. With an 8pm kick off a long trip back from Hull then an away game to Coventry on the Tuesday… We have back to back away games to Boro and QPR but have 24hrs longer between games and the Boro journey is a lot quicker. Leicester on the other hand have two home games, WBA and Southampton and the fear is both will be starting to rest players for the playoffs, just too many ifs and buts.
Could go either way It's a good thing they'll be on the beach They're out of the race so the pressure will be off.
I thought first half we looked decent, the players brought in showed a more energetic performance than we've seen in a while. I thought everyone looked like they were playing well. Clarke had a good game at RB, although he wasn't really tested. I thought Edmundson had a decent game but feel he plays a higher line than when Woolfenden is there who plays a bit more like a sweeper and that leaves us a bit more susceptible to getting caught on the break, he also has a habit of trying to play risky balls in areas which leave us open to the counter attack. I thought Davis had a better game than he's had in a while and showed some good defensive qualities but again Watford going forwards looked pretty awful. Broadhead first half looked almost unplayable second half barely touched the ball. The typical analogy of 'he done all the hard work but missed the easy pass' couldn't have been more apt for Hutchinsons performance. He was also looked unplayable when running with the ball but his final pass/decision making was pretty poor. I thought Jackson actually had a decent first half. To be honest probably the player I was most disappointed with was Moore, thought he was pretty poor, I thought Al Hamidi should've been introduced a bit earlier to be fair despite us having a good first half I felt it wasn't really working for Moore. It was an odd performance really because I felt in the first half we played the best we've played in a while with the players brought in bringing really good energy that we've been lacking the past few games the second half that energy disappeared. That is unusual for us, we usually step it up.
We back our team! We can see how hard they are all working. Not many supporters would be applauding their players off after a performance like Norwich!
How far we've come though a team the size of Watford with a talented squad coming to Portman Road playing with 3 CBs and getting a corner in the last minute of the game and keeping it there for a 0-0.
To be honest though I thought defensively they looked fairly solid and well organised but going forwards they're one of the worst teams I've seen in a while. Didn't really put any of our defenders under any sort of pressure.
1st half, we played pretty well and created some very good chances - Moore guilty of missing the best of them. 2nd half, not as good. Was very surprised to see Broadhead replaced as thought he looked the most dangerous of our forward players. Considering how they were packing their midfield, I thought Luongo could have come in for Jackson and tweak the formation slightly. Last 30 minutes, it was all a bit frantic, we kept losing our shape - Chaplin couldn’t get involved at all. Did have a laugh at the station, where some of our “fans” were saying that we played with 10 men in the 1st half due to how bad Jackson was. I’m not his biggest fan but he by no means our worst performer yesterday. Still can’t believe where we are in the league but on the other side of that, felt really deflated leaving the ground yesterday. Players have given everything all season and fatigue looks to be catching up with a few. Hopefully back to winning ways on Saturday and a slip up from Leeds / Leicester wouldn’t go amiss (or both or a points deduction for Leicester breaching FFP - I’m not fussy)
Good summary Royston. Yeah, I’m also not a Jackson fan, but I thought he put in a couple of really good crosses in that first half. Agreed with your comment on fatigue - they looked physically and mentally drained. We’ve been punching well above our weight and I really hope we can do enough to get over the line for an automatic promotion. They all deserve it. Not often we can say that about an Ipswich side over the last couple of decades.
The only thing we could have done better is going for it first half whilst Watford were at their weakest, open and not really pressing. We are often guilty of complacency and don’t start playing until we’re put under pressure. This time the better opportunity was in the first half because Watford just didn’t tire. That's to be really harsh though.
The odd thing about it was energy levels looked really good in the first half better than they've been for a while, the only player who looked leggy was Moore. Harsh as it may sound but it just felt like a game for Al Hamidi and would've liked to have seen him come on in the game earlier. Second half was like a different team had come out, which was bizarre considering we often get better as games go on. It was one of those games though if we'd scored in the first half I think we could've scored a lot more goals. We had some decent chances but some of the biggest disappointments was not putting players through in on goal when they were open multiple times
I have never bothered my sister, perhaps mutual respect without stupid comments is the way forward. I am fully respectful of your season and hope you go up automatically and we join you through the play offs. Two east Anglian teams in the premiership is a good advert for our area.
Not much respect for us at Carrow Road on the day, and I’d have thought it was very odd if there was! Norwich are never a good advert for East Anglia. Jog on.
I have just welcomed jonhywarksmustache back as he has been off the forum for years. So yes I can show respect for fellow humans
