Huff, puff but no guile

[Morph 31]

Having watched the West Brom game on the TV the other night is it just me who is slightly worried about the Canaries lack of guile?

Yes, there was lots of huff and puff.

Yes, there was another clean sheet.

But there were a lot of long "hoof" it up the park passes and a distinct lack of guile and craft when it came to try and open up chances.

Apart from a ten minute spell at the start of the second half when the Canaries did really zip it about on the floor there was a lack of creativity in all areas of the park.

Three of our four defenders appear to opt for the quick hoof pass rather than a short pass into our creative players in midfield. The only defender who didn''t choose that as his first option was Drury.

The Albion appear to have Hucks wrapped up nice and tight with their man to man marking scheme, but the Canaries didn''t try anything different to try and offer Hucks a chance to shine. They continued to knock the ball into his feet only for him to get creamed when he turned. Only once did they knock a ball beyond the defender and allow him to use his pace. At that point he was brought down.

Now I will freely admit that I don''t get to see the Canaries very often living up here in Scotland, but a question for the rest of you posters in here - are they always like this?

If they are then I''m severly worried that they''re not going to pull in the points they need against the chasing pack to keep them up the top. I sincerely hope they do but on this evidence I''m not convinced.

[Temp the Revelator 0]

Relax Morph, they are not always like that - it was just that kind of game. To be honest, I was impressed with our ability to ''mix it'', just as I was against Sheff Utd in January. In games like this, you have to earn the right to play football the way you want to, and it was always going to be difficult against WBA to do this.

Watch us again against a team who will let us play a bit, you will see a difference. Mind you, I might suggest Sunday''s little game is not a great place to start!!!

[DumbleDelia is Magic 0]

It was never going to be pretty pass it on the floor, one touch football against WBA. I think we all knew it was going to be blood and thunder stuff from the outset. I''m not too concernd though. Yes it wasn''t pretty but we battled. I''ve seen us play plenty of gorgeous football this season. We''ll be right. Incidently I was shocked and pleasantly surprised by some of Malky''s play. He had two pieces of skill including a BACK HEEL!! Good god!

[ZLF 335]

You are right that the baggies came here and played their usual game which was to defend and disrupt meaning that we were not able to play our usual game.

However Morph is also right that once we sussed that Chambers was going to give Hux a very hard time as well as the usual double marking he now has every game city simply had no plan two. We reverted to the long ball game which was always doomed as the baggies play with 3 central defenders. OK Hux took chambers away but that still left Gaardsoe and Gregan against Roberts - hardly fair odds or likely to create much in the way of opportunities.

Only when McVeigh went to the left flack did any of the midfielders look capable of causing any problems and then we failed to use him well enough.

There were a couple of shocks during the game though - Malkys ball juggling on the half way line as well as his back heel but I would swear blind that I actually saw Hux jump for a header! I had assumed that he was related to an elephant, no ability to jump at all! Next time he may remember to put hs head near the path of the ball when he does jump, but one thing at a time I suppose!

OTBC

[Morph 31]

Thank you Zipper.

I''m going to take DumbleDelia to issue over the fact that it was never going to be a game in which nice attractive on the ground football could be played. I think it was a game in which that type of play would have worked and in fact, the short period in the second half when City did do that it DID work against the Albion.

The Canaries just abandoned it too quickly and went back to the ole ball in the air ploy. That wasn''t ever going to work against three sturdy centre backs.

Looking back at the game Worthington might have been better bringing on McKenzie instead of Mulryne when Drury went off. Then put both Huckerby and McVeigh out wide and get them to have go at getting around the back of the three defenders. Push McKenzie up alongside Svensson and get him to use his pace to feed off of Svensson.