Ricardo's report v Hull City

[ricardo 8,034]

I thought I''d have a look at our record against today''s visitors and it didn''t make very encouraging reading. So it was either that or the fact that I''ve been a bit under the weather this week, that I set off for CR not exactly brimming with confidence. The forecasters promised us a day more akin to summer but although it was mild it was very dull and rather cloudy right up until kick off but as Mr Stroud blew for the Kick off, the sun came out right on cue. The early play from City was bright and inventive and only a couple of timely interceptions prevented through balls reaching Jerome. Husband took the eye early with a nice run down the left and then Wildshut did the same only for Jerome and Vrancic to somehow mess it up when an opening looked likely. Into the eighth minute it seemed we must take the lead when McGregor could only parry Maddison''s free kick and as City kept the pressure on it was Maddison again whose low shot looked goal bound until flicking off the post and away.Wildshut then tested McGregor from the left at the expense of a corner which Hull eventually cleared but a goal looked likely at almost any moment. It should certainly have come just before the twenty minute mark when Vrancic, with a delightful ball over the top, found Wildshut totally alone. Once again McGregor came to the rescue deflecting the ball away with his feet.By the midpoint City should have been ahead and it could easily have been by more than one. Those of us with long experience at CR shouldn''t have been surprised at what came next. With Pinto caught upfield there was room behind as the visitors broke quickly forward down the left and there was  Dicko, latching onto a low through ball, beating the offside trap and sliding a shot past the advancing Gunn. Now it wasn''t so easy and City''s early cohesion seemed to evaporate as passes went a stray and Hull began to get a more equal share of possession. Maddison began to get frustrated at some of the attention he was getting and Meyler was rightly carded for one foul too many. Hull might have had another if Husband hadn''t made a very timely tackle when things opened up down the right.                                                                                                                                                         City began to pick it up again towards the end of the half but Hull were looking much more confident at the back and it was hard to see where a goal would come from.I expected Farke to make some changes at the half but it was same again when play resumed. There was certainly more urgency and it was all hands to the pump in the visitors rearguard as City won a string of corners. A fine move gave Maddison a chance when he latched on to Jeromes pass but again the keeper beat his strong drive away with his fists.With ten minutes gone Meyler finally overstepped the mark and saw red when he bundled Wildshut over in full flight. It wasn''t before time but it signaled a final half hour of almost total siege on the Hull goal.Wes now came on for Reed but it was largely a case of running into brick walls. Time and again it was  a Hull foot or head that met everything that came into the box. Klose, looked to have scored on seventy minutes only for the ball to beat the keeper and be headed off the line with Jerome desperately trying to nod in the rebound.Stiepermann and Olly were finally thrown in to the mix as City went for broke and again it was Maddison who almost scored in a neat interchange that saw his low shot skim a foot wide of McGregors right-hand post. Whatever they tried, Hull seemed to have an answer and as we moved into five minutes added a goal looked no nearer.In a last flurry of corners the ball was cleared for a throw on the left. Stiepermann went for a long''un and Jerome nodded it across goal where Olly flicked it into the roof of the net to thunderous cheers from the City faithful. We''ve had to wait a long time for a late goal and although it wasn''t a winner, in the context of the game it certainly felt like one.I thought Husband had a decent game as did Wildshut but he needs to sharpen up on his goal scoring. It really was a bad miss. The ghost of Ted McDougall will no doubt be shaking his head again.

[king canary 8,751]

Not much to disagree with there Ricardo. Had forgotten about the early chance where Jerome and Vranic seemed to leave it for each other.

[Trevor Hockey's Beard 606]

I must have missed that news - when did Ted McDougall die?

[ricardo 8,034]

[quote user="Trevor Hockeys Beard"]I must have missed that news - when did Ted McDougall die?[/quote]He hasn''tbut his ghost still haunts CR[:D]especially when players miss one on ones[Y]

[Horse Renoir 1]

Thanks for the report. Thought we created plenty of chances today, our finishing just wasn''t there. Then when Hull got the goal they sat deep and made it really difficult for us, that we (eventually) managed to get the breakthrough is really encouraging. Especially as teams haven''t been able to come back against us and we still created a couple of sights on goal even up against a parked bus.

We should be even more effective when our injured players return. Wildschut and Jerome obviously don''t suit playing at home v a deep defence, Maddison wasn''t quite at his best and I don''t like Vrancic out wide but with our injuries we had to make do. I don''t think we''ll exactly be free scoring but we shouldn''t have too much trouble scoring once some of our injured players come back.

Stayed late and had to get a late train home, but totally worth it for once, what a great decision that was!

Tettey is a massive miss and today only served to underline that for me. Still confident for the ipswich game but I''d feel a lot better going into that match with Tettey available

[Creative Midfielder 2,203]

Excellent report as usual, Ricardo.Recent run is certainly impressive but some concerns for me in what seems to be a very clear pattern developing at home of completely dominating games without posing much of a goal threat. Return of injured players may help but I don''t think that its going just as simple as that. I''m sure it is something that Farke is already thinking about and hopefully he will come up with some more ''tweaks'' to the team that will turn us into real contenders.Completely agree with the comment above about Tettey being a massive miss - he''s never been our most complete footballer but he does make a big contribution to the team and one which I think has often been undervalued over the years by many fans. This season he has already demonstrated very clearly how important he his, so very unfortunate to have lost him to an injury, and a training ground injury at that.

[ROBFLECK 134]

Excellently summed up as usual Ricardo...I was sitting head in hands after that Vrancic Jerome debacle... and it felt it was gonna turn out as "one of those days". Thought Husbands performance was a highlight.

[Badger 2,745]

Thanks Ricardo - great report as ever. I remain unconvinced about Wildshutt - great strength and pace too but doesn''t seem to know what to do when he gets in a good position - although tbf, he often doesn''t often don''t seem to to have a lot of options as we don''t have a lot of supporting runners.

[SwindonCanary 457]

We are finding it hard to brake down a solid defence, due to our slow approach. The only way we scored yesterday was because we were getting desperate and decided the quickest option was to get it in the box with a long throw. The defence were not set, and we finally scored. Yippee !      

[Guest]

You are of an age Ricardo when you can remember some fine goals at Carrow Road-coming from crosses. Davies, Curran, Supermac etc getting on the end of a well chosen cross.

What do you think of yesterday''s efforts?

Whatever we practice on the training ground it doesn''t appear to be crossing. And I don''t think it is just us.

But watching Burnley, they put it into the mix.

Not just hit and hope and invariably the ball doesn''t get past the near post.

[Sussexyellow 55]

Loved Marco Stiepermann’s celebration after the goal. Passion like that bodes well.

[Drazen Muzinic 1,502]

Loved Nelson''s celebration better - made a beeline for McGregor and pretty much flicked the Vs in his face!

Not classy and I would hate it if an opponent did it against us but he had it coming after his moonwalking performance at every goalkick.

[Parma Ham's gone mouldy 2,462]

Good report Ricardo and some well-observed comments from Horse as usual.

I was delighted at the final whistle yesterday as fans typically judge performances post-hoc via the prism of the result.

We actually played extremely well yesterday, with clear signs of oppressive, progressive progress. We started brightly and utterly dominated the game.

Our possession was full of clarity of intention, bright, regular switches of play, a repeatedly ability to move the opposition and increasing signs of confidence and technical capability on the ball from the players.

Unfortunately even dominant, controlled, intelligently-constructed sides require a cutting striking edge and Jerome was tepid and unthreatening in an attacking sense today. Without a penetrating, goalscoring 10 this presents a clear problem. Jerome works hard, is diligent defensively, contributes well to the intended structure of the side, but - and I''m afraid it is too big a but to offset the good things - he simply does not threaten opposition defences enough and is really not a weapon. In a side with one striker and limited forward penetration from elsewhere as yesterday, this is not genuine balance.

The truth is that we are very, very reliant on Oliveira if we want to dominate games, retain extensive probing possession and create discomfort for parked busses.

I''m afraid Jerome''s weakness in attack was also the reason for the goal, which have Hull a lifebelt to desperately cling to throughout. A minute or two before the goal Husband delle extremely well into the left channel, he opened spaces in front of him and took two opposition players out of the game, an excellent overload opportunity. Jerome simply did not make a stretching run or offer a progressive angle. Husband threw his hands in the air. He was now out of options, out of position and a counter was threatened (despite having made excellent choices himself). This foreshadowed the goal, when another break into the inside right channel again saw Jerome offer no constructive attacking option, a turnover occcured - when understandably even more midfielders had joined the break - and a simple goal was conceded. There was no need to lose the ball, but no forward option was presented when there should have been one. Tactically the goal was Jerome''s fault. In his defence he may have been tired, diligently chasing endless pigeons, though he must learn when to cheat and not cheat his duties. He is a striker after all.

As for Wildschut, I thought he was actually man of the match. Not because he contributed directly, but because for much of the game he was Norwich''s only weapon. Coaches must work hard with him mentally and tactically. He has gifts and he has flaws. He can go past players without a trick or piece of skill, that is an incredible asset. In full dribbling flight he has incredible power, opposition players bounce off him. He displays none of that power defending. In full flow he is clearly entirely instinctive. Coaching him I would not try to achieve too much, I would try to implant one key thing, rather than try to teach him the intricacies of the game. ''Burst and drive, burst and drive''. By this I would mean explode past your player drive toward the box, then drive the ball hard behind the defence. The end. That''s all.

Then I would coach the others players to adapt to it and expect it. It''s incredibly hard to defend.

I am entirely unconvinced that yesterday''s game cried out for - or missed - Tettey. We made a tactical/technical mistake, it were otherwise completely dominant and in control. Trybull and Reed were fine, high possession, dominant games do not require Tettey per se. His passing, vision and structural discipline are not his strongest assets. What we missed was a dangerous forward, Maddison playing a little deeper (and better) and making better, more dangerous vertical passes (switching him into one of the CDM spaces earlier for example) and Wildschut being more prepared to shoot and drive at the goal or a 10 willing to pepper the goal. Other than than we were excellent, containing the opposition, making a couple of really good chances and making regular possible-chance-creation opportunities without conceding risk on the counter.

Those who cry out for ''more attacking'' in such situations forget the hard-erased lessons of the Neil era. Man City, Man Utd, Spurs are also top of the counter-attack goals note, open yourself up by attacking teams with good weapons and they score against you, so doing what Norwich are doing and oppressing teams, creating repeated good attacking shapes and structures without looking vulnerable defensively is a sophisticated playing methodology that deserves great respect and support. You do need a dangerous striker to ice that cake though.

Honourable mentions for Zimmerman - who looks not only aware, it increasing strong in his duels, Klose for his tactical shaping and positioning (one, stupid, late foul excepted) and particularly Angus Gunn who I thought contributed significantly to our dominance by offering a genuine additional outlet, taking well judged extra seconds to take players out of the game and switched play on the ground with wit and purpose. His agent should send the DVD of that game to Guardiola, he''ll like it.

Norwich were excellent in many ways yesterday and the progress in the pattern of play is evident. The late goal was crucial in giving the stands comfort and confidence in the direction of travel, though anyone paying close attention wouldn''t have needed it.

Parma

[Bill 1,788]

"with clear signs of oppressive, progressive progress"

They spoke of nothing else in the pub afterwards - and on Canary Call, I shouldn''t wonder, if I had been bothered enough to listen

[ricardo 8,034]

Parma,Yes in retrospect I think you are right about Jerome not making an option on a number of occasions when runners from the back finally lost possession. As you say, the goal was a good example of this. I like Cameron Jerome if only for his work rate and honest commitment but certainly his conversion rate over a fairly long career has never been anything to shout about.From my untrained eye it seemed noticeable to me that Reed was playing a little further forward than Tetty usually does and even before Hull scored I was getting the feeling that this was a bit risky. My son remarked that Farke had switched the emphasis forward a bit in search of more goals at home and that if one of those early chances had been converted we might have seen an entirely different game. The importance of scoring first cannot be over exaggerated.

[Horse Renoir 1]

Stumbled across a link to the full game for anyone who missed it. Always shows things in a different perspective to watching from the stands.

https://vk.com/videos-148689441?z=video-148689441_456239311%2Fpl_-148689441_-2

Starts about 20 minutes in.

[Parma Ham's gone mouldy 2,462]

Nonsense Rhubarb, you were on Canary Call! In fact I think you phone in every week.

Parma

[king canary 8,751]

Wildschut man of the match? The goal was Jerome''s fault? OK...

[Mason 47 1,923]

The goal we scored perfectly sums up the differences of Oliveira and Jerome IMO. One is looking do a job, AKA win the flick-on for his teammates, and one was looking only to score.

In our current set-up, we don''t need an 11th ''creator''.

[BroadstairsR 2,273]

"Stumbled across a link to the full game for anyone who missed it."

Thanks for that. Splendid find. I watched the lot (at the expense of watching Saints v Toon on my naughty box.)

For one reason or another it''s not been a good season so far for us ''country'' fans as far as live games are concerned.

I was at Craven Cottage and the only other I''ve seen was the televised Reading game. The rest has been highlights and in this respect surely Ch. 5 could make more of their ''monopoly'' such as it is. The Championship nowadays deserves fuller coverage and the audience would certainly be there.

This is the reason my fans have been rather deprived of my tactical astuteness for much of this season. Apologies.

First thing to say is that I thought that we played much better than the impression I had from reading this forum. We deserved to win and had some class moments, especially in the first fifteen-twenty minutes. We could have wrapped things up in this time and any other day Madisson would likely have been on the score sheet early on and throughout.

I particularly watched Vrancic''s contribution in view of the controversy and the small screen suggested that he had a very decent game. He was a lot more involved than some critical reports had led me to believe and perhaps his critics should watch this link in it''s entirety as I did.

Wildshutt excites and often looks dangerous but nothing ever seemed to come from his efforts. Husband impressed.

We deserved to win, imo, and that was some fleet of busses parked by Hull in the last thirty.

Tactical underclass:- Perhaps Farke should introduce a few of those practise games in training where backwards passing is not allowed. The back towards our goal stuff should be more a last resort than a first resort. It gets a habit.