Crunch match...

[ROBFLECK 134]

I think the monday night game will show us if NCFC really have it in them. I think the 10 point gap with Charlton already says a lot, MK Dons are a good side and it will take a good City display to get something out of the game. Who is still optimistic about automatic promotion? I know it''s too early to tell but it does play in our minds doesn''t it? I didn''t like the set up against Walsall, we need more creativity in midfield...

So, my question fellow Pink-''uns, do we have an answer to the lack of creativity in our ranks? and Who sees us beating MK Dons at their place?

[First Jedi 0]

I love how before *every* game there is a thread that is either; "Crunch Match", "**** is a real test", "Important game"...

Or something... they''re all important, all crunch games, blah blah blah...!

[B-ru 0]

Plus, tehre is plenty of comments on the creative essence in our midfield on other threads...

[B-ru 0]

there*

[Shaun Tilly Lace 0]

Yes, two massive games rapidly approaching with MK Dons and Charlton in quick succession. If we win both of those then the Canaries will be flying. Lose both and our dreams of promotion will be starting to ebb away. Charlton is the more vital of the two to win, it would knock a bit of wind out of their sails and help to slow their progress a bit.

[Blofield Canary 12]

Pablo I disagree about which match is more important. Charlton looked at the end of last season like a well organised team who I thought would walk this league. Nothing so far this season has changed my mind. I see them easily getting one of the automatic spots. At the moment Leeds look likely to take the second spot.

This leaves us looking at the playoffs along with sides like MK Dons. This in my opinion makes it more important that we take points of our rivals for playoff spots.

[Shaun Tilly Lace 0]

Leeds and Charlton have started the season like express trains and look unstoppable at the moment, but let''s not forget the old (yet very apt) football cliche "that the season is a marathon and not a sprint". Grant Holt has alluded to this recently when he remembered his time with Forest a few seasons ago. Apparently they were well ahead of the pack in the first half of the season in League One, only to fall away and then miss out on promotion in the play-offs. I think I''m right in saying that early season leaders seldom stay the course and win promotion.

[G 0]

Basically one game decides if we finish top half or bottom half?

[Lambo 0]

I don''t think we need to go out and bring someone in to add creativity, Hughes simply had an off day Saturday where he didn''t show for the ball from the defense as much as usual, thus they resorted to the hoofball.

If Hughes has got that off day out of his system now and plays well against MK and Charlton i think we can get at least 4 points from those games, something i''l be happy with.

[Salopian 1]

Without wishing to be over-pessimistic, I think that we will do well to get anything out of the match.I think that our recent results, especially the wins, were against poor teams with little to offer. The Dons will be at us with pace, and unless our defence is well marshalled we shall ship several goals.I would like to think that in the new manager we have someone who is a superb tactician and who has "solved" our defensive frailty. I doubt the latter - the lack of pace is still there, a fullback who switches off and is missing could well be there and the midfield failure to tackle back may also be there.I can see only one way to limit goals conceded - to go something like 4-5-1, and hang on for a point, but this will make it very unlikely that we shall score.I am sorry to say all this, and I would be delighted to be proved wrong.

[Lambo 0]

The midfield tackling back and defending as a united is exactly why we haven''t conceded in 3 games.

[B-ru 0]

I am not confident with our labouring defence, is Spillane available now, he could be worth a punt as he is more mobile than Nelson.

[Ivana_rubyatitz 6]

I would take a point now if offered although in reality if we are serious about being promotion or even playoff contenders this is the sort of game where you have to get something from.  It will be interesting to see how our recent apparent defensive tightness and slightly improved away form holds up against a team likely to be there or thereabouts at the business end of the season.  Just how much of a turnaround Lambert has achieved will be clear after the next couple of games.

[Dronny Canary 0]

These games coming up will tell us more than any of the previous ones about where we stand in the Division 3 pecking order.  Although we haven''t set the world alight against modest opposition lately it doesn''t necessarily follow that we will gat hammered by teams near the top.  There are plenty of examples of Norwich teams raising their game against "good" teams (and even beating them) while not turning up against more humble teams.  Look back at last season and consider Wolves at home and Blackpool away!  The reverse is also true about our opposition.  As one of the so-called "bigger clubs" in this division, teams raise their game against us (Walsall?) but then lose to less fancied teams.  The last few weeks have seen a bit of a back to basics concentration on shape and discipline and hopefully that will mean that we are getting a bit of the spirit, that was so lacking last year, back into the team.  Over the next few weeks it would be nice to see us working on the more attacking aspects of play which most of us are also aware need planty of attention.  In short, I''m quite optimisitic that we''ll raise our game against some of these "stronger" teams.

[NottsCanary 0]

I dont really know what to make of the MK Dons game, as its away, as we dont do very well away up until this season. However, we do ususally do wel against good teams at home, so charlton may be a good game for us?

[Brendo 0]

I can see us easily getting top 6.

This league doesnt actually look very good.

Leeds, Charlton, Huddersfield and Millwall are the only teams i can actually see finishing above us, and MK dons a maybe.

I think 4th would be a good guess.

[Dons_Cast 0]

Hi from a MK Dons fan

Were looking forward to this one big time. Its one of the "cup finals" we all ear marked as soon as we knew you were joining us.

Rather gutted we''ve been shunted to a Monday night tv game would rather have seen a massive yellow presence in the away end on a Saturday.