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Norwich City vs Cardiff City (away) Saturday 30th July.

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Din

Din

Well-Known Member
Not a dreadful first half but not massively inspiring either. There’s been the odd good moment and I would say we’re generally looking pretty solid at the back, but the attacking play feels incohesive. That’s not to be unexpected I guess on the opening day of the season but it’s not like we’ve got loads of new signings or anything, all of these players have played together before.

Big Andy is definitely the stand out. He’s a real Roll’s Royce of a defender. Sorenson and McLean are doing an ok job at mopping up the midfield but it’s the front 4 that I really wanna see step up. Rashica and Sargent are both having stinkers and Pukki just isn’t involved in the game at all. Cantwell is trying things, and was really unlucky with the effort he had on goal that was saved, but his end product or final ball has too often been poor. I think we’ve actually looked best when Omobamidele has stepped out from the back and essentially bypassed the midfield and hit a ball straight into Pukki’s feet. For me we need to be getting it into the forward players much quicker and much more directly and then charging forward from there. When Cardiff sit back and allow us to have the ball it doesn’t feel like we have the movement or killer instinct to break them down.

Still, like I say it hasn’t been dreadful, we’ve generally done a decent job of controlling the game, we just feel a bit flat when we go forwards. Would like to see Sinani on at some point in the second half, where hopefully we can step it up a bit.
 
N

Number 9

Well-Known Member
Don't worry, he'll bring Hugill on with 3 mins to go
 
Din

Din

Well-Known Member
Well that was rubbish. Like Number 9 says I don't really understand what we were trying to do today. The attacking play was so lacklustre it was painful.

I know that we still have players to come in, and obviously there's a long way to go, but considering how much shit we had to put up with last season I can't see fans being very patient with Smith if these are the sorts of performances we put in over the next few games. I mean look at Burnley last night, they had half a new team and new manager and they looked fluid and coherent when they went forwards. Today we had practically the same group that spent all of last season together and they look like they've never met before. Rashica and Sargent were hugging the touchline, something they'd obviously been told to do, Pukki was playing really high and Cantwell was often coming deep to collect the ball, meaning we just had acres and acres of space between each of our players. There was no sense of link-up or partnerships forming, it was just flat. I'm not really concerned or worried at this point but you would hope by this point there'd at least be some remnant of understanding between these players.

As I said at half-time Omobamidele was really the only contender for man of the match. I thought Aarons was decent as well and Gibbs showed some nice touches, but everyone else for me was either absent or poor. Rashica and Giannoulis on our left I thought were particularly woeful, I expected so much more from Rashica in particular.

Cardiff were decent if pretty unspectacular. Solid enough at the back with some very good individual performances like Kipre and Collins on the left side of their defence who I thought were excellent. It is frustrating that their goal though came out of absolutely nothing from literally the only shot I remember them having (wasn't really clear from the replays they showed whether it took a deflection or not, but I thought at the time it did),but even so you've gotta get on with it you can't feel sorry for yourselves, which is what we seemed to do once we went a goal down. I never at any point thought we were gonna get an equaliser, as soon as we went behind I knew it was game over. The only way I can say it is we just had absolutely nothing. Nothing about us whatsoever.

One thing I have not missed at all about the Championship is the referees. Jesus Christ man. The ref today spent sooo long talking to what felt like every single player before every free kick or corner. God knows how much time was wasted because he felt the need to chat at length to anyone and everyone before every set piece. Some of the decisions were baffling as well really. The two red cards he probably got right (albeit maybe Hanley shouldn't have been booked for the first one because it actually looked like Omobamidele who was the aggressor?),but there was one in the first half for example where Kipre went through the back of Pukki on the edge of the Cardiff area, which was a blatant free kick and yellow card. But instead of giving it he signalled to play advantage, only to give an offside against Rashica about a second later, even though Rashica wasn't flagged for offside until after Pukki had already been fouled. It was baffling. Essentially he acknowledged that it was a foul but he gave us the advantage, but then when we had no advantage, because Rashica was offside, instead of honouring the advantage and giving us a free kick in a really dangerous position, he gave one against us for offside, and after all of it didn't even book Kipre (who incidentally received a booking later on in the game). I don't know if I've explained that incident very well but it really annoyed me :D it's the sort of decision that if you were given against you in Sunday league you'd be confused. You could tell how confused the players were by it. The standard of officiating at this level is just embarrassing.

Well, onto the next one. Wigan next week already feels like a game we should win or things could start to get a bit hot for Deano. Will be interesting to see how he handles Hanley being out, with Gibson still obviously out at the minute. I wonder whether Tomkinson will come in or whether he'll shuffle Sorenson back and maybe bring Gibbs or even Sara if he's fit, or Nunez if he's signed into midfield. Either way, we need to see improvement because today was not at anything like the level we need to be at.
 
morty

morty

Moderator
Staff member
To be entirely fair, 1st game of the season, post relegation, away to Cardiff? Absolutely reeks of a one nil loss. I would have been more surprised if we had won.
 
N

Number 9

Well-Known Member
Well that was rubbish. Like Number 9 says I don't really understand what we were trying to do today. The attacking play was so lacklustre it was painful.

I know that we still have players to come in, and obviously there's a long way to go, but considering how much shit we had to put up with last season I can't see fans being very patient with Smith if these are the sorts of performances we put in over the next few games. I mean look at Burnley last night, they had half a new team and new manager and they looked fluid and coherent when they went forwards. Today we had practically the same group that spent all of last season together and they look like they've never met before. Rashica and Sargent were hugging the touchline, something they'd obviously been told to do, Pukki was playing really high and Cantwell was often coming deep to collect the ball, meaning we just had acres and acres of space between each of our players. There was no sense of link-up or partnerships forming, it was just flat. I'm not really concerned or worried at this point but you would hope by this point there'd at least be some remnant of understanding between these players.

As I said at half-time Omobamidele was really the only contender for man of the match. I thought Aarons was decent as well and Gibbs showed some nice touches, but everyone else for me was either absent or poor. Rashica and Giannoulis on our left I thought were particularly woeful, I expected so much more from Rashica in particular.

Cardiff were decent if pretty unspectacular. Solid enough at the back with some very good individual performances like Kipre and Collins on the left side of their defence who I thought were excellent. It is frustrating that their goal though came out of absolutely nothing from literally the only shot I remember them having (wasn't really clear from the replays they showed whether it took a deflection or not, but I thought at the time it did),but even so you've gotta get on with it you can't feel sorry for yourselves, which is what we seemed to do once we went a goal down. I never at any point thought we were gonna get an equaliser, as soon as we went behind I knew it was game over. The only way I can say it is we just had absolutely nothing. Nothing about us whatsoever.

One thing I have not missed at all about the Championship is the referees. Jesus Christ man. The ref today spent sooo long talking to what felt like every single player before every free kick or corner. God knows how much time was wasted because he felt the need to chat at length to anyone and everyone before every set piece. Some of the decisions were baffling as well really. The two red cards he probably got right (albeit maybe Hanley shouldn't have been booked for the first one because it actually looked like Omobamidele who was the aggressor?),but there was one in the first half for example where Kipre went through the back of Pukki on the edge of the Cardiff area, which was a blatant free kick and yellow card. But instead of giving it he signalled to play advantage, only to give an offside against Rashica about a second later, even though Rashica wasn't flagged for offside until after Pukki had already been fouled. It was baffling. Essentially he acknowledged that it was a foul but he gave us the advantage, but then when we had no advantage, because Rashica was offside, instead of honouring the advantage and giving us a free kick in a really dangerous position, he gave one against us for offside, and after all of it didn't even book Kipre (who incidentally received a booking later on in the game). I don't know if I've explained that incident very well but it really annoyed me :D it's the sort of decision that if you were given against you in Sunday league you'd be confused. You could tell how confused the players were by it. The standard of officiating at this level is just embarrassing.

Well, onto the next one. Wigan next week already feels like a game we should win or things could start to get a bit hot for Deano. Will be interesting to see how he handles Hanley being out, with Gibson still obviously out at the minute. I wonder whether Tomkinson will come in or whether he'll shuffle Sorenson back and maybe bring Gibbs or even Sara if he's fit, or Nunez if he's signed into midfield. Either way, we need to see improvement because today was not at anything like the level we need to be at.
Don't know about Gibbs but Sara & Nunez don't have a record of scoring or creating goals in any kind of abundance. Much like Sargent, they can run around alot.
 
N

Number 9

Well-Known Member
Anyone know when we're likely to see Isaac Hayden on the pitch?
Obviously you'd expect a defensive midfielder to help.
 
morty

morty

Moderator
Staff member
Anyone know when we're likely to see Isaac Hayden on the pitch?
Obviously you'd expect a defensive midfielder to help.
There was absolutely nothing, in the presser, as to when him and Sara would be available.
 
N

Number 9

Well-Known Member
There was absolutely nothing, in the presser, as to when him and Sara would be available.

I'm not sure about Sara or Nunez given their records but Hayden would certainly help to grasp some control over midfield.
 
Gunvald Larsson

Gunvald Larsson

Well-Known Member
I was surprised by the team selection. Hugill and Hernandez did well in pre-season and why he persists with McLean is still baffling. Sargent is not a wide player. I am no expert but would have had Rashica and Hernandez out wide (or Rowe) with Pukki and Hugill up front.

Krul

Aarons
Hanley
Omobomidele
Giannoulis

Hernandez (or Rowe)
Cantwell
Sorenson
Rashica

Pukki
Hugill

It looks like Smith has run out of ideas and is reluctant to play those who did not 'fail' him last season.

Ho hum.
 
Din

Din

Well-Known Member
Sara and Dowell had a full week of training and were given fitness tests on the Friday to see if they were fit enough to play any part. Obviously given the fact we didn’t see them, they weren’t ready yet. The fact though the club felt the need to do fitness tests suggests they’re pretty close, so another full week of training from both of them and they could well be ready for at least the bench in the Wigan game, maybe with a view to starting in the cup the following Tuesday.

Adam Idah also played, and scored, on Friday night for the u23s, so I imagine we could see him soon.

Hayden I’m not sure about but my guess is that it could be early September. Bit frustrating as we have 6 league games between now and then.
 
G

gerryinromania

Well-Known Member
Thanks people. It's hard to get any info now that pinkun have gone to paid info, also canaries web are the same way. I guess canary fans are not wanted anymore. Family and community club? my arse
 
N

Number 9

Well-Known Member
I was surprised by the team selection. Hugill and Hernandez did well in pre-season and why he persists with McLean is still baffling. Sargent is not a wide player. I am no expert but would have had Rashica and Hernandez out wide (or Rowe) with Pukki and Hugill up front.

Krul

Aarons
Hanley
Omobomidele
Giannoulis

Hernandez (or Rowe)
Cantwell
Sorenson
Rashica

Pukki
Hugill

It looks like Smith has run out of ideas and is reluctant to play those who did not 'fail' him last season.

Ho hum.
Agree with that, Michael Bailey suggested that Hugill + Onel have maintained their standard whilst the rest of the team have dropped theirs.
Saying that Smith is banking on his preferred players upping their game a few levels.
 
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