Ricardo's report v West Ham

[ricardo 7,745]

A pleasant sunny day in Norwich and and from the look of things when I got to CR, a lot of people had decided to give it a miss. On the balance of the season it shouldn't be a surprise they can hardly be blamed, although personally speaking I've never found it an easy habit to break.

Hope springs eternal but it was crushed pretty quickly this afternoon when we conceded the obligatory early goal. It had been a fairly even opening and we almost had an early chance when Rashica wriggled in the box but wriggled far too long before being easily crowded out. At the other end we had defended a couple of corners well but when a cross ball found Benrahma in acres of space there was little to stop him wrong footing Aarons and tucking the ball past Krul.

City looked so very fragile while the visitors looked strong and competent in all positions but at least the home side tried to give it a bit of a go for a while. A nice move down the right saw PLM win a corner and then have an on target shot deflected for another but City could not put together anything consistant and Antonio was a constant source of danger whenever West Ham came forward. On the half hour the big striker was gifted a goal when the City defence got in a mess and somehow Tim Krul didn't claim a ball that should have been his, leaving an easy tap from close range.

After this it wasn't really much of a contest with very little sign of the home side mounting much of a comeback and it quickly settled into another one of those men against boys events that have been all too common at CR this season. There was some decent play at times although none of it was in dangerous areas and much of it felt like flattering to deceive. Pukki did his running, Hanley did his tackling and heading but it always looked like we were one mistake away from conceding a goal and with almost no chance of scoring ourselves.

I doubt if anyone was shocked when a slick West Ham move down their right ended with Benrahma rifling  the third goal high into the net in first half added time. What to say at half time? nothing really, just an acceptance that this bunch of players are never going to make it at this level. Something I think we all realised before the leaves had fallen last year. To say we were second best in all departments is over egging it a bit, probably third best would be more accurate.

There was however momentary hope in the minds of the super optimists when Fabianski fumbled a cross and Byram bundled the ball into the net, but somehow we couldn't even manage that without a handball and it was quickly chalked off.  Smith gave Rupp and Springett a run for the second half and the youngster didn't disgrace himself with a couple of eye catching runs and was unfortunate once when slipping when well place but none of it really looked like altering the game.

Indeed at the midway stage Sorensen had his hand in front of his face as Yarmolenko powered a header goalwards and I wasn't surprised when Ref Jones pointed to the spot after looking at the VAR screen. Thankfully the visitors manage to fluff another couple of straightforwrd opportunities as time ticked away and those empty seats began to grow in number as home fans began to trickle out long before then end. I've stuck it out through some tough times over the years but even I had seen enough after 85 minutes and decided to join the ever increasing throng.

It used to be painful to come away after a bad home defeat but today I just couldn't get upset about it anymore and I couldn't be bothered to hang on just to boo.

I've always believed in omens, and when I got home I found that I had lost my season ticket, perhaps someone is trying to tell me something.

 

Edited May 8, 2022 by ricardo

[yellowandgreen 34]

That was a pathetic performance in a season when we have been nowhere near good enough. If we return to the premiership none of these players are good enough. Boooooooo

[Wroxham Bridge 24]

" It used to be painful to come away after a bad home defeat but today I just couldn't get upset about it anymore and I couldn't be bothered to hang on just to boo." me too and I'd just driven 247 miles to get there.

[ricardo 7,745]

5 minutes ago, Wroxham Bridge said:

" It used to be painful to come away after a bad home defeat but today I just couldn't get upset about it anymore and I couldn't be bothered to hang on just to boo." me too and I'd just driven 247 miles to get there.

Commiserations WB. Supporting this club is just a series of ups and downs. At the moment a lot more downs than ups.

[Badger 2,732]

Thanks Ricardo.

It has been a truly dispiriting season, and I am relieved that there is only one game to go!

The players just look totally shot of confidence and everything else. I am fearful of a hangover at the start of next season.

 

 

[ricardo 7,745]

25 minutes ago, Badger said:

Thanks Ricardo.

It has been a truly dispiriting season, and I am relieved that there is only one game to go!

The players just look totally shot of confidence and everything else. I am fearful of a hangover at the start of next season.

 

 

Before the season began some people were still of the opinion that we could hold our own with the weaker sides in this division. What we have found is that the weaker sides only look weak compared to the big six but are still on a much much stronger than anything in the Championship. Some of the promoted teams who have managed more than one season have done it initially on momentum and then shrewd purchasing, but its very very hard to sustain it over a lengthy period.

[keelansgrandad 6,680]

17 minutes ago, ricardo said:

Before the season began some people were still of the opinion that we could hold our own with the weaker sides in this division. What we have found is that the weaker sides only look weak compared to the big six but are still on a much much stronger than anything in the Championship. Some of the promoted teams who have managed more than one season have done it initially on momentum and then shrewd purchasing, but its very very hard to sustain it over a lengthy period.

Like we did not so long ago with players who commanded little or no attention outside of Norwich and with two strikers from lower divisions. It might be getting harder and more expensive but I have to wonder if we are looking in the wrong places for the wrong players.

[ricardo 7,745]

26 minutes ago, keelansgrandad said:

Like we did not so long ago with players who commanded little or no attention outside of Norwich and with two strikers from lower divisions. It might be getting harder and more expensive but I have to wonder if we are looking in the wrong places for the wrong players.

The world has changed now because there is so much quality even in the lower Premiership teams. Very few players are being bought from the Championship by these clubs.

We might be able to find Championship players in League one but there are very few potential Premier league players in the Champs.

Edited May 8, 2022 by ricardo

[Big Vince 389]

57 minutes ago, ricardo said:

Before the season began some people were still of the opinion that we could hold our own with the weaker sides in this division. What we have found is that the weaker sides only look weak compared to the big six but are still on a much much stronger than anything in the Championship. Some of the promoted teams who have managed more than one season have done it initially on momentum and then shrewd purchasing, but its very very hard to sustain it over a lengthy period.

If you throw enough money at it it will eventually stick.

[Robert N. LiM 5,420]

35 minutes ago, ricardo said:

We might be able to find Championship players in League one but there are very few potential Premier league players in the Champs.

The issue in a nutshell