Player Ratings

[ZLF 271]

A fantastic result, threatening attacking play and solid defending - fingers cross we can now build some momentum...

Greeno   6 Did what was expected but must slow down on throwing in some instances.

Wright    6 Got forward better than Colin but not so good defensively - did OK for his debut.

Doc        7 Superb leader at the back

Davenport 7 For the first time I noticed how one footed he was - but solid and assured.

Drury      6 Supported attack well

Hoooozey 6 Superb early strike - cruel fans around me suggested it was an attempted cross [6] - his subsequent passing suggested they may be right - better on the flank than in the middle.

Safri        7 Steadying classy influence as always

Etuhu      6  Wierd debut - made his physical presence count and was impress in both boxes - but at times looked like Bambi on ice when the ball was a his feet.

Hux        7 Far better game than recently linking up superbly with the front two

Ashton    7 Two assists and linked with Thorne far more effectively than I thought possible - playing the foot man to Thornes aerial leadership.

Thorne    8 The sole difference between recent performances, led the line superbly and both goals came from flick ons from him to Ashton - which he did all game.

Worthy - 7  right players right positions right result.  Would have been an 8 if we had avoided SO much long ball game - there was far too much by passing of the midfield (defence, thorne, ashton, hux was the main route/tactic) - but needs must when we are only 16th at the start of the day and it was effective today (and probably suited the strengths of teh team so its only a minor quibble).  On another day we will need more guile from the middle of the park  

OTBC

[Steve Hopkins 0]

Very good performance although I think the scoreline was very flattering to Luton. In all honesty they were absolutely useless, how they are where they are in the league is beyond me judging by that performance.

Still here goes.....

Green - 7 Didn''t put a foot wrong and always looked assured.

Wright - 7 Not a bad debut, nice and steady at the back.

Drury - 7 Another consistent performance and made some good challenges

Davenport - 9 Man of the Match. Absolute collosus at the back. Had the Luton forwards running out of ideas how to break us down. Great aerial presence.

Doherty - 7 Solid in the air. Distribution could have been better.

Safri - 6 Not his best game. Good in the tackle but first touch was lacking and seemed a bit off the pace.

Etuhu - 7 Lively debut. Bedded in well, breaks up play in our half and distributes well. Full of running and unlucky not to score.

Hughes - 6 Obviously out of position but adapted to his role well. Nice finish but he simply had to score!

Huckerby - 7 Full of running and got his rewards.

Ashton - 7 Great touches and occasional flashes of brilliance. Finishing a bit off but worked well and was an absolute handful for the whole Luton defence.

Thorne - 7 Plugged away and did well supporting Ashton. I can''t help but want McKenzie back up front however in his place.

[AJ 1,218]

Greeno  - 7 - another good game, another clean sheet, didnt have to do much made some good saves but our defence was good enough to keep Luton quiet.

Wright  - 7 - I was impressed by Wright, came here and goes straight into the team, is good going foward and the whole defence was solid..

Doc - 8 - Doc has been a completely different player at the back since moving to the right side, with davenport in there aswell we have a blockade defence.

Davenport - 8 - His last game at carrow road, and he played one of his better games, he is going to be sorely missed, deserved the MOM played a great game at the back also nearly set up ashton with a great run and through ball, unfourtuantly ashton couldnt convert.

Drury  - 6 - Did well on the left, but huckerby stole the show, was good in support going fowards, had an adverage game for me.

Hughes - 7 - Got his first goal which was a great strike, Seems to be a better player on the right wing, got some good crosses in, linked up well with Wright, and actually took players on down the flank (which marney doesnt do)

Safri  - 7 - Another good performance from safri, nice to see him back, the norwich midfield just isnt the same without this guy.

Etuhu  -  7  - Good debut in my opinion, looked good in both defence and attack, and you actually noticed him on the field (ala jason Jarrett) Came close twice, a header and a shot which defelcted wide, i think we will see bigger and better from him over the next few games.

Hux  - 8 - Huckerby back to his old self, its been a long time since ive seen him get someone booked like that. His goal was a typical huckerby goal, and was a constant threat throughout the game, linked up well witht he front to - ashton especially and also used drury down the flank well.

Ashton  - 8 - Looks far comftable when we play the ball on the ground, linked up very well with Thorne and Huckerby and made two goals. A great game from ashton, came close to getting his reward, fully deserved it, would have been my second choice for MOM, proved his 3 million pound worth today.

Thorne - 8 - came on and played an adverage game like he did at cardiff, and what a difference it made to OUR side, as you say both goals came from his flick ons to ashton, linked up well and made the difference, keep him in worthy.

Worthy - 7  - Took the risk moving some players around and trying some different tactics, and it all paid off, worthy got it right for once, but im still not convinced......

[No Mad 0]

I arrived at Norwich airport yesterday morning after an overnight flight from Namibia and went to the ground after battling the Christmas shoppers for a few hours! I was delighted I made the effort. An excellent result against difficult opposition. I thought the first half performance was very good and second half OK. Overall, we looked very comfortable.

Green (6) did not have much to do but generally looked OK except a bit ''flappy'' under one or two crosses. Not sure I agree with Zipper on the issue of his throwing. I would prefer him to throw more and boot the ball upfield less. For example, Henderson was incandescent with him when he pulled wide right into lots of space only for the ball to be aimlessly pumped into the left centre.

The defence looked solid. I think Wright (6) did OK but seemed a little nervy early on. He made one goal saving challenge in first half where he had covered a run into the centre of the penalty box. Doherty (7) and Davenport (7) look solid in the centre especially against long balls. Davenport got MOM at the ground, although I thought Doherty was marginally better on the day. Drury (7) also did well, especially pushing forward to support Huckerby. Fleming (6) did alright when he came on for Wright, who seemed to tire. He made at least one crucial challenge and seems to be ahead of Colin in the RB pecking order?

I really liked the midfield - especially first half. Etuhu (7) and Safri (7) look the business although both seemed to tire badly in the second half. Etuhu seems very Francis-like to me - strong in the challenge and willing to push forward. Could be an excellent signing. Safri uncharacteristically gave the ball away at least 3 times in dangerous places. Just slightly off the pace at times but very good. I agree with Zipper that Huckerby (7) linked up well with the front two, especially for his goal. Hughes (7) best position seems to be out right and he scored an excellent goal - doing what every wide player should do (IMO) which is attacking the penalty area when the ball is on the other flank. I was a bit surprised he started in that position ahead of McVeigh but clearly Worthington was right. I was really unsure who was MOM as it seemed like a good team performance to me but I would have given it to Hughes because he showed others how to score and I think going ahead that early turned the game.

Up front, I thought we looked threatening. Ashton (7) looked back to his best and I thought Henderson (6) looked sharp when he came on late on. He certainly provides a different option. I was really surprised that Zipper made Thorne (6) MOM as he was pretty anonymous to me. What do others think?  

For me, the big difference was the two new loan signings and having Safri and Hughes fit and available. Brennan, Charlton, Colin and Jarrett were not even on the bench which given recent performances was probably fair. Gallagher was on bench instead of Ward (is he injured?) McVeigh and Rossi Jarvis - unused subs.

Any news on Ashton''s injury? I hope it was not too serious and he came off as a precaution?!?!

Concerning the sendings off, it was only after the game that I realized that there had been two. I think the first was for a second yellow card - for a challenge on Etuhu (I think). Huckerby was close by and was incensed for what he thought was an elbow. I did not see any spitting or gesture - did others?

Now, we really need to take this form on the road if we are to get anything out the next four games!

 

[Trent Canary 0]

Thanks for the ratings guys. Can I just ask what you all think were the main differences between today and past games? What sort of gameplan did we have? (I.e. Through Hucks all the time)

And is 1st wizard accurate in saying we played conference style footie? I assume not, never happy unless he gets a good moan in etc, but thought I would better check.

Ps For what its worth, im not a fan of the new boards, but it seems to be quicker, and after a few weeks im sure ill forget we even have a new board [:)]

[DumbleDelia is Magic 0]

Pretty much agree with that Zipper but I''d have given the Doc an 8 and Hughes a 7.  The Doc had a superb game IMO.  Read the game fantastically, solid, didn''t give the strikers an inch.  Hughes was great as well I think.  Tough in the tackle and good distribution

[Colourful Canary 0]

To my mind the chief difference was Thorne, who

won all the 50/50''s and won lots of  headers and flick ons,

something Ashton does not always do. In past games, whenever Ashton

does win a 50/50, there is no one to latch onto the ball, but the

Thorne to Ashton combination worked well as Thorne worked tirelessly

and would have got my vote for man of the match  if it had not

been for the superb Davenport at the back -  I know that the Etuhu

deal appears certain, but given Roger Mumby''s statement  that we

only have 1m to spend, would it not be better to buy Davenport, as he

is genuine quality. Etuhu had a quiet debut if you discount the

spitting row. To my mind, yes we need a strong midfielder, but maybe a

more creative one. David Wright looked like a good acquisition -

terrific committment and good positional sense with good body strength

to boot. Got forward much more confidently than Colin, yet had the pace

to get back if necessary - could we perhaps get him on a free?

Can I also be controversial and suggest that if Ashton is unfit to face

Millwall. Doc plays alongside Thorne up front? Neither McVeigh nor

Hendo can hold the ball up, which puts pressure on our defence, as

happened in the last 15 minutes against Luton after Ashton went off. I

don''t like the idea of splitting up the excellent Docherty-Davenport

combination, but I think Fleming could come in for one game and do OK

against the Millwall forwards, Doc going to the back again when Ashton

is fit.

Ratings:

Green 6

Drury 7

Davenport 9

Docherty 7

Wright 7

Hughes 6

Saffri 6

Etuhu 6

Huckerby 6

Ashton 6

Thorne 8

[FilletTheFishWife . 0]

Luton''s left wing was pants but nevertheless i was more impressed by Wright than Etuhu as far as the debutants were concerned. A sure improvement on the hapless Colin both attacking and defensively.

And a great clearance by Fleming at the end eh Zipper !

[whoareyou? 0]

We do play more ''long'' ball than i would like but it is quite effective with both Thorne and Ashton able to win headers.

Though Etuhu did nothing exceptional, his mere presence was enough to unsettle the Luton midfield. Looks like he could weigh in with a few goals too. Safri looked OK with him, tho he made one or two strange passes.

Wright played well and looks to be a very good player.

Davenport was immense and will be sorely missed when he goes back. He and Doc, who also had a good game, work well together. Drury also had a better game.

Hux looked more like his old self especially in the 2nd half, i thought. Taking players on and committing them to poor tackles.

Thorne worked hard but for no apparent reason, was always getting fouls given against him. Had a hand in both goals. Ashton likewise but looks short of a bit of confidence in front of goal. Just needs a couple of goals to settle him down again.

Hughes worked hard and his goal was a bullet-like shot. Looked useful on the right.

Greeno looked confident and took the crosses well. Didnt have a lot to do.

Hendo looked lively when he came on and Flem did ok, making one useful challenge when their guy looked likely to score.

[LinkNR9 0]

I have to agree with other posters about Thorne; not MOM, but his hold-up play was good and he was strong in the air. He tired in the second half, but his savvy and experience were invaluable in the first half. Deano and Thorne looked a good parthership, and Thorne was talking to him throughout the game.

Hairy, I can see where you''re coming from with your suggestion about the Doc, but I would avoid having Fleming at centre back at all costs.  

[Largey 0]

i have to say i dont think colin has been that bad, although the only game i have seen live was the one on sky sports vs plymouth, and they can make anyone look good that day! louis-jean is good but is injured, we have 4 right backs now, probably r best position at the moment for injury replacements, apart from goalie, where we have 4 internationals (one youth).

i think gazza doc is player of the season so far.

[Maverick 0]

Not much to add to the ratings.

I thought Thorne had a great game - made a hell of a difference to Deano''s game that he didn''t have to do it all himself.The Billy Smart''s circus combination of ref and linesman (chequered flag) didn''t help Thorne at all - cant remember him getting one decision in the second half.

Wright impressed me greatly , especially when you consider he had only had one day to get to know his team mates.Etuhu seemed to be lost a lot of the time but I think the expectations on him in these parts probably outweigh his ability - otherwise would Preston have let him come here so easily ?

Zipper - completely agree regarding Greeno''s throwing.Whoever has told him to do this needs to tell him to stop - now.The amount of times he dispatches the ball seconds after claiming it , yet we lose possession virtually straight away is becoming another facet of our play that is an annoyance.