Nottingham Forest 1 Norwich 2
Live match on Sky tonight for a evening kick off. And somewhat of a surprise to see Norwich win - they never win on Sky.
After about 15 minutes Norwich were reduced to ten men yet again owing to a clumsy last man Gary Doherty challenge. Both centre backs need to take responsibility for this but Doherty took the hit.
Norwich actually took the lead shortly after the sending off as Matthew Patterson got on the score sheet. But after this it was only a matter of time before Forest got one back. Norwich looked confused and unorganised and they needed to go in at half time and take stock. Surely if they came out playing in the second half like this it would be another nil points.
Second half Norwich put in a good performance and never really looked like conceeding. Forest are not a great team but should have given a ten man Norwich a run for their money. Their fans will be disappointed but on this display will languish at the bottom for a while to come yet.
Another great performance from David Marshall with a few good saves. And well done Glen for motivating the guys at half time. It’s good to see them play well with ten men for so long. Tuesday will interesting against Palace with so many defensive players out. But with good motivation City can get a result.
Saturday, 22 November 2008
Norwich v Swansea 15 November 2008
Norwich 2 Swansea 3
Another home loss for City - totally unacceptable. The problem is consistency.
In Norwich's favour, they are playing well. But for only 60 minutes or so. The other 30 minutes they contrive to do as much as they can to throw the game away.
The manager must take some responsibility for this. It's all very well coming out and blaming players for not doing their jobs. But the manager is responsible for instilling confidence, consistency, getting the best from his players. Currently, Glen Roeder is not achieving this. He needs to take some responsibility.
That said, the players need to take a hard look at themselves and take responsibility for their own play. If they feel that they need help in achieving consistency, then seek help. Football is mental game as well as skill and physical.
Another home loss for City - totally unacceptable. The problem is consistency.
In Norwich's favour, they are playing well. But for only 60 minutes or so. The other 30 minutes they contrive to do as much as they can to throw the game away.
The manager must take some responsibility for this. It's all very well coming out and blaming players for not doing their jobs. But the manager is responsible for instilling confidence, consistency, getting the best from his players. Currently, Glen Roeder is not achieving this. He needs to take some responsibility.
That said, the players need to take a hard look at themselves and take responsibility for their own play. If they feel that they need help in achieving consistency, then seek help. Football is mental game as well as skill and physical.
Saturday, 8 November 2008
Norwich v Preston North End 8 November 2008
There are games when you appreciate getting a draw. And then there are games when you know you should have won the game and a draw let the other team off the hook.
If you’d offered me two all after 3 minutes I would have probably taken it. City went one down in the 3rd minute to a shocking defensive cock up when they had ample opportunity to clear the ball. Blind panic set in and of course, ex Norwich striker, Chris Brown hammered the ball home at odds of 8/1 for the first goal scorer. Incidentally, the system of backing the ex Norwich striker to score the first goal often pays dividends.
For ten minutes or so the game was dire. Until that is City got into their stride and Lita jumped high to equalise from a corner 15 minutes in. From then on for the rest of the half it was all Norwich and had a few good chances. Unfortunately, none were converted and at half time the score was one all.
After the break Norwich continued to play well and soon scored to go two one up. Kennedy bundled the ball in from a free kick.
After this I would like to say Norwich dominated for the rest of the game and went on to score another three. But I can’t. They were shocking. What happened? Well the one thing consistent about Norwich is their inconsistency. For the rest of the game they continued to try and give Preston an equaliser and then on 79 minutes, Darryl Russel was bizarrely sent off. Apparently for a off the ball push on a Preston player. From the Jarrold Stand, this looked harsh to say the least. But since the incident was by the dug outs, it was difficult to judge. There didn’t appear to be any complaint from the bench. A minute later, Preston equalised. From then on it was ten man Norwich clinging on to the final whistle and a point.
Performances like this are unacceptable. A footy game is 90 minutes long. Not 30, not 60. 90 Minutes. Until City can learn to play for 90 minutes then they will continue to struggle. Roeder was forced into his substitutions today, Doherty come on for Stefanovic when he went off in a leg brace midway through the first half and Siberski was replaced by Curteon just before the break after a knock. Crofty had a good game but looked totally knackered was replaced by Patterson. Roeder really needs to do something though to get a more consistent approach. This is his team. He is the manager. He needs to motivate them.
Man of the match - David Bell. Played well throughout for his first start.
If you’d offered me two all after 3 minutes I would have probably taken it. City went one down in the 3rd minute to a shocking defensive cock up when they had ample opportunity to clear the ball. Blind panic set in and of course, ex Norwich striker, Chris Brown hammered the ball home at odds of 8/1 for the first goal scorer. Incidentally, the system of backing the ex Norwich striker to score the first goal often pays dividends.
For ten minutes or so the game was dire. Until that is City got into their stride and Lita jumped high to equalise from a corner 15 minutes in. From then on for the rest of the half it was all Norwich and had a few good chances. Unfortunately, none were converted and at half time the score was one all.
After the break Norwich continued to play well and soon scored to go two one up. Kennedy bundled the ball in from a free kick.
After this I would like to say Norwich dominated for the rest of the game and went on to score another three. But I can’t. They were shocking. What happened? Well the one thing consistent about Norwich is their inconsistency. For the rest of the game they continued to try and give Preston an equaliser and then on 79 minutes, Darryl Russel was bizarrely sent off. Apparently for a off the ball push on a Preston player. From the Jarrold Stand, this looked harsh to say the least. But since the incident was by the dug outs, it was difficult to judge. There didn’t appear to be any complaint from the bench. A minute later, Preston equalised. From then on it was ten man Norwich clinging on to the final whistle and a point.
Performances like this are unacceptable. A footy game is 90 minutes long. Not 30, not 60. 90 Minutes. Until City can learn to play for 90 minutes then they will continue to struggle. Roeder was forced into his substitutions today, Doherty come on for Stefanovic when he went off in a leg brace midway through the first half and Siberski was replaced by Curteon just before the break after a knock. Crofty had a good game but looked totally knackered was replaced by Patterson. Roeder really needs to do something though to get a more consistent approach. This is his team. He is the manager. He needs to motivate them.
Man of the match - David Bell. Played well throughout for his first start.
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Has Delia Smith Taken Norwich City as Far as She Can?
There is an opinion with many Norwich fans that the time has come for Delia Smith to hand over the reigns to someone else. She’s taken the club as far as she can and it’s time for some new blood to come in a a) shake it up a bit and b) invest shed loads of cash to improve the team.
On the one hand, I'm fairly resigned to the view that the grass is not greener on the other side. Just look at QPR. On the other, something needs to change - playing consistently well on the pitch would be a good start. We need a manager who can motivate the players to perform week in week out, inspiring them to achieve their very best. For me, Roeder hasn't achieved this yet. We've seen what they guys are capable of against Birmingham and Wolves.
But there are fundamental problems with the structure of football in this country. And unless that changes, I don't see the situation improving - not with this board or any other which may or not be round the corner. And that's me speaking as an eternal optimist!! The Premiership is cash driven so much so that only four clubs realistically have a chance of winning the league. Then there about half a dozen clubs who will consistently finish mid table, maybe sneaking a place in Europe. Then there are the bottom eight or so, who would struggle in the Championship but so far have been lucky enough to keep their heads above water in the Premiership and cling on to a valuable spot.
So what about Norwich? What would promotion bring? In their favour, the board are doing the best they can with the cash they have at their disposal. Being realistic, they are probably not trying to run the club into the ground. Like Mike Ashley at Newcastle, everything's good while the team is playing well. But as soon as the going get tough, many fans find it difficult to stick with what they've got. It's understandable. We all want success. But getting up and staying up are two different issues. A team like Norwich would always struggle in the top flight unless an extremely rich benefactor came in.
However, like anything, in the end, it's a game of risk and chance - both on and off the pitch. We took risks in 2003/4 getting Huckerby and Crouch in. We need that inspired gamble now. Unfortunately given the state of football with inflated wages and average championship strikers warming benches in the Premiership, it's unlikely to happen. Which players would we bring in?
Getting promoted to the premiership from the championship is a) a lottery and b) a merry-go-round. However well they're playing at the moment, Hull, Stoke and West Brom will be relegated in the next couple of years. Portsmouth will be down at some stage, as will Wigan and Fulham.
I would say around 70% of the clubs in the Championship reckon they have a right to be in the Premiership. None of them are consistent, all are beatable.
So, what's the answer? Buggered if I know.
On the one hand, I'm fairly resigned to the view that the grass is not greener on the other side. Just look at QPR. On the other, something needs to change - playing consistently well on the pitch would be a good start. We need a manager who can motivate the players to perform week in week out, inspiring them to achieve their very best. For me, Roeder hasn't achieved this yet. We've seen what they guys are capable of against Birmingham and Wolves.
But there are fundamental problems with the structure of football in this country. And unless that changes, I don't see the situation improving - not with this board or any other which may or not be round the corner. And that's me speaking as an eternal optimist!! The Premiership is cash driven so much so that only four clubs realistically have a chance of winning the league. Then there about half a dozen clubs who will consistently finish mid table, maybe sneaking a place in Europe. Then there are the bottom eight or so, who would struggle in the Championship but so far have been lucky enough to keep their heads above water in the Premiership and cling on to a valuable spot.
So what about Norwich? What would promotion bring? In their favour, the board are doing the best they can with the cash they have at their disposal. Being realistic, they are probably not trying to run the club into the ground. Like Mike Ashley at Newcastle, everything's good while the team is playing well. But as soon as the going get tough, many fans find it difficult to stick with what they've got. It's understandable. We all want success. But getting up and staying up are two different issues. A team like Norwich would always struggle in the top flight unless an extremely rich benefactor came in.
However, like anything, in the end, it's a game of risk and chance - both on and off the pitch. We took risks in 2003/4 getting Huckerby and Crouch in. We need that inspired gamble now. Unfortunately given the state of football with inflated wages and average championship strikers warming benches in the Premiership, it's unlikely to happen. Which players would we bring in?
Getting promoted to the premiership from the championship is a) a lottery and b) a merry-go-round. However well they're playing at the moment, Hull, Stoke and West Brom will be relegated in the next couple of years. Portsmouth will be down at some stage, as will Wigan and Fulham.
I would say around 70% of the clubs in the Championship reckon they have a right to be in the Premiership. None of them are consistent, all are beatable.
So, what's the answer? Buggered if I know.
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