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Hardhouse44

Midfield has to go

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Robinson and Hughes. Two of the worst players I have ever seen on the pitch for Norwich at the same time. As for Etuhu, lazy lazy lazy not up for 42 games plus a season so far performs in 1 out of 5. Not a good enough return from a central midfielder. All 3 need replacing if we are to ever have a chance of building a promotion chasing team. Utter dross today from all 3. Not acceptable ever.

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Well said

Hughes putting a pass into touch when his intended receiver was 4 yards away and 5 yards from touched summed up his passing

 

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Yep,

Get rid of Hughes, Robinson and the unreliable Safir

Lets try and bring inpeople like Lee Hendrie (go for it delia), Kris Commons, Brian Howard, Tommy Miller etc.

I really dont know who, but there must be players available either from prem clubs on loan, struggling championship clubs or even the lower leagues. I would suggest taking a good look at championship clubs exceeding expectations and seeing  exactly who theyve got in midfield. Norwich would be a desirable place to comed!

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Some tough decisions in the transfer window regarding Earnie.

If offered enough it could finance a pretty good team rebuild.

Not much point in having a good striker if we cant defend, have no midfield plus we create very few chances.

On the plus side, Grant has seen the real heart of some of the players.

Before the transfer window he needs those same players to perform so at least we are within striking distance of the playoffs.

I would expect him to totally slate individual players in public just yet. 

As well as getting rid of the obvious dead wood such as Thorne, LJ ect ect

We may have to look to see if players such as Hucks are too much of a liabilty as he gets older.

I am now convinced the best "pro" at the club currently is 37 yaers old and sitting on the bench, that is scary.

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Well done hardhouse, that was the best post on here. Our ''midfield three'' is the problem. The reason we lost yesterday was becuase hughes, etuhu and robinson kept giving the ball away and offered no protection to the defense.

Hughes and robinson just aren''t good enough, whilst etuhu just really annoys me. There is a good player in there, we see flashes of it. he has all attributes but I just think he doesn''t want it enough. All three on the transfer list in Januray please.

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Yep, agreed.  It was in the midfield where we lost the game yesterday, without a doubt.  None of the regular four in there (Safri, Hughes, Etuhu & Robinson) are anywhere near committed enough to play for this club.  The only worry is that we wouldn''t get any return for any of them if we tried to sell them.......

Also, how bad is Drury''s positional sense?  He is sitting so narrow he is almost standing on Shackell''s toes half the time, and this is allowing opposition wide players between 5-10 yards start on him.  Not good enough.

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Couldn''t agree more. The reason for having 3 centre midfielders is so you can hold the ball up, distribute it well and control the centre of the park. But yesterday we did none of that. The marking was poor at best, the distribution was wayward.

Years ago our midfiled did not have the best ability but they were reliable. Holt and Francis. Were good players. Obviously the later had his faults.

We made a very average team (which Ipswich are at best) look good.

Why is it that we can not get ourselves up for playing them and always look a bundle of nerves!!!

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Couldn''t agree more!PG talked abour sleepy minds, and one or two were, - Hux for instance, and he had a sleepy body as well.Our problem for some time has been the poverty of the midfield. We''ve had nothing dominant since Francis and Holt at their best. On occasions Safri played well and Etuhu when he turns up, but as a unit with Robinson not able to do much and at slow pace, and Hughes unable to pass a ball, it would take an exceptionable player to make anything of the midfield. Yesterday Etuhu was hardly there.The result was never in doubt, the only surprise that it was not many more against us.We shall make little progress until we have a midfield that can tackle, and thus take pressure of the defence, that covers the wings and doesn''t leave the fullback exposed, and that creates chances for the strikers and scores the occasional goal.It probably was a mistake to put Doherty back in defence, but I suspect that with the midfield we put out yesterday even Dion would have struggled to prevent an Ipswich victory.Time to try one of the youngsters, Rossi or Spillane perhaps! Even if they are alongside poor players, they should at least pass the ball to one of our team!In January we have to find replacements, or we shall be in for another disappointing season.

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I posted on here at the start of the season that we have no midfield - and until we find one we are going nowhere.

Hughes and Robinson were never good enough from the start. Safri has turned into nothing, which leaves Etuhu, who is something of an enigma. Very in or out, Definitely the later on yesterdays performance.

The club STILL hasn''t replaced Damien Francis. I know he gave up on us towards the end and was a lazy sod, but the fact still remains no-one has bettered him since.

Maybe the club will remember it has Rossi Jarvis and Michael Spillane. If I was them, I''d be looking elsewhere because how bad does the midfield have to play before they actually get a game?

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Yep, we NEED four good players to fill four key positions to enable Grant to field his prefered 4-4-2 formation and hopefully turn us into promotion contenders this season:

Two central-midfielders, a strong, commanding centre-half and a talented forward with height are required. Sooner rather than later. 

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Agree totally, now we''ll see if PTP is true to his word. Robinson and Hughes and Doherty should be nowhere near the teamsheet(or the bench) for Saturday, and Hucks will also be lucky to survive. Too many of these players are of a poor standard in terms of football, we all know that, but I cannot stomach players with no fight, especially in a local derby. My team for Saturday would be

Camp(can''t be any worse than what we''ve seen, and England rate him highly enough at Under 21 level)

Colin(thought he looked okay and looked like he cared)

Spillane

Shackell(best of a bad bunch, again looked like he cared, make him team captain NOW)

Rossi Jarvis(how did edp make Drury MOTM, count how many crosses their winger got in!!!!!!!!!!)

Chadwick

Safri(only because he''s the best of a bad bunch, and play him as a proper midfielder, not sitting in front of back four))

Etuhu(lazy but has the talent)

Eagle(in a proper 4-4-2 we need someone who defends when opponents have the ball, not wander back)

Earnshaw

Ryan Jarvis

Subs: Gallagher, Huckerby, Dublin, Fisk, Drury.

That would leave Hughes, Robinson, McVeigh, Fleming, Doherty, Ashdown(whats the point!!!), Thorne, Louis-Jean out of the squad, and hopefully out of the club come end of season. Its gotta be kids kids kids from now on, give them a run in the team. One thing you know is they''ll give you 100%  

 

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 Etuhu has the talent but like francis used to be only uses it when feels like it which to me is a complete waste of space.I say clear the midfield out no passion showed yesterday get some midfielders in what will show some passion.  

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We have a midfield?In all seriousness, I really hope that Grant recognises the fact that Hughes and Robinson just aren''t good enough and ships them out in January.  You can understand that he mostly has to play one or both, since we have no squad to speak of, but it is costing us points and humiliating us against the Binners is unforgiveable.Etuhu and Safri, we at least know, have the ability - it''s the getting them to turn it on that''s the hard part...I wonder if now is the time to rever to 4-4-2? Chadwick and Hucks on the wings, Safri holding midfield, Etuhu attacking.  Earnie and A N Other up front.  It just seems to me that, with the midfield 3, Etuhu knows that his role is to attack, but Hughes and Robinson just aren''t sure what they''re doing.I asked this last season, and I''ll ask it again - are Hughes and Robinson the worst midfield partnership since Milligan and Carey?

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i still think a good forward and a partner for etuhu could make all the difference,we carry too much dead weight.on yesterdays performance hughes and robinson should never get near the first team and unless he gets fit hucks is not far behind,croft and chadwick will at least give us an attacking option with defencive ability ,a young holt to play next to etuhu and the defence might start too look better with the ball spending less time comming straight back at them,i know its hard not to give them stick but a poor defence would have conceded half a dozen yesterday with the preassure we where under so i am leaving them alone

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I agree with you Ian

If Spillane and Rossi Jarvis can''t get a game against a struggling Hull City then when exactly are they going to play?

Our "youngsters" are not that young compared to plenty of other players at other clubs. Give them a chance. Let''s see what they can do.

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I have to say it''s hard to defend any of our midfield.  They really are poor with the exception of Etuhu who is just very, very frustrating.  He has the ability and physical presence to boss a game but he very rarely does.  We have seen him win games for us when he is interested, the problem is he does not do it enough and for me that is worse that just being an average player.

The problem is as I see it is that the players we have are average, very average in some cases.  Worst of all they do not compliment each other.  Someone mentioned the Holt - Francis partnership and in my view Holt was a player of very limited ability as well but was always very effective because he knew his limitations and played to his strengths.  He was a "chaser" in midfield and complimented "luxury players" like Mulryne and Francis very well.  The problem we have now is that Hughes, Safri and Robinson are all similar in that they want to play a holding role, albeit in different styles.  What we need is that simple "grafter and crafter" combination.  One sits, the other goes forward and both know their job.  The sooner we can get back to a 4-4-2 the better.

Personally I think PG has a very big job and I am interested to see what transfer take place in January both in and out.

 

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Sell Earnshaw and use the cash to rebuild the team? Sound theory. In practice, and on previous form, more than half, if not all the money is trousered and dissappears, and is not spent on replacements! Before we spend the Earnshaw cash, what about most of the ashton caash, and all the Mckenzie and Green cash? Underinvestment all the way. Prudence with stupidity.   

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[quote user="charlies dad"]

Sell Earnshaw and use the cash to rebuild the team? Sound theory. In practice, and on previous form, more than half, if not all the money is trousered and dissappears, and is not spent on replacements! Before we spend the Earnshaw cash, what about most of the ashton caash, and all the Mckenzie and Green cash? Underinvestment all the way. Prudence with stupidity.   

[/quote]

Spot on CD......a perfect summary of events.....

Earnshaw sadly isn''t an Ashton....and is very limited. Sell him on to Cardiff and use the cash wisely....such as new curtains and flooring in the corporate suite.....oh.....and new table cloths and seating in the restaurant....That might get us back up into the Premiership Delia!........

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OK I HAVE CAME ON THIS FORUM AND JUST READ FOR A LONG TIME, BUT FEEL ITS TIME TO MAKE A POINT....

WHY IS IT THAT WHEN WE HAD GARY HOLT AND DAMIEN FRANCIS HERE AT NORWICH, PEOPLE SLATED HOLT??! AND I DONT JUST MEAN SLATTED HE WAS RIPPED TO SHREDS, HE GOT BOOED WITH EVERY TOUCH EVERY SUBSTITUTION (WHEN HE CAME ON OR OFF THE PITCH!) AND I EVEN REMEMBER QUOTES THAT PEOPLE CALLED HIM S**T IN THE STREETS.....

SO HERE WE ARE LESS THAN TWO YEARS LATER WITH A TOTALLY SHOCKING MIDFIELD THREE (DOING LESS THAN ONE PLAYERS WORK I MIGHT ADD) THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE ON HERE SAYING HOW WE MISS MR HOLT????

I''M NOT SAYING YOUR WRONG.. OH NOT AT ALL! RIGHT NOW I WOULD LOVE A PLAYER LIKE HIM IN OUR MIDFIELD,  GIVING HIS ALL AND FIGHTING FOR THE CAUSE! ONE THING IS FOR SURE IT CERTAINLY THAT HE IS DOING AT FOREST NOW!! ALL I''M SAYING IS....

IF WE EVER GET A MIDFIELD WITH BITE AGAIN CAN YOU FANS OUT THERE REMEMBER THIS???

WHY SLAG OFF SOMEONE WHO GAVE EVERYTHING ALMOST ALWAYS?! ITS CERTAINLY MORE THAN THE 2006 NORWICH MIDFIELD EVER DO!!

 

 

 

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Actually cluck you''re just being silly now. Curtains and seating won''t make a blind [sic.] bit of difference. Its doilies. Everyone knows that in the Prem you can get a nice gin and tonic and put your glass on real wood veneer topped off with a little doily. It stops those little circles you get on a surface. That''s what  we aspire to. Anything else is just uncouth lower class poorhouse crass social ineptitude. The way to Andy Hughes'' heart is to serve him his alcopop on a doily. With japanese rice crackers.

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[

 

SO HERE WE ARE LESS THAN TWO YEARS LATER WITH A TOTALLY SHOCKING MIDFIELD THREE (DOING LESS THAN ONE PLAYERS WORK I MIGHT ADD) THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE ON HERE SAYING HOW WE MISS MR HOLT???

just to clear up sorted ,i would have the holt that came here from scotland not the one that left us ,gary holt ran our midfield for years but once the engine had gone he had little to offer

it is the frustration at why players like robinson and hughes get picked every  week that drives some fans to abuse,there is little we can do to let the people that matter know how bad we feel there selections are ,so players do take the brunt

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Holt was a superb championship level enforcer with a dash of leadership and exactly the sort of player we need right now - sadly he was not up to the challenge in the prem and was over exposed when out of his depth, and his injury and age all combined to see his demise from the club.

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