Cardiff, Makes No Sense

[Matt Morriss 69]

How on earth can we put in the performance like we did against Cardiff, and indeed against Wolves and Ipswich, and Birmingham at the start of the season, and were in the bottom 3.In those matches weve performed like a top 6 side, even better really, ive seen a lot of the top teams this season, Wolves Reading etc, and the performances we showed agaisnt Cardiff and Wolves were that of the league leaders. Cardiff was perhaps even a better performance than Wolves. Clean sheet, total domination, crisp quality attacking football.The question is are the other teams that are down there putting in the kind of performances we do 1 game in 5. Even having said that the majority of matches we seem to play really well, but only win 25% of them.Gow and Mooney made the difference on tuesday without doubt, they complimented our quality midfield so much better than Cort and Cureton. They gave Hoolahan and Croft an outlet far better than any strike duo ive seen all season. I think the Plymouth game will tell us a lot. If we play the same and win then it will prove they are the difference and weve got it wrong up front all season.But is it just a couple of players that weve been lacking? Jigsaw finishing players? Or is it a lack of moitvation for most of the games except the big ones against the top sides? I think its the latter. Theres still a fundamental problem with NCFC that were a big club and dont deserve to be in the Championship. So away days at small time Blackpool just dont feel like matchdays, when youve played in front of 60,000 at Old Trafford etc. One player, Doc i think, said we always play well on a tuesday, its Cardiff its a night game were looking forward to it. Do they have the same opinion of a long away day at Blackpool? Evidently not. They should look forward to every game. Night match v a top 6 side or otherwise.

[rjwc22 0]

I think there are many reasons for why we have been poor this season.

Some are down to the playing squad we have had available, some down to the management input and some down to confidence.

A lot is also down to pure luck which has been missed this season.  We saw it return at QPR and I hope it hangs around for a few more games.

[ZLF 275]

 

Its both movement up front and a lack of desire that has lead to this inconsistency for me.   We do have a squad of big game charlies,    they just need to realise just how big a game this one is tomorrow and play like plymouth are a top 6 side too.

[Anderz 0]

Confidence added to desire will see even the most wretched of teams win some of their games. I personally see the problems being that as a team the players think they have confidence in one another, but in truth don''t believe this to be the case. The lack of desire would possibly stem from seeing other players under-performing and sub-consciously thinking: "Well if he''s not going to bother, why should I..?". On paper, the players and the squad as a whole is fairly decent. Sure, we lack bodies to cover for injuries, suspensions and loss of form which happen to all teams during a season, but when we were promoted to the Premiership we had a team that believed and trusted in one another, and no single player wanted to let his teammates down, and so went the extra mile to push the team on. In recent seasons, this has been increasingly drained from the team, and you get to a situation where the players have forgotten, or never knew the winning mentality aspect of being a player at Norwich. How this is rectified, I don''t know, but without the confidence, belief and desire, even the greatest collection of players would struggle to win the majority of games - for lack of a better example, Real Madrid at present time.

[gary 0]

it has been the same ever since I started watching Norwich in the mid 70''s - teams that play football against us and allow us to play football in return we can generally beat , teams that battle against us , get in our faces and work hard we always struggle against , fo rthat reason i expect us to get a draw at best tomorrow