A microcosm of Norwich under Smith

[Petriix 2,834]

A very strange game, but basically shows all our strengths and weaknesses at once.

We were all over them, carved them open at will and could have put the game to bed inside 20 minutes.

Middlesbrough figured out what we were doing and adapted to completely nullify us. No problem because they were absolutely no threat. We let them have the ball and play it around in front of us.

Then Smith takes Pukki off. No problem adding an extra midfielder, but he should be bringing on someone central rather than dropping Kenny in there. Onel simply didn't do the defensive part of his role, and Sara also stayed far too high. It's basic stuff but we handed them control the midfield.

Then we go totally gung ho and leave huge spaces for them to exploit as we chase a winner. Mental. 

Hayden doesn't have the speed to play as a single pivot against an athletic midfield. It was obvious we needed another midfielder. But sacrificing Pukki was bonkers. And Onel doesn't have enough attacking threat to justify his lack of defensive work.

Middlesbrough didn't look like they were going to unlock us, for all that possession. So Smith unlocked us for them with his strange substitution. 

In the end we were pretty shambolic. Which is ridiculous when you consider how well organised we were while we were winning.

Playoffs at best now. Are we happy with that? 2 wins in 10. Surely that's not good enough? Can we afford to keep Dean Smith?

[mannings bandy legs 385]

3 minutes ago, Petriix said:

A very strange game, but basically shows all our strengths and weaknesses at once.

We were all over them, carved them open at will and could have put the game to bed inside 20 minutes.

Middlesbrough figured out what we were doing and adapted to completely nullify us. No problem because they were absolutely no threat. We let them have the ball and play it around in front of us.

Then Smith takes Pukki off. No problem adding an extra midfielder, but he should be bringing on someone central rather than dropping Kenny in there. Onel simply didn't do the defensive part of his role, and Sara also stayed far too high. It's basic stuff but we handed them control the midfield.

Then we go totally gung ho and leave huge spaces for them to exploit as we chase a winner. Mental. 

Hayden doesn't have the speed to play as a single pivot against an athletic midfield. It was obvious we needed another midfielder. But sacrificing Pukki was bonkers. And Onel doesn't have enough attacking threat to justify his lack of defensive work.

Middlesbrough didn't look like they were going to unlock us, for all that possession. So Smith unlocked us for them with his strange substitution. 

In the end we were pretty shambolic. Which is ridiculous when you consider how well organised we were while we were winning.

Playoffs at best now. Are we happy with that? 2 wins in 10. Surely that's not good enough? Can we afford to keep Dean Smith?

No.Can we afford to sack him.No.

[hogesar 9,618]

Nothing to really disagree with their Petriix. Went from comfortable control to embarrassing panic within a couple of minutes.. 

[Canary Wundaboy 1,358]

I’ll wait to watch the highlights and read the match reports before leaping to any conclusion but it certainly didn’t sound great.

[KeiranShikari 1,409]

Funny, I just made a post very similar to this on another forum.

We're ****ing useless under Smith and it isn't getting better.

[The Real Buh 3,423]

The players aren’t fit enough, aren’t good enough and they DONT GIVE A CRAP and it’s down to the IDIOT that bought them and the IDIOT that coaches them.

[Mason 47 1,373]

I've been a steady Smith-in as anyone would tell you, but I think the decline is decidedly terminal now. 

We've had so many games by the throat after 20 minutes recently before seemingly clocking out, and that's the killer for me. We're actively playing ourselves out of results 

It's not an emotional thing, I'm not raging about it- but it is very clear that whatever we are trying under Smith is fundamentally malfunctional. Early on today I stood and applauded some of the passages of play, they were so good; but these moments cannot outweigh the vicious drop off in levels that we're now seeing most games.

Shake hands, take Shakey for a nice little beach holiday whilst the Wolrd Cup is on and we can search out someone better suited to the Championship.

 

N.b. if we're talking about microcosms of the Smith era, I'm looking at Ramsey. For 20 minutes he looks like a top, top attacking midfielder, then decides that is enough and disappears until giving Cantwell a high five on the way past.

[Van wink 2,994]

Yeo was thinking the same Petrix, very good first 20 ish, followed by 80 minutes of tripe

[Branston Pickle 3,634]

Yes, not a lot to disagree with there, it is our season so far in a nutshell - a mixture of good, bad and indifferent all in the same game.  The drop off after half time was quite shocking, though Middlesbrough barely laid a glove on us until the  excellent finish from nowhere…we then huffed and puffed to no avail.

A win would have been 3 wins and 10 points in 4 games, and an optimism going into the break, but now we’re going to be left with an annoying feeling….and no doubt a message board full of ott depressing posts. 

 

[hogesar 9,618]

5 minutes ago, Mason 47 said:

I've been a steady Smith-in as anyone would tell you, but I think the decline is decidedly terminal now. 

We've had so many games by the throat after 20 minutes recently before seemingly clocking out, and that's the killer for me. We're actively playing ourselves out of results 

It's not an emotional thing, I'm not raging about it- but it is very clear that whatever we are trying under Smith is fundamentally malfunctional. Early on today I stood and applauded some of the passages of play, they were so good; but these moments cannot outweigh the vicious drop off in levels that we're now seeing most games.

Shake hands, take Shakey for a nice little beach holiday whilst the Wolrd Cup is on and we can search out someone better suited to the Championship.

 

N.b. if we're talking about microcosms of the Smith era, I'm looking at Ramsey. For 20 minutes he looks like a top, top attacking midfielder, then decides that is enough and disappears until giving Cantwell a high five on the way past.

Yeah that reflects my thoughts right now. Good post.

[cambridgeshire canary 6,675]

14 minutes ago, mannings bandy legs said:

No.Can we afford to sack him.No.

This is the bitter truth for the Dean Smith out brigade to accept.. Smith is staying and won't be off until the end of the season at the least. We just can't afford to remove him and hire someone new with our financial issues and black hole and well as Delia would probably put it 'we are not a sacking club' 🙃

Edited November 12, 2022 by cambridgeshire canary

[Petriix 2,834]

2 minutes ago, Van wink said:

Yeo was thinking the same Petrix, very good first 20 ish, followed by 80 minutes of tripe

The thing is, I don't even mind the 40 minutes after we went off the boil. It was a stalemate but we had the lead. What I can't countenance is making that substitution and ceding control of the midfield. It can't have been an accident that we went from playing narrow and compact to pushing Hernandez and Sara wider and higher. It was ludicrous.

[The Real Buh 3,423]

2 minutes ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

This is the bitter truth for the Dean Smith out brigade to accept.. Smith is staying and won't be off until the end of the season at the least. We just can't afford to remove him and hire someone new with our financial issues and black hole and well as Delia would probably put it 'we are not a sacking club' 🙃

“Keep quiet and accept mediocrity, don’t forget, it’s your fault as a fan”

[GodlyOtsemobor 2,247]

7 minutes ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

This is the bitter truth for the Dean Smith out brigade to accept.. Smith is staying and won't be off until the end of the season at the least. We just can't afford to remove him and hire someone new with our financial issues and black hole and well as Delia would probably put it 'we are not a sacking club' 🙃

" We can't afford to sack him "

 

"Smith is staying and won't be off until the end of the season at the least"

 

When we'll have even less money because the useless **** won't have us anywhere near getting promoted. 

Edited November 12, 2022 by GodlyOtsemobor

[The Real Buh 3,423]

Just now, GodlyOtsemobor said:

"We can't afford to sack him so he'll be here until the end of the season" 

 

When we'll have even less money because the useless **** won't have us anywhere near getting promoted. 

Don’t forget that teams around us will continue to improve as well and we’ll probably be joined in this league by Ipswich. Who we’ll lose to if these clowns are still in charge.

[It's Character Forming 1,160]

7 minutes ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

This is the bitter truth for the Dean Smith out brigade to accept.. Smith is staying and won't be off until the end of the season at the least. We just can't afford to remove him and hire someone new with our financial issues and black hole and well as Delia would probably put it 'we are not a sacking club' 🙃

Sorry but I do not believe that, if Webber hadn’t allowed for it in the finances to make it possible to change manager during the World Cup break it would be a **** up of Naismith proportions. It’s basic financial management for a football club at any level.

[Canary Jedi 573]

Playoffs? I’d probably take that right now under Smith but wouldn’t expect to get through first two games

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,735]

Smith has proved that he can only beat the very worst teams in this league.

Any one in the top half and he hasnt the nous to overcome them....armed with 5 subs, thats unforgivable

[mrD66M 99]

28 minutes ago, The Real Buh said:

Don’t forget that teams around us will continue to improve as well and we’ll probably be joined in this league by Ipswich. Who we’ll lose to if these clowns are still in charge.

Smith out