Evolution and Norwich

[The Voice of the Thorpe Area 0]

Over the past, what, 18 months I suppose, or even back to the Premiership season, we have seen Norwich stand still when others have progressed some what.

Our home form this year has been solid, as it was last year, and even when we were in the Premiership we I think lost roughly only 5 or 6 games at home.

But our away form, and, our general play seems to have stood still for the past, well, too long! ie, away from home we struggle to score and we always concede. Why? The subject of goals is strange (this under PG), when we have Hucks and Earnie in the side, and we struggle to create chnaces for these 2 exceptional players.

Defensively, for this, the 3rd season, we just have no idea to how to defend. We have more or less the same defence that was playing aginst Rooney and Henry only 2 years ago, and, whilst we conceded too many goals, surely they learnt something from that experience?

Like in the Premiership, our midfield constantly goes missing. Why? Yes, our midfield (bar Hucks) has completely changed since we got promoted, but the staff are the same, whether that is a good or bad thing is up to debate, but they are the same coaches that coached Holt, Francis and whoever else to promotion.

My point (yes, there is one!), is that since we got promoted we have seen teams evolve from what they were, into good sides. I''m talking about the Cardiff''s, Burnley''s, Luton''s of this league, and look at the Premiership, and you see teams such as Fulham and Reading, who haven''t spent big by any means, but have gone from (in their respective leagues) average, even poor sides, and gone into decent footballing sides.

In my view, apes evolved into humans faster than what the NCFC rabel have into a solid bunch of footballers! The majority of our squad has been together for coming onto a year now. Infact, looking at a side from this time last year against Leicester:

Green, Colin, Fleming, Doc, Drury, Charlton, Safri, Etuhu, Macca, Ashton, Hucks.

8 of this team are still at Norwich. On the bench 4 of the players are still here!

WHY IN 1 YEAR HAVE WE NOT PROGRESSED? I know that Rome wasn''t built in a day, but christ, the pyramids were built quicker than this!

 

[Canary02 0]

On the plus side however, since then we''ve sold Ashton, Green and McKenzie for good money, and only spent cash on Earnshaw and Croft. Even with the loan deals p*ssing a bit more cash away, we should still have a fair amount left to strengthen. And with Grant hopefully far more competent and persuasive in the market than Nice But Dim Nigel, the squad could and should look much better come February.

At the moment he''s trying to make a silk purse out of the sows ear that Worthington left, and fair play he''s mostly doing well. With a decent target man to partner Earnie, and a 6ft plus beast and leader at the back to partner Shackell, we could look an entirely different outfit.

I agree in general with your post however, but none of this is Grant''s doing, so we at least have the hope that things can improve. Thank God we never spent everything on Cotterill!

[Hairy Canary 753]

Top post!

I think this shows the complete lack of planning in team building over the last two years.

When we went into the premiership instead of evolving the squad we had a wholesale revolution. Out went key members of the team (McKay, Roberts etc) and in come loads of newcomers, requiring time to settle, new style of play, without the promotion team''s spirit etc. Then when we came down we went through it again, with even more disasterous results. Many of the guys that were brought in for the premiership went and a load of average players brought in along with an abrupt change in formation. This lack of planning resulted in us starting the season with a 4-5-1 formation without a striker at the club who could head the ball!

IMO this is not how you build a team. We need a settled formation and style of play (consistant throughout the reserves and youth setup) with a manager who gradually brings in players to suit the adopted sytle. Thats why Grant has such a touch job. This is such a cock up that he has to almost start again (with no money) before we can go forward and it is going to take ages!

PS Apes did not evolve into humans - apes and humans evolved from the same ancestor. Very different.

 

 

[The Voice of the Thorpe Area 0]

[quote user="Hairy Canary"]

Top post!

I think this shows the complete lack of planning in team building over the last two years.

When we went into the premiership instead of evolving the squad we had a wholesale revolution. Out went key members of the team (McKay, Roberts etc) and in come loads of newcomers, requiring time to settle, new style of play, without the promotion team''s spirit etc. Then when we came down we went through it again, with even more disasterous results. Many of the guys that were brought in for the premiership went and a load of average players brought in along with an abrupt change in formation. This lack of planning resulted in us starting the season with a 4-5-1 formation without a striker at the club who could head the ball!

IMO this is not how you build a team. We need a settled formation and style of play (consistant throughout the reserves and youth setup) with a manager who gradually brings in players to suit the adopted sytle. Thats why Grant has such a touch job. This is such a #### up that he has to almost start again (with no money) before we can go forward and it is going to take ages!

PS Apes did not evolve into humans - apes and humans evolved from the same ancestor. Very different.

 

 

[/quote]

Good point about Mackay and Roberts, I''m annoyed that I forgot about that! How can you get rid of your only 2 leaders in the squad?