****The Official Lapps Match Thread v Shef Utd (H/L) ****

[Dean Coneys boots 1,406]

33 minutes ago, GodlyOtsemobor said:

Which really is a damning indictment in itself if Onel (as much as we love him he really shouldn't be our shining light) and Dowell are who we miss the most 

The pair of them wouldn't be star players in most other Champs teams. 

This. That squad players from three years ago are now our best players tells a very poor story regarding our recruitment and direction as a club. Heads should roll given the outlay. 

[Foxy2600 305]

What an absolute shower, the whole effin lot of them - on a plate and end up 1-0 down 

looking forward to the Old Farm Derby next season 😏

[Petriix 2,852]

There's no point blaming the individual players, the team selection was utterly ridiculous as played out on the field. We effectively played a 5-1-4 formation with McLean dropping between the center backs and the forward line consisting of three strikers and a winger. It was Sara on his own against the three from Sheffield plus whichever of their back 3 was wandering forwards. 

Playing such a top-heavy system and ceding the midfield was never going to succeed. It was almost as if Dean Smith was back. Makes me wonder how much Webber influences the team selection. In Wagner's first few games we looked coherent, like there was an underlying philosophy which we'd previously been missing. Now there's no thread to our attacking transitions, just hitting long balls and hoping. 

[Capt. Pants 4,275]

I was alarmed and disappointed at how poor Sheff Utd were for a 2nd place team. I knew we would be sh1t but they were little better. They hardly got out of 2nd gear.

We are woeful, utterly woeful. 

[Danke bitte 967]

4 minutes ago, Petriix said:

There's no point blaming the individual players, the team selection was utterly ridiculous as played out on the field. We effectively played a 5-1-4 formation with McLean dropping between the center backs and the forward line consisting of three strikers and a winger. It was Sara on his own against the three from Sheffield plus whichever of their back 3 was wandering forwards. 

Playing such a top-heavy system and ceding the midfield was never going to succeed. It was almost as if Dean Smith was back. Makes me wonder how much Webber influences the team selection. In Wagner's first few games we looked coherent, like there was an underlying philosophy which we'd previously been missing. Now there's no thread to our attacking transitions, just hitting long balls and hoping. 

Ahhh the voice of reason. And in these darkest of times (they’re really not but I live the drama) I look for your counsel when the chips are down. From your perspective, where are we failing? Is it, like you said, a wolf in the throne room of Webber whispering into Wagner’s ear or Wagner ceding his independence to the rot that’s already in place? Surely Attanasio’s arrival will scrub the deck of this decay which has plagued Norwich these seasons past? Apologies for typing Shakespearean but there’s just some thing to it which makes my asks just seem so much more compelling! The floor is yours wise Petriix… 

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,798]

6 minutes ago, Petriix said:

There's no point blaming the individual players, the team selection was utterly ridiculous as played out on the field. We effectively played a 5-1-4 formation with McLean dropping between the center backs and the forward line consisting of three strikers and a winger. It was Sara on his own against the three from Sheffield plus whichever of their back 3 was wandering forwards. 

Playing such a top-heavy system and ceding the midfield was never going to succeed. It was almost as if Dean Smith was back. Makes me wonder how much Webber influences the team selection. In Wagner's first few games we looked coherent, like there was an underlying philosophy which we'd previously been missing. Now there's no thread to our attacking transitions, just hitting long balls and hoping. 

Think we'd have been better off eith 532 today

               Gunn

  Omob   Hanley  Gibson

Aarons  Sorenson McLean  Giannls

                   Sara

         Sargent     Pukki

Less square pegs in round holes...and no underperforming wingers/strikers shoved out wide

[Ken Hairy 3,779]

1 hour ago, Branston Pickle said:

but they were better than us. 

That's not an argument for being good

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

47 minutes ago, Channon’s Windmill said:

The only plus positive of that performance I happen to be in Spain tonight and not having a bear with Simon Lappin. 😜

Is it roasted or do you lightly fry it?

[Richard Richard 186]

Saw the game at FCR. Even the drummer failed to rally any kind of atmosphere. Poor performance yet again from a very avergage championship side. Quite how were still in the running for a play-off position is astounding.

Defy anyone to suggest any positives to take from this game......

[Olano 100]

2 hours ago, Branston Pickle said:

Imo if anything he’s worse at the moment.  I‘m totally bemused at what our tactics are, what ‘style’ of play we’re trying to create. In important games we have utterly gone missing. 

Give him a preseason and we’ll hopefully see.

I'd did not want him as Norwich manager.(wanted Mark Robins) But Wagner is not to blame for this season. Let's give him next season to create his team.

[Richard Richard 186]

2 hours ago, Herman said:

Not really no. He still hasn't sussed out a good team and crowbars players into positions.

Seriously though Herman - what would be your starting 11? Had this conversation with mates before the game - I wouldn't know who to start or in what position, even assuming everyone was fit....

[Capt. Pants 4,275]

2 hours ago, canarybubbles said:

Sargent at least worked his socks off. I'm one of the first to complain about his lack of basic technique, and the fact that we paid millions for someone who cannot even trap a ball, but he put in a shift, which is more than can be said for a lot of our players. Pukki and Idah were awful today, and I have no idea why we play Marquinhos. Yes, maybe little Arsenal boy will be a great player one day but at the moment he is no better than the cr*p that we have, so we may as well play our own cr*p and hope they get better. I thought Aarons came out of today with some credit (except for the dive, which probably screwed up the chances of what might have been a fortunate penalty), and Giannoulis did OK on the other side. Apart from that, we were poor. It is depressing to think that this Sheffield team is way behind what they were in 18/19 and they still deserved to beat us.

On the subject of Sheffield, they are a nasty, ugly team. They badly need to find one of Parma Ham's weapons or they are going to be slaughtered in the PL. Thuggery can get you a long way in the Championship but you need thuggery plus to survive in the league above.

There isn't any quality there with Sargent. He went above and beyond to get into the US WC squad, I don't see much now. If he's to be our main striker next season then God help us.

[Beetley Yellow 57]

Two very poor teams in today’s game IMO. As others have said if SU are the second best team in the Division, it’s a real indicator as to the actual quality of the Championship. That we are still in touch with the top 6 I suppose confirms this opinion. Seeing the team selection before the game was quite intriguing, we could not fathom how it would work. As it turned out, to have so many attacking players and still show so little creativity and guile was nothing short of alarming. All it takes is a well organised defence and we’re totally negated. I’d like to think it’s because we’re missing Dowell and Hernandez, but I’m not really sure they are the answer either. It’s difficult to see what we can do about improving matters without significant investment (and somebody to spend it wisely this time).

Edited April 1, 2023 by Beetley Yellow

[Herman 9,820]

21 minutes ago, Richard Richard said:

Seriously though Herman - what would be your starting 11? Had this conversation with mates before the game - I wouldn't know who to start or in what position, even assuming everyone was fit....

Fair point, it's not easy is it?! I'd definitely not start with Pukki, Idah AND Sargent ever again. Other than that the rest would be a struggle.

[Jim Smith 2,339]

3 hours ago, GodlyOtsemobor said:

I don't think it will be either - I fully expect Hanley, Gibson, McLean, Idah, etc all to be starting in the first game of next season

What I put is what I would do - still have the likes of sarge/Kenny/McCallum and a few others as squad players but my starting 11 wouldn't have any in and drastic changes would be happening. 

I would personally want to see three of those four gone. If all four are starting we are in trouble. Kenny probably the only one who has done ok on my view. Hanleys lack of leadership really winds me up.

I’d give Omobamidele the captaincy and charge him with leading a new chapter. 

 

[Disco Dales Jockstrap 1,898]

29 minutes ago, Capt. Pants said:

There isn't any quality there with Sargent. He went above and beyond to get into the US WC squad, I don't see much now. If he's to be our main striker next season then God help us.

Now come on Captain. I've been told by those in the know on here that Premier League scouts will be after that lad; half-time clown acts are all the rage at the mo.

OTBC

[Jim Smith 2,339]

39 minutes ago, Richard Richard said:

Seriously though Herman - what would be your starting 11? Had this conversation with mates before the game - I wouldn't know who to start or in what position, even assuming everyone was fit....

The one thing I think we all do know is that stating with Idah, Sargent and Pukki in the side leaves us imbalanced and does not work. So it’s a concern that Wagner is persisting with it despite it delivering some awful performances. I can only assume Webber is pressuring him to play Idah in the hope he will come good as I can see no other explanation as to why he’s playing and Sargent is little better.

We are best when we control the midfield  in games and our technical ability shines through. We won’t do that playing kick and rush with two strikers on the wing. We need an extra midfielder in there. 

 

[Capt. Pants 4,275]

I thought strikers on the wing was a Smith thing. Apparenty not.

Farke tried it as well and him and Smirh got the sack. What's going on?

[Channon’s Windmill 330]

1 hour ago, keelansgrandad said:

Is it roasted or do you lightly fry it?

That was one of those posts where vocacably and beer can get so mixed lol , in the end I should probably say roasted , but too many beers…Lappin great at set prices as he was now talks Shi?te.

[Petriix 2,852]

1 hour ago, Danke bitte said:

Ahhh the voice of reason. And in these darkest of times (they’re really not but I live the drama) I look for your counsel when the chips are down. From your perspective, where are we failing? Is it, like you said, a wolf in the throne room of Webber whispering into Wagner’s ear or Wagner ceding his independence to the rot that’s already in place? Surely Attanasio’s arrival will scrub the deck of this decay which has plagued Norwich these seasons past? Apologies for typing Shakespearean but there’s just some thing to it which makes my asks just seem so much more compelling! The floor is yours wise Petriix… 

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

In my opinion the crucial missing link is the midfield area. Sara looked extremely good at number 10 but we're absolutely missing Dowell playing far deeper and narrower than anyone else who's played on the right since his injury.

We're playing strikers as midfielders. None of them have a clue how to play a decent through ball. None operate between the lines. None have the creativity or vision we need.

Pukki is our number one asset. Idah and Sargent should only be backup, on the bench. We need actual midfielders playing in midfield. Gibbs, Nunez and Sorensen would do far better, but it's ultimately down to squad management.

We've let Stiepermann, Vrancic, Buendia and Cantwell go but not really replaced them. And don't get me started on the CDM position... Kenny works hard, but lacks the ability on the ball to start attacks and progress the ball in attacking transitions.

Basically I'm only happy when we play 4-2-3-1 with Pukki as a lone striker. I want to see a proper double pivot with Sara at number 10. 

[daly 507]

Thought we played really well today

We have a fantastic BOD’s

A good Manager who has given a lot of thought to today’s lineup 

Thought Idah will turn out to be one of the best strikers this club has ever had

Hanley seems to be getting faster with old age creeping on

Fact we waited till 92nd minute was a ploy to lure Sheffield into a false security

OTBC

 

 

[shefcanary 2,444]

4 hours ago, Petriix said:

Makes me wonder how much Webber influences the team selection. 

Wow. A man after my own heart. But I'm castigated about my complaints of a lack of governance at the club.

[WD40 720]

4 hours ago, Dean Coneys boots said:

This. That squad players from three years ago are now our best players tells a very poor story regarding our recruitment and direction as a club. Heads should roll given the outlay. 

And who would do the firing? Conflicts of interest abounds. Attanasio needs to get his brush out. Clean sweep at the top. 

[lake district canary 4,544]

2 hours ago, Petriix said:

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

In my opinion the crucial missing link is the midfield area. Sara looked extremely good at number 10 but we're absolutely missing Dowell playing far deeper and narrower than anyone else who's played on the right since his injury.

We're playing strikers as midfielders. None of them have a clue how to play a decent through ball. None operate between the lines. None have the creativity or vision we need.

Pukki is our number one asset. Idah and Sargent should only be backup, on the bench. We need actual midfielders playing in midfield. Gibbs, Nunez and Sorensen would do far better, but it's ultimately down to squad management.

We've let Stiepermann, Vrancic, Buendia and Cantwell go but not really replaced them. And don't get me started on the CDM position... Kenny works hard, but lacks the ability on the ball to start attacks and progress the ball in attacking transitions.

Basically I'm only happy when we play 4-2-3-1 with Pukki as a lone striker. I want to see a proper double pivot with Sara at number 10. 

Echoes my thoughts completely. With both Idah and Sargent struggling to be effective and pukki struggling to get decent service, we are seeing almost nothing in attack.

Edited April 1, 2023 by lake district canary

[yellowrider120 782]

19 hours ago, Pyro Pete said:

Sadly, Hernandez, Dowell and Nunez are all injured. So not much choice for Wagner.

Fairly damning for Tzolis that he can only make the subs bench with all those players out.

Not so. We painfully missed someone to simply hold the ball in midfield and pass it to another yellow shirt. So why did the God Wagner ignore (again) L Gibbs??

[yellowrider120 782]

20 hours ago, BroadstairsR said:

An attacking line-up is always appealing before the game starts.

Once the game is underway and the opposition start carving through our midfield like a knife through butter, it's not so good.

I'd prefer Gibbs to Idah. 

Accurately predicted. If the likes of me, you and most other fans could have foreseen this then why the hell didn't the manager? 

[yellowrider120 782]

18 hours ago, Ken Hairy said:

Hasn't scored at CR for 6 months, love Pukki but he's finished with us now.

Agreed so why the hell did we offer him another contract?? The guy might just decide to sign it on whatever inflated salary we offered and take the money for however long said contract is.

[dylanisabaddog 4,972]

You do have to worry about the standard of the club's scouting in the UK. How on earth that lad got a contract at Arsenal I'll never know but I dread to think what he's costing us. He certainly doesn't look like an Arsenal player, in fact I doubt he'd get in our team if everyone was fit. 

[Well b back 3,274]

Surely with no fit effective wingers ( especially down the left ) using Dimi there would be a good option.

[chicken 2,640]

Apologies for not completing the match post. Bad request has plagued my attempts to log in... and I have had enough of having to delete all cookies etc and then having to log back in to all of the other places that have no issues. Work around right now is chrome and incognito.