How Are You Feeling About NCFC This Season?

[Gunvald Larsson]

I have just seen this posted by a fan on the Pink Un website .....

''I’ve haven’t felt this disconnected and bored of this football club & the players in so long, it’s weird. I’ll continue to turn up and pay my money. But I really don’t care.''

I find this pretty sad. Sad that NCFC are doing OK and yet this guy (and many others) are feeling like this.

Why is this?

Is it a desire for the return of 'the Farke years' of exciting football in the EFL?
Is it because the current football being played is not that exciting or not very good?
Is it because Dean Smith is not as charismatic as Farke?
Is it because some fans think Smith and his coaching team are not good enough?
Is it because the current players do not seem to be as 'dynamic' as players from previous seasons?
Is it a hangover from last season's disasters?
Is it because some fans feel that they are entitled to watch PL football at Carrow Road and that the EFL is beneath them?

Personally, although the team has not been playing that well, I have enjoyed seeing them win games and have no problem that these games are in the EFL. The team is obviously going through a period of transition and I think that for them to be picking up points, when not playing well, is actually doing them credit because it means they have not caved in like last season. Admittedly some of the teams NCFC have played have not been good, but that is the standard that we are at right now. It's no good moaning that 'Pukki is a Championship player' etc etc because they are a Championship team. The PL is past history. However, if things do not improve on the pitch to a degree that I feel they should reach, I will star moaning. We have good players in the squad and should be playing decent football and winning games with much more efficiency than we are at present. The key word for me here is efficiency. Farkeball will not be returning to Carrow Road and Smith is a different kind of coach to Farke. I am 100% behind NCFC and I really hope we start to see what this team can really do pretty soon. Do I feel 'disconnected and bored'? No, I don't. I have watched NCFC since 1970 and have seen things be far worse than they are now and didn't feel like that during those times, so it's unlikely that I ever will. So .... OTBC.

 

[morty]

I have to say I am a bit bored of people saying they are "disconnected". It seems to be a fashionable thing to say just now.

I think all those reasons you list above are valid, to some extent, but disconnection and enthusiasm are two way streets, people have to decide to be miserable. I think that, maybe, some people are waiting for things to click properly, and us to absolutely spank a side, and herald some kind of new Smith era. But, like you say, we seem to be heading towards a more efficient, effective side, which I think we will be, we are just in a difficult transition just now, and we really have been hampered by the lb injuries and the lack of a CDM.

For me, I love matchdays, the drinks before, meeting and chatting to people, and the drinks after, it has never just been about the 90 minutes for me. I think people need to stop tripping over their bottom lips, for various reasons, and just enjoy the moment.

 

[Number 9]

Success in football translates directly as three points for a win.
It sounds simple, win the game, get three points = success.

It's different to the philosophy we and the players have had drummed into us over the past few years. Success hasn't necessarily meant three points success was measured in terms of playing 'properly' playing bravely out from the back etc.

Obviously that philosophy failed for us in the Premier League because the opposition generally were more concerned with doing whatever it took to win a game and not so much focused on playing in a beautiful way. Even teams with the world's best players have to adapt tactics and can't solely play how we were attempting to play with our limited skill levels.

Smith seems to be trying to move away from Farkeball and although it's obviously far from the finished article, we've taken steps to be a more balanced team with more balanced tactics.

I don't think we've seen Smith's fully developed tactics or team yet, it's in transition and I think that's why there's supporters who aren't as committed to the cause as they were just a year or two back.
It'll probably be a few transfer windows before we see Dean's team and style in full effect, at least we're winning a few while the transition happens.
Winning a few, Hey Success!

 

[Fenway Frank]

I think some supporters are using “we have no distinctive style” as a stick to beat Smith with instead of paying attention to how we are trying to play. I gave up my season ticket at the end of last season but have been twice so far, because I’m choosing when I go it’s more of an event for me and I’m enjoying it more. Personally I think the biggest problem people have is that if we do get promoted, without investment ( more that Attanasio’s £10m ) then it’s going to be another miserable premiere season.

 

[Number 9]

There's also some

I think some supporters are using “we have no distinctive style” as a stick to beat Smith with instead of paying attention to how we are trying to play. I gave up my season ticket at the end of last season but have been twice so far, because I’m choosing when I go it’s more of an event for me and I’m enjoying it more. Personally I think the biggest problem people have is that if we do get promoted, without investment ( more that Attanasio’s £10m ) then it’s going to be another miserable premiere season

Did you notice any difference in the style of play which gives you more hope for next season should we be promoted?

 

[Fenway Frank]

There's also some


Did you notice any difference in the style of play which gives you more hope for next season should we be promoted?

Nope Thing is, at the moment it doesn’t matter what style of play we have, we’re just not good enough. We have to hope that Sara, Nunez, plus a fit Hayden will be ok and still add four or five to the squad

 

[Number 9]

Nope Thing is, at the moment it doesn’t matter what style of play we have, we’re just not good enough. We have to hope that Sara, Nunez, plus a fit Hayden will be ok and still add four or five to the squad

I'm hoping Hayden will make a difference, he's got experience in the Championship and the Premier League so should know what he's doing.
Having someone in front of the defence, like Skipp, then gives the creative players more focus on goals rather than thinking about running back to defend all the time.
It's got to help all round.

 

[OldRobert]

Completely agree with FF. We are simply not good enough. I posted ages ago that unless we get massive investment at the very least, we will be in for more humiliation, if of course we are promoted.

 

[Number 9]

Completely agree with FF. We are simply not good enough. I posted ages ago that unless we get massive investment at the very least, we will be in for more humiliation, if of course we are promoted.

Do you think we are playing to our full potential?
Are all the squad doing their best?

 

[Gunvald Larsson]

Do you think we are playing to our full potential?
Are all the squad doing their best?

I think we can get better once all the players are fit and the team starts to gel. What concerns me is the complacency that seems to creep into matches when we go ahead. It happened against Coventry and Bristol City. Smith has said this has made him 'angry' but it still happens. Also, some of last season's individual errors (particularly in defence) are still happening this season. We have been getting away with it so far but there will be a match sometime soon when it all goes belly-up. We have shown that we can score goals and defend really well when needed, but we will really need to get it together once we start facing the other teams who fancy themselves for promotion or the play-offs.

 

[gerryinromania]

Many seem to be putting all their hopes on Hayden. Is he man or myth ?

 

[OldRobert]

Do you think we are playing to our full potential?
Are all the squad doing their best?

No
Probably, but we all know that it is nowhere good enough for the PL.

 

[Number 9]

Many seem to be putting all their hopes on Hayden. Is he man or myth ?

We badly need a player in that position, he's got experience in the Championship and the Premier League so I personally am hoping to see him starting soon.

 

[Gunvald Larsson]

I do not often agree with anything Chris Sutton says, but this article is spot-on .....

Chris Sutton: Worry about the Premier League when City get out of the Championship

Much of the tense atmosphere around Norwich City appears to be based on worries about the Canaries' Premier League credentials, but there's the…

www.pinkun.com

..... it's the short version as I am not a Pink Un subscriber.

 

[Nigellee33]

I have to say I am a bit bored of people saying they are "disconnected". It seems to be a fashionable thing to say just now.

I think all those reasons you list above are valid, to some extent, but disconnection and enthusiasm are two way streets, people have to decide to be miserable. I think that, maybe, some people are waiting for things to click properly, and us to absolutely spank a side, and herald some kind of new Smith era. But, like you say, we seem to be heading towards a more efficient, effective side, which I think we will be, we are just in a difficult transition just now, and we really have been hampered by the lb injuries and the lack of a CDM.

For me, I love matchdays, the drinks before, meeting and chatting to people, and the drinks after, it has never just been about the 90 minutes for me. I think people need to stop tripping over their bottom lips, for various reasons, and just enjoy the moment.

Dean Smith needs to be given the full support of the fans and Club. At the end of the day, the players are responsible for putting in a shift that satisfies the fans. A few weak links in the team such as Nunez, Sinani, Krul. Keep Gunn in goal. We spent enough on him. Krul needs to be moved on. We need another Buendia, a playmaker.

 

[Gunvald Larsson]

I have a mate who supports Brentford and he reckons Smith's team played really good football, so he does have credibility with Brentford fans. We have also had Villa fans on this Forum (and elsewhere) who were sorry he got the push 'cos his team played better football than Gerrard's. If he is so highly regarded by them all for the quality of the actual football I cannot understand what has gone wrong at NCFC. Is he trying to impose a 'system' on players not suited to it (playing out from the back is one example ... we are crap at it) or are the players not good enough? I honestly cannot answer that question.

 

[Nigellee33]

I have a mate who supports Brentford and he reckons Smith's team played really good football, so he does have credibility with Brentford fans. We have also had Villa fans on this Forum (and elsewhere) who were sorry he got the push 'cos his team played better football than Gerrard's. If he is so highly regarded by them all for the quality of the actual football I cannot understand what has gone wrong at NCFC. Is he trying to impose a 'system' on players not suited to it (playing out from the back is one example ... we are crap at it) or are the players not good enough? I honestly cannot answer that question.

Maybe he is in the same situation Farke found himself in. The club has no money. We have all the equipment in place, the academy, etc., to be a world class team. Norwich play stunning football when they are on their game. Watching last night was just painful. No desire, disjointed. As I said, Sargent was the only player running with purpose last night. Pukki seems a different player. He is still quality, but not getting the service might be grinding his gears a bit. Our defence has been woeful over the last three games. We rely on our forwards getting back to help out at the back because we look so vulnerable when the opposition attacks. I kid you not, my blood pressure goes through the roof when I see our midfield (Mclean) caught out in possession with no desire to backtrack to make up for their error. It is happening way too much. Case in point, Krul rolling the ball between two defenders at the Preston game. I almost had an aneurysm. What was he doing? Keep Gunn in goal. Get Onel in the starting lineup. Please, no Sinani. Too easy to blame the manager. We had it with Neil, then Farke. Players have to be accountable. At one point last night, I was thinking of asking Dean Smith if I could come on for Sinani he was so bad.

 

[morty]

I wish I knew the answer, and as much as I back managers, and don't advocate sacking willy-nilly, it really is starting to feel like Smith isn't getting the most out of the group that we have. If our wide players were better (I don't think either Sinani or Onel, as much as I love him, are good enough to start games) then we could drop Pukki and play 4-5-1. And as much as I love Pukki, he needs about 5 chances to score a goal, and we don't have that creative Emi who can make that many for him. I also definitely accept that some players need to be trying a bit harder too.

It was high time Krul was dropped, and I applaud Dean for that, I can't see him getting back in, and Angus will only get better with more games.

Like I said in the other thread, I feel a bit sorry for Dean, the left back situation has been ridiculous, and particularly cruel on him. And I know Kenny is a bit of a Marmite character, but I have seen plenty saying he was man of the match (How the hell did Pukki get it lol) before his, slightly harsh, sending off. It also has to be said, we lie 5th in the table, but still a rather strange part of our fanbase ignore that, but more amusingly almost try and discount our recent winning run that put us joint top.

Its a long old season, not time to be panicking yet.

 

[Nigellee33]

I wish I knew the answer, and as much as I back managers, and don't advocate sacking willy-nilly, it really is starting to feel like Smith isn't getting the most out of the group that we have. If our wide players were better (I don't think either Sinani or Onel, as much as I love him, are good enough to start games) then we could drop Pukki and play 4-5-1. And as much as I love Pukki, he needs about 5 chances to score a goal, and we don't have that creative Emi who can make that many for him. I also definitely accept that some players need to be trying a bit harder too.

It was high time Krul was dropped, and I applaud Dean for that, I can't see him getting back in, and Angus will only get better with more games.

Like I said in the other thread, I feel a bit sorry for Dean, the left back situation has been ridiculous, and particularly cruel on him. And I know Kenny is a bit of a Marmite character, but I have seen plenty saying he was man of the match (How the hell did Pukki get it lol) before his, slightly harsh, sending off. It also has to be said, we lie 5th in the table, but still a rather strange part of our fanbase ignore that, but more amusingly almost try and discount our recent winning run that put us joint top.

Its a long old season, not time to be panicking yet.

Totally agree. In fact. I was happier when Norwich were sitting lower down in the table a couple of seasons back, as the top teams started to fall away and Norwich grew stronger. There is a long way to go in the season. I believe we will do it. No matter what Dean Smith does, he is not going to please everyone. I for one, am keeping an eye on Russell Martin at Swansea. But, again Smith needs time. Look at Gerrard at Villa. Now, he has Buendia, but he is not making the best of him. I'm sure the villa fans compare him to Smith. Lolol. 24 teams and they all want to be 1st. I'm confident Norwich will find a way. I believe we should build the team around Sargent. He is passionate, wants the ball, creative and with a few more goals his confidence will go SKY high. We must keep hold of Arons, although, he is faded of late. I like his commitment to the club at such a young age. Dowell is another player I like. Something happened with Pukki. Maybe he was looking to move on lasts year. However, he doesn't look happy at the club. I like Onel, a bit selfish in his play at times, but, like Sara, he should be given a chance to prove the manager wrong. Again, I agree with you regarding the formation. I don't think you can play Sargent and Pukki together. It feels like we are a player short when this happens, hence Sargent is playing the role of wide, striker and defender. Pukki is not as committed of late. The Sheffield game will be our big test. They were lucky against Blackpool. The league is very unpredictable at the moment. No consistency with the big teams. Luton could surprise us all.

 

[morty]

The video causing all the fuss online, tonight...