Mario Vrančić appreciation thread

[Crabbycanary3 994]

2 minutes ago, lake district canary said:

Class is permanent and he undoubtedly has that.  I would play him from the start in a game and see if he can win us the game and if he tires bring on a fresh player after 60/70 minutes - we have plenty of talent on the bench.

Also, good performances ought to be rewarded - and he has won us two matches now on the trot. In the normal scheme of things he would be rewarded with a start in the next match - and if you want to keep a player motivated, that is something that needs to be born in mind...unless of course Farke wants to keep him fired up by not starting him......

Whatever, I think that he should start a match now and if it goes well he stays in the team as long as we keep getting results - if he doesn't do well then fair enough put him back to the bench to be that impact player.  I'd rather win games with him scoring or making the goals earlier in a match than waiting for 80 minutes for Mario time every week.

 

Absolutely agree, but there are other factors whether it be 'legs' /opposition tactics (us at home where teams come to defend)/horses for courses etc

Mario may be a perfect fit for Brentford

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,791]

23 minutes ago, curious yellow said:

We've just won 2 games by using him as sub so why change? 

He's started this season like he finished the season before last. If fitness is an issue it makes sense to bring him on when the opposition is tiring. 

...we might not always be in the game by the time Vrancic comes on....it miay have already got away from us

[Crabbycanary3 994]

2 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

...we might not always be in the game by the time Vrancic comes on....it miay have already got away from us

Tbh, I just can't see us getting spanked by anyone this season

[lake district canary 4,540]

And what a gent too....

 

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,791]

15 minutes ago, Crabbycanary3 said:

Tbh, I just can't see us getting spanked by anyone this season

Dont necessarily need to be spanked..but more than conceivable we could be 2 goals down in a game entering the last 15 mins

[Crabbycanary3 994]

2 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

Dont necessarily need to be spanked..but more than conceivable we could be 2 goals down in a game entering the last 15 mins

*cough* Nottm Forest 🙂 

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,791]

1 minute ago, Crabbycanary3 said:

*cough* Nottm Forest 🙂 

...early signs are that this side isnt as free scoring as that of 2 seasons ago...wouldnt bank on us getting 92 goals this time round with Pukki getting 30 of them

I wouldnt pin too many hopes on us pulling back a 2 goal deficit from what I've seen from us thus far....and there are a few games coming up where that could very well be the case

[Crabbycanary3 994]

31 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

...early signs are that this side isnt as free scoring as that of 2 seasons ago...wouldnt bank on us getting 92 goals this time round with Pukki getting 30 of them

I wouldnt pin too many hopes on us pulling back a 2 goal deficit from what I've seen from us thus far....and there are a few games coming up where that could very well be the case

I agree with your first paragraph, but my thinking was more that there isn't an opposition team I can think of that could get away from us. The overall quality of opposition is not the same as 2 years ago imo.

2 goals down with 15 mins to go will be rare for us this season and even if we are, I think it is eminently recoverable for us more often than not in this league 

[Branston Pickle 3,668]

40 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

...early signs are that this side isnt as free scoring as that of 2 seasons ago...wouldnt bank on us getting 92 goals this time round with Pukki getting 30 of them

I wouldnt pin too many hopes on us pulling back a 2 goal deficit from what I've seen from us thus far....and there are a few games coming up where that could very well be the case

To be fair, while we don’t look like scoring 90 goals, we don’t look like conceding the best part of 60 either.

[Ian 1,131]

44 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

...early signs are that this side isnt as free scoring as that of 2 seasons ago...wouldnt bank on us getting 92 goals this time round with Pukki getting 30 of them

I wouldnt pin too many hopes on us pulling back a 2 goal deficit from what I've seen from us thus far....and there are a few games coming up where that could very well be the case

Strange that you have early signs of us needing to pull back a 2 goal deficit this season when, despite to all intents and purposes playing below par, we have not yet fallen 2 goals behind. As for the free scoring bit, we're generating at least as many chances as we did two seasons ago, the major issue has been converting them.

Whether this is a hangover from last season, or indicative of a lack of finishing ability in the squad remains to be seen, but I have little doubt that we will have more than a couple of decent chances late on in most matches.

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,791]

34 minutes ago, Ian said:

Strange that you have early signs of us needing to pull back a 2 goal deficit this season when, despite to all intents and purposes playing below par, we have not yet fallen 2 goals behind. As for the free scoring bit, we're generating at least as many chances as we did two seasons ago, the major issue has been converting them.

Whether this is a hangover from last season, or indicative of a lack of finishing ability in the squad remains to be seen, but I have little doubt that we will have more than a couple of decent chances late on in most matches.

I dont think we've played opposition so far - bournemouth aside - who are likely to be toward the top of the league this season....yet we havent really played well yet, other than Birmingham...and of our 4 wins ,all have been by the odd goal and late winners ( 1 via a bad backpass ..and 2 in no small part through the opposition being reduced to 10 men)

Think its fair to say , despite having a lot of possession in most/all games , we're not clicking as an attacking force or free scoring

I wouldnt put a huge amount of money on coming back from being 2 goals down in a game , when we're struggling to score one.

'If' we click as an attacking unit then we would take some stopping in this league allied to the possession majority we would likely have in most games.

 

[Clint 221]

I’m a huge advocate of Mario and always have been. It annoys me so much how little game time he gets. The key is you can see how much all the other players give him the ball when he’s on the pitch. He always drives us forward. Technically one of the best players we’ve ever had but I fear he may not get the recognition he deserves. Although these free kicks will help! 

[Six Pack 94]

8 hours ago, sonyc said:

HahaHa....I think I could manage to convince you too that he had given Norwich 6 points and have claimed to be right. Don't you love how stats are used! But, seriously, thanks for pointing out because I had fooled myself!

Although Vrancic only scored against Birmingham and Wycombe, he also came on against Rotherham and injected the much needed impetus into the team which led to us scoring. I think it counts - so 6 points is pretty much right !

[Crabbycanary3 994]

9 hours ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

I dont think we've played opposition so far - bournemouth aside - who are likely to be toward the top of the league this season....yet we havent really played well yet, other than Birmingham...and of our 4 wins ,all have been by the odd goal and late winners ( 1 via a bad backpass ..and 2 in no small part through the opposition being reduced to 10 men)

Think its fair to say , despite having a lot of possession in most/all games , we're not clicking as an attacking force or free scoring

I wouldnt put a huge amount of money on coming back from being 2 goals down in a game , when we're struggling to score one.

'If' we click as an attacking unit then we would take some stopping in this league allied to the possession majority we would likely have in most games.

 

Who do you think, aside from Bournemouth are likely to be at the top of the league this year and what would we have to fear against those teams? Watford are one of people's natural contenders but who else fits that bill? Derby, Forest, Cardiff, Swansea and even Brentford are below us and not showing much yet either. Watford have ground out some results (sound familiar?) and have only scored more than one goal on one occasion). Bournemouth similar (scored more than once on two occasions and once was against 10 men), but which contenders have they played?  Reading are sweeping all before them at the moment but they have scored more than 2 on one occasion, and again, using your reasoning, who have they played yet? A couple of good teams, a few easy teams at home. See where I am going here?

We dominated Derby but had one of those freak results. We have come under obdurate ( not free flowing attacking) teams already and expect more of the same in other games. We are a team to be feared and respected, purely because of our recent history.

I agree that we are not clicking as an attacking force, but we are 5th and  a lot of us said that the early part of the season was all about results, because it was un realistic to expect fantastic, all out football, after relegation in the first few weeks, especially when teams come to defend at Carrow Road as their priority. We have yet to get into our stride, but your comment about scoring has to be balanced with the amount of goals we are conceding (i.e less than we have scored). Bournemouth could only get 1 and we deserved to get something out of that game, and Bournemouth away is likely to be one of the 'feared' fixtures on our calendar.  

We may well score 90 odd goals, but we may not, but Farke copped a lot of flak due to our leaky defence, so getting the balance is hard to achieve, especially after relegation to this League. I'd have snapped your hand off for fifth position after 7 games.

Edited October 25, 2020 by Crabbycanary3

[Jerrykerry 223]

Hate to break up the circle jerk, but apart from the fact Mario can't run or tackle, is the simple fact he can't last 90 minutes. 

So if he started, who would have taken those late free kicks that got points? 

Oh. 

Edited October 25, 2020 by Jerrykerry

[hogesar 9,708]

17 hours ago, king canary said:

Top of the thread should be Farke.

Without Mario this lat week we're 15th and I think people might be asking some questions.

I wonder if people are giving Farke credit for his fantastic use of substitutions to get us wins? I've not seen it mentioned anywhere but I sure as hell remember his lack of subs being criticised to death last season..

[lake district canary 4,540]

30 minutes ago, Jerrykerry said:

Hate to break up the circle jerk, but apart from the fact Mario can't run or tackle, is the simple fact he can't last 90 minutes. 

So if he started, who would have taken those late free kicks that got points? 

Oh. 

Or.......who would have scored/created the goals that he makes, up to the moment he is subbed? 

On his day he is a match winner, doesn't matter if he starts or is a sub - just get him on the field. 

Oh and he can run and he can tackle - not as much as the younger players can, obviously, but maybe if the team is set up around him, that isn't so important.  The important thing for a player like Mario is to have him on the pitch so he can score his free kicks any time through the game, or set up someone else to score.

 

[sonyc 5,539]

15 hours ago, Creative Midfielder said:

Great player - have been boring my son every week telling him (in detaii😀)  why Vrancic should be starting, likewise Tettey.

Both Skipp and Rupp have shown some positives this season but IMO there is no doubt at all that Vrancic and Tettey are part of our strongest 11.

At the start of the season I would have said Emi was as well, but at the moment I think you've got to question why he is starting when Vrancic has delivered more in a few late substitute appearances than Emi has in 4 starts.

He is a very unusual footballer. Almost like he belongs to a different era. He has great balance and can certainly pick a pass. I've always told my son's that a very good footballer is different to s good one, certainly in skill of course but mainly it's in his head. Mario appears to see passes and can take such a composed free kick. He is meticulous. A firm favourite. 

Emi is frustrating and brilliant and unpredictable. He can do what others can't but with it he will give the ball away in the wrong area. No need to say more about the legend Tettey.

Overall though, what a great dilemma to have with few weak parts (at long last, because yesterday I didn't mind who came on....looking forward to seeing more of what Josh Martin can do). Adam as well is going to be s hell of a player.

I guess Mario may have won himself a place for Tuesday?

[Creative Midfielder 1,999]

2 hours ago, sonyc said:

He is a very unusual footballer. Almost like he belongs to a different era. He has great balance and can certainly pick a pass. I've always told my son's that a very good footballer is different to s good one, certainly in skill of course but mainly it's in his head. Mario appears to see passes and can take such a composed free kick. He is meticulous. A firm favourite. 

Emi is frustrating and brilliant and unpredictable. He can do what others can't but with it he will give the ball away in the wrong area. No need to say more about the legend Tettey.

Overall though, what a great dilemma to have with few weak parts (at long last, because yesterday I didn't mind who came on....looking forward to seeing more of what Josh Martin can do). Adam as well is going to be s hell of a player.

I guess Mario may have won himself a place for Tuesday?

I think so and perhaps Tettey as well.........................unless he is carrying an injury we don't know about. But especially given the number of mishaps in and in front of our defence already this season it baffles me why we've not seen him.

He is, as you say a legend, but it seems to me that is a pretty recently aquired status with many of our fans. IMO he should have been one of the first players on the team sheet every week since we signed him but we have been though multiple cycles of managers (and fans) thinking we have better only for results and experience to prove them wrong. Almost irrespective of his individual performance IMO we always, and I do literally mean nearly always, we look a better team when he plays than when he doesn't. In that he reminds me of Howson that when were calmly and unflashily about his busines, and another player that a lot of fans didn't seem to appreciate just what he brought to the team but again we always looked better with hhim than without him.

Of course we will have to replace him, most likely for next season, and maybe he can't play every game in the very intense program we are facing for the rest of this year but if he is fit & available then IMO he plays - simple as. If he needs to miss a game now and then fine, Skipp or one of the other newbies gets a chance.