Norwich City v Newcastle ( away) 18th October 2015.

[Canaryboy]

To be fair, this has been coming. With this back four we are always a few mistakes away from a hiding.

Plenty of Norwich fans have been banging that drum since the moment we were promoted, the defenders weren't good enough last time and aren't good enough this time, the problem is that you suggest we need to upgrade Russell Martin and people defend him and say he's a good defender and our captain, you criticise Whittaker and are told that he is being made a scapegoat and a good player. Both of them are Championship quality in their current positions.

I'd consider giving Martin a run at right back to see if he can still cut it there, that way a centre back takes Whittaker's place in the team instead of Martin's, purely because he's the captain, but I'd honestly prefer we invested properly in both a right back and centre back. In the meantime Wisdom has to come into the team at right back I think. 

Although taking Tettey off was a bizarre decision in my opinion and did the defence no favours, we need some sort of shield. Newcastle showed afterwards that Tettey had been doing his job, got so much easier for them after that point. Hoolahan on for Dorrans would have made more sense, especially as Dorrans wasn't having the best of games. If there was some other reason for taking off Tettey (a knock perhaps?) then all I can say is that I hope Mulumbu is back soon, got to have an anchor man in this league, hope Alex Neil doesn't ever decide to leave us without one again at any point this season.

 

[Canaryboy]

It's what you get for keeping people happy and not buying a quality defender or two.

This, exactly this. It has become a taboo to criticise Martin or Whittaker, but from where I'm sitting they are the least capable half of a poor back four. 

 

[It's Character Forming]

I feel awful.  Wasn't able to make it to the game for family reasons.

at 3-2 down we were right in it but were tiring, who do you take off to bring on hoolahan ? Tettey was defo the wrong choice.

but at CB you could see we were lacking in quality and it's in games like this when they have attackers on the break you get found out.

this is a deeply worrying performance when we haven't yet played one of the big 4 teams.

 

[Canaryboy]

We've been found out. Teams know to counter attack us.

And perhaps we are now going to see the other side of the Hughton argument about his highly negative tactics, and that argument is perhaps that highly positive tactics don't work either when you simply lack quality in several areas of the pitch, I hope we can find a 'sweet spot', at the moment it looks like we could be in trouble. 

 

[Din]

What an absolute complete and utter f*cking shambles. I didn't even feel this embarrassed with a performance with some of our *bleep* poor performances away from home under Hughton. 

I've never seen anything like that defensively. Why in the name of all that's holy does Alex Neil persist with Steven Whittaker? He's not good enough that is so blatantly f*cking obvious and yet he continually starts game when I'd sooner have Jon Otsemobor there. What he was doing for at least 2 of the goals I have no idea. Martin as well was exactly the same, and was also at fault for at least 2 of the goals. This isn't f*cking Manchester City either, it's bottom of the league Newcastle United, and we have been humiliated. It was obvious all bloody summer we needed a new centre back and a new right back. In Wisdom we bought in a new right back and yet Whittaker continues to play, and Martin had been playing alright recently, but today just proved how badly now signing a centre back has cost us. We will be going down no matter how many goals we score if we continue to defend like that. Completely embarrassing.

Taking of Tettey as well was the wrong move. He should've taken off Howson/Dorrans but he took off the only fit midfielder we have of protecting our defence and it cost us. 

We were slightly unlucky though having said all of that. We hit the post twice, had an effort cleared off the line and could've had a penalty at 1-1 I think when Howson was pulled back when going to head the ball. Only real positives were the performances of Mbokani and Olsson.

I'm not going to lie but I am worried. We'd been playing so well in the first 7 games, and our position in the table didn't reflect how good we'd been, but our last 2 performances, defensively in particular, have been woefully bad. West Brom next week at home in my mind is a big game. There is no question though that if we will continue to defend like that we will go down.

 

[CanaryNath]

we desperatly need Martin at RB (or dropped)  and Wisdom to come on at CB. 

At least for a game.

Martin is poor at CB, his positional sense is poor and his (lack of) speed is a major concern. Dropping him for at leaf one game would help him to realise he's got to improve.

 

[CanaryNath]

we quite literally gifted Newcastle 5 of the 6 goals today

 

[eatonparkboy]

To start with, it is no good moaning about how bad Martin and Whittaker are. The whole back five got us relegated two seasons ago. And still they play together game after game. If Ryan Bennet is not considered good enough than that then why is he still here. Martin was dire today. He ball watched and left responsibility to others. And Whittaker was clown like today. Bassong can't pass and Ollson was our best attacking option.

The next two games will be very important on how AN reacts. There was discussion earlier about not making changes to the team and he made changes in midfield that were unwarranted and trying to be too clever in my opinion. We hand out praise when it warrants it and today we are entitled to hurl the mud.

He showed a lack of leadership today and the two pathetic substitutions with seven minutes left were unbelievable. Why doesn't he pick his best starting eleven game after game and rely on those players doing enough to keep the football flowing and enough points to stop us going down? If Wes and Redmond are such a good players why do they make way for less capable players in Dorrans and Howson? And Mbokani doesn't look a player capable of playing on his own up front. He never really held it up and tried flicking it on to no-one. 

We will not be able to defend our way to safety. Who can we realistically buy in January to bolster the back four? We are going to have to win games rather than not lose them and I think a change of tactics are needed. Two up front won't be a bad thing by sacrificing one of the two defensive midfielders who aren't doing their job.

I looked at yesterdays results and felt sorry for Bournemouth and thought they are going to find it tough. And yet we conceded more against the team at the bottom not the top. We haven't played anybody frightening yet but we have enough talent to stay in this division. We have pace and we have skill. Lets make that the emphasis of our tactics.

 

[Wiz]

Our 3 best players sat on the bench for nearly 70 minutes, only one person to blame for that!

 

[Canaryboy]

we desperatly need Martin at RB (or dropped)  and Wisdom to come on at CB. 

At least for a game.

Martin is poor at CB, his positional sense is poor and his (lack of) speed is a major concern. Dropping him for at leaf one game would help him to realise he's got to improve

Didn't Ryan Bennett have an excellent game against West Brom not too long ago, a game in which we kept a clean sheet? I'd seriously consider bringing both Bennett and Wisdom in. 

 

[Canaryboy]

Our 3 best players sat on the bench for nearly 70 minutes, only one person to blame for that!

Hoolahan, Jerome, who's number 3? 

 

[Canaryboy]

And Mbokani doesn't look a player capable of playing on his own up front. He never really held it up and tried flicking it on to no-one. 

In fairness to Mbokani it was his first start and he took his chance well, he did alright. 

 

[Dubai Mark]

I feel that today was not about individuals,  it really wasnt. Unfortunately it was about how our Manager set us up, the naive tactics and failure to defend as a TEAM.  He has deservedly taken the plaudits,  but today must take full responsibility for what the most part was a shambles and against what looked a poor Newcastle who also couldn't defend. A huge learning curve,  and now lets see how quick he can change things as we just cannot play that way in this league and get away with it.

 

[GJP]

we desperatly need Martin at RB (or dropped) 

Martin was utter crap at rb last time in the Prem and he wasn't even expected to get forward  (unlike Whittaker).

 

[Canaryboy]

To start with, it is no good moaning about how bad Martin and Whittaker are. The whole back five got us relegated two seasons ago. 

Its actually weaker than the back 5 that got us relegated two seasons ago, because Turner was a better centre back than Russell Martin and Steven Whittaker was our 2nd choice right back. 

 

[eatonparkboy]

In fairness to Mbokani it was his first start and he took his chance well, he did alright. 

I have to disagree with part of that. Yes he took his goal well and it was his first start but looking at his movement and positioning, I don't see him playing on his own. He does look to have aerial ability though and needs to be in the box. Those who kind of sneered at us when we were scoring headed goals should remember it is as valid a goal as a thirty pass move and tap in.

Against Albion I would like to see either Jerome or Grabban alongside him so he can spend more time in the area where he looks more dangerous i.e. two goals both scored from inside the six yard box.

 

[Canaryboy]

I'd have laughed off any suggestion of 4-4-2 in this league, but after today it may be worth a try. The only problem is that there is no room for Wes in a 4-4-2, and he should really be starting games at home. 

All I know is that when you lose 6-2 to the team at the bottom of the table you need to go back to the drawing board and have a rethink, and have a shake up of the team selection. Mulumbu can't come back quick enough for me, need some steel in that midfield. 

Anybody changing their mind about Bradley Johnson yet? 

 

[eatonparkboy]

I'd have laughed off any suggestion of 4-4-2 in this league, but after today it may be worth a try. The only problem is that there is no room for Wes in a 4-4-2, and he should really be starting games at home. 

All I know is that when you lose 6-2 to the team at the bottom of the table you need to go back to the drawing board and have a rethink, and have a shake up of the team selection. Mulumbu can't come back quick enough for me, need some steel in that midfield. 

Anybody changing their mind about Bradley Johnson yet? 

Yes, the lack of Wes is the only drawback I can foresee. But maybe we can sacrifice the left side and allow Ollson, who I thought was our best player, to exploit the space in front of him. Especially as I though Brady played quite a narrow position today and was closer to Howson than the touchline. I am not bothered who supplies the crosses particularly although in a perfect world it would be Brady/Jarvis and Redmond.

 

[eatonparkboy]

And I sit here pondering how bad International Football really must be when the majority of our side played for a country last week. And some actually scored!!

Bring back CCCP, Yugoslavia etc when there wasn't so much of it about it. 

 

[Trevmuttley]

I'm gutted what a complete mess, AN has got to shake things up, lessons have to be learnt from this shambles and he has to be cruel,Rudd needs to start on Saturday and the back 4 needs changing we all knew that it would be a problem this season they aren't good enough. We made Newcastle look good and that is not good enough, I hope come next April we aren't in the bottom three but on today's performance it looks bleak