Undone by ill-discipline

[unique 434]

AN appears to be a meticulous planner, so underneath his cool facade he must be seething at the recent antics of Johnson and Grabban.

Both players have played a considerable part in this promotion campaign, but that will count for nothing if Norwich were to fail in the play-offs.

Norwich coped results-wise in Johnson''s two-match absence, but his contribution against Middlesborough, after his enforced break, did not replicate his previous high standards.

The further spin-off was Tettey having to play three games in six days, and his subsequent absence from the Rotherham game.

Grabban''s red card was clearly stupid, if a little harsh. That the referee was no more than ten yards away and in clear line of site was bad enough. That he probably barely made contact, for the Rotherham player would surely have dropped like a sack of spuds, made it even more stupid.

AN''s hand is now restricted with just two strikers up for selection for the play-off semi-finals, and so fewer options to keep the opposing manager guessing.

AN has done everything possible to get the club into the autos, the onus is now totally on the players to complete the job via the play-offs.

[morty 0]

Whilst I don''t entirely disagree with what you are saying, I don''t think its right to retrospectively pinpoint any particular player.You can''t applaud a crunching tackle or aggressive, ballsy piece of play in one breath, then criticise the player in the next.The fact that we won the two games in Bradley''s absence perhaps says Alex should have stuck with the winning formula, but who knows? Players have off games, theres no formula to it.

[SwindonCanary 455]

You seem to be blaming them for the defeat to Middlesbough and the draw against Rotherham but if we''d won both of them we still would not have made it to the automatic promotion places.

[lappinitup 629]

[quote user="unique"]AN appears to be a meticulous planner, so underneath his cool facade he must be seething at the recent antics of Johnson and Grabban.[/quote]I think he of all people will understand.........."Neil loses his temper far too often – on Saturday, he was red carded for head-butting an opposition player.""The game was up for Hamilton at the precise moment their manager’s forehead made contact with Gilhaney’s face....""The red card was Neil’s fifth in two seasons – a fairly miserable record....""Accies fans might attest he should have been dismissed with greater regularity""Neil plays with reckless abandon....""there can be no excuses for his behaviour on Saturday"http://www.tellhimhespele.com/five-things-we-learned-28-april-2014/Meticulous planner he may be but a behaviour therapist he is not. [:)]

[Mr Angry 1,547]

There is of course the possibility that Bradley''s booking was planned to make sure that he was available for the Boro game.

[unique 434]

Johnson, I believe, only had to see that one game out before the seasons end amnesty kicked in, and match bans no longer took effect.

If Norwich had won both those games they would be currently in top spot.

Johnson''s booking was crass and completely unnecessary. The rule is daft, but having been advised by the referee, Johnson''s decision to ignore him, at such a crucial stage of the season, and disrupt the momentum that AN had engineered, was reckless.

Grabban''s booking was crass and completely unnecessary.

There''s a pattern emerging here. Fulham apart, there are potentially three crucial fixtures left when, any further stupidity by any of the players will unlikely offer second chances.

If any supporter is forgiving of a player re-entering the field of play from the wrong place, earning a second yellow card, or a player throwing a mis-placed punch earning a red card, over the next (hopefully) four games, then they deserve a medal for tolerance above and beyond the call of duty.

Excuses count for nothing from now. No ''what if'', no ''the referee had a shocker'', no ''hit the post again'', no rallying calls in the newspaper......

Focus, discipline, performance.....results......Premier League.

[Mr Angry 1,547]

Grabban''s disciplinary record this season-2 bookings, and none since 20 September-suggest that he is not a hothead so I wonder why he reacted? Was it anything to do with the fact that he was being restrained in a wrestling hold??? Should he just have let himself be strangled? Would you have let yourself be held in that way without reacting? If so, then you deserve a medal for tolerance above and beyond the call of duty.

[unique 434]

He threw a punch in front of the ref, albeit one that hardly made contact.

It has reached the stage of the season when dumb actions can prove costly. Grabban''s absence makes the play-off semi-final more difficult with just two strikers up for selection.

It would only take a knock to Jerome against Fulham, and our options upfront would look extremely lightweight.