Blame game

[Cobain18 0]

In the last 24 hours on this board, people have slaughtered our two new signings, suggested Neil isn''t up to the job and said we''re certainties to go down.

It''s understandable in that when your team isn''t performing, you look to what could be wrong and try to change it but if we take the season to date (as opposed to the last two games in isolation):

* We''ve had ups and downs; beating Man Utd, drawing against Arsenal, beating Sunderland to losing our last two games and losing against Stoke. We''re likely to be inconsistent given the fact this is our first season back in the premier league

* At the halfway stage of the season, we''d achieved the required amount of points at that stage of the season to stay up, having played all of the teams in the Premier League

* The transfer window is being labelled as a failure by some. This may or may not be true but to date Pinto and Klose haven''t played three games yet, our last two were poor performances. Let''s not write them off just yet!

* Neil is going through a tough spell, he had one earlier in the season and came through it, I haven''t seen any suggestions as to who would be better and I''ll light of his track record to date (combined with points total at halfway stage), I really think it would be a knee jerk reaction to even be discussing the possibility of him leaving the club

Let''s see what Villa brings - losing to Liverpool and Chelsea is certainly not a reason to start panicking (despite th performances being awful); 4th from bottom was always going to be mission accomplished this season and I still firmly believe we can achieve safety with our current set up. If we lose against Villa I may not be so confident ...

[Cobain18 0]

Auto correct has not done me any favours combined with watching Chelsea - I obviously meant Liverpool and Spurs!

[Move Klose 303]

It''s not the losing to the likes of Liverpool and spurs. It''s the manner of these defeats. The constant mistakes. That''s a very bang average liverpool side we conceded 5 to. Spurs didn''t even have to get outta 1st gear. The way we are shipping 6 goals vs Bournemouth and Stoke, making the same mistakes and individual errors over and over.

It''s not a blame game, it''s people being very concerned at what they are seeing lately.

[Indy 3,283]

When you lose 5 on the bounce after getting your noses clear of the bottom three makes people rightly look at what''s wrong.....as I hope AN is also doing.

We all pay the money to watch the game, so all have an opinion, what''s wrong with that?

It was always going to be a difficult season as it''s proving to be, maybe AN should have recruited more experienced premiership coaching staff to help.

Still April home games will go a long way to where we play next season, 3 points at Villa and a couple results here and there with three wins at home in April will just about do.

But I fully understand everyones opinions and they might not be in common to mine but who am I or you to say they are wrong?

[Cobain18 0]

A very bang average Liverpool side are ''bang average'' due to inconsistency, they are still top half of the league - 5 4 was a one off freak result, really strange game.

Spurs are title contenders, to suggest they didn''t get out of first gear isn''t correct, I watch a lot of Spurs and that'' show they play - we conceded a very early goal which made things very difficult and we should have tested the more.

Either way, I''m not suggesting those two performances were of the required standard or what we should be aiming for, we are inconsistent due to the fact we''re in a relegation battle - that''s why we''re in a relegation battle along with 5 other teams.

We''ve been making mistakes all season and as stated, achieved the required amount of point at halfway stage. Signings have been brought in to address that and not even given two games, or one game (or in Klose''s case) to settle and labelled as poor players.

I''m not suggesting we should keep making mistakes but calling for the manager''s head without a suggestion in terms of a contingency plan Ian''s constructive or conducive to success. Neil got us promoted from an unlikely position and gave us a day at Wembley, 3 or 4 poor performances doesn''t warrant sacking a manager with his track record surely? If it does we really are in trouble!!

[Cobain18 0]

[quote user="Indy"]When you lose 5 on the bounce after getting your noses clear of the bottom three makes people rightly look at what''s wrong.....as I hope AN is also doing.

We all pay the money to watch the game, so all have an opinion, what''s wrong with that?

It was always going to be a difficult season as it''s proving to be, maybe AN should have recruited more experienced premiership coaching staff to help.

Still April home games will go a long way to where we play next season, 3 points at Villa and a couple results here and there with three wins at home in April will just about do.

But I fully understand everyones opinions and they might not be in common to mine but who am I or you to say they are wrong?[/quote]

Nothing wrong with that, everyone''s entititled to their opinion, I''m expressing mine, you and several others may disagree which is fine, that''s why we love the message board

[norfolkngood 1,086]

3 or 4 bad performances ? like the 10 game without winning before Christmas

AN then had a great spell over Christmas no he is looking lost

the players look lost

I would be surprised if he can turn this round will he be able to ?? who knows

I would Norwich to have a manager settled for 5 to 10 years but they have to get results as well

[Cobain18 0]

[quote user="norfolkngood"]3 or 4 bad performances ? like the 10 game without winning before Christmas

AN then had a great spell over Christmas no he is looking lost

the players look lost

I would be surprised if he can turn this round will he be able to ?? who knows

I would Norwich to have a manager settled for 5 to 10 years but they have to get results as well[/quote]

You''re right. We hadn''t won, he turned it round with a spell over Xmas. We need 5 wins or the equivalent to stay up. My view is that Neil is the man to do that despite our current run and at this moment in time I don''t see a better alternative.

If we lose to villa (as it''s a key game to one of our near rivals), you start to question it, if we beat villa, things don''t look anywhere near as bad. I''m just of the view that turning on the manager at this stage isn''t the time and he should be afforded more time especially in light of his previous achievement with us.

[Mr Jenkins 0]

There is no way AN is going anywhere, and rightly so.

We have backed the guy, with good reason, and we will stick by him.

[norfolkngood 1,086]

time will tell its a guessing game

[Cobain18 0]

Agreed. We all want the best for the club even if opinions do differ, hopefully the right decisions (whatever they are) are made to keep us up. As you say, time will tell

[Essjayess 307]

I try to be a realist, as its a topic called Blame game, ultimately if anyone is to blame for a club like City having  such a hard time in the Prem its a mix of ordinary people subbing to Sky each month, and clubs that allow themselves to be bought out by rich overseas owners. But yet in both scenarios  both are not at fault, but both are the causes  as to why the Prem is more and more a Rich mans league each season.If folk refused to pay the absurd subscriptions each month to Sky to watch all that sport and all those movies, then Sky could never have thrown all this absurd money into the Prem. But then its a freedom of choice. Likewise football clubs selling their souls to rich Russians and Sheikhs, maybe less freedom of choice there, but likewise its a cause. I watch Sky for movies and sport to, but on a Android box for free. Have never one penny to them and never will.I will never blame Alex or the club for getting relegated if it happens, as ive expected it to all season. Of course i want to see our players perform better than theyve done most matches, but reality is they, and the club, are swimming against an ever increasing tide of filthy richness in this league. That City manage to even compete, and grab some of these riches, before being sunk once again by the high tide, is testament to what a truly successful, British thru and thru, and local run club we love and support. Look at the rest of the Prem and see who they really are, NCFC are unique, in reality likely the most successful club of our type in England.