Some worthwhile reading from the Archant sportswriters this morning, with JM extolling the workrate of CJ and Michael Bailey's article re 'adapting to survive'. Sorry, but I can't post links!¡
Right now I would take the 1-0's whilst feeling reasonably confident we can shut the oposition out rather than what we've gotten use to, 2-0 oh god we'll probably lose 3-2! I hope for more goals and I think they will come, especially if we can score early against some of the lesser sides in the division, who then might open up a little. With all that said, in some ways we were lucky to beat Boro, we certainly defended well, but they still had a lot of shots (21) and some good chances by all accounts, had Assombalonga had his shooting boots on we might have come away with nothing. By not retaining the ball very well (39% possession) we invited pressure, now with good defending we presumably deminished the quality of some of the chances, but as with these things, luck was also no doubt ridden. No long run of clean sheets is ever down to luck, but it will play its part around a well organised unit. If we score two per game then we will be less reliant on that luck holding. I think the next thing Farke will work on is keeping the ball better again, there is no reason why we cannot keep our defensive resolve and the ball better, possess afterall was something that Farke clearly cherished, If we can be solid and have 55-60% of the ball then I think we will start to see somemore goals and dominant performances. Bah!
I know that we are trying to be a bit more hard nosed, but the worst case scenario is both will be sold, or worse still, both have their careers ended by a Cambridge clogger in the FA cup! I kind of hope they both shine and help get us promoted, then we can hopefully keep both, anything less than promotion and I could see both leaving for far more money. But my hope even then would be that Maddison even if he continues to impress and we miss out on the PL, will look at Jacob and many other youngsters who have failed to get much early action and stay for at least another year of 1st team football. Bah!
http://www.pinkun.com/norwich-city/...te-who-sees-him-at-closest-quarters-1-5214564 http://www.pinkun.com/opinion/micha...aniel-farke-s-norwich-city-far-more-1-5214949
Quelle transformation!! During the month of September, Norwich drew 2 of their seven (7) fixtures - and won 5, 4 of which were away from home. That, ja, for sure, however you dress it up, is bloody impressive And the early season 'gap' has been well and truly eroded edit: I wonder how much of this recent success is attributable to Messrs Martin and Naismith not being involved at all?
Exactly Cromer and Martin isn't really tall enough to head some of the balls that our current CB pairing have been dealing with over the last month!!!i Long Live the 'revolution!!!'
But he's a long-time club servant, a good ambassador, a role model for the nippers to look up to. He deals well with the media, conducts himself in an exemplary way.....lay off him you scallywag
It's easy to get carried away after a month like we've just had. The transformation from Millwall to now has been astonishing. But we kind of have been here before. Hootun had his 10 game run in the sun, results can always mask other problems and for that side much like this, it was scoring goals. During Hootuns run by the finish it felt like luck more than skill or resolve that was keeping it going. Reading didn't feel like that so long may it continue. But it is still too early to be proclaiming us world beaters and title challengers. September has been fantastic, but the goal conceded at Reading and the sheer number of chances conceded in the boro game suggest that we are not so impenetrable, the goalless home games need improving, but I think we might. Hootun had a tougher league to play in, being well organised with a sprinkling of individual brilliance in the championship will get you a long way. Can't wait to see if after another two weeks we might have the team collectively better going forward, brilliant might have to wait, but the talent is there. Hard not to be optimistic right now. Bah!
I was only referring to the fact that he's too 'vertically challenged' to make an effective CB!!!! I certainly have to agree with your last sentence general and I no longer fear that we may get humiliated 3 weeks yesterday!!!
For me the reassuring thing is the consistency of the organisation and commitment throughout September. It was the whole team performance which stood out and that is less subject to fluctuations in the 'form' of individual players. Boro did have a lot of shots, but most of them were half chances at best. Reading were just outplayed on their own pitch. There is good reason to feel that these team strengths can provide the consistency necessary to mount a promotion challenge.
I know, but it's the hope that kills you! Like I said, I think inspite of some poor football during the 10 game run with Hootun, it had you hoping, maybe believing that the building blocks had been put in place and that maybe a solid base was ready to be built on. It haddn't then. Things this time around feel more solid, but can you say that against either Sheff utd or Boro that we were the better side? we may have deserved points for the very profesional away performances, but better? We still haven't seen what happens when we go behind, as we surely will again sometime soon. Can we step up a gear? can we break down an 11 man defence? Hopefully yes, Sept form has given a sense optimism that I haven't had since AN first 6 months, But that wasn't that long ago, and he had us generally performing for 4 months, not 1. So I shall remain cautiously optimistic for now, COYY! Bah!
That's true enough GM, but we did come back with a second goal after Reading equalised, so there is some indication of that and I'm hoping that's the priority over the international break, especially the movement up front to produce more goals without any weakening of the defensive solidity.
Howson hasn't made much of an impact at Boro so far, with a Whoscored rating down around 6.6 in spite of playing 10 matches. Not the force he once was it seems and I was a great admirer!
But he'd give you a bit of Tettey sprinkled with a touch of Vrancic - all backed up with a terrific engine We haven't replaced him 'like-for-like', imho.
An excellent summary of how DF and his team have turned NCFC around on today's MFW - http://norwichcity.myfootballwriter...ting-under-the-championships-collective-skin/
