We need to learn Quickly from the Wigan game

[Yorkshire Canary 118]

Coming home from Wigan last night i was very pleased with the point that we had got. We were playing one of the worse sides in the division and on another day could have easily lost this game albeit we had the chances to have also won it had we had a bit more composure.

It was understandable that the team loked nervous in the first 20 minutes or so and showed great character to fightback after a stupid mistake but dubious penalty.

there were some good perfrmances out there but sadley some very ordinary ones. against better sides than Wigan we would have been made to suffer more and the defence as a unit need to tighten up and not dwell on the ball at the back, we were robbed twice!!

Up front we tended to snatch at our chances so more confidence and composure would be nice

I had naively hoped for a win but to be hinest was glad when the whistle went at the end

at least it is a point on the board and i am sure we can and will play a lot better in the future. Our home fixtures will be vital to survival so i will be very interested to see how we do against Stoke. It is a winnable fixture but i guess QPR thought the same v Bolton

[unique 434]

There is no room for passengers in this league. Nerves seemed to get the best of many Premier League players yesterday, not just Norwich players.

Two indifferent performances on the trot ought to lose the chance for a third, and there''s every likelihod that PL will act ruthlessly with such a large squad at his disposal.

Surman, Martin and dare I say Holt were as disappointing as Morison and Hoolihan were a big plus. Yesterday merely underlined that there is a big difference between the Championship and Premiership. If Wigan are purportedly one of the weaker sides, then City have got a long hard season ahead of them.

[Joanna Grey 0]

It was the first day of the season, it was not just us finding their feet. Give it a few more games and then we can really see where our weaknesses are.

[Yobocop 1,094]

agree with that Joanna

[zak123 0]

1. It is the 1st game of the Season. After the Watford game last season I can remember standing round in the pub after the gaming discussing how terrible Russel Martin looked, couldn''t defend, couldn''t keep with the line etc etc. He then goes on to be, arguably, our most consistent performer last season.

2. Holt did not have a bad game in anyway. Apart from Wes and Morison, I thought he was our third best player on the pitch, looking completely at home. He got about using his weight which a lot of defenders looked surprised by as they don''t see it too often, his movement off the ball was good as always and his general link up play, moving back etc instead of just staying up front was great. Also, as before we need to make sure we give it at least 3 games before even starting to judge.

[smooth 114]

I am afraid I find the first game of the season remark very difficult to swallow.

I watch all manner of sports and you cannot afford to be off the pace from day 1. It is a shame that we probably were not at the races, as a team, for the 90 minutes at Wigan. A point is a good point but I agree with a great deal of what Yorkshire Canary has stated above.

It is a point gained but I certainly would not accept anything else but a win at carrow road when we meet Wigan again if we seriously want to stay up. We need to beat those teams that will be around us.

Last time in the prem, many fans were far to soft. We should not have accepted the draw with palace and had to wait for far to long for our first win. With some fans saying they would have champagne when we do. What a load of tosh, I don''t believe we are in that state. But we need a win quick and to be steadily picking up points.

Yes this season of course is going to be very tough and I hope we are anywhere above the bottom three at the end of the season. But I cannot except the arguement of its only the first game lets see how we are playing in 3 weeks. We need to be performing from day 1

The best thing is that there is plenty of things that our team can look at on video and improve, we need to be clinical, deliberate and structured.

Certainly Hodgsons changes at the hawthorns kept them up and I know that training this week after our first real game will be full of energy and we will step up.

I think we also met a wigan team that played pretty god damn well and we were unfortunate to find them in such good form. Shame we couldn''t really rattle them.

But I do not believe that you can be off the pace at that first game, I am sure a few players will be wanting to prove why thwy should remain in the first team squad for the game against stoke.

[Europe_93 11]

I watched most of the game via an internet feed, and to be honest was very pleased with a point. I believe we will be at our strongest between Nov - Mar this season but have a tough finish, so what we pick up now on a learning curve is a bonus. By and large it looked like we passed the ball pretty well and made a couple of decent chances to score.

On the negative side, a poor mistake for the goal, but all the same he recovered well and not sure it was a penalty. We looked like we needed a bit more as an attacking threat, however it took Holt a while to grow into last season. For me the biggest criticism would be that we gave them a little too much respect and stood off them around the penalty area, other teams will punish us for that.

I thought Bennett looked lively when he came on, Hoolihan looked very effective and the whole team looked fit, competitive and pretty well organised. Good start.

[Yellowbeagle 0]

Lets not write anyone off after one game, we will learn and it is a step up afterall. I think we''ll have a better idea who is up to this level after 5 or 6 games.

[Jim Smith 2,314]

I didn''t see the game live but for me what was very apparent from watching the highlights and the comments I heard from people who were there is that pace and ball retention are the two keys in the prem. All of their chances appeared to stem from us giving the ball away and running at us with pace down the flanks. I think for that reason that within a few weeks both Bennett and Naughton will be in the starting line up sooner rather than later. As much as I like both R. Martin and Tierney I think we need more pace in the full back positions against some teams in this league.

[Boyo 0]

I think we saw how much of a gulf in class there is between the Premiership and the Championship.  Wigan are apprently one of the worst teams in the league but they gave us a very good game and don''t look a bad team. 

 

Wigan overan us in midfield in the first half.  They didn''t allow us time on the ball and most of their chances came from us giving it away.  The fact Fox was yellow carded early probably didn''t help him but he seemed to get pushed of the ball easily and couldn''t deliver any pin point passes we are used to and he couldn''t dictate our play.

 

The second half though was much better and this is because we got it down and played.  The first half there was too many hoofs towards Holt and Morison and they won nothing but in the second half when we got it down and played we were much more effective.  Also we gave them no respet in the second half.  Straight from the off we were in their faces and they couldn''t handle it and had we done that from the off I think we would have won.

 

Overall I don''t think we should be saying drop this man, drop that man after the first game but I think Russell Martin was maybe not fit so Naughton could well pay against Stoke.  What we must learn though is that this is a huge step up and we can give no team any respect what so ever.

[Cappsy 0]

Jim i thought Tierney was magnificent yesterday. He defended extremely professionally yet aggressively and didnt let them have a sniff when they were receiving a ball. he got beat twice by moses and that was down to pace yes, but Stephen Crainey was blackpools LB last season and IMO is not as good as Tierney, people may think im biased because i''m his wife but that is how i see it.

[William Darby 0]

I''m his other wife[:)]

[Smudger 0]

I agree that Tierney had a good game. Whitbread and Russell Martin need to step up a level from this weeks performance and De Laet was great apart from his casual blunder which led to Wigan''s goal.

I agree that we paid Wigan too much respect (especially in the first half). That Wigan team would not win promotion from the Championship if they were in it in my opinion. First half we were far too long ball to Holty and Morison and the ball was dealt with at ease by Wigan. The game was crying out for us to inject some pace in to it and Morison, Bennett and Pilkington showed us some either side of half time, but it was a little too little too late to enable us to go and get all 3 points.

Good to see us get something on the first day though, as more often than not recently we have lost our first match of the season.

I expect a very difficult game at home to Stoke next week. Fingers crossed they have a difficult night in their midweek Europa game!

[Tore Raaen 0]

I agree with the poster who said we need to be in this from the very first game..That being said our lads looked very nervous and that almost cost us a point.Looking and De Laats error and then just after Whitbread doing the same thing..Holt unable to grab the ball on top from desent passes, and that misunderstanding between Barnett and Ruddy when suddenly it was an open goal...I believe these things will go over and the boys will play more a self-beliefing game vs Stoke....So to sum it up, I''m very very pleased with a point..Looking at Wigan as a major contender to go down as well, grabbing a point on their home turf could turn out to be very important when we''re counting points in May..Looking forward to sunday...Let''s all prey and hope that is where we get our first 3 points.

[Mahogany 0]

I agree we need to improve, but I think the comparison to the Watford game last season is a good one. Remember Watford were relegation favourites last season too. Against Watford we looked like a team out of our depth and I was a bit worried about the season ahead after that. They were too strong and broke too quickly, making our defence look pretty terrible and our midfield seem off the pace. For me we were lucky to only end up losing by 1 that game.

Against Wigan we looked nervous and made too many mistakes. However I don''t thin we ever looked out of our depth. Sure De Laet and Whitbread made similar poor mistakes but they''ll learn from it. Martin struggled with Moses but Moses had a brilliant game and still didn''t really trouble Ruddy.

In the end a draw was a fair result, and a draw against anyone in the Premiership is a decent enough result. This season isn''t going to be like the last two, even if do fantastically well we''ll still probably end up losing more than we win. All we need to do is be the 4th worst team in the league.

[Joanna Grey 0]

[quote user="smooth"]I am afraid I find the first game of the season remark very difficult to swallow.[/quote]

Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.

[Mello Yello 2,273]

I thought that Morison, was ace....Hooley was enjoying himself.....

We do need to sort out defending against set-pieces....

I was pleased with the point.....and more pleased with the pints.....in the Wigan town centre wetherspoons Moon pub thingy place....

M62 sux....

[Boris 56]

According picture from "Goals On Sunday" on SKY we must be very lucky with this pt.

Only 1 chanse Holt miss and all other was Wigan prety good chanses.

many mistakes also in deffence....

Stoke today veruy confident play I see very hard game next SUnday.

 

 

 

[zak123 0]

Lets be clear, it being the first game of the season is a very true point. As much as we would all love for us to come in and be Premier players from day 1, its not going to happen.

All of our 25 squad players played in the Championship or League 1 last season, so you cannot expect them to understand how Premier league teams play differently to teams they have been used to playing. It is about getting used to the ways how things work, which doesn''t mean that the players aren''t actually up to it, just they have to understand it. They can watch all of the tape they want, but they still need games worth of experience.

I really don''t want to go into the Alan Hanson "at this level" cliche, but it is very true, you need to get accustomed to the league. This is also evident throughout the game, even with something like the passing about the centre backs, in the second half they looked a lot more assured passing it about and didn''t look like making the mistakes again from the first half! Please just give it time, we are not returning to the same old league, its a new league and the players need to get used to it. By the West Brom/Bolton game I would expect for us to look a lot more premier league ourselves as we pick up on things other teams do and try them ourselves as well as good teams working us.

[Bill 1,788]

" and you cannot afford to be off the pace from day 1 "

Not if you are hoping to hoping to win promotion.

Getting accustomed to the league, or mayne accepting that do to luck or the rub of the green Holt would have scored, it would not have been a penalty and the Wigan player would have received a second yellow - and been off.

Endless re runs of Whitbread and de Laet getting caught with the ball yet no mention about the Wigan keeper''s horrendous fluff, letting Hoolahan score. Imagine if that were Ruddy, this board would be in melt down.

It was the first game.

Twaddle about Wigan being one of the worst in the league conveniently ignores all the indignation expressed on here about us being judged on last seasons squad.

It is early days, very early days and I''m sure Lambert on the rest are up to the job. Unfortunately, I''m not too sure if some of our fans are.

[Norfolk Mustard 94]

After the first game of the season let''s look at the league table; we are 5th!

Yep, 15 teams below us - 2 alphabetically and 13 other teams with worse stats. That''s hardly a problem after one game is it? Compared to playing Watford last year (we were well short of what was required that evening!) I thought we did OK yesterday collecting a useful away point in a much tougher league.

Yes, we were a bit nervy, a few misplaced passes were made and a few first touches were not up to scratch either. But for a first game this was a decent start. I''m confident we''ll become more cohesive with PL and IC instilling the basis principles of playing at this higher level. It''s unlikely we''ll play the top sides off the park, but we have an astute manager who will really help the lads to maximise their potential.

The OP suggests we ''need to learn quickly from the Wigan game''; during the past 2 years we have done exactly that - learned quickly - really quickly. PL isn''t one to mess about. I therefore suggest we simply need to maintain our recent speed of learning and development - and as a club we''ll be just fine...

[Chelmsford Canary 0]

Totally agree.

Whitbread and De Laet made huge mistakes, another day it could have been worse, if sent off etc and the pen.

Lambert made changes after the first game last season, albeit it was away to Scunthorpe, and not a physical Stoke.

Defence definately needs to be tighter

[Bill 1,788]

"But for a first game this was a decent start. I''m confident we''ll become more cohesive with PL and IC instilling the basis principles of playing at this higher level. It''s unlikely we''ll play the top sides off the park, but we have an astute manager who will really help the lads to maximise their potential."

spot on

[grantroederdisaster 0]

Saturday proved how hard the Premiership will be cause Wigan are one of the weaker teams, but then again anyone with the blinkers off would of known this beforehand!

Quite simply it proved that we have to play out of our skin all the time to avoid the bottom 3 but this is what Lambert is good at and we wouldn''t be in this League if we hadn''t done exactly that in the Championship last season!

To put things into perspective, after the 1st game last season against Watford I left the ground thinking Norwich were going to struggle in the Championship after Watford had beaten us quite convincingly!

[Block Y Seat 176 80]

The interaction between defender and keeper when under pressure cost us points last year and it again raised its head again Saturday. Reducing errors is just as important as scoring goals so i hope to see an improvement in the coming weeks. It is these small margins of error that could swing wether or not we stay in the Prem.

H

[25overpar 0]

[quote user="Joanna Grey"]It was the first day of the season, it was not just us finding their feet. Give it a few more games and then we can really see where our weaknesses are.[/quote]

Very true, but by then the transfer window will be closed and we will have to live with any such weaknesses until January.  I think our hope must be that this is a repeat of last season when we were ''woken-up'' by Watford and there followed a rapid improvement.     

[Chelmsford Canary 0]

[quote user="25overpar"]

[quote user="Joanna Grey"]It was the first day of the season, it was not just us finding their feet. Give it a few more games and then we can really see where our weaknesses are.[/quote]

Very true, but by then the transfer window will be closed and we will have to live with any such weaknesses until January.  I think our hope must be that this is a repeat of last season when we were ''woken-up'' by Watford and there followed a rapid improvement.     

[/quote]

Hope so!

[Jim Smith 2,314]

[quote user="Mrs Tierney"]Jim i thought Tierney was magnificent yesterday. He defended extremely professionally yet aggressively and didnt let them have a sniff when they were receiving a ball. he got beat twice by moses and that was down to pace yes, but Stephen Crainey was blackpools LB last season and IMO is not as good as Tierney, people may think im biased because i''m his wife but that is how i see it.[/quote]

Well I will take your word for it and I have no problem doing that as I think Tierney has been outstanding for us since he came into the team last season. I just think however that every team in the prem has one or two pacey wingers and that in some games we are therefore going to need to play Naughton in one of the full back berths to try and counteract that just as we may well chop and change the centrebacks depending on who we are playing. Thats not saying either Tierney or R Martin deserve to be dropped its simply horses for courses and I think all 3 will have an important role to play this season. I thought this before Saturday''s game and seeing the highlights of Moses streaking past our fullbacks has only served to reinfoce that view.

[KeelansGlove 0]

I Agree that we need to learn quickly, Wigan was the perfect first game and an away point will always be a good return in this league.

I rewatched the whole game yesterday and as with most things you can be positive or negative.

I was quite pleased with almost everything the two defensive errors should mean that nobody tries that again. We created some decent chances and limited Wigan to long range efforts that Ruddy was more than capable of covering.

I''m not sure we will come up against many players quicker than Moses (I hope not) and at no time did we dive in and give away silly free kicks or additional penaltys.

We need to be sharper in front of goal, cut out the silly mistakes and learn quickly what this league is all about.The next couple of weeks will show us what we are up against. hopefully a number of these lessons can be learnt before next Sunday.

[urdie_Canary 33]

I thought we done very well in the first half, most of it was played in Wigans half.Second half Wigan piled the pressure on us, but they brought an extra forward on so thats understandable.One thing we need to stop is Hollahan pissing around on the ball again, he looses the ball to often, in this league, you loose the ball.... and you get punished.