Observations since Wigan@home

[a1canary 0]

That was the last game i went to before yesterday and since that was before the team received some notable transfer window investment, it''s interesting to compare the two performances and to consider how far the team has come.

Holt was immense against Wigan, at his menacing best in his lone forward role, giving the Wigan defence an absolutely torrid time leaving Hoolahan and Pilkington and Snodgrass to work their magic.

Yesterday he put a shift in but for me he was a pale shadow of the player against Wigan and it''s worth remembering that''s the game he did his hamstring. He''s a fabulous player to have at our disposal in terms of his attributes but there''s no doubt he is way out of form at the moment and is relying on effort and putting himself about. But i''m not one of those to interpret that as meaning he has lost it and has nothing to offer the team, far from it.

But overall we seemed a much more coherent unit against Wigan in the 4-5-1 formation with Wes holding it all together in the top half and Tettey and Bradders patrolling the bottom half. I was never convinced that simply playing two up was the answer to everything and i''m still not. We had a 15 minute purple patch yesterday when we functioned well but to be honest the rest of the game was HARD work against the bottom team in the league. The bright spots were Johnson who seems to have got better and better as the season has gone on and the way in which Bennett seamlessly filled in and got his goal of course. And Bennett E offers a good threat. But despite these strong individuals, put them together and the ''team'' doesn''t function anything like as well as the one that took us on the run that is what has kept us up this season. Kamara would certainly be an option as the lone man in a 4-5-1 as he showed his hold up play can almost match Holt''s plus he has pace and is frankly playing better than Holt at this moment in time. Otherwise, it seems obvious to me over the course of the season that the personnel and formation that got us most of our points this season is still the best team we have.

[walks on water 0]

Yup, would agree with that ...although I was thankful that Holt put a shift in yesterday (at last.) That''s the sort of performance I want to see from a player struggling with form against the high standards he''s previously set himself, and not the petulant Holt I''ve witnessed of late.

[ncfcstar 287]

Interesting point about Holt, perhaps that hamstring injury hasn''t cleared up properly and we may find at the end of the season he has an op.  That would explain the drop in form.

[kingsway 94]

I thought we had plenty of attacks yesterday and but for the brick wall that was the Reading keeper, Bennett being unlucky with that early shot and some of target headers from corners we''d could of easily had 4-5 goals yesterday!

 

Holt has been poor for much of this 2nd half of the season because I think the system doesn''t suit him and hes grown tired of it but yesterday was one of his better games for quite a while and he played his part in both Norwich goals even if he still wasn''t on top form!