Is this our bad patch

[Beauseant 0]

Every side hits a bad patch (as Leeds know all too well) and one of my worries since Christmas has been when we''d hit ours, and what the ramifications would be. Looking at the last four games we haven''t played very well on a full 90 minute basis and have gone behind in every one, only to come back to win three of them. We have been without Holty until yesterday, when by all accounts he looked very rusty, and have also lost the services of Adam Drury, who has been outstanding all season.

The question this raises for me is whether we are actually in our bad patch now, yet still getting results? If so the future is very bright with players returning, because we all know that we can play much, much better than we currently are. However, could things deteriorate further? Clearly Holt''s suspension demonstrated that we are significantly less potent without him, and the lack of cover in the target man position is a real worry.Two more quick bookings and we could be without him in two out of Huddersfield, Swindon and Leeds, which doesn''t bear thinking about! Equally, there is a divide of opinion amongst fans about the merits of Lappin, Nelson and even Ginger Pele,and there is no doubt that a lack of pace in central defence, a drop in performance levels in midfield and the compararative lack of impact by Wes in recent games are concerns, but, for once, I suspect that most of us are happy to defer to Lambert on these issues as he currently appears to be able to walk on water!

I must admit that I had hoped that the Milwall defeat and Holt''s return would have a more positive impact on yesterday''s performance than they did, but winning while playing badly is a wonderful ability to have, and one that Leeds (one win in their last six League games) would kill for at present! However, we are in a great position considering our recent general play and hopefully the quality of the Saints, who will be a real handful, will inspire us to up our game next week!

[morty 0]

I think a lot depends on next weeks game and performance. I hope to see us play like champions, because like you say, we have stuttered in recent games. It will be an odd one for me next week, I shall probably be slightly nervous as I think Southampton are one of the better sides that will have visited FCR in recent times. If the unthinkable were to happen, ie, losing our home record next week I think I really would start to worry.To my mind they owe us a big, big performance next week, I really want to see us firing on all cylinders again.

[Shyster 0]

This ''bad patch'' scenario doesn''t hold much water with me, Beau.Certain teams, such as Leeds with their Cup runs and Charlton with their crap manager, have excuses for a loss of form, but our recent below average showing is purely down to the diamond being sussed.

[morty 0]

[quote user="Shyster"]This ''bad patch'' scenario doesn''t hold much water with me, Beau.Certain teams, such as Leeds with their Cup runs and Charlton with their crap manager, have excuses for a loss of form, but our recent below average showing is purely down to the diamond being sussed.[/quote]I have just had a phone call from a mate who works as a missionary with undiscovered tribes in darkest Africa.He said that one of the tribesmen said to him "I bet Shyster blames the diamond for the dip in Norwich City''s form"[;)]

[Shyster 0]

[quote user="morty"][quote user="Shyster"]This ''bad patch'' scenario doesn''t hold much water with me, Beau.Certain teams, such as Leeds with their Cup runs and Charlton with their crap manager, have excuses for a loss of form, but our recent below average showing is purely down to the diamond being sussed.[/quote]I have just had a phone call from a mate who works as a missionary with undiscovered tribes in darkest Africa.He said that one of the tribesmen said to him "I bet Shyster blames the diamond for the dip in Norwich City''s form"[;)][/quote]

HA!  [img]http://www.pinkun.com/cs_pinkun/cs/emoticons/emotion-21.gif[/img]

[nutty nigel 7,509]

[quote user="morty"][quote user="Shyster"]This ''bad patch'' scenario doesn''t hold much water with me, Beau.

Certain teams, such as Leeds with their Cup runs and Charlton with their crap manager, have excuses for a loss of form, but our recent below average showing is purely down to the diamond being sussed.
[/quote]

I have just had a phone call from a mate who works as a missionary with undiscovered tribes in darkest Africa.

He said that one of the tribesmen said to him "I bet Shyster blames the diamond for the dip in Norwich City''s form"

[;)]
[/quote]

Were they the Fakawi Tribe[:^)]

 

[Wandsworth Canary 0]

In terms of this season we have had two bad patches. the pre-Lamberth shambles and now. The first was a results and performance bad patch, now we are going through a performance dip - however the most important thing is results. We have been terrible is stages of all the last four games, but then we have won three. We were very good against Leeds, except for the last few minutes, but got nothing. I would take bad performances over bad results any day. I think we are still due a bad patch of results and see this happening when Holt picks up his 10th booking and misses two games. I think this will happen in 4 games time and hence he will miss Swindon and Huddersfield. Oli and Cody did Ok last time Holt was out, as they were a bit unknown. However, managers have seen them now and will know how to keep the quiet. They are also both impact players in my eyes and not out and out starting material.

[Beauseant 0]

[quote user="Shyster"]This ''bad patch'' scenario doesn''t hold much water with me, Beau.

Certain teams, such as Leeds with their Cup runs and Charlton with their crap manager, have excuses for a loss of form, but our recent below average showing is purely down to the diamond being sussed.
[/quote]

 

I think it''s a combination of both. The diamond has been used for long enough for opponents to come up with ways of countering it, but I still believe that if we are firing on all cylinders we have sufficient quality to get by with it at this level. The problem is that we haven''t fired on all cylinders for several weeks now, particularly in midfield.

All systems get sussed ( how long has 4-4-2 been around?) so to put it down solely to the system irrespective of the execution is, in my view,  a bit too simplistic.

*ducks*

 

[Shyster 0]

[quote user="Beauseant"]

[quote user="Shyster"]This ''bad patch'' scenario doesn''t hold much water with me, Beau.Certain teams, such as Leeds with their Cup runs and Charlton with their crap manager, have excuses for a loss of form, but our recent below average showing is purely down to the diamond being sussed.[/quote]

 

I think it''s a combination of both. The diamond has been used for long enough for opponents to come up with ways of countering it, but I still believe that if we are firing on all cylinders we have sufficient quality to get by with it at this level. The problem is that we haven''t fired on all cylinders for several weeks now, particularly in midfield.

All systems get sussed ( how long has 4-4-2 been around?) so to put it down solely to the system irrespective of the execution is, in my view,  a bit too simplistic.

*ducks*

 

[/quote]

Tell you what, Beau, you''re right and I''m wrong. I will stop posting for now and leave you to it. Have a good afternoon all, and enjoy.

That was my impersonation of WAY.  [:D]

[Canary_on_the Trent 0]

I''d also like to point out, 3 of our last 4 games have been played away from home on very poor pitches. This certainly won''t help our "performance" but we''ve dug in there and got the results barring Millwall where very few sides will go and get anything. I''m expecting an improved display against better opposition on a better playing surface next week.

[ROBFLECK 132]

We''re showing we''re a championship winning side by snatching a win out of the jaws of defeat yesterday! I''m quite confident we''ll set the record straight at CR next week. Why whinge about the system? We''ve got enough quality in our side. But I''m all for changeing a few things round. Why not give McNamee a start? I hope Lambert considers Askou in defence next week... But he''s a great manager and the side''s getting results!!! I''m not too worried!

[sgncfc 1,221]

We haven''t played well for a while, and I was concerned that we couldn''t defend our lead at Millwall. We were lucky in all our recent victories that the opposition strikers missed sitters and that some desperate defending kept us in matches we should have lost - in the Championship we would have lost those matches comfortably - this goes all the way back to Wycombe away when they had 3 or 4 really good chances all of which were missed rather than saved.

I also think it''s more that opposition managers have sussed us out, but as long as our strikers are better than theirs we should continue to pick up enough points to get over the finish line - Holt is important, but so is Martin and I suspect McNamee will play a very big part in the last 15 games as well.

In only one game this season have we failed to score, so we should have no fears about who we play. They will be up for Southampton though because they will recognise a dangerous side - looking back, it was almost as if the Millwall defeat was talked up.

Essentially if we come out of March (Huddersfield, Swindon & Leeds) still in the top two I can''t see us failing to go up.

[ron obvious 1,498]

When Lambert first arrived I posted that he looked angry & ambitious. I stand by that, but fortunately there is a lot more to him; he clearly knows how to do angry when necessary (can you imagine what the half-time team talk was like?), but he knows that the hair dryer treatment is far more effective if kept for special (& justified) occasions. His tactical nous is improving all the time, he has patience & he can man-manage to get the best out of his squad. I can never imagine him allowing complacency to set in.I''m becoming more & more convinced he''s the real deal.

[Yellowfuture 71]

We havnt played great for quite a while but still keep a good run going. We have had our share of luck and Lambert has made some good decisions when our backs have been against the wall and we have responded well.

For me the big factor in all this is that we are generally playing very poor teams, we do make lots of  mistakes, give the ball away in dangerous places, dont defend set pieces particularly well and  do get stretched and over run sometimes at the back when we get too narrow. Because the opposition is so poor they often dont  take their chances and we get away with it.

I am confident that we will go up but we will need to invest heavily in the team to avoid facing a relegation battle next season.Lets back the  manager and give him some real quality to work with next season.