Norwich vs Wolves (Away) 10th August 2014

[splutcho]

Yeah I've still got faith. We came out in the 2nd half and looked the more likely, until the sending off which obviously changed the game. Early days yet. No point getting overly worked up just yet.

 

[Canaryboy]

It could not have been worse.

I have to disagree, it could have been much worse. 

I have no confidence that this clueless yes-man can get us back into the Premier League. Has anybody? Be honest

Not prepared to make calls like that just yet, but what I will say is that if it doesn't look like working out then I hope the board show decisiveness and listen to the general consensus of the fans this time around. I don't think anything productive can come from calling for Adams' head after one game, lets just see how our first couple of home games go - you may completely change your tune next week. 

 

[gerryinromania]

Well that was highly impressive. I know that I wasn't at the game and I know that I had an awful stream, but it seemed as though 2 three legged newts were on the pitch disguised as Hoolahan and Redmond. Really impressed, that meant that the hustle and muscle of Lafferty was resting on the bench. A few out there played the same as last year,not very well..Oh well, a week to get the training and tactics sorted,please

 

[gerryinromania]

Meant to say that I thought Wolves had a cracking winger..Sarko?

 

[Willmeister]

If we learn from this then good, but we need to learn quickly. I was just waiting for NA to take off his energy mask and for Hughton to be standing there. We need to drop the diamond as we were too narrow and yet again had no plan b.

 

[BroadstairsR]

I'm not calling for Adams's head CB as that would be silly, but more being highly critical of the man and his tactics today.

I expected us to take this league by storm this season, naively or not, in one games against limited opposition my bubble is burst and I foresee mid-table obscurity whereby even the binners might achieve better, because our the manager is clearly poor.

there is nothing wrong with coming to an instant opinion as often these are the most valid.

We have a duffer in charge, who has his favourites (ie. the combined uselessness of Bennett and Surman today) and seems to ostracise better performers because they have upset him.

Since Neil Adams has been manager of Norwich City (either in a temporary or permanent capacity) things could not have gone worse.

Dispute that at your peril, but wait until we actually win a meaningful game with him at the helm.

 

[Yellow Fever]

Not going to draw a lot from one match, particularly the first match, which included a sending off. How Adams and the squad respond will be important, but we have two home matches now to get things going. Disappointed, but not desperate.

 

[Monty13]

Different website same old pinkun coming out in these comments.

Little bit of realism, we lost by one goal away to a difficult team on a high from promotion and played 35 mins with 10 men.

Was it an encouraging performance? Not really. Was it an unmitigated disaster and a clear indication of impending doom? Hardly.

It's early days, we aren't going to walk this league and hopefully this is a reality check to anyone who thinks we should. If in ten games or so we have seen no positive signs and are struggling for points then fine, but let's try to keep the negative I told you so carp in check can we when there is insufficient evidence to back it up?

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

The worrying signs are there though. Hughton was 'a duffer' and I felt the signs of this were there right from the start. The huffing and puffing began right at the start of his tenure, and but for a 'blip' which saw us grind out some impressive results (lets be honest, it was a blip, that unfortunately blinded us to the inadequacies and paradoxes staring us in the face) the ineffective football began at the beginning, continued through the middle and was definitive and engrained by the end.

Worrying signs about Adams at this point - Roeder-esque bridge burning and freezing out of players as he tries to prove he is 'the man'. No evidence of any tactical nous so far. Playing people out of position, persistently despite poor returns. Inability to spot ineffectiveness early on and correct/react - it was obvious from the teamsheet this was the wrong approach. It should have been obvious to Adams by half-time that he'd got it wrong and where we were losing the game and what needed to change. No changes at half-time though. Instaed we got a bit of Hughtonism - head in the sand, keep the faith and stick to plan A and hey presto, 0 points. The changes came but after the game was lost. Is Adams blinded to what is happening in front of his eyes by hope and ego in the way Hughton was, or is he different?

These signs are worrying to me. Im prepared to back Adams mentally, but the worrying signs are there, and unless things get corrected soon, my confidence will wane.

Todays game was certainly not a disaster, it wasnt 7-1, Wolves have momentum and we have the opposite. But if the board need to learn anything from the Hughton disaster it is to also spot when things are not working early, and have the balls to act.

Give Adams until December, but if it aint happening, dont repeat the same mistakes that were made with Hughton and get rid, well before the transfer window, to allow a new man to come in and save the season

 

[BroadstairsR]

Different website same old pinkun coming out in these comments.

Little bit of realism, we lost by one goal away to a difficult team on a high from promotion and played 35 mins with 10 men.

Was it an encouraging performance? Not really. Was it an unmitigated disaster and a clear indication of impending doom? Hardly.

It's early days, we aren't going to walk this league and hopefully this is a reality check to anyone who thinks we should. If in ten games or so we have seen no positive signs and are struggling for points then fine, but let's try to keep the negative I told you so carp in check can we when there is insufficient evidence to back it up?

The problem is Monty that we have to hit the ground running and show the rest if this league that we will be amongst the favourites.

If we fail this year we could well be doomed to years of the Championship.

There was not one single pointer from today's shambles to indicate that we are up to it.

It was truly that bad. Our opposition were not that good.

I remain very disappointed ... not so much the result, more the abject display. It was totally that.

 

[admin]

Different website same old pinkun coming out in these comments.

Is difficult to suppress negativity without going into full Kim Jong-un mode  :lol:

As long as things remain civil and sensible people can hold and express whichever point of view they please. 

 

[Tomasz Blazak]

Well the baggage handlers at Istanbul airport seemed to have failed to realise Norwich were on as it took over an hour for the first bags from my flight to hit the carousel. Almost as shambolic as Garrido's display this afternoon.

I caught last 10 of first half and all of second (Istanbul traffic was more helpful than the useless baggage handlers!)... Olsson should never have been booked for the second yellow, it wasn't even a foul, absolute dive. No consistency either as he books olsson for that but when one of the wolves players assaulted martin from behind, martin got booked for handball/dissent. Absolute nonsensical refereeing and I wish nothing but ill fortune on the cheating Muppet ref.

I thought Lafferty and turner were good, the rest fairly poor with Whittaker, Redmond and Garrido performing at a level that would disgust most Sunday league managers. I thoroughly hope never to see Garrido in a city shirt again (and no, that isn't a knee jerk, I've been saying that for at least a year, he's utterly crap).

Onwards and upwards though, before I return to the UK (or Atlantis as I believe it is now known) on the 20th, we will have 6 points in the bag and be ready to smash the scum... That's the theory at least! OTBC

 

[Monty13]

Is difficult to suppress negativity without going into full Kim Jong-un mode  :lol:

As long as things remain civil and sensible people can hold and express whichever point of view they please.

They can be negative, no issue with that, people are free to express their feelings and opinions as far as I'm concerned. it's the rather knee jerk inference that today somehow signals a rubber stamping of the opinion that Adams won't cut it that I find so amusing and "pink'un-esque".

 

[Robert Brompton]

Just home from the game.  Cannot understand the extraordinary negativity amongst many people.  We did not play well but we lost by a single goal and were, rather unluckily, down to 10 men for a long period. I actually thought that we were beginning to get on top when the sending off happened. A disappointing result and performance but we have played 1/46th of of our league games and the last two times we won promotion we lost the first game of the season. I thought both full backs were poor, Benno and Redmond ineffectual and Wes flattered to deceive. That notwithstanding it is very very early days and I will not be jumping to any conclusions as to the meaning of this performance.

 

[Monty13]

The problem is Monty that we have to hit the ground running and show the rest if this league that we will be amongst the favourites.

If we fail this year we could well be doomed to years of the Championship.

There was not one single pointer from today's shambles to indicate that we are up to it.

It was truly that bad. Our opposition were not that good.

I remain very disappointed ... not so much the result, more the abject display. It was totally that.

You can't find one single piece of positive indications from today's game?
I agree it was a poor performance, however I can draw some positives that indicate we are up to it. Ruddy could do nothing about the goal and looked commanding and positive throughout, if he's still here come the end of the window its a major coup and a real plus. Turner and Martin actually looked decent and Martin was not at fault for the goal, it was all three FBs who were dire. Bennett looks over his injury and was one of the better performers. Both Grabban and Laferty looked lively if lacking service. We had two good periods of possession and dominance in each half the second ruined by Olsson's dismissal just as we were starting to look dangerous, it wasn't good enough over the 90, but it was a preview of how we could play. Lets not forget Hooper, O'Neil, Fer and Howson at least still to come.

It was a day to forget but hardly a conclusive indication we won't cut it this season, plus we historically do badly first games and at Molineux.

 

[Highland Canary]

I agree with most of the points highlighted by Broadstairs. In essence poor preparation, strange team selection, lack of tactical nouse. The latter of these failings was evident in Adams' failure of last season.

You pay experienced managers to get you out of this division. If we fail to get promoted this season, we'll be stuck in the Champs for years. We should have focussed on the short-term and appointed Lennon, or failing that Malky. I suspect that both however would have brought a challenge unwelcomed by the board.

The club desperately needed an outside perspective. I do hope we're not seeing not only a Gunnesc lack of experience and a Roederesc freezing out of players. A crazy gamble of an appointment which is already unwinding.

 

[Monty13]

The worrying signs are there though. Hughton was 'a duffer' and I felt the signs of this were there right from the start. The huffing and puffing began right at the start of his tenure, and but for a 'blip' which saw us grind out some impressive results (lets be honest, it was a blip, that unfortunately blinded us to the inadequacies and paradoxes staring us in the face) the ineffective football began at the beginning, continued through the middle and was definitive and engrained by the end.

Worrying signs about Adams at this point - Roeder-esque bridge burning and freezing out of players as he tries to prove he is 'the man'. No evidence of any tactical nous so far. Playing people out of position, persistently despite poor returns. Inability to spot ineffectiveness early on and correct/react - it was obvious from the teamsheet this was the wrong approach. It should have been obvious to Adams by half-time that he'd got it wrong and where we were losing the game and what needed to change. No changes at half-time though. Instaed we got a bit of Hughtonism - head in the sand, keep the faith and stick to plan A and hey presto, 0 points. The changes came but after the game was lost. Is Adams blinded to what is happening in front of his eyes by hope and ego in the way Hughton was, or is he different?

These signs are worrying to me. Im prepared to back Adams mentally, but the worrying signs are there, and unless things get corrected soon, my confidence will wane.

Todays game was certainly not a disaster, it wasnt 7-1, Wolves have momentum and we have the opposite. But if the board need to learn anything from the Hughton disaster it is to also spot when things are not working early, and have the balls to act.

Give Adams until December, but if it aint happening, dont repeat the same mistakes that were made with Hughton and get rid, well before the transfer window, to allow a new man to come in and save the season

Is it clear that's what Adams is doing? Has he frozen out players or have they indicated they want out? Or has the board decided certain players are to leave due to wages? Let's not forget Wes was frozen out by Lambert and then brought back into the fold. People championed Lambert for that in hindsight.
I'm not sure how a 1-0 defeat away from home indicates NO evidence of any tactical nous, I think we all agree a 7-1 drubbing at home on opening day is the benchmark for that.

It's a new season, he has persistently played people in A position for one game, let's wait before we make final decisions on their ability to play in them.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I'm not sure how it can be obvious from the team sheet the approach was wrong when we went in at half time level.

Laferty was doing a heavy warm up at half time and looked due for an introduction around the time we went down to ten men as he was out warming up again, so Adams was obviously considering changes, the fact that prior to the sending off we were actually on top is what probably delayed that.

Oh and what changes at half time would have stopped Olsson getting sent off which is a large percentage of why we lost?

I agree in pretty much in entirety with your last 2 paragraphs though.

 

[BroadstairsR]

Although the dust has settled and the alcohol has evacuated the veins the cold reality remains that a lot of us clearly feel far more pessimistic about our chances of success this season now than we did yesterday at this time, and, at the very least, I wouldn't imagine any Canary supporter to be more optimistic after that confused performance.

Wolves were ok, but not really that good as would be expected from a team who's last meaningful opponents were league One outfits.

Agreed, the Olsson sending off might have disrupted a fight-back that might have triggered a victory, but we were thoroughly unconvincing in the first half and  commanded so little of the second.

Neither was it a knee-jerk reaction based upon one match. This was Adams's sixth match in charge and he has yet to taste victory.

The fact that he failed to convince at the end of last season, apart from a modicum of new-broom huff and puff effort, was the reason that his appointment was met with dismay by a large proportion of Canary fans. 

He had his excuses then then. Yesterday was his chance to validate these and he failed, IMO, to convince that he has anything at all about him which will lead to our promotion this season.

I particularly thought that a team consisting of Redmond, Hoolahan, Surman and Bennett in the midfield was far too lightweight for an away fixture against a side who would, at least, have been up for a battle on their return to the league. Neither did it result in any sweeping wing play, as I assume was the intention.

Yesterday apart, we have the whiff of dissension from the Bassong and Becchio situations, Fer being highly paid to have an extended holiday when he could have made a big difference  and, only yesterday, Pilkington (arguably our best wide player) refuting the manager's statement that he was carrying a niggle.

No wonder our rivals talk of 'wheels coming off' and although I am unsure whether the 'Pinkunesque' remark refers just to my reaction yesterday or includes other critics as well, my demeanor which usually veers towards the positive remains deflated by the speed with which events and appointments have connived to return our Club to  seeming Championship mediocrity in so short a space of time.

I hope that I have it seriously wrong, but yesterday didn't help.

 

[Monty13]

Although the dust has settled and the alcohol has evacuated the veins the cold reality remains that a lot of us clearly feel far more pessimistic about our chances of success this season now than we did yesterday at this time, and, at the very least, I wouldn't imagine any Canary supporter to be more optimistic after that confused performance.

Wolves were ok, but not really that good as would be expected from a team who's last meaningful opponents were league One outfits.

Agreed, the Olsson sending off might have disrupted a fight-back that might have triggered a victory, but we were thoroughly unconvincing in the first half and  commanded so little of the second.

Neither was it a knee-jerk reaction based upon one match. This was Adams's sixth match in charge and he has yet to taste victory.

The fact that he failed to convince at the end of last season, apart from a modicum of new-broom huff and puff effort, was the reason that his appointment was met with dismay by a large proportion of Canary fans. 

He had his excuses then then. Yesterday was his chance to validate these and he failed, IMO, to convince that he has anything at all about him which will lead to our promotion this season.

I particularly thought that a team consisting of Redmond, Hoolahan, Surman and Bennett in the midfield was far too lightweight for an away fixture against a side who would, at least, have been up for a battle on their return to the league. Neither did it result in any sweeping wing play, as I assume was the intention.

Yesterday apart, we have the whiff of dissension from the Bassong and Becchio situations, Fer being highly paid to have an extended holiday when he could have made a big difference  and, only yesterday, Pilkington (arguably our best wide player) refuting the manager's statement that he was carrying a niggle.

No wonder our rivals talk of 'wheels coming off' and although I am unsure whether the 'Pinkunesque' remark refers just to my reaction yesterday or includes other critics as well, my demeanor which usually veers towards the positive remains deflated by the speed with which events and appointments have connived to return our Club to  seeming Championship mediocrity in so short a space of time.

I hope that I have it seriously wrong, but yesterday didn't help.

I doubt any supporters are more optimistic, but they also probably haven't made their minds up on one game back in the championship.

This was Adams first match in charge in the championship, we all know the circumstances and opposition quality of the other 5 so I would still say the pessimism is knee jerk.

Oh and we played the diamond, not usually known for sweeping wing play, probably why you didn't see much.

As for dissention, they've already been dealt with and presumably the board is busy finding them new homes, as for Pilks we will presumably find out soon whether he is on his way or just stupid.

The wheels have already come off, we got relegated, we are now still in the process of running repairs until we are travelling smoothly again, I think we should wait till the window closes and we had a few more results until we start agreeing with binners.

Are we championship mediocrity already after one game? There's your pinkun-esque knee jerk over the top comment.

I don't get it, I understand the frustration and dissapointment, that's how I feel. I don't understand the doom mongering. You may in time be proved right, but you're not basing that on enough logical evidence for me, there simply isn't enough this early on.

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

Is it clear that's what Adams is doing? Has he frozen out players or have they indicated they want out? Or has the board decided certain players are to leave due to wages? Let's not forget Wes was frozen out by Lambert and then brought back into the fold. People championed Lambert for that in hindsight.

I'm not sure how a 1-0 defeat away from home indicates NO evidence of any tactical nous, I think we all agree a 7-1 drubbing at home on opening day is the benchmark for that.

It's a new season, he has persistently played people in A position for one game, let's wait before we make final decisions on their ability to play in them.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I'm not sure how it can be obvious from the team sheet the approach was wrong when we went in at half time level.

Laferty was doing a heavy warm up at half time and looked due for an introduction around the time we went down to ten men as he was out warming up again, so Adams was obviously considering changes, the fact that prior to the sending off we were actually on top is what probably delayed that.

Oh and what changes at half time would have stopped Olsson getting sent off which is a large percentage of why we lost?

I agree in pretty much in entirety with your last 2 paragraphs though.

Its not hindsight. If you look at my post that predated kick-off you will see I said it was wrong then. Thats foresight!   I also stand by my comment of 'no evidence of tactical nouse'. Im not saying he doesnt have any, Im saying we've yet to see any evidence Adams has got the tactics right. Im not writing him off yet, just saying he's yet to impress in this area - its a question mark.

Lafferty should have been on at half time or in from the start, ditto Tettey. I would also have substituted Olsson at half-time (I know thats a triple substitution - so if I cant have Lafferty or Tettey in from the start I would have just put Tettey on to play next to BJ) in order to prevent his sending off. You may accuse me of hindsight once again, but again, may I point to my comments that predated Olssons sending off whereby I state Olsson is clearly carrying an injury, is not comfortable and is getting outpaced, something I've never seen happen to a fit Olsson. Agree with seeing if he can run it off, but should have been subbed at half-time. He wasnt and it led to him fouling their winger and getting sent off, which led to the goal.

That said though, judging by how terrible Garrido was, having him on the pitch longer than he was might also have cost us the game! Adams may have felt he had no choice but to stick with Olsson