Norwich Post-Match

[breadandcheese]

Do we know the situation with Hobbs Gate?

I've missed this rumour. What is it?

Their 4th goal was brilliant.

Second time Ikeme has been beaten from range. I question his positioning and ability to judge the flight of a ball

[Jackirius]

It was a clear red card by the way if you see better replays of it. He full on kicks him in the back.

[breadandcheese]

It was a clear red card by the way if you see better replays of it. He full on kicks him in the back.

It just shows that Fryatt needs to learn to leather it. He kicks him but the player barely feels it and gets up.

[tomtom]

Howe in!

Or Dowie.

Dowie ? Are you fooking mad or just an idiot ?

[Kitchandro]

Absolutely disgraceful red card decision. Fryatt went to pick the ball up - the Norwich player actually RAN to obstruct him. Firstly, what a fooking bastard he is for doing that. Fryatt instinctively tried to kick the ball away from him to retrieve it, and the Norwich player FELL on the ball. Fryatt barely kicked him and any contact made was COMPLETELY the fault of the Norwich player. Shocking unsportsmanlike behaviour.

[Wils]

Leon Barnett such a moron, he literally ran ten yards to jump on the ball and stop us from getting it back the centre. As someone as already mentioned too that idiot who kicked the ball in the crowed after Fryatts first too?

Not saying we would have gone on to win the game but we definately had the momentum and would have pressed for an equaliser, but then probably would have been caught on the break as we seem to let opposition just run at us at will with no challenge.

£25 cheers.

[Corky]

The QPR elbow on Howard was far worse than what Fryatt did.

[cambridgefox]

Bloody hell move aside Jose Mourinho, Paulo Sousa really is the special one.

Special needs!

[Al-aLondon-Foxile]

Sousa haters, please skip this post, you won't be interested....

of course, plenty of managers could achieve this, but is that enough? is that too short term a view?

Good post, and good points brought up. Keep the faith. Keep perspective.

the difference right now for leicester is that the thais obviously don't just want a manager capable of keeping us out of the danger zone, they obviously want a manager who can get a leicester team playing the type of football that would be effective at a higher level than that. whether sousa is capable of that has yet to be proved, clearly; so far, the owners of this club feel that time is on our side and the signs so far are acceptable, otherwise he would have gone after the pompey debacle.

who knows if he will be here next week but, whilst he is, we just have to cling to the positives even if they aren't coming as regularly as we'd like.

for all the criticism sousa is receiving, i think there are several observations tonight in his favour.

1. he must have done enough before the game to get that cracking start.

2. there is no way he would have instructed the players to sit back after scoring, they did, he can only do so much from the touchline, some of the blame here falls squarely on the attitude of the captain and the players.

3. the changes he made brought about two goals.

4. we have at least broken the ducks of not scoring first, not scoring in the first half, and our strikers actually getting amongst the goals.

surely these things can be seen as a sign of improvement. now all he needs to do is keep a clean sheet; hopefully, the confidence of the strikers will be much better now and that alone could take some of the pressure off the defence.

as bad as it is - the attitude of the players tonight gives me faith that they want to play for sousa, and more significantly, we are not a team who are simply stagnating, we are just not clicking in all units at the right time - stagnation (which was the thing that got us relegated) is almost impossible to banish, what is wrong with the team now is something that can be fixed, and sometimes it takes very little to do it, even something like the strikers finding the net, or the fryatt incident.

there is clearly still a passion amongst the squad, so there is hope.

and, for those saying this wouldn't have happened under pearson, he's not exactly doing great things with a squad of premiership players at his disposal.

[Corky]

Like someone said we've had 2 great seasons, we were due a bad one, and it has been so far. Hopefully results in the next home games. Clearly it's not just us with the freak results though, Watford lost at home tonight, but beat Millwall 6-1. 6-4 in the Leeds game tonight. It seems a lot of the Leagues defence seems to be shocking.

Please win make a clean sheet Saturday.

I don't see why we were due a bad season at all. Whilst it would've been difficult to maintain our form from last season, you're not telling me this is a bottom-of-the-table squad? Conceding 17 goals in five away games?

These aren't freak results though, happening once in a while. Once every other week at the moment. I wish they were freak results, mixed in with some thumping victories, but they aren't.

[Manwell Pablo]

Fryatt should be starting more games in a 4-4-2. Not that that is likely to happen for ages now as I bet he gets 3 games.

It may have been harsh, I've not seen it, but still Morrison

[colbo68]

Jesus, what a game! Great if you like full on kamikazi style play, fooking awful if you want to see your team play any football.

Let's get this straight, right now, we were dreadful and quite frankly lucky to only lose by the one goal.

Everything was wrong last night, team selection, setup, tactics…..everything.

Ok we scored early but that was a gift, Ruddy really should have saved it, for the next hour it was all Norwich, 3-1 flattered us, we barely had a sniff. After the hour they eased right off and actually let Fryatt and Gallagher play for about 15 minutes, Gallagher hit the woodwork, Fryatt scored twice and got sent off and Hoolahan got lucky, after which they did actually manage to shut up shop despite City's efforts going forward, like I said, we were lucky it wasn't worse!

Positives? Really only one, individually we played with a greater degree of commitment, thats it....

Negatives? Where to start? Team selection and setup was strange, why change the keeper if you are sticking with Hobbs and Morrison at the center of the defence?

With an inexperienced and somewhat shaken defence where was the defensive cover in midfield and what do Abe and/or Moreno need to do to get a start?

Howard as the central striker in a 4-3-3 is a waste of time if Dyer and Waghorn are going to stay wide. If it is a proper 4-3-3 then the midfield should help to cover the full backs, didn't happen, so Waghorn and Dyer both had to fall back leaving Howard even more isolated.

All our subs looked better than any of our starters, Gallagher is far more likely to make things happen than anyone but why, when we were so clearly struggling in midfield was he and Abe only given 20 minutes? Sousa also seems to be falling into the trap of picking attacking players in an attempt to be positive, yet asking them, Dyer and Waghorn specifically, to play defensive midfield roles. What the hell were Oakley, Wellens and King supposed to be doing?

To be honest it was chaotic, shaky defence, midfield that couldn't/wouldn't defend and an attack that was completely toothless until the introduction of Fryatt. We got back into the game with some bullish play and a spark from Gallagher and Fryatt and although exiting for a time, was never likely to be enough.

Frankly I really have no idea where to start putting things right and playing the 'Sousa way' I'm not even sure if it is possible. His wide open, attacking 4-3-3 is really not working, if we had a solid defence, if were able to get our new midfield players into the side and performing well and if we got our attacking players into the right positions we just might stand a chance but I'm not exactly holding my breath!

Great post as usual Dave - can't agree with you more - 'Chaotic' is an apt term for Sousa's style of play (does he actually have a style of play) Im not sure he has a clue what he's doing...

[Pen 3 veteran]

Absolute class finish from Fryatt for his second followed by clear frustration and a red card. To be honest though you could see by the reaction of those around him they new he was going to be sent off. Trying to usher him away while the ref was blowing his whistle, they new he'd kicked out.

Such a shame as the way we were playing we deserved an equaliser that I think definitely would have come.

What the hell is going on with the defence? Everytime a team attacks us it looks like we'll concede. We are crying out for some experience in the centre of the back 4. Without that, Morrison and Hobbs havent got the confidence at the minute to hold it together and yes it was a good strike, but Ikeme should have done better for Norwich's 4th.

I agree - I was watching the ref who had a direct line of vision and was watching the 3 of them - I knew MF would be sent off as the kick was so obvious, into the back of stupid timewasting t"!t, right in front of the Norwich screaming singing end. Thought the defender should have got a yellow. Amazed at the cheek of the idiot when he continued to goad MF was he walked off.

Yes, our defence looked shaky, but having to listen to the Norwich fans as I walked back to my car they were moaning about their panicky defence - so also said it was the best they had seen them play for a time - they're up to third and still moaning- fickle football fans eh!

As someone else has said, their long range shot looked spectacular but I wondered at time if our GK was at fault. Their other second half goals were a dodgy handball (the old ball to hand argument) and a counter attack when we had been prsseing and nearly scored at the other end.

I really think at 4-3 without MF sending off we would have got something.

Ah well, keep on supporting you regulars!

[marbelladave]

Great post as usual Dave - can't agree with you more - 'Chaotic' is an apt term for Sousa's style of play (does he actually have a style of play) Im not sure he has a clue what he's doing...

The personel change match by match, but the main problems remain untouched. Whilst our defence is very jittery i really do not blame our defensive players all that much...

Our full backs are required to get forward a lot but there is no one covering for them should they get caught out by a quick counter, similarly if they are attacked 2 on 1 they get no help from our midfield. Even worse there is no closing down in front of our back 4, so attacking players effectively have a free run straight at our central defenders, none of whom are exactly the quickest, no wonder they have the jitters!

It makes me wonder what our midfield is supposed to do, last night Oakley, Wellens and King were almost totally ineffective on the defensive side, what the hell were they doing? This was compounded by our ability to give the ball away in our own half, usually just at the point that the majority of our players are commiting themselves to the attack, where on earth is the cover?

The other issue for me is the way our attack is set up, last night, as has been the case lately, Dyer was on the left yet his most effective games this season have come when he plays well forward on the right. He switched from time to time but this appeared to be for defensive reasons, so he was inefective going forward. Similarly Waghorn who did much of his best work last season from the right, has looked lost there this time around and as for Steve Howard...

[Lillehamring]

The personel change match by match, but the main problems remain untouched. Whilst our defence is very jittery i really do not blame our defensive players all that much...

Our full backs are required to get forward a lot but there is no one covering for them should they get caught out by a quick counter, similarly if they are attacked 2 on 1 they get no help from our midfield. Even worse there is no closing down in front of our back 4, so attacking players effectively have a free run straight at our central defenders, none of whom are exactly the quickest, no wonder they have the jitters!

It makes me wonder what our midfield is supposed to do, last night Oakley, Wellens and King were almost totally ineffective on the defensive side, what the hell were they doing? This was compounded by our ability to give the ball away in our own half, usually just at the point that the majority of our players are commiting themselves to the attack, where on earth is the cover?

The other issue for me is the way our attack is set up, last night, as has been the case lately, Dyer was on the left yet his most effective games this season have come when he plays well forward on the right. He switched from time to time but this appeared to be for defensive reasons, so he was inefective going forward. Similarly Waghorn who did much of his best work last season from the right, has looked lost there this time around and as for Steve Howard...

no coincidence that the best midfield performance we've had recently was moreno-king-abe, shame it was only a one off.

[hackneyfox]

no coincidence that the best midfield performance we've had recently was moreno-king-abe, shame it was only a one off.

Totally agree, Oakley & Wellens are, in general, holding us back.

Get a new centre half and play those 3 in midfield and we'll be a lot tighter.

Although a goalie and 2 full backs would also help

;-)

[StanSP]

Might as well just revamp our whole club by the sounds of it

[hackneyfox]

That's what we are in the middle of, and is what some people are reacting so badly to with their slating of the new owners because they are Thai.

We've never had an english millionaire dig deep into his pocket for us, with the exception of Lineker

[marbelladave]

no coincidence that the best midfield performance we've had recently was moreno-king-abe, shame it was only a one off.

Doesn't have to be...

With Moreno holding and King/Abe doing their usual box to box stuff that could easily be our best midfield, however as Sousa's 'representative on earth', it seems Oakley has to play and as King is, for the moment, deployed as an attacking player our balance is all to cock.

Personally i would play Moreno and King as the holding players in front of the back 4, we miss King defensively and alongside the more conservative Moreno he can still get forward enough to be effective.

Abe would then play a more forward role with (say) Gallagher and Dyer with Waghorn leading the line.

I know a lot of people get seduced by Howard, he works hard, shows commitment and is always involved, but what does he actually achieve? Frankly, bugger all, I was genuinely surprised when he scored the other night, think about it - surprised when your center forward finds the net - surely we can do better?

[Lillehamring]

Doesn't have to be...

With Moreno holding and King/Abe doing their usual box to box stuff that could easily be our best midfield, however as Sousa's 'representative on earth', it seems Oakley has to play and as King is, for the moment, deployed as an attacking player our balance is all to cock.

Personally i would play Moreno and King as the holding players in front of the back 4, we miss King defensively and alongside the more conservative Moreno he can still get forward enough to be effective.

Abe would then play a more forward role with (say) Gallagher and Dyer with Waghorn leading the line.

I know a lot of people get seduced by Howard, he works hard, shows commitment and is always involved, but what does he actually achieve? Frankly, bugger all, I was genuinely surprised when he scored the other night, think about it - surprised when your center forward finds the net - surely we can do better?

100% total agreement dave...

[marbelladave]

100% total agreement dave...

Christ, several people agreeing with me over a variety of threads, this must mean...

A) We are really, really shit, which at the moment is self evident.

B) I'm losing my 'edge', it's sitting in the stand with my flask that has done that.

C) We have some very desperate fans, I know i'm right, but other people usually have more common sense...

[Lillehamring]

Christ, several people agreeing with me over a variety of threads, this must mean...

A) We are really, really shit, which at the moment is self evident.

B) I'm losing my 'edge', it's sitting in the stand with my flask that has done that.

C) We have some very desperate fans, I know i'm right, but other people usually have more common sense...

i usually do agree with you, although just lately we've been split on the sousa issue - but i've been asking for moreno-king-abe since the reading game.

[marbelladave]

i usually do agree with you, although just lately we've been split on the sousa issue - but i've been asking for moreno-king-abe since the reading game.

I'm kind of undecided about "The person we currently have". Even ignoring the gossip and concentrating on our play on the pitch, he is doing very poorly, but he is trying to make a lot of changes and a fair few of our players are really not on board.

I am sure that a decent new manager would improve things in the short term but come the transfer window he will want his own players brought in and so the merry go round starts again.

But then again, would a decent mnager come to us in the current circumstances?...