Just read the latest article from Paddy Davitt on the EDP website on our manager - http://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwic..._norwich_city_s_premier_league_tilt_1_4168168 My favourite quote - 'Neil wants the same mental toughness from his City squad. “I am confident they can adapt but it is difficult to know in advance how they are going to react,” he said. “Are they mentally tough enough to do what it takes to go and get that result? It’s important the players show that against the bigger teams especially because you can’t give them any advantage.”' Let's hope the team comes out in every game and don't look like 'rabbits caught in the headlights' when we take on any of the teams such as Arsenal, Spurs, Citeh and ManUre. AN MUST instill in the team that the game starts when the referee blows his whistle, not 10 or 15 minutes into the game!!!
I'm pretty sure, knowing how methodical he is, that he'll have looked at footage from the relegation season and learned many things from some of the horrors he witnessed in doing so!
I think I have appreciated more in the last few seasons the importance of a manager and genuinely believe that we have someone who will get the best out of the squad. I have a slight concern (and it is slight) that we have not bought much in the transfer market but am reasonably content that we did not need that much. As has been said many times a centre back is pretty important , not neccesarily for RM but for cover generally. At least we will have a goodly pot available for the mid-season market if required and by then AN will have a good handle on our deficiencies - if we have any of course!
Problem with that is if we're languishing at or near the bottom of the table it may be too late to recover in January. (I don't believe we will be, btw) Much rather see it spent and utilised before a ball gets kicked in anger and the whole league is as close to a 'level playing field' as it will ever be
I don't disagree Cromer but I do wonder if the current squad needs overhauling in the way that say Watford have. I still wince at the failure of out multi-million expenditure a couple of years ago and look where it got us, spening is not always the solution but having a cohesive unti counts for a lot and I feel that AN has been successful on that front. Also, look at Leicester last year. They did not splash out and survived and played good stuff against the better teams. if we emulated that then it would be a good effort.
I agree Thurnby and I'm sure our current squad is certainly capable of holding their own against most of the teams outside the top 6 or 8 teams in the PL and who knows, occasionally snatching all 3 points. I think AN should get this printed out in very large letters and pinned above the tunnel exit - “Don’t be too respectful of who you are playing against,” “Football is mental as much as physical. Of course you have to go in respecting your opponent but believing you can play well and beat them. If you go in with the attitude, ‘let’s just hold out and see how the game goes,’ that is not how I want my team to approach. That is not how I approach it and I made my feelings known.” Full story here - http://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwic...the_style_in_carrow_road_homecoming_1_4171408
