Norwich v Blackpool (Away) 27th September 2014

[Gaffer]

I can't believe all this negativity. IMO, the first half was very even and City didn't play badly, but there seemed to be a spark missing. The bookings for BJ and AT didn't help, but Blackpool's quick out of the blocks goal was their only really good chance in the match. Fatigue seemed to be a factor for BJ and AT and city seemed to be slow to the ball at times. Time to rotate some players with two home games coming? Josh to start after that sharp performance and superb goal? 

That said, we're top of the league and 3 above Watford as well. Time to celebrate!

I recall AT suffering fatigue his first season in the PL. We have very good replacements raring for a slice of the action so it's definitely time for some rotation. 

 

[splutcho]

Scoring a goal doesn't instantly mean you played well! We were a long way off perfect, and if you can't give constructive criticism then what's the point in having a forum to discuss the team?

 

[Gaffer]

I'll do a longer summary later, but yet again we played pretty poorly on the whole but managed to saved ourselves in the second half. We got pretty lucky today though, in the sense that our first goal was an own goal, and our second took a big deflection to take it in. Which is harsh on Donervan Daniels, who had an excellent game at the back but both of our first 2 goals went in off him. Next game against Charlton though we need to change it back to 4-2-3-1. 4-4-2 isn't working at all, especially with Hoolahan on the wing, who was dreadful again today.  

It's not down to luck IMO, but good tactics. Rather than running around like headless chickens we're wearing the opposition down and picking them off.

 

[Canaryboy]

We win from a goal down to go top of the league, what could be a more logical response than bemoaning the performance and slating one of the goalscorers?

Think most of the moaning on this thread came before our first goal. 

Not sure about everybody else but I've been scared to moan in the first half, because the words keep getting rammed back down my.... errm... fingers.  

And long may that continue    

 

[Gaffer]

Scoring a goal doesn't instantly mean you played well! We were a long way off perfect, and if you can't give constructive criticism then what's the point in having a forum to discuss the team?

Likewise, nothing wrong with constructively criticising other people's constructive criticism.

 

[splutcho]

Good point, well made.

 

[Canaryboy]

Is scary how well Ipswich are doing, but feels nice to be top of the league where we belong.



Derby are on the rise too. 

 

[E2 Canary]

A decent victory today. I only caught the 2nd half, but apparently I didn't miss much.

Grabban is a handful at this level mostly because he gets into dangerous positions, but you're never quite sure what angle the ball will ping off him. If his touch and passing were better he'd be quite lethal, so let's hope he can improve. He won't get the second attempts he's getting now in the league above, that's for sure.

Murphy's goal was an absolute peach. I found myself applauding the computer screen, which is pretty daft. It will be good to see how he develops.

The good thing about the squad is that they always play like there's definitely enough left in the tank to finish strongly and the confidence is sticking around even when they aren't playing at the best of their abilities. Long may it continue!

 

[splutcho]

They'll drop down again soon. I'm amazed they're winning so many games, they were genuinely one of the worst footballing sides I've seen in years.

 

[kirku]

I actually don't think that's harsh at all. 

Grabban was given his #9 shirt, and Adams said that he could choose between joining St Etienne or staying here where he'd be welcomed back into the squad. So if Van Wolfswinkel wanted to stay and prove that he could do the business here and is better than Grabban then he could have? 

This could lead to a real conundrum if he does the business at St Etienne but chooses to return here with us in the Premier League (one would assume that even if St Etienne meet the buy out clause, he would still need to agree terms for the move to happen?).

Would we take Van Wolfswinkel back, at the expense of whichever strikers get us out of this league, or do we go with the players who get us up? How would that go down with the dressing room if he could waltz back into the team? 

If we were to be promoted, we wouldn't 'owe' the current players a starting place. Adams (presumably) would look to strengthen in all areas, be they new signings or returning loanees.

If Adams thinks RVW would do a better job than Grabban then so be it. Personally, I think it's fairly obvious that he doesn't.

 

[flashdown]

I loved that the match was on TV here in the USA. Finally got to watch our canaries.

Overall, I have to agree that the first half we looked like something was missing. Nothing was quite working. Example Grabban missing from point blank range at the end of the half. But we were given what we needed to start playing a minute into the second half, a deficit we suddenly had to erase. After the own goal, we looked the better side by far minus the scrambling at the back from the odd counter.

Grabban's goal was certainly lucky but sometimes luck is better than skill. Murphy's was just divine. Perfectly placed shot.

It's starting to seem we need some adversity to actually play to our potential. Hopefully that won't always be the case but I'll take the wins however they come.

 

[Canaryboy]

If we were to be promoted, we wouldn't 'owe' the current players a starting place. Adams (presumably) would look to strengthen in all areas, be they new signings or returning loanees.

If Adams thinks RVW would do a better job than Grabban then so be it. Personally, I think it's fairly obvious that he doesn't.

Probably a bit silly for any of us to start talking about what Adams would do in the Premier League anyway, have a very long way to go and no doubt plenty of twists and turns.

We are probably all much more likely to enter into dialogue discussing the merits of RVW if the goals dry up or we slip out of the top two, than we are just after clinching the Championship title. 

Agree RE: Adams not fancying Van Wolfswinkel this season. He came out and said that Hooper would be his main man (pre-injury) and handed RVW the number 20, doesn't get much more obvious than that. Didn't seem to have any issue with him personally though, think all parties just agreed that it was best he get a fresh start and score a few goals, and I hope that he does (score a few goals). 

Is in our interests for RVW to do well whichever way we look at it, we need him to do well to sell him, and we'd need him to do well if he were to have any chance at all of being given another opportunity here. 

I personally don't have much appetite for seeing RVW back in a yellow shirt though.

 

[kirku]

I personally don't have much appetite for seeing RVW back in a yellow shirt though.

I'm torn on it. I blame Hughton for ruining every striker who played under him.

Except Elmander. He was always shyte.

 

[splutcho]

Elmander really wasn't as bad as people made out. Did his job.

 

[CJRV2014]

What job did you think Elmander did ? How many goals and assists ? 1 & 1 i think.

 

[KeiranShikari]

Holding the ball up and bringing other into play.

He certainly wasn't worse than anything else we had and there were games where he worked well with Hooper.

 

[CJRV2014]

Holding ball up and bringing others into play ???? Your not talking about Elmander now are you ?

 

[CJRV2014]

He was *bleep* useless !!!

 

[KeiranShikari]

Not that those others did much.

 

[splutcho]

He wasn't useless by any stretch of the imagination. Just another scapegoat for some of our more blinkered fans. There were far worse players than him last year.