Norwich City v Man Utd (home) Saturday 7th May.

[Fimbo]

Yes, bar a miracle we are down. The last two games say it all really, we play OK but just lack the quality to tip.things in our favour. I think it is wrong to blame bassong and defence. Letting in one aginst good teams is not that surprising. In these critical final games the failure to score has been the more deadly problem. If only we could have spent money in the summer  on a good striker and a central defender. 

 

[Dubai Mark]

What has really frustrated me so much, is that we have had every chance to get out of this mess, including playing a very ordinary Manure who even didnt play well to beat us,,,,,,,,when compared to how Sunderland and Newcastle are taking most of their opportunities, then unfortunately we deserve what we get. I also agree, its at the sharp end where we have really been poor.....and would add, dare I say "tactically inept".

 

[morty]

What has really frustrated me so much, is that we have had every chance to get out of this mess, including playing a very ordinary Manure who even didnt play well to beat us,,,,,,,,when compared to how Sunderland and Newcastle are taking most of their opportunities, then unfortunately we deserve what we get. I also agree, its at the sharp end where we have really been poor.....and would add, dare I say "tactically inept".

Fact is, we're just not quite good enough.

That pretty much covers it.

 

[GJP]

I don't particularly like the way AN blames a mistake for costing us the game when we can't score goals. He hasn't set the team up in a way to really trouble Utd.

 

[Din]

Not a great game to watch at all. With the exception of the usual suspects (Howson, O'Neil, Olsson) I don't think anyone had a particularly good game, except for possibly Pinto who I actually felt did quite well. I actually thought first half we looked pretty solid defensively, with both Martin and Bassong doing alright. Second half United raised their game slightly and we started to look more and more vulnerable and they eventually got the inevitable goal. Have to say, the people who sit near me seem very keen to criticise Redmond, even when he's playing well. People seem to just expect him to outpace/skill past any opponent, when in reality, in the Premier League it's very difficult to do that every time you get possession of the ball unless you're a top player. That said though he was below par yesterday, as were Hoolahan and Brady. The Jerome miss in the first half pretty much summed up our attack for the whole of this season, just as Bassong's mistake for the goal epitomised our defence as well. Just like last week we followed the Norwich City blueprint for this campaign. Do alright first half, have a couple of decent chances but don't take them, the opposition then grabs a goal in the 2nd half and we aren't able to come back from that. For United I thought their defensive pairing of Smalling and Rojo was excellent.

If we had any slim chance of escaping relegation before it's as good as gone now. It'd be nice if we could perhaps get a win in our final home game on Wednesday, but I don't hold out much hope seeing as we haven't even scored a goal since the Newcastle game.

 

[OldRobert]

I don't particularly like the way AN blames a mistake for costing us the game when we can't score goals. He hasn't set the team up in a way to really trouble Utd.

How else could he have set it up?  Most were saying they didn't want changes from the Arsenal game and that's what they got.  We can't score goals.................end of.

 

[Canaryboy]

Fact is, we're just not quite good enough.

We're a Jermaine Defoe away from being good enough. 

 

[GJP]

How else could he have set it up?  Most were saying they didn't want changes from the Arsenal game and that's what they got.  We can't score goals.................end of.

Get players in support of the striker. Get bodies in the box, that's where you get your goals. But there's a reluctance to do it.

 

[OldRobert]

Get players in support of the striker. Get bodies in the box, that's where you get your goals. But there's a reluctance to do it.

Can't argue with that.  Presumably they practice that all week, trouble is if we were still playing we still wouldn't have scored.

 

[GJP]

Nope. It became quite clear very early that Jerome, as much as I like him, was never going to cause Smalling too many problems.

The worry for me is that I don't think AN sees these things. Or not as quickly as he needs to at this level 

 

[OldRobert]

Nope. It became quite clear very early that Jerome, as much as I like him, was never going to cause Smalling too many problems.

The worry for me is that I don't think AN sees these things. Or not as quickly as he needs to at this level 

And on the assumption that we will go down, everyone's pinning their hopes on Jerome scoring 20+ in the Chumps next season when he can't hit a barn door now, just because he scored several last time.  Imho it's a false hope.

 

[Fenway Frank]

Nope. It became quite clear very early that Jerome, as much as I like him, was never going to cause Smalling too many problems.

The worry for me is that I don't think AN sees these things. Or not as quickly as he needs to at this level 

The problem was, if he'd have taken Jerome off at half time and then wanted to go two up front/ long ball, Jerome would obviously not have been available. Once he'd started with him he sort of had to stick with him for most of the game. I know some would want to mention Bamford, but if we're honest, we can see why he didn't get any game time at Palace.

 

[Canaryboy]

I'd honestly rather we'd given Bamford's minutes since he arrived to Lafferty, in hindsight, and I'm no fan of Lafferty. 

 

[GJP]

It's a shame about Bamford because he has got something. The manager sung his praises on arrival but then hasn't really shown any faith in him.

And why is Bamford going to fight for the cause when he knows the manager hasn't backed him and Chelsea will still be paying his wages?

But I wonder, a bit like Naismith (ignoring his "fitness" levels),did AN really know how he was going to fit into the team? Did he really have a vision of how he could use him to improve us? I'm not sure.

 

[Dubai Mark]

Seriously, "The Wolf" would add more to the team than Bamford, as would Lafferty, as would Hooper, as would Delia, as would that guy from the Burger van........the last two are clearly a joke.....

 

[OldRobert]

Seriously, "The Wolf" would add more to the team than Bamford, as would Lafferty, as would Hooper, as would Delia, as would that guy from the Burger van........the last two are clearly a joke.....

Agreed Mark.  Any player who reacts to the crowd as he appeared to be put of by the Palarse supporters, is to my mind 'powder puff', and isn't worth bothering with.  I believe he hasn't scored a goal in 2 years or something (according to Saturday's commentators),so I don't think he's worth considering.