Ha ya got a loight boy?

[quote user="can u sit down please"]I cant understand why Hughton asked Holt to play a different role this year! He inherited a 17 goal forward, he should play to his strengths and should have tried to maintain that!Its like the next United manager coming in and asking RVP to completely change what he is doing! [/quote] Holt has adapted his play to suit the team set up under Hughton and has put in some tremendous performances this season.  The team are playing for the future, not just to have a go.   Hughton has  altered things so that we can compete with every team we play.    That is how we beat Arsenal and MU.   We compete every game.   Liverpool have spoiled the party a bit, but on the whole we have competed well against nearly every team whether they are top or bottom.   If we carried on playing like we did last season we would be in the bottom three.    No defence and relying on willpower and guts.  Admirable, may be, but  credit where credit is due.   We are nine points clear of the drop zone.    Doesn''t that show that Holt has played his part in creating a successful scenario?

Paul Lambert was from the school of thought that keeps football simple.     Get the players in the right frame of mind, man manage them to fight for each other on the pitch and get them to rely on their own ability to play football.   In other words,  put them on the pitch and let get on with it.     If  they believe in themselves enough they will do well.  And up to a point that works. Chris Hughton is more pragmatic and structured in his approach.   It makes players think more about what they are doing - the results being a more consistent and balanced approach.   At the moment it is working as far as the defence is concerned, although Southampton should have scored at least two yesterday.   The coaching is working to the point where the team starts to move forward.    It does beg the question are the players good enough to take on what Hughton is trying to do.    He must be pleased and frustrated at the same time because on one hand we are doing good things defensively, and on the other hand we are failing miserably to take on his methods further up the pitch.   The balanced approach that he is known for has not been much in evidence in recent games.   But we can''t forget the succsessful run we had and have to presume that the standards then are more what we should expect from a Hughton team.  Its not gone badly wrong, we''re still hard to beat and picking up points, and we have seen the coaching methods work, we just have to be patient.  Southampton were good in their closing down and crowding key players yesterday and no-one is going to make it easy for us.   I hope yesterday was the worst we are going to see, it was awful conditions and Southampton were well up for it.  And lets not forget, that 0-0 would be very handy next week too.

[quote user="Nuff Said"]Of course. I''m increasingly bored with the quality of the discussion on this board though. I only read it out of habit now. It seems to largely consist of unrealistic dreamers and trolls against sensible posters like most of this thread who might as well save their (virtual) breath. For quality of debate, I much preferred the Grant/Roeder era on here, at least that was entertaining. [:(][/quote] Maybe we''re all a bit jaded after the last four seasons success, culminating in the ten match unbeaten run, which was great, but the aftermath and the grinding out of points now is making us all a little fretful, I think.    Most of us just want to see the season through now and  see how we regroup for next season, but we mustn''t forget, we''re not there yet.

[quote user="Mister Chops"]If the mini league form guide can be trusted, Wigan should beat Norwich and Villa, and draw with QPR.Norwich should beat Villa.Not looking fantastic for Villa then.[/quote] Form guides are fairly meaningless in a league where supposed relegation fodder can beat Man U and Arsenal at home.   Surely its points from all games that matter?      The mini-league is too selective and takes no account of the reality of the whole league.   Interesting it may be to some, but it is only relevant if you don''t get points off any of the teams higher up the table.    But in reality that is what happens.   If we had lost at home to MU and the Arse, we would be in 17th place.   

I''m sorry to bang on about this, but I don''t understand why he is being written off, yet again.    He has troubled a lot of defences this season, but he simply hasn''t been getting the service he needs to score.   Snodgrass and Pilkington haven''t delivered enough decent crosses, Wes for all his skill hasn''t done enough  and Howson/Tettey/Johnson haven''t been good enough with their passing.The problems don''t rest with Holt.  He scores goals,. he always has done.   But if you don''t get the chances you can''t score.   He has been starved of his supply and playing off scraps.  Unfortunately, he is an easy target.    He doesn''t have the image or a fancy enough foreign name for some fans.  But give him the service and he will score.   Its not rocket science.  

It was painfully obvious from the outset that Hughton was going to have a very tough season.   Coming in at the end of a season where he did not have a great knowledge of the players, hadn''t seen much of us playing.    He had to get a successful approach going and also address the defensive frailty. He brought in some good defenders and a goalkeeper and made us harder to beat.   For a while it has worked as shown during the unbeaten run. It is still working up to a point,  but the midfield is missing the pace of Tettey, Johnson is not a great passer and if Pilkington and Snodgrass don''t perform there is no creativity.  Howson is struggling as he is often isolated when on the ball.   Wes is constantly caught in possession now because the opposition know he can only turn one way and crowd him out.    In short the midfield we have at the moment isn''t up to the task.  With Tettey in at least there is a bit more pace in there.   We thought at the beginning of the season that we had an abundance of quality midfielders.  Maybe we were over optimistic about that.  Hughton clerarly thought Surman was one of the best midfielders at the beginning of the season, but he struggled to make an impression.  So if the others were considered less able than Surman, what does that say about the rest?    A tough season, but as we keep saying, its a work in progress.   This was always going to be a tough season.  But we are, like it or not, on track.

[quote user="Wiz"]Another player ''ruined'' by team Hughton.[/quote] I don''t know how you can say that when Morison hasn''t performed since the middle of last season - under Lambert.  Maybe you should blame Lambert in that case? 

I get the impression that he is trying to copy Wes in the way he plays, trying to turn circles to keep the ball.   But I always thought he was a more direct player full of running, but we haven''t seen much of that.    It looks as if he has (temporarily) lost his way and has forgotten what makes him a good player.   Like most players he needs to play to his strengths and the sooner he remembers what they are the better he will be.     Maybe he just needs time to rediscover his form.    He has a good shot and is a good passer at his best.    Maybe if we get safe we can see him (and some of the other players)  relax a little and express themselves better.    This probably the toughest season we have faced and actually results say we are on track to stay up, so it is not all gloom and doom.   Get through this season and I think we will see some of the players the better for it and play with more confidence next season.

Anyone else watch Morison for Leeds tonight?    Pacy, good touch, desire, terrific finishing, smiling.    Pleased to see him do well - it must have been difficult being at Norwich with all the flack from the fans with the ridiculous gossip and abuse. Looks like a different player.    Mind you that''s how he started with us.    Interesting to see if he keeps going or if the lazy tag follows him to Leeds after a few weeks.   Good to see Arron Wilbraham on the pitch too - now there was a player that confounded his critics.

Thought Garrido was excellent today.

[quote user="Norfolk Mustard"]Maybe our Manager needs to inject some excitement into his leadership team to allow some proper progression to be made in the 2013/4 season? [/quote] Or maybe we should let Hughton time to do things his way and allow for the fact that he inherited a team that couldn''t defend.  Any manager needs time to build things his way.   We are always told this is a results driven business.   Well we don''t get beaten much and we are 9 points clear of the relegation zone, all done on limited means and resources.  That is success in anyone''s books.  If we stay up this season that is a springboard to build more into next season.  In Hughton we have to trust.

I remember last year there was so much anxiety and worry about us conceding goals every game and there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth thinking we were shipping too many goals and always having to attack like mad to get something out of the games. Well this season we''ve got it. Ten is it?  I bet the same people who moaned about the lack of clean sheets last season are the ones moaning about lack of goals now.  But  I think its the natural balance of things.  Lambert was just the opposite of Hughton.   Hughton has had to address Lambert''s shortcomings as a manager and what we are seeing is a team learning to defend. Something they couldn''t do last season.      If we survive this season, we should see a progression into a more able midfield and attack based on a good defensive set up.   Clean sheets are a bonus at the end of the day and the very worst you can say about them is that if you don''t let goals in you can''t lose a match.   

We''ve been spoilt by having Holt over the last four years.  He scored for fun in the lower leagues and that momentum helped him last year.   This year is different as many have said.    His role is more that of a Kevin Davies figure, an important cog in the team, roughing up the defenders and pulling the defence about.    The problem is with the team, not Holt.     The midfield supply and cohesiveness just hasn''t been there enough to give him enough chances.     We know he can score and will score and does score (Everton?). Decline of a hero?   Don''t make me laugh.   Its wishful thinking for some of you.  I''m sure some of you haven''t got over the fact that he was once a tyrefitter............

Here we go again.   Holt bashing never far away. The Holt I see gives 100% every match.   Hughton would not play him if he was overweight or unfit.Simples.  

Gewl Scoran?    Who does he play for? 

"As we prepare for Premiership Season 3 with a clean slate""And so on to season 2 of life in the Premiership. What now the expectation? Well, for the board, they made it clear that it was once again all about survival; taking the club to a debt free position, a position of relative strength in the modern game, a position that we can solidly build from.   Chris Hughton has achieved that" While I agree with most of the op, it does seem a tad early to be talking in terms of season three when we are not yet safe this season.   We can still go down the table if we have another bad run.  Two bad results, with the teams below picking up a point or two would suddenly make us seem a lot closer giving us a squeeky bum end to the season.     The opposite is true too, we could pick up points and carry on into mid table safety, but the season isn''t over yet.    I would prefer to wait a few more games before thinking that the season is safe and we can move on to season three.  Thinking the job is done is a little premature imo.

[quote user="Indy"]I think we are very safe[/quote] We''re not safe yet.  It all boils down to the same thing - we have to keep on picking up points.   If we don''t we will be caught up.  If we do carry on picking up points we can consolidate our position mid table and  in the last few weeks of the season look to get up a place or two higher. 

[quote user="can u sit down please"]What are our strengths?[/quote] It''s simple.   Our strength is  in the players we have working their hardest to play the manager wants them to play.   If we lose that total effort, we would be down amongst the clubs at the bottom.    In short, it''s down to the respect the players have for the manager and their effort in trying to play how he wants. They''re not doing so bad.

Its a tough watch at the moment, but we are where we are, both in the league and as a club.  In the league, as we are currently 8 points clear of the drop zone, then surely CH is doing the necessary.  He is making us stronger as a unit and more able to contain and compete with the whole league.   Imo that is the future, because if we are to emulate Everton and to a certain extent Fulham, we have to be able to compete against all the clubs in the division.      As a club we are trying to consolidate and build a run of seasons in the top league and thereby increase the wealth of the club and the kind of players it can afford.   We have to hang in there and  see this transition through.   If Hughton can''t get the midfield/attack to function better next season then will be the time to question him.   For the moment Hughton is the man.   As for  Holt, he is having to fit in with all this and he works his socks off in the cause.  He is no problem either.

[quote user="Citizen Journalist Foghorn"]Nothing wrong with playing for 0-0.  But if you are literally sat back in your penalty area the whole time, there is not much chance of keeping a clean sheet. In the end it is irrelevant, given Man U put out their first XI we had little or no chance anyway of a result. Roll on Southampton.[/quote] And why did Fergie put out his first eleven?   Because we beat them at Carrow Rd.   Fergie doesn''t like being beaten by the likes of us so was taking no chances of an upset.    After all if we had won and done the double, it would have been a serious blow to the MU pride.    That home win of ours still counts and is three points that is keeping us nicely clear of the drop zone.    

Watching today online, I couldn''t help thinking, here we go again, another dour game in prospect.    The Johnson overhit cross after a few minutes summed it up.   A good position to give Holt  and a clear chance gone.   Poor technique.  No wonder Holt hasn''t scored so many this season.  And so it goes on.  We are led to believe its a work in progress but is it?   I''d like to think so, but it is becoming really difficult to watch the kind of football we are playing, week in week out.    Why can''t we string passes together like we used to?     Why can''t we get crosses in like we used to?     Is it down to tactics, or are the players just too scared to?     Thank goodness for Martin last week, putting in a decent cross to the back post.   Today was not a good advert for football or for Norwich.    If we''re not careful, we''ll end up getting a reputation for not just boring football, but poor football as well.   We might stay up, but is that all that matters?

QPR are one of a selection of clubs where money is the only motivation.   Sooner or later they come unstuck.    Hopefully,  we will never go down this road.     I''d rather have less money and  be a yo yo club than sell out to someone who has no idea and thinks all you have to do is throw money around to be successful.

[quote user="Grant Holts 3 year contract"]Lets do this again Norwich! [/quote] We had chances to beat them last season away,   we have beaten them  at Carrow Rd and Fergie doesn''t like playing us.   It would be a good bet, I reckon, with good odds too.

[quote user="smooth"]I think the term legend is thrown around too much, our hall of fame is exactly the same. I agree if the player is talked about in 15 years then fair enough. But I do think HUckerby is the only recent one. Legend should be left for a very select few and it will always be associated with when you came to watch Ncfc and of course how much video footage there is of players. So for me hoolahoops is not worthy of being mentioned in a top legend category. But if we can list 200+ then hoops may get in. But for me no.[/quote] Agree with the above.   You have to admire his perseverance and his qualities for what they are, but there have been so many frustrating performances in amongst the good ones.    Only one foot and can only turn one way and sometimes turning  in ever decreasing circles, at other times brilliant. Hucks is a legend because every time he got the ball the expectation levels went up -  something special.   Hoolahan is a good servant of the club but imo is not a legend.

[quote user="Norfolk Dan"]Im going to be driving to Manchester on Saturday morning. Anyone want a lift?[/quote] Yes please!   Can you call in at Thorpe Green on the way?  Only kidding...............