Malaysia Tour

[Farkes The Herald Angels 0]

THE POSITIVES

Proton went totally out of their way to make this a fantastic tour. Obviously they have a huge vested interest in making it all a success, but they were always helpful. They even helped me get free entrance to last night''s game and one of their IT people drove us off to the local food court to pick up dinner. Thanks Izzat!

Malayisan media did us proud. Full of great coverage of the team and the city.

Delia was a great ambassador. I went to a book signging yesterday that she did in central KL and the Malay housewives seemed to love her - her books are popular here.

The building of the Norwich brand. ''The Canaries'' (they rarely refer to us as Norwich) have become a well known name here. I left my hotel last night to go to the game and the receptionist said ''you going to the canaries game''? Same with the taxi driver.

The crowd last night. I thought 25,000, but they said 36,000. Great atmosphere.

Svensson was left with a fee header for the goal at the far post, but he put it away well.

Finnegan''s pub in central KL was totally decked out in green and yellow and on Friday night there must have been 200 Norwich there, including Queen D and Nigel. The barmen were going nuts and the Malaysian manager kept starting chants of ''City''!


THE NEGATIVES

Last night''s game was really poor. No-one played very well. Lots of passes going astray and generally very lacklustre. Of course its a friendly, but still nothing much to get excited about. Bit weird to be playing a friendly in front of 36,000!

The result of the poor performance left the local press - who to this point had nothing but positives to say about the club - to concur with the English press that we look certain for the drop. They compared us to Newcastle, Birmingham and Chelsea, who came here last year, and said we were way behind. Personally I wouldn''t read too much into it as it was a one off game and in was damn hot and humid.

Norwich have a great chance to become Malayia''s premier league team because of Proton, but last night did not help this cause.

Anyway, when they see us win a couple of games next season thongs will change!!


All in all, though, a GREAT experience and we''re making inroads into the country that ranks number three for viewership of the EPL.

[ZLF 274]

An excellent summary. Particularly interested in the view of the Malaysian press view of the team which can only be based on the two recent games we played there. If I remember rightly Bham won 4-0 and looked good in their one off game, albeit as a team about to start a second season in the ''EPL''.

Knowing how passionately the Malayans gamble on the EPL I am confident that they do know their onions so feel that their assessment is worth listening too. Combined with your own view of the lack of quality in passing and Worthys on view on that subject it convinces me that we will struggle unless we get some class in centrall midfield. No point having a potent strikeforce if we cant get the ball to them, likewise if we cant retain the ball the defence will always eventually crack - look at England against France and Portugal this summer.

However I do think it has been a successful tour and given us plenty to work on for the rest of the close season.

OTBC

[AJ 1,221]

cheers kevin, interesting views!

I dont like the bit about them thinking were not up to the standard of newcastle or birmingham BUT this does not mean we will drop, as you say it was only a friendly, and the heat must have been hard to play with, what was the heat like over there people?

[Jim Smith 2,319]

I was discussing this with my mate who was over there covering Birmingham for a Brummie paper last year. He said that they beat malaysia pretty easily although we both agreed that Birmingham were out there a bit later in their preseason and therefore had more games under their belts. We have to remember that we had not even played a proper game or even tained much with the ball before going out there.

Bit of a shame that our performance has not captured the imagination of the Malaysians but i''m sure we will if we do ok next season!

[ZLF 274]

I agree AJ that it does not mean we will be relegated - after all Chelsea and Newcastle both finished in the top 5 and are in a different mini league of the premier to us and Bham did quite well too last year.

From what I read of the game we were never really in danger of losing but lacked some quality in passing etc. As you say this will improve as we work more as a squad.

As far as the heat goes I am sure that it was pretty hot last year and Worthy said that the issue wasnt fitness and their games were only friendlies too but won in a more convincing manner.

On that basis the press assessment seems pretty relevant and confirms what most of us know - that we will be around the bottom half of the table, it will be a tough season ad that we need a little more quality/ bit of luck to survive - no shocking news there then - but hopefully it will re-focus the mind of the management team when considering transfer targets.

OTBC.

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In your second to last line, interesting that you think they''ll change their underwear after a couple of wins. Sounds like they REALLY enjoy their football!

Ama

[GenerationA47 752]

Note following report on the match from a Malysian paper. Rather different verdict to our own, more obsequious local press!

[link]http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/7/18/sports/8467535&sec=sports[/link]

[king of latvia 0]

i would just like to say it was a fantastic tour and everybody who was there done norwich city very proud, but were you say that norwich citys performance was poor i just like to say that the heat and humidty was VERY HIGH and just sitting in the stand the sweat was pouring of me this was a good fitness workout and the malaysian people were brilliant.

[GenerationA47 752]

Great, glad to hear it. Perhaps it was colder & less humid when the other Premiership teams were out there previously.