How long will it be until we moan about hoofball

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

3 hours ago, Hank shoots Skyler said:

I find it hard to believe anyone watching that first half could call it anything other than hoofball, it was the worst half of football I have seen in years. It was aimless lumping forwards over and over and over again, only once or twice did we actually get the ball to stick by picking up the second ball. I genuinely don't think we strung more than 2-3 passes together at the back before we sent it long. It was rubbish.

But perhaps credit to Southampton who played with such intensity it stopped us playing from the back, I still thought we could've done more though (proven by the second half). We were immensely fortunate to score an equaliser in our only chance in that first 45, whilst also benefiting from a very wasteful opposition. 

Thankfully the second half we were totally transformed and managed to keep Southampton on the backfoot for nearly all of it with much better and higher pressing. I don't really recall much in the way of hoofball second half, a couple of nice lofted passes to Sargent on the wing and to McLean - actually targeting someone and with degrees of success - and the odd clearance but all to be expected. We definitely deserved to win that second half, but Southampton can count themselves unlucky they weren't 1 or 2 goals up after the first 45.

Hopefully it is the second half version of NCFC that turns up every week because I am not sure I'd be happy watching whatever the **** you would call that first half...

Indeed it was. It wasn't hoofball though, it was blind panic from what I could see.

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

13 minutes ago, keelansgrandad said:

Indeed it was. It wasn't hoofball though, it was blind panic from what I could see.

Yeah I suppose calling it hoofball does suggest it was deliberate, and given we had no one winning the first or second balls for pretty much all of the first half (maybe bar a couple which stuck just by pure luck), you'd have to hope that it absolutely was not the plan...

Whatever it was though it was truly terrible. 

[Duncan Edwards 2,236]

3 minutes ago, Hank shoots Skyler said:

Yeah I suppose calling it hoofball does suggest it was deliberate, and given we had no one winning the first or second balls for pretty much all of the first half (maybe bar a couple which stuck just by pure luck), you'd have to hope that it absolutely was not the plan...

Whatever it was though it was truly terrible. 

Krul chose to go long from the floor or from the hands every time from what I can remember. That was a clear shift from under Farke where he would go long on occasions but would often look to build from the back. It was a deliberate switch. I assume, as others have alluded to, that is because if we are going to concede possession to the opposition, we've got a better chance of defending their attack if it builds from 70 yards away than we have if it builds from the edge of our own box. Problem was that in the first half we barely competed for those long balls and were sat too far off their deeper lying midfielders who gobbled up just about every second ball and dictated the play from there which resulted in a relentless onslaught.

As I've said previously, fair play to Smith for getting his point across at half time, the half time switch made a huge difference. 

[TeemuVanBasten 3,327]

Smith's tactics were primitive against Southampton because that's the only way you can radically abandon a philosophy and wipe a slate clean in three days. Well and truly back to basics. 

I'd like to think that we'll end up with a decent mix of playing it out of the back and going direct, but will take time to see what 'Smithball' is at City. Its the predictability which was the killer under Farke, hopefully we'll mix it up a bit under Smith.

Farke got us playing some quality football at times, albeit not this season, but was never the most pragmatic. The desire to always play out way out of our own 18 yard box was suicidal at times at this level, sometimes you just need to hack the ball away to where you think a team mate might be - the centre backs don't have to try and be Maldini every week.

 

Edited November 22, 2021 by TeemuVanBasten

[TeemuVanBasten 3,327]

Smith probably took one look at Hanley and Gibson and decided that playing our way out of the back was a bit of a silly idea. 

Hanley is an old fashioned centre back, Gibson can play a bit but he's hardly Thiago Silva.... booting the ball into row Z has to be an option left on the table.

[TIL 1010 4,746]

5 hours ago, kirku said:

The basis of that award? A Twitter poll.

For the second season in a row, it gets hijacked by fans of bigger teams.

 

No the MOM award is given immediately after the final whistle and presented then and there on the pitch. Nothing whatsoever to do with Twatter.

[kirku 1,332]

2 minutes ago, TIL 1010 said:

No the MOM award is given immediately after the final whistle and presented then and there on the pitch. Nothing whatsoever to do with Twatter.

 

On a related note, I've not seen any other outlets give the award to Gilmour.

Personally, he wouldn't have been in my top 3 on the day.

[TIL 1010 4,746]

2 minutes ago, kirku said:

 

On a related note, I've not seen any other outlets give the award to Gilmour.

Personally, he wouldn't have been in my top 3 on the day.

 I say again the MOTM award is presented on the pitch at the end of every game and the winner is given a magnum of champagne by the match sponsors and Saturday it was Gilmour so nothing to do with that Twatter poll.

[Duncan Edwards 2,236]

2 minutes ago, kirku said:

 

On a related note, I've not seen any other outlets give the award to Gilmour.

Personally, he wouldn't have been in my top 3 on the day.

The Twitter poll could well be hijacked by fans of Chelsea, as per the Skipp polls being smashed by Spurs fans last season.

In the ground Gilmour was announced as man of the match just after the final whistle. Not sure of the protocol now, but I'm fairly sure the match sponsors used to get to choose the MOTM in the ground. That might just be me remembering the olden days though.

As for Gilmour, I thought he was fortunate not to get hooked with Cantwell at HT as he'd been virtually a spectator for most of the half. However, there's a reason that Dean Smith is a Premier League manager and I'm sat in the stands, the introduction of Sargent coupled with getting closer to their central midfielders saw him have more of the ball and a far greater impact on the game. Whether he was MOTM or not? Probably not for me but there were a few contenders without there being one "standout" performance I think. He was certainly one of those based on the second half. 

[Mengo 822]

1 minute ago, TIL 1010 said:

 I say again the MOTM award is presented on the pitch at the end of every game and the winner is given a magnum of champagne by the match sponsors and Saturday it was Gilmour so nothing to do with that Twatter poll.

Twaddle   twitter  twitter twatter.  🤣 

It's all its good for twaddle 

 

[Worthy Nigelton 1,047]

Gilmour was decent but didnt deserve MOM. Rashica or Pukki for me.

[kirku 1,332]

1 minute ago, TIL 1010 said:

 I say again the MOTM award is presented on the pitch at the end of every game and the winner is given a magnum of champagne by the match sponsors and Saturday it was Gilmour so nothing to do with that Twatter poll.

You're aware that it could be both, right?

It's not as if it's beyond the wit of man to run an online poll and then physically give the recipient a "magnum of champagne". The match sponsors are tagged into that post.

Last season, it was run via Twitter poll so I assumed it was still the case.

 

[kirku 1,332]

5 minutes ago, Duncan Edwards said:

The Twitter poll could well be hijacked by fans of Chelsea, as per the Skipp polls being smashed by Spurs fans last season.

In the ground Gilmour was announced as man of the match just after the final whistle. Not sure of the protocol now, but I'm fairly sure the match sponsors used to get to choose the MOTM in the ground. That might just be me remembering the olden days though.

As for Gilmour, I thought he was fortunate not to get hooked with Cantwell at HT as he'd been virtually a spectator for most of the half. However, there's a reason that Dean Smith is a Premier League manager and I'm sat in the stands, the introduction of Sargent coupled with getting closer to their central midfielders saw him have more of the ball and a far greater impact on the game. Whether he was MOTM or not? Probably not for me but there were a few contenders without there being one "standout" performance I think. He was certainly one of those based on the second half. 

Agree completely - the hijacking and the undeserved nature of it are my main points.

If it were to be handed out on the basis of a decent 45, Sargent should be ahead of him..

On balance, I'd be picking between Rashica, Krul, or Williams.

Edited November 22, 2021 by kirku

[Mengo 822]

1 minute ago, kirku said:

Agree completely - the hijacking and the undeserved nature of it are my main points.

Oh deary deary me.🤣😅🙃

[kirku 1,332]

1 minute ago, Mengo said:

Oh deary deary me.🤣😅🙃

Laughable. 

It's just Chelsea fans who didn't watch the game going full Stan

[TIL 1010 4,746]

1 minute ago, kirku said:

Agree completely - the hijacking and the undeserved nature of it are my main points.

So you are saying that before the players have all disappeared down the tunnel and the MOTM is given his award as he leaves the field fans of other clubs had hijacked and influenced the result on Twatter ?

[Mengo 822]

5 minutes ago, Worthy Nigelton said:

Gilmour was decent but didnt deserve MOM. Rashica or Pukki for me.

Stu Webber gave the go ahead for it

HE  gave him one he of a standing ovation when he came off. 

😁🥳

[Duncan Edwards 2,236]

Why is this so difficult 😂

The twitter poll is to gauge the fans reaction on Twitter. The MOTM award in the ground has **** all to do with the twitter poll.

On this occasion, they married up. 

[kirku 1,332]

7 minutes ago, TIL 1010 said:

So you are saying that before the players have all disappeared down the tunnel and the MOTM is given his award as he leaves the field fans of other clubs had hijacked and influenced the result on Twatter ?

Whether that's actually happened in this case or not, I don't know. But it's certainly plausible. I'm not sure you appreciate the scale and speed of how quickly this stuff can happen.

The broader and more salient point is that Gilmour was undeserving of MOTM, whether it was decided by the match sponsor who'd been enjoying corporate hospitality or a bunch of teenage Chelsea fans from all four corners of the globe, is somewhat irrelevant.

Edited November 22, 2021 by kirku

[kirku 1,332]

5 minutes ago, Duncan Edwards said:

Why is this so difficult 😂

The twitter poll is to gauge the fans reaction on Twitter. The MOTM award in the ground has **** all to do with the twitter poll.

On this occasion, they married up. 

Last season, it was solely decided by Twitter poll - which is why I assumed that was still the case.

Maybe it's changed again, but it's hardly an unreasonable assumption.

Edited November 22, 2021 by kirku

[Mengo 822]

2 minutes ago, Duncan Edwards said:

Why is this so difficult 😂

The twitter poll is to gauge the fans reaction on Twitter. The MOTM award in the ground has **** all to do with the twitter poll.

On this occasion, they married up. 

Agree DE . Unfortunately  some people cannot accept  that Gilmour is here to help Norwich  City. No matter what he does right or wrong he is heavily under the spotlight. I'm just thankful the SAS see what they see. And our Captain

 

[TIL 1010 4,746]

1 minute ago, kirku said:

Whether that's actually happened in this case or not, I don't know. But it's certainly plausible. I'm not sure you appreciate the scale and speed of how quickly this stuff can happen.

The broader and more salient point is that Gilmour was undeserving of MOTM, whether it was decided by the match sponsor who'd been enjoying corporate hospitality or a bunch of teenage Chelsea fans from all four corners of the globe, is somewhat irrelevant.

Unbelievable to think that Chelsea fans were waiting with mobile phones in their hands for the final whistle to blow at Carrow Road and influence the sponsors MOTM all within the space of literally a couple of minutes.

[Mengo 822]

2 minutes ago, TIL 1010 said:

Unbelievable to think that Chelsea fans were waiting with mobile phones in their hands for the final whistle to blow at Carrow Road and influence the sponsors MOTM all within the space of literally a couple of minutes.

Twatter  is maybe faster than twitter. 😂

[TIL 1010 4,746]

9 minutes ago, kirku said:

Last season, it was solely decided by Twitter poll - which is why I assumed that was still the case.

Maybe it's changed again, but it's hardly an unreasonable assumption.

It was done last season by Twatter poll as Covid prevented crowds and sponsors from attending matches so obviously no presentations were possible within a couple of minutes of the final whistle

Edited November 22, 2021 by TIL 1010

[Duncan Edwards 2,236]

5 minutes ago, kirku said:

Last season, it was solely decided by Twitter poll - which is why I assumed that was still the case.

Maybe it's changed again, but it's hardly an unreasonable assumption.

Ok, I can see that. It would still have been some effort to announce the MOTM at the ground before the Twitter poll had even opened😉

[kirku 1,332]

5 minutes ago, TIL 1010 said:

Unbelievable to think that Chelsea fans were waiting with mobile phones in their hands for the final whistle to blow at Carrow Road and influence the sponsors MOTM all within the space of literally a couple of minutes.

Unbelievable. Some might even say impossible.

 

Oh.

[TIL 1010 4,746]

1 minute ago, kirku said:

Unbelievable. Some might even say impossible.

 

Oh.

I think you will find that is sarcasm from Farke and note the lack of crowds as i have just mentioned.

[Mengo 822]

1 minute ago, kirku said:

Unbelievable. Some might even say impossible.

 

Oh.

🤣 apparently  he didn't turn up for training pissed 😒 after drinking once again another MOM awards. 

[kirku 1,332]

11 minutes ago, TIL 1010 said:

I think you will find that is sarcasm from Farke and note the lack of crowds as i have just mentioned.

That's not how sarcasm works, but anyway, it is a fact that the MOTM was handed out last season via Twitter poll.

That Spurs fans were hijacking the vote was well-known and talked about in the media by Farke with Skipp even being asked about it on a podcast.

To think this was all possible during covid enforced stadium bans but is now somehow beyond the realms of possibility is plainly an absurd position to take - whether it continues to be the method they use or not.

Edited November 22, 2021 by kirku

[kirku 1,332]

10 minutes ago, Mengo said:

🤣 apparently  he didn't turn up for training pissed 😒 after drinking once again another MOM awards. 

Steady on, everybody knows it's completely impossible to run an online poll and then physically hand out a magnum of champagne.

A six pack of Carlsberg, sure.

But not a magnum of champagne. No, siree, that's crazy talk.