**Official Lappinitup Match Thread - Norwich v Stoke**

[Indy 3,322]

I have to say Sara / McLean first half we’re excellent and really impressed with their play…..second half not so great but credit to McLean, my MOM today, passed well, blocked well and did a very good job!!!!! 

[ZLF 275]

Thought Stoke were disciplined in preventing us from building from the back, which unusually improved second half and whywe couldn't retain the ball and the service to idah/hwang was poor esp once gunn went long.  Ui Jos press looked better than Idahs, he seemed OK in the air but with just 7 touches in 35 isn't really enough to judge too much.

Rotherham seemed to have sussed it too so we prob need to have a better plan b then long ball out.

Great application through the game with stacey faßnacht partnership developing well. Good commitment in defending the lead but some if it was a little too last ditch and the cb pairing development seems to have stalled a little defensively; stoke only needed one of 2 3 very good chances to be taken to have  taken a point.   As someone else mentioned their attack was poor.

 

[daly 512]

3 hours ago, Robert N. LiM said:

How was Hwang today?

Hard to tell can’t remember him being in the game at

[Jim Smith 2,339]

Decent first half and deservedly ahead at half time. If we could cross better could have been two or three up. That said lucky not to have a pen against us and with their chance right at the end of the half where I was just waiting for the net to bulge.

Second half can’t fault the commitment and it was a hard fought win but I thought we were awful and frankly very fortunate to win. If we play like that v Leicester we will get spanked. We were way too open up the middle snd I was incredibly frustrated Wagner took so long to get Gibbs on when the gaping hole there was so obvious.

Hwangs cameo did not suggest he’s going to ge a big improvement on the lumbering Idah who sticks out like a sore thumb due to his lack of movement and energy compared to the rest of the team. We still have a big problem with Sargent’s absence in my view. We really need to think about going with one striker and playing an extra midfielder in my view. Failing that try Rowe up front or something as I think he has the attributes to do the Sargent role.

 

[hogesar 9,760]

2 hours ago, Petriix said:

I agree with all of that. We were poor second half and (until nearly the end) we got worse as it progressed. We definitely lack depth or anyone who can really impact a game from the bench, which is worrying. We have a solid core, it's just those attacking positions where we seem short of quality competition. 

I feel subs have usually weakened us this season but today we had lost control before the subs. I didn't think Placheta did anything wrong and actually put a couple very good balls in that asked the right questions.

Onels just come back from injury and whilst nothing special he has a record of at least causing teams problems from the bench.

Sainz to come back. Sarge at some time of course.

Forshaw hopefully to get up to speed and offer an alternative. I'd have taken Sara off for him second half personally.

[Nuff Said 5,178]

1 hour ago, Indy said:

I have to say Sara / McLean first half we’re excellent and really impressed with their play…..second half not so great but credit to McLean, my MOM today, passed well, blocked well and did a very good job!!!!! 

Who are you and what have you done with Indy?

[Indy 3,322]

11 minutes ago, Nuff Said said:

Who are you and what have you done with Indy?

I always say I call it as I see it, my biggest criticism on McLean is his ability to go missing and make big mistakes in most games, but today he was excellent! 

[daly 512]

One thing certain Idah and Barnes ain’t working 

[Jim Smith 2,339]

53 minutes ago, hogesar said:

I feel subs have usually weakened us this season but today we had lost control before the subs. I didn't think Placheta did anything wrong and actually put a couple very good balls in that asked the right questions.

Onels just come back from injury and whilst nothing special he has a record of at least causing teams problems from the bench.

Sainz to come back. Sarge at some time of course.

Forshaw hopefully to get up to speed and offer an alternative. I'd have taken Sara off for him second half personally.

I’m not sure the problem is always what we have to come off the bench, it’s that he seems to have a formula of changing the wide players when today and in other games I’ve felt we needed to put an extra midfielder in the middle as we are still very easy to get at through the middle. I thought the Barnes swap for Gibbs was way overdue today and was surprised also Gibbs didn’t play deeper. 

[Indy 3,322]

10 minutes ago, daly said:

One thing certain Idah and Barnes ain’t working 

Trouble is Whang was a hell of a lot worse than Idah! Looked like an amateur player given a chance to impress. I thought 1st half Idah & Rowe hooked up well.

[Jim Smith 2,339]

3 minutes ago, Indy said:

Trouble is Whang was a hell of a lot worse than Idah! Looked like an amateur player given a chance to impress. I thought 1st half Idah & Rowe hooked up well.

Agreed. Too early to write him off but I expected more energy from Hwang. On that evidence he’s not got Sargent’s workrate. I’d be tempted to try Rowe up there. 

[hogesar 9,760]

8 minutes ago, Indy said:

Trouble is Whang was a hell of a lot worse than Idah! Looked like an amateur player given a chance to impress. I thought 1st half Idah & Rowe hooked up well.

Yes, I thought Idah did a decent job of linking up first half too. I dont think he's ever going to be the same sort of player as Sargent but Rowe and Fassnacht could definitely benefit playing off Idah.

Far too early to say anything about Whang who was poor but came on when we'd already conceded possession and apparently has only had one or two small training sessions with us.

[hogesar 9,760]

13 minutes ago, Jim Smith said:

I’m not sure the problem is always what we have to come off the bench, it’s that he seems to have a formula of changing the wide players when today and in other games I’ve felt we needed to put an extra midfielder in the middle as we are still very easy to get at through the middle. I thought the Barnes swap for Gibbs was way overdue today and was surprised also Gibbs didn’t play deeper. 

Yeah I don't disagree. Gibbs can also play as a wider midfielder and I thought Forshaw might have got a look in either to add a body in or to replace Sara who had given the ball away a few too many times second half.

Pleased to see the team dig in and keep a clean sheet though, important win because I don't see us beating Leicester on Wednesday.

[rock bus 854]

10 minutes ago, Jim Smith said:

Agreed. Too early to write him off but I expected more energy from Hwang. On that evidence he’s not got Sargent’s workrate. I’d be tempted to try Rowe up there. 

Not a bad idea, Idah certainly isn’t the answer and admittedly didn’t have long today but not impressed by hwang.

think we might need to push barnes up top and bring a faster or trickier player alongside.. poss Rowe or maybe Fassnacht (who I thought was very good today)

 or is there a new youngster?

Edited September 16, 2023 by rock bus

[Terminally Yellow 2,485]

23 minutes ago, Jim Smith said:

Agreed. Too early to write him off but I expected more energy from Hwang. On that evidence he’s not got Sargent’s workrate. I’d be tempted to try Rowe up there. 

Writing a player off after his first substitute appearance. Not to mention days after being on international duty in Saudi Arabia. Let's see what happens over the next 5/6 games rather than moving one of our best young players out of position just as he's starting to show his talent. 

[LaUnionCanary 86]

11 hours ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

Annnnnd breath

I think you mean breathe.

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,800]

6 hours ago, rock bus said:

Not a bad idea, Idah certainly isn’t the answer and admittedly didn’t have long today but not impressed by hwang.

think we might need to push barnes up top and bring a faster or trickier player alongside.. poss Rowe or maybe Fassnacht (who I thought was very good today)

 or is there a new youngster?

I'd agree here with Fassnacht...does seem to be able offer more centrally and has the physique...this would also open up a space for Sainz on the right

[JamieNorfolk 63]

14 hours ago, Robert N. LiM said:

How was Hwang today?

He looked good in the warm up & was slotting away some rockets. Came on full of pace & press, but it lasted 5 minutes as he looked shattered after chasing down every ball. 
He had one shot on goal from the edge of the 18, which didn’t challenge Travers. 

[DraytonBoy 165]

City were lucky to come away with all three points, play like that on Wednesday and Leicester will tear them apart, Stoke dominated for large parts of the game and woeful finishing cost them dearly. McLean was MOM for me as Sara and Rowe both struggled against an organised opposition. Sargent was a big miss, lets hope either Idah or Hwang between them can fill the void until he comes back.