Norwich vs Wigan (Away) 6th December 2014

[splutcho]

To show how confident I am in holding on to this lead, I've just put a fiver on Wigan to win.

 

[Din]

Wigan are gonna score before too long if we're not careful. They're all over us now.

 

[morty]

Countdown to Lafferty yellow card 5.......4.......3....

 

[morty]

To show how confident I am in holding on to this lead, I've just put a fiver on Wigan to win.

I think, all things considered, we look reasonably composed.

 

[Din]

This is terrifying now.

 

[GJP]

The Redmond thing is a bit of a worry, I think.

 

[Canaryboy]

Lafferty controlling it like Goran Maric and then not closing down the Wigan player that the ball landed to was the precursor to that Wigan opportunity. 

 

[Canaryboy]

The Redmond thing is a bit of a worry, I think.

I was wondering about that to be honest, may turn out that he has just had a knock and missed training or something. But I wonder whether he has been playing up, weren't his mum moaning about Adams or something recently? Or had his head turned. Can't claim it is a "rest" as it isn't the first time he's been on the bench recently. 

 

[Dandy Mountfarto]

lol that is legit the worst free kick I've ever seen

 

[kirku]

LMAO Laff

 

[Din]

It takes some skill to miss a free-kick from there by that distance.

Penalty?

 

[Canaryboy]

Surely Lafferty could have at least tried to get a foot on that ball across the box. 

Don't want to create a whipping boy out of him, but he irritates me a bit. 

 

[Din]

Jesus Christ, Ruddy's dropped it again.

 

[Dandy Mountfarto]

Well its a win and I'm sure everyone's happy with 3 points but the funny thing is we've played worse today and had a worse tactical setup than in most of the games people have been moaning about

 

[KeiranShikari]

Que ''winning ugly'' comments in Adams' post match interview. Lucky we were against such an awful side today.

 

[splutcho]

I think, all things considered, we look reasonably composed.

Best fiver I ever spent.

 

[morty]

Best fiver I ever spent.

Ah, the old double bluff luck bet.

I should have spotted that lol

 

[Din]

PHEW.

Got a little bit lucky, if we had been against a better team we would've lost

Still it's a win, hopefully this starts a turnaround in fortunes.

 

[Canaryboy]

A win is a win, a few positives to be taken from that wholly unconvincing performance. For me they are:

• Hooper's performance. I hope his reemergence relegates Grabban to 3rd or 4th choice striker, we keep possession better in the final third with him on the pitch. 
• Cuellar was neat and tidy. Not sure how he'd cope against fast strikers, but looked pretty classy to me, better centre back than Martin. 
• Better than usual performance from Whittaker, particularly in the first half, I'd like to think there is a decent player in there if he can become more consistent. Still, Rangers fans were saying that a decade ago. 

I would have no place to criticise the scrappy second half today because last week I was saying that I want a manager who is willing to play ugly when required to grind out a 1-0. Certainly resorted to 'ugly', with the hoofs to Lafferty and trying to play the ball in the corner for the last 5 minutes, getting 10 men behind the ball, but good. Lambert used to do this, pump it to Wilbraham if required, Holt taking the ball in the corner etc. Makes a welcome change from the naive gung-ho approach that we've seen from Adams so far. 

I'd like to think that we won today because of Phelan's guidance, and that he can become to Adams what Culverhouse was to Lambert. Paddy Davitt on twitter said that at one point Phelan had his arm around Adams giving him advice. That perhaps tells us that Phelan has been brought in to be Adams' number 2 or a mentor of some sort? If we can have a turnaround in fortunes with Phelan at the club then we should go one better and make him 'co-manager'. 

Unfortunately I feel that Wigan being utter sh*te and unable to win a game themselves had something to do with it, and today's performance wouldn't have been sufficient against most teams in this league. Wigan have been having trouble scoring all season. 

But it is a win and I have no right to criticise it after saying that I wanted a manager prepared to grind out a 1-0, it is three points and we'll find out on Saturday against Huddersfield and the following Saturday against Derby whether we have genuinely turned the corner.

I really hope that we don't line up with Russell Martin at centre back up against Grant Holt or Chris Martin, because I'm afraid either one would have a field day in the air if they were to turn up on the day. Turner is the only man we should consider capable of man-marking either of those two players, even with Holt being way past his best (has turned out some good performances for Huddersfield!).

I actually think Wigan needed Holt in that last half an hour, he'd probably have tucked one away. 

 

[Salopian]

Welcome points, but apart from early on not very convincing. Let's hope that confidence builds and leads to better performance.

Better, but I can't see promotion until most players play better, fewer misplaced passes and fewer other errors.