Throwing it all away

[pete 319]

Promotion to the Premium League gave the players who entertained us royally last season the opportunity to show their skills at the highest level and secure lucrative deals away from Carrow Rd and reap the financial rewards.  But instead of taking this opportunity those players are failing to show any of those skills and are in fact looking out of their depth.

Ben Godfrey feted to be a future defensive powerhouse by Farke and many who post on here.  Positionally he has proved to be inept as the senior CB currently allowing strikers to find acres of space between his fellow defenders.  Yesterday Villa's first two goals could and should have been avoided.  A multi million deal suggested by many is light years away.  Ben needs to learn his trade before moving away but will that be possible is Farke able to coach defenders it doesn't look positive.

Max Aarons has many lessons to learn. Going forward he is excellent but defensively he is definitely limited and has looked out of his depth in the PL, in the championship he was not tested as much as this level.  Only young and his time will come but needs to learn defending can it be under Farke?  A big deal looks unlikely.

Emi Buendia who set the championship alight has struggled with City possession based football plan.  Lost possession on a number occasions yesterday and cost the team big time.

Todd Cantwell who has looked at times to be a revelation has recently cost us by losing possession in important areas.  Emi and Todd have much to learn no lucrative deal likely as yet.

Its not just the home grown starlets struggling in the PL. Leitner who I am sure expected to shine and hope to impress has looked to struggle to cope his distribution has been wanting.  Stiepermann also is struggling to impress and looks limited at this level. These are the sort of players we could have expected to be able to step up and have singularly failed.

The PL looks a step too far for this group of players playing Farkeball, getting back the injured could improve the situation but there is little evidence this is the case.  I fear for us. 

[JF 694]

On the plus side Pete, we will be able to keep them all next season if relegated, so every cloud 

[kirku 1,332]

Young players still have things to learn? Well worth the lengthy OP.

A few defeats and all sense of context is lost on so many of our "fan" base.

[sgncfc 1,227]

We're 8 games in. Agreed that some of those we hoped would step up haven't really done so yet, but these players have not suddenly become not good enough. Defensively we were dreadful yesterday and there was absolutely no leadership - some real disappointment in characters like Leitner and Stiepermann disappearing when it got hard - but they will know how much they let themselves down. A long way to go yet.