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Norfolk Stats Man

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Posts posted by Norfolk Stats Man


  1. Could it be, that it has not been possible, to bring in Chris Hughton''s successor until the start of next season, as he still has unfinished business at Celtic, so the gamble was taken. to hang on and hope, that some how we remain in the Premiership, to allow Neil Lennon to take over on July 1st.The proviso being that we stay up.If that gamble fails, then we turn to a proven Championship manager i.e. - Malky Mackay, to get us back up again.Just a thought, but either way, what are the odds that Chris Houghton, will still be here on July 1st ?


  2. Finding the magic key to running a happy and succesful football club is the difficult task taken on by all football managers up and down the country.When Paul Lambert arrived at Carrow Road in 2009, he hit the ground running, and the Board, the Fans, and most importantly, the players ALL bought into what he was trying to do, and how he wanted to go about achieving it, they seemed as though they loved playing for him, and were perfectly happy with how he and Ian Culverhouse set up the team each week. He didn''t always get it right, but mistakes were quickly forgiven, and he steered a happy ship, for three fantastically exciting and succesful years, and I am not ashamed to say, I enjoyed every minute of it.Yes I know he''s gone, but how much of that happy ship has Chris Houghton got left ? We have no way of knowing how much support he has got from the Boardroom, from the fans probably around 40% at best, going on the discussions I have with other Norwich fans each week, and most importantly of all - how many of the players are happy to play for him, and unlike under Lambert, have bought into his way of doing things ?We always focus on the Lambert v Houghton style, but really how much of that argument comes down to the Culverhouse v Calderwood way of going about things ?Sometimes the players seem to have a big say in what happens to managers, go back to October 1st 2006, when the Norwich team didn''t appear to turn up for the home fixture with Burnley which we went on to lose 1-4, and by the end of the afternoon Nigel Worthington had gone, if Houghton cant find the key could the same happen again ?

  3. The starting line up players that played in that 10 match unbeaten run that took 22 points out of 30 before christmas were -:J.Ruddy        6/10            60%                                 A.Tettey            9/10          90%                   R.Snodgrass        8/10       80%M.Bunn        4/10            40%                               B.Johnson        10/10        100%                  E.Bennett             2/10       20%S.Whitaker   8/10            80%                               W.Hoolahan     10/10        100%                  G.Holt                10/10     100%R.Martin       3/10            30%                               J.Howson           1/10          10%                  A.Pilkington       10/10     100%M.Turner      6/10            60%S.Bassong   10/10         100%R.Bennett      3/10            30%J.Garrido     10/10          100%As opposed to the starting line ups that have taken 13 points out of 57 since christmas -:M.Bunn       18/19            95%                                  A.Tettey            11/19          58%                R.Snodgrass        19/19     100%L.Camp         1/19             5%                               B.Johnson        

    18/19          95%                  E.Bennett              6/19       32%S.Whitaker    3/19            15%                              W.Hoolahan     

    14/19          74%                  G.Holt                 11/19       58%R.Martin      18/19            95%                                J.Howson         12/19          63%                 A.Pilkington        10/19       53%M.Turner     17/19            90%                                                                                                         S.Morrison           2/19       10%S.Bassong   18/19           95%                                                                                                         H.Kane                1/19         5%R.Bennett      4/19            21%                                                                                                         S.Jackson             1/19        5%J.Garrido     16/19            84%                                                                                                         K.Kamara            7/19       37%                                                                                                                                                             L.Becchio             2/19       10%I know injuries have played a part in some of these figures, but for what ever reason five key players of the unbeaten run have been some what less involved in the last 19 games - S.Whitaker, A.Tettey, W.Hoolahan, G.Holt, and A.Pilkington and that four players  R.Martin, M.Turner, J.Howson & K.Kamara more so. This is not intended to critisize any individuals, more looking at how the team has been set up.The fact that only one player got 100% since christmas as opposed to six getting 100% during the unbeaten run suggests there has been a lot of chopping and changing, and an unsettled side, has contributed to our downfall.

  4. Two cars set out on a journey to establish themselves in the  Premier League .The first car for the Swansea Team is driven by a very good driver in Brendan Rodgers.The second car for the Norwich team again is driven by an excellent driver in Paul Lambert.Both teams move smoothly into fourth gear and enjoy early sucess in  2011-2012 , but at the end of that season, circumstances evolved that both needed a new driver.Swansea  looked at the way the car had been driven, and decided they needed continuity. The mechanics and every body all bought into the idea that the car performed best when moving forward, and were all happy that it should continue to be driven that way. They quickly identified their new driver as Michael Laudrup.His vision was the same as his predesesor, he jumped straight into the car, liked the direction in which it was heading, tweaked a few things, and it wasn''t long before he was able to change gear to cruise-control. Swansea''s journey to an established Premier League team, remains very much on course.Norwich on the other hand didn''t look as carefully at the ethos of their new driver. They decided against continuity and went for a someone with a different vision.This became a problem for the Norwich mechanics who had been used to setting their car up, to go forward. Taking  longer to appoint their new man at the wheel, Chris Houghton, whose ideas were not the same as his predesesor, he, shortly after getting into the car, decided to SLAM IT IN REVERSE. This move completely ruined the engine, and after limping over the line in May 2013, the car was dumped into the scrap yard called The Champioship.

  5. OUTA manager who consistantley puts out a dis-jointed team, and favours defence over attack all the time, how on earth are you going to beat anyone if you dont attack them ?You play a right-back at left back, and leave a perfectley good left back on the bench.You persist with a very poor midfielder in Howson, and leave the creativety of Hoolahan on the bench.You play an impact substitute on the right wing, and the two right wingers we do have, one is asked to play on the left wing, and the other is on the bench.You have a right winger playing on the left wing, and you bring on one of the best attacking options, in our natural left winger with just five minutes left to play, in a game against a side next to us in the league, that we are desperate to get something out of.Baffling team selections.Houghton will almost certainley be out witted by Lambert on Saturday, so that leaves the West Brom game to save our Premier League status, because we wont get anything but a big dent in our goal difference at Man City, and if Houghton stays and persists with these tactics we will end up where this great journey began, 4 years ago, in division one.

  6. I Know Lamberts gone, and I havn''t come on here to start another boring debate on Lambert v Houghton, so lets call it "Attacking Football" v "Defensive Football" . After 31 games last season as opposed to 31 games this season :- Attacking Football          Pd        W   D    L    F     A    Gd    pts           W   D    L    F     A      Gd    pts   total Gd    total pts        1st April 2012 >      31         6    5    4    23    19   +4    23             4    4    8    19    30    -11    16        -7            39Defensive Football        1st April 2013 >     31         6    6    3     16    15   +1    24             1    7    8     12    32    -19    10       -19          34        1st April 2012 >     Scored 2 or more - 13 times                            Conceeded  4 or more  -  1  once        1st April 2013 >     Scored 2 or more  -  6 times                            Conceeded  4 or more  -  6  timesI feel sorry for Grant Holt and his fellow attack minded colleagues, because the team is not set up to play to there strenghths, as it was last term, the emphases this year being on Bassong and Martin & co at the back. I dont think Grant is any lesser player this year he is just frustrated, at the role he is being asked to play. Ian Culverhouse is a big miss, but he will be back on May 4th when "Defensive Football" plays "Attacking Football" who''s your money on ?
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