Worrying Performances

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

Before I get into this I would like to firstly declare myself as a full time happy-clapper during games, I have never once boo''d at our own players or manager. Furthermore, I''d like to single myself out as one of the main clappers in my area at Carrow Road - generating a great deal of decibels with each connection.

However, despite my persistent clapping and strive for the team''s success, I can''t help but feel that something has been missing from our performances this season. These last 2 performances in particular have been rather odd.

But does the fact we won both of these games mean we can turn a blind-eye to the quality of performance?

Towards the back end of last season many on here, myself included, cursed our wretched misfortune and highlighted the performances which were, on the whole, good. We noted how the performance was the only fair accolade we could gauge the team on because in football; the affect of fortune is hugely significant.

After the last two performances this argument is again sticking out to me, only this time it has been rather flipped on it''s head. Two poor performances, two very fortuitous opening goals and two good results.

I really hope these results can help to build some kind of momentum within the squad, but at the moment we are simply not performing. We''ve shown some good signs, there have been flashes of brilliance in both games and a twenty minute spell in the first half tonight where we looked like the Alex Neil championship side I remembered us being before. (Thought Jerome was superb in the first half tonight)

Unfortunately though, it''s only managed to be short spurts of incisiveness and for the large part, we''ve looked lacklustre. The first half against Cardiff and second half tonight was simply shockingly bad. We showed no urgency or rhythm and struggled to string together threatening passes - and all of that; despite grabbing early goals in these games to take the pressure off. We didn''t consistently try to build on our fortune and didn''t seem hungry enough to dominate either team. We could''ve come away with comfortable 3/4 goal wins in both of these fixtures, instead we got complacent and ended up clinging on and nearly getting what we deserved (probably).

It was frustrating to watch to say the least. I hope the flashes of good we''ve seen can start to shine through more consistently. But these last 2 matches have not filled me with any kind of confidence, we don''t look like a team capable of competing for the automatic spots and if performances like this persist we could easily start getting caught out by teams; we''ve just played against 2nd and 4th from bottom after all.

It''s critical for us that we are still challenging at the top end of the table come January, we don''t have the money to compete with our rivals and a drop down the table will surely see some of our core players moving on. Under performance in the next 3 months could potentially lead us to stabilising in the championship - we are realistically in the strongest position right now to get back in the Prem. If performance levels persist and we start to fall down the table, I hope the board recognises this and isn''t afraid to make a decision.

But for now, I''m still behind AN and really want him to succeed as our manager at Norwich. I hope that these results, plus the return of Canos, Brady and introduction of Oliveira can push our performance levels to the heights that we know our team is capable of. Starting at Forest on Saturday! OTBC!

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

oh my god my pants are sodden SOMEONE HELP ME CLEAN THIS MESS UP

[Bill 1,788]

" If performance levels persist"

yes, two points a game is quite a worry - it would mean 92 points come the end of the seasonperhaps you can get some of those ladies incontinence pantsthey only cost a tenner(or so it says on the telly)

[morty 0]

[:D]

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

This entire post was based around our performances and not our results. Counter-arguing our results as a measure of our performances defeats the point of what I''m saying.

Let''s make this simpler. Do you think we have been playing well? Do you think we are performing at the level you think our club is capable of, on a consistent basis? The sum of our parts?

Here''s an idea, rate our performances (not results) this season, these are mine..I''ll be as neutral as I can;

Blackburn away: 9/10

Sheff Weds home: 5/10

Ipswich away: 5/10

Bristol home: 6.5/10

Birmingham away - didn''t watch, will go 3/10

Cardiff home: 5/10

Wigan home: 5/10

(Won''t count the cup game as it was basically our under-23 side..)

These ratings average out at 5.5/10. Are they unfair? If not, is that the level of performance you would be happy for us to churn out over the course of an entire season?

I don''t expect us to be doing wildly better in the league, at all. I am very pleased with where we find ourselves and am in agreement with those saying ''it''s a sign of a good team'' when we keep turning mediocre/below average performances into results. I''m just worried about whether we can continue grinding out results in such a way.

[nutty nigel 7,902]

Like Saturday it was a game with something for both Happy Clappers and Nappy Crappers alike. Maybe that''s the plan to keep the attendances above 25,000. If so as a Happy Clapper I would much prefer they did their bit for us in the second half.....

[morty 0]

Imagine if we had played that Barcalona.....

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

That is very true Nutty, and as someone with both clappy hands and sodden pants I guess I''m getting excellent value for money.

[Bill 1,788]

We are winning .... that IS what counts.There are no points for artistic impression. No panel of judges deciding on the merits of our performance and holding up cards with numbers on.The idea is to score more goals than the opposition, NOT to behave as if we were headlining the Royal Variety Show

[Green and Yellow fellow 0]

I agree, our points and position in the table does flatter to deceive imo. I think Forrest away will really be a good test to determine how we perform against a good side. Birmingham was definitely a kick in the canaries but some could argue including myself that they were not surprised by the result. However we was playing Naismith as a CF and the raw talent that is Canos, they seem to be the main victims from that result but generally the whole team should''ve done better. In a way it''s good to know that we can win games when we''re not getting above 3rd gear but it''s also worrying that the only game we have dominated was against a poor Blackburn team. I''m hopeful that Forrest away will be a test which we pass instead of crumble, we certainly have the ability to win.

[Buh 0]

Would we have won on FIFA?

[Mr Jenkins 0]

We are capable of playing so much better than we did yesterday and we will do.

Tell you what though, it''s great walking home from CR with another 3 points in the bag.😊

[Paul101 191]

news flash team underperforms and struggles to start out of the blocks flying ( never ever seen this before in football)

if a underperforming team is picking up 2 points a game what happens when we go get into our stride and click

why does everyone think we will nosedive rather than improve

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

arthur sixpence wrote:

''''We are winning .... that IS what counts.

There are no points for artistic impression. No panel of judges deciding on the merits of our performance and holding up cards with numbers on.

The idea is to score more goals than the opposition, NOT to behave as if we were headlining the Royal Variety Show''''

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sorry arthur but...what? Why have you brought artistic impression into it like that''s what my concern is? I''m talking about the consistency, quality and professionalism shown from the team. Are you trying to say that the team''s performances over the course of the season have no affect on the point yield? Wouldn''t you agree we''d give ourselves a better chance of winning if we performed to the sum of our parts?

If we could churn out similar results for the rest of the campaign, I''d be more than happy for us to continue performing in this manner. I''m just asking, is that actually possible?

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

Paul101 wrote:

''''news flash team underperforms and struggles to start out of the blocks flying ( never ever seen this before in football)

if a underperforming team is picking up 2 points a game what happens when we go get into our stride and click

why does everyone think we will nosedive rather than improve ''''

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I hope that is the case Paul!!

[Well b back 3,605]

Maybe we should have spent the 10''s of millions Villa spent and still be a complete shambles.

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

What''s that got to do with anything?

[Jools 584]

[quote user="Hank shoots Skyler"]Before I get into this I would like to firstly declare myself as a full time happy-clapper during games, I have never once boo''d at our own players or manager. Furthermore, I''d like to single myself out as one of the main clappers in my area at Carrow Road - generating a great deal of decibels with each connection.

However, despite my persistent clapping and strive for the team''s success, I can''t help but feel that something has been missing from our performances this season. These last 2 performances in particular have been rather odd.

But does the fact we won both of these games mean we can turn a blind-eye to the quality of performance?

Towards the back end of last season many on here, myself included, cursed our wretched misfortune and highlighted the performances which were, on the whole, good. We noted how the performance was the only fair accolade we could gauge the team on because in football; the affect of fortune is hugely significant.

After the last two performances this argument is again sticking out to me, only this time it has been rather flipped on it''s head. Two poor performances, two very fortuitous opening goals and two good results.

I really hope these results can help to build some kind of momentum within the squad, but at the moment we are simply not performing. We''ve shown some good signs, there have been flashes of brilliance in both games and a twenty minute spell in the first half tonight where we looked like the Alex Neil championship side I remembered us being before. (Thought Jerome was superb in the first half tonight)

Unfortunately though, it''s only managed to be short spurts of incisiveness and for the large part, we''ve looked lacklustre. The first half against Cardiff and second half tonight was simply shockingly bad. We showed no urgency or rhythm and struggled to string together threatening passes - and all of that; despite grabbing early goals in these games to take the pressure off. We didn''t consistently try to build on our fortune and didn''t seem hungry enough to dominate either team. We could''ve come away with comfortable 3/4 goal wins in both of these fixtures, instead we got complacent and ended up clinging on and nearly getting what we deserved (probably).

It was frustrating to watch to say the least. I hope the flashes of good we''ve seen can start to shine through more consistently. But these last 2 matches have not filled me with any kind of confidence, we don''t look like a team capable of competing for the automatic spots and if performances like this persist we could easily start getting caught out by teams; we''ve just played against 2nd and 4th from bottom after all.

It''s critical for us that we are still challenging at the top end of the table come January, we don''t have the money to compete with our rivals and a drop down the table will surely see some of our core players moving on. Under performance in the next 3 months could potentially lead us to stabilising in the championship - we are realistically in the strongest position right now to get back in the Prem. If performance levels persist and we start to fall down the table, I hope the board recognises this and isn''t afraid to make a decision.

But for now, I''m still behind AN and really want him to succeed as our manager at Norwich. I hope that these results, plus the return of Canos, Brady and introduction of Oliveira can push our performance levels to the heights that we know our team is capable of. Starting at Forest on Saturday! OTBC![/quote]Granted, Neil''s tactics & formation/s aren''t much of a spectacle and

not the ''Norwich way'' of entertaining football we''ve witnessed before

Hughton arrived at the club, but I''m looking at this Division and coming

to the conclusion that the only sides thus far we have to be concerned

about are Newcastle, Villa less so and the likes of our bogey''s in

Fulham & Barnsley.That said, Neil really has to ditch the

4-2-3-1 -- we''re not defensively suited to it through a lack of two

creative DM''s that form the double pivot and we simply don''t have the

brains to carry it off for the duration of the season - we are neither

Barcelona or Borussia Dortmund and neither do we possess their top

levels of coaching where players skills are honed from a young age --

more''s the pity.What we do have is one of the strongest squads

in the Division and despite our decent start to the season it will have

to be utilised better for future fixtures in order to prevent us from

getting found out and for the sake of enterprising football.

[sonyc 6,145]

Agee about Neil''s tactics and strategy not being a spectacle. But as things go we cannot truly criticise whilst results give us 2 points per game. Not sure this kind of run will continue but we wait and see. As for double pivot thing, I would just be so pleased to see a double striker combo with Oliveira and Jerome being used together ....but you just know with Neil that this is highly unlikely to happen as an out and out approach. It will only be used when we are a goal or two down and there is 20 minutes left. From being so bold last time in the Championship he has reverted to a kind of Hughtonesque or Prem era Worthy. I notice that Heckingbottom is really getting his teams playing attacking football with two strikers being used quite a bit, even when they are two goals to the good. They were my outside tip for promotion again having seen hi they finish the last season plus handling the play offs. You are right therefore to reference Barnsley in your teams of note.