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nycanary

A somewhat unique perspective

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Watching the match today on the telly was a unique treat. I listen to all NCFC matches online but to watch one was a real treat and it''s probably the first time in a decade that I''ve had the pleasure of watching a full Norwich 90 minutes. I must tell you, it provided me with unique perspective on this given the jump from radio to TV.

Some thoughts if you care to read:

1. This is the first of 3 matches I''ll be able to watch in a week. This is thrilling stuff. I''m sure my views will change after watching the other two.

2. Three things stood out for me as we compete with the best of the best. First touch; passing; movement off the ball. In all three, we were sub-standard. Countless times we gave away the ball when we didn''t need to. Countless times our first touch let United marksmen come in and put pressure on us immediately. And countless times we just didn''t have the off the ball movement that allows the passes and first touches to be easier to execute. It doesn''t matter whether we are fitter, stronger, faster, more experience or whatever. If we can improve these three things, I think we''re going to be absolutely fine.

In terms of player ratings:

Green (8) -- very impressed. goals were not his fault. other saves and box forays were top drawer.

Helveg (5) -- thoroughly unimpressed. looked slow; lethargic; lackadaisical. basically -- he looked like he was still playing in serie A. needs to improve considerably otherwise he''s not going to be the representative of how we can attract good talent -- but rather a liability.

Fleming (7) -- solid. nothing too spectacular. organized. disciplined. like it.

Charlton (7) -- also solid. very assertive on the ball. also organized and shows his experience.

Drury (8) -- i thought our best defender on the night. he really stuck with bellion and i believe he would have succeeded in containing ronaldo if challenged. premiership quality.

Jonson (5) -- the right side was terrible for us. all the way. jonson looked completely out of sorts. he simply hasn''t adjusted to english football yet. i would put him on the bench and get him some reserve action plus minutes off the bench before giving him the starting nod. it''s not working right now.

Francis (7) -- got better as the game went on. but i did feel that holt and francis were anxious and nervous and resistant to getting stuck in throughout the match but less so in the 2nd half. they need to believe that they belong in the premiership and then the commanding performances will come. damien played well.

Holt (6) -- decidedly average. possibly tired from the midweek match. possibly reaching the limits of his talents. holt is going to need some watching. i''m concerned about cementing him as one of our midfielders...i think it may serve us well to see how a safri/francis combination does.

Bentley (6) -- with the exception of "The Shot", i thought he wasn''t impressive. when you watch him, you can tell he''s all class...he just moves in that certain way. but he tried too hard. tried defense splitting passes that missed every time. i really thought he played like he was portrayed in the Guardian. a cocky performance without delivering the goods. but the margin here is slim -- if he scored that goal, then we''d be raving. i have no doubt he will come good and i can see him and hux forming a good partnership but NW needs to work this one properly.

Huckerby (7) -- a satisfactory performance. i think he needs to add some variety to his game. his ''head-down and run at them'' approach worked great in div 1 but the prem defenders are far savvier. he needs to develop more of a playmakers attitude or, at the very least, create some chances (not by running to the byline and crossing it in but rather by looking up, finding space and creating an opening) so that defenders

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great comments but a bit harsh on helveg.


He did well and it was a test for him.

I must mention Drury:

Never looked like he had never played in the premier ship!

As for jonson he still needs to settle.

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Excellent player summary ny, would agree with most of your views, Green & Drury definately 8 out of tens but I would up Francis to an 8 also, thought he was superb, got stuck in , never gave up on anything and looked totally at home. Was our best player against Palace too, and in pre-season in my opinion. I think he and Safri could form a great partnership. Sorry Gary Holt, I''m a big fan, but don''t think you have quite enough for the Premiership and would like to see Dafri (when fit) given a go. Early days though.

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No-one mentions Mcveigh... among the better performers V Mallorca, Palace and Manu. Clearly wants his place back, and going about it in the right way...

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