Wtf is going on here?

[king canary 7,559]

All of our defence on one side of the pitch. No semblance of cover from our midfielders. Is anyone talking to each other?

This stood out to me in real time last night and it looks even worse on second viewing.

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

We tend to overload one side on many occasions when we attack. Problem comes when we lose the ball as we did many times last night and were exposed.

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,775]

The defensive organisation and positioning has been like this on many occasions this season. The obvious reason is the lack of experience in there: Aarons and Lewis have been playing professional football for less than two years and Godfrey has spent less than a year playing at centre back. Maybe with Klose or even Zimmermann at centre back with those three we'd have been tighter, but neither Amadou nor Tettey have any experience of playing in a back four and the former doesn't even speak much English, allegedly.

Another explanation is simply that we have a positive, attack-minded coach who focuses almost exclusively on what we do with the ball as opposed to without it, and I'm sure training sessions must be geared towards this too.

Most coaches would be having kittens about our defending and would've done something to address it by now either by changing tactics or personnel, but Farke's approach is to put an incredible amount of faith and trust in his younger players and patiently wait for them to develop. They developed at a rapid rate last season but unfortunately they don't seem to be learning as quickly this season now they're up against top class players. 

So what do we do? Do we put Byram in at full back, sign Johan Djourou or Marc Wilson, switch to a back three or just continue as we are and hope the kids learn by experience? Or do we sack Farke and bring in Tony Pulis*?

*No, I'm not being serious.

[nutty nigel 7,506]

I did hear "get that Poolus in" on the way out of the stadium last night...

I'm hoping the international break gives us a chance to re-group. Unfortunately it's likely that 3 of the back 4 will be away?

Edited November 9, 2019 by nutty nigel

[Capt. Pants 4,194]

You can interpret that  picture how you like. I see Lewis trying to fill in for the midfield who were over-run as usual. Or I see Hernandez dozing and not tracking back. 

[Hillhead 114]

19 minutes ago, nutty nigel said:

I did hear "get that Poolus in" on the way out of the stadium last night...

I'm hoping the international break gives us a chance to re-group. Unfortunately it's likely that 3 of the back 4 will be away?

What was the general atmosphere in the stadium like last night NN?

A poster in the match thread seemed to believe it was tense and ready to turn but thats not at all how it came across to me last night on the TV. 

[Mello Yello 2,273]

The tables don't lie.....Goals conceded last season and our current goals conceded this season.....have we rectified it.....not really.....

 

Just watched the highlights on football focus.....Big Dion said our defending was poor.....

[nutty nigel 7,506]

6 minutes ago, Hillhead said:

What was the general atmosphere in the stadium like last night NN?

A poster in the match thread seemed to believe it was tense and ready to turn but thats not at all how it came across to me last night on the TV. 

It's always subdued around me in "the blankets". We were soaked, cold and losing. I still managed to get a "tut" for shouting "yellows" though🙃

A long long way from turning for me. That seems to always happen in a set order. Online, away fans, home fans. 

 

[Mello Yello 2,273]

Before half time the 'oink oink' biscuit bandits around me left their seats 6.5 minutes before they normally do.....Shame, because they miss the 'more entertaining than the match' hilarious 'Zorb Football' challenge.....The biscuit bandits then return minutes after the game's restarted with their trotters clutching custard and bourbon creams (and there's probably more stuffed in their poachers pockets).......So we are all up and down like pistons on a full speed six stroke engine to allow them bandits access to their pews.....Full time there was no booing, just a few audible groans, fidgeting and shuffling of feet.....If the biccy bandits did get vociferous, I'd be covered in half masticated moist biccy cream an' crumbs....."OINK THE BALL CITY!"..... 

[Capt. Pants 4,194]

I thought the fans got behind the team pretty well tbh. A few boos in the Upper Barclay at final whistle but nothing of note. Players left the pitch pretty sharpish it has to be said, don't think Godfrey did his normal circuit.

Pub talk very critical - Sheff Utd will be key I think.

[nutty nigel 7,506]

I know this is the age of instant gratification but even so surely with six home games since we won the championship and just three home games since we beat Man City even the weakest stomachs could manage to stay with them for a while yet.

Edited November 9, 2019 by nutty nigel

[lappinitup 629]

8 minutes ago, Capt. Pants said:

I thought the fans got behind the team pretty well tbh. A few boos in the Upper Barclay at final whistle but nothing of note.

This says differently........

https://www.twtd.co.uk/forum/469024/norwich-booed-off-and-calling-for-farke’s-head/#20

And they even added a link on that thread to a classic bit of writing.......

https://www.suffolkgazette.com/sport/norwich-city-obituary/

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,775]

The boos at full time were clearly audible on the TV coverage.

[Peanuts 150]

There was definitely a bit of a boo at the final whistle although it wasn't particularly loud from where we were. I don't think the crowd had 'turned' though. Main feeling around us was grim resignation and a feeling that the players were trying but just not good enough.

[nutty nigel 7,506]

If some fans have turned already then they must be some of the most fickle fans ever to go to a Norwich game.

 

[hogesar 9,609]

27 minutes ago, nutty nigel said:

If some fans have turned already then they must be some of the most fickle fans ever to go to a Norwich game.

 

Yoube pretty much nailed it.

[HertsCanary93 222]

Unfortunately couldn't make the game yesterday, but the boos were definitely audible on the TV. 

I have publicly have strong reservations about how the club did in the summer, window but booing the players/manager is not on. They were brilliant for us last season and still are giving their all. 

[Jobsworth Canary 168]

Yesterday was well worth a boo although I had long gone by then

i really can’t think of a more unprofessional display since the trashing at Fulham that relegated us.

Farke was angry and rightly so but he sets the tone and discipline and there are clearly big issues that need resolving and very very quickly 

Emi mistake was a disgrace and the defending for the second was Sunday league stuff and don’t get me started on Cantwell

only Onel came out with any credit 

[nutty nigel 7,506]

Just think how excited you'd have been if Todd hadn't been gloveless...

[king canary 7,559]

How has a thread about our defensive positioning become about booing already??

[TeemuVanBasten 3,327]

3 hours ago, Capt. Pants said:

You can interpret that  picture how you like. I see Lewis trying to fill in for the midfield who were over-run as usual. Or I see Hernandez dozing and not tracking back. 

We don't look very 'over run' on midfield in that image, 4 v 6 but one Leicester player left in acres of space on the far side. 

Hernandez possibly should be tracking that man, but op has a point. 

We're just a complete shambles. Whether it is personnel, lack of experience, or coaching is a different debate but probably a mix of all three.

We don't have a great deal of discipline, and the players look like they've never played with each other before. 

[Mr Angry 1,542]

1 hour ago, Jobsworth Canary said:

Yesterday was well worth a boo although I had long gone by then

i really can’t think of a more unprofessional display since the trashing at Fulham that relegated us.

Didn’t you go the 5-0 mauling at Brighton?

[hogesar 9,609]

55 minutes ago, king canary said:

How has a thread about our defensive positioning become about booing already??

Hey, people should be praising for you for rewatching that game. I become far too miserable to watch through a second time! Even just the high(low)lights.

[Hillhead 114]

As mentioned above it looks like an individual error to me rather than some incredible misunderstanding of tactics by Farke.

Show this still image to any manager and I'm sure he'd wince just as they would of you showed them one of the opposition about to take a penalty. 

[king canary 7,559]

1 hour ago, Hillhead said:

As mentioned above it looks like an individual error to me rather than some incredible misunderstanding of tactics by Farke.

Show this still image to any manager and I'm sure he'd wince just as they would of you showed them one of the opposition about to take a penalty. 

I don't think it's an individual error or a tactical error by Farke- I agree more with Teemu about a lack of organisation and discipline. 

Looking at that picture we've just got collectively sucked in and followed the ball. Watford have 3 attackers on that side of the pitch in our half yet our entire back 4 and central midfield are all in that zone. I know Tettey isn't a central defender but he's the captain and should be organising. Equally Godfrey is supposed to be something of a leader (captained England u21's) so should be letting Lewis know he isn't needed over there. 

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

Thing is with that picture, there is only one Watford player that side of the pitch as well.

[Monty13 2,229]

Going back to the defensive positioning it’s interesting looking at the first goal again. It’s not an excuse for Buendia, he should have done much better, but when you watch it again I have to question why he was in that position.

We play the ball back to him having barely made it into their half but with Godfrey overlapping Lewis on the left side.

We were barely a minute in and our back line consisted of Aarons, Tettey, Trybull and Buendia when the ball was overturned because both Godfrey and Lewis had committed themselves forward.

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

Going back to the defensive positioning it’s interesting looking at the first goal again. It’s not an excuse for Buendia, he should have done much better, but when you watch it again I have to question why he was in that position.

We play the ball back to him having barely made it into their half but with Godfrey overlapping Lewis on the left side.

We were barely a minute in and our back line consisted of Aarons, Tettey, Trybull and Buendia when the ball was overturned because both Godfrey and Lewis had committed themselves forward.

The Dutch called it Total Football. Unfortunately ours has been a Total Shambles at times.

[Yellow Fever 3,732]

My biggest concern is that we are not learning from our mistakes.

[Making Plans 936]

So last night, about 5 or maybe 10 minutes before the end, Watford get a free kick on the left 20 yards from our penalty box.

Given they only had 10 men on the pitch they obviously weren't going to throw men forward.

In fact they had just 3 players in the box.

We, on the other hand, not grasping the situation and not using our brains, had 7 players + Krul in the box.

Why?

You would have thought that being 2-0 down with not much time left we could have sussed the situation and got more players into an attacking position rather than standing in our box marking nobody.