Jump to content
Sign in to follow this  
Juggy

Saturday is make or break

Recommended Posts

It is easy for people to categorise people into pro-Hughton or anti-Hughton camps, I''ve never been either.

I''m pro-Norwich City, I just want us to stay in this division for the good of our football club and the city of my birth.

I''m sure that we can all concede that we have found something which resembles form at home, 7 points out of 9 is acceptable against three teams who will all be towards the bottom come the end of the season.

We couldn''t have asked much more in terms of results, it is a results driven business. In fact our home record under Hughton is commendable throughout his reign, although by no means excellent.

Carrow Road has been our fortress for over four years now, even if we have often heard moans and groans of discontent.

Our major issue is, and always has been, the way that we approach away games. Or in reality, the lack of points that we pick up away from home.

I said it last week and was shouted down by a few of the usual suspects. Even yesterday we had two or three people vigorously defending Hughton''s away record.

The bit that I just can''t understand is how he keeps approaching away games in the exactly the same way, with our isolated target man (Elmander this season, Holt last season) fulfilling the role of spectator for much of the game whilst the other nine outfield players desperately try and fail to cling on to the only hope that any of us ever have when we play away..... that we may be able to stop the home team from scoring.

Hughton tried to blame the players. Some people praised his anger and frustration. Hughton was the man who decided to pick the same old predictable team, Hughton was the one who left out his top scorer and then delayed in bringing him on when we fell a goal behind. Hughton is the one who chose to play Hoolahan out of position away from home when he could just as easily have picked Garrido at left back and Olsson on the left with Redmond on the right, maybe with Hoolahan providing the link to Elmander (or Hooper) which would have given us a chance of a response.

Hughton is the one who has decided that Whittaker isn''t good enough despite him having an impact of Gareth Bale proportions against Everton at the start of the season where he scored one, created one and was most peoples man of the match. Hughton is the one who has brought Bassong back into the team at the expense of the player who has been our best defender this season.

Hughton is the one who continues to pick a striker who hasn''t scored a single goal in the league this season despite having fluffed several good chances - especially the one against Man City - whilst ignoring Becchio until popular demand wins him a token 10 minutes cameo.

Hughton is the one who saw his system torn to shreds in the first half and then didn''t change a thing at half-time.

Could there be a more damning indictment of his approach away from home than to see (apparently) just 400 Norwich fans make the trip to what is probably the second most famous stadium in this country to see our team play what the league table tells us is one of the best teams in the best league in the world? I don''t care if it was Tuesday night, or the last pay cheque before xmas in difficult economic times.... we have always had a good away support, we weren''t Blackpool.

I have absolutely no faith in us getting a result on Saturday, and I don''t think Hughton or the players have either. Most of us don''t. The board probably don''t.

If we lose on Saturday he has to go. It will be our away form which loses him his job, but he will only have himself to blame.

I''d love to be proved wrong on Saturday, I''d wager a monkey that I won''t be.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Didn''t read it all mate. But just for clarity the pro or anti Hughton point is not a relevant consideration when we discuss being Norwich fans, the inners and the outers are all City fans! it''s just that the inners like to suggest otherwise cos they don''t have much else to hang their hat on!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
And since that Cardiff game we''ve had 7 points from 9 at home.

It remains our away form which is the major concern, and if we come away from West Brom with nothing then he should leave.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Our home form hasn''t been great either. Especially not good enough to balance out our pathetic away form. 11 points out of a possible 21 is not form that will save us from relegation.

The frustrating thing is that we have the squad to do so much better. Poor selection tactics and in game management have meant we are horribly under achieving.

Could another manager do better? Probably but I''m slightly concerned that a knee jerk reaction sacking could mean that we replace one poor performing manager with another recently sacked poor performing manager like Jol

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest
It drives me nuts when people describe Carrow Rd as a fortress,it can be deathly silent at times.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

[quote user="Brightside"]Our home form hasn''t been great either. Especially not good enough to balance out our pathetic away form. 11 points out of a possible 21 is not form that will save us from relegation.

The frustrating thing is that we have the squad to do so much better. Poor selection tactics and in game management have meant we are horribly under achieving.

Could another manager do better? Probably but I''m slightly concerned that a knee jerk reaction sacking could mean that we replace one poor performing manager with another recently sacked poor performing manager like Jol[/quote]Yet still second best home record of the bottom 8.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
The away form isn''t good, but it''s the 21 away goals conceded in 7 games that''s a worry. That''s 6 more than the next worst teams (Stoke and Hull) and 3 per away game.I believe that a defeat at home to Swansea after a bad away loss to the Baggies would likely see Hughton sacked. Getting shot of him after the away game at Sunderland on the 21st might be too near to the transfer window for a new manager to be able to plan any purchases properly,  and we can''t sack him just before Christmas?!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Change the record Le Juge, there''s a thread before every game now stating Hughton''s future rests on the next game. West Brom are now second bottom of the form table, and we''re 12th. I think a point or three is attainable on Saturday, then we have three more very winnable games. Despite getting mauled last night I still believe we could be top half by the new year. McNasty knows this. He won''t sack Hughton if we don''t turn up again on Sat.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
"It drives me nuts when people describe Carrow Rd as a fortress,it can be deathly silent at times"

Are fortresses supposed to be noisy then?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Has anyone read it yet[8-|] [:^)]

 

It''s not fair is it Juggy! They still comment though. I think it''s a bit rude to comment without reading it. So I''ll get back to you after the weekend....

 

[;)]

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
twenty-five more games to go so we''re not yet at make or break.

Besides, imo, the relegation teams are already occupying the last 3 places

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
[quote user="ricardo"]Nothing is make or break on 7th Dec.[/quote]

Tell that o t he people stationed at Pearl Harbor.

As for having he second best whatever of the bottom 8, WE''RE IN THE BOTTOM EIGHT! What''s to celebrate????

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Because we will likely finish in the bottom 8 or JUST above for every season we play in this league. So I don''t really understand the complaint there.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
As i said in an earlier thread, if our away form continues as it is, we will most likely need to win all but two of the rest of our home games.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

[quote user="ricardo"][quote user="Brightside"]Our home form hasn''t been great either. Especially not good enough to balance out our pathetic away form. 11 points out of a possible 21 is not form that will save us from relegation. The frustrating thing is that we have the squad to do so much better. Poor selection tactics and in game management have meant we are horribly under achieving. Could another manager do better? Probably but I''m slightly concerned that a knee jerk reaction sacking could mean that we replace one poor performing manager with another recently sacked poor performing manager like Jol[/quote]

Yet still second best home record of the bottom 8.
[/quote]

 

That''s kind of like saying you''ve got the second best STD.

If we continue our away form - which all evidence suggests we will -  We will need a hell of a lot more than 50% of available home points to survive.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
[quote user="splutcho"]Let''s wait til we play an away game against someone that isn''t a bang on form top four club shall we?[/quote]Tomorrow will be a big game. We cannot afford to lose away matches to the likes of West Brom.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
[quote user="Brightside"]

[quote user="ricardo"][quote user="Brightside"]Our home form hasn''t been great either. Especially not good enough to balance out our pathetic away form. 11 points out of a possible 21 is not form that will save us from relegation. The frustrating thing is that we have the squad to do so much better. Poor selection tactics and in game management have meant we are horribly under achieving. Could another manager do better? Probably but I''m slightly concerned that a knee jerk reaction sacking could mean that we replace one poor performing manager with another recently sacked poor performing manager like Jol[/quote]Yet still second best home record of the bottom 8.[/quote]

 

That''s kind of like saying you''ve got the second best STD.

If we continue our away form - which all evidence suggests we will -  We will need a hell of a lot more than 50% of available home points to survive.

[/quote]

So you don''t think it will be a little easier now that we still have 10 of the bottom 12 still to play away from home?We have only played 2 of these teams away from home, won 1 and lost 1.Our away form is not good but considering the teams we have played it isn''t as bad ( points-wise) as some people make out. If we fail to pick up anything away at the bottom half dozen then it will be time to worry.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I''d argue that we can afford to lose them and that West Brom will be looking at tomorrow and thinking they need to beat teams like Norwich at home. They are the favourites lets not forget.

We won''t go to all of these places and win every game, but we need to pick up some wins from teams around us. Not every game away to a bottom half club is a game we can''t afford to lose.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Changes should have been made before this game. The only reason I can think of why Hughton is still here is because there is no suitable replacement yet and the back room staff would be worse as stand in. I honestly cannot see us getting further with CH. and I am sorry to say I do not feel confident of a win against West Brom. nor even a draw under this manager. I hope I am wrong but lets see? we cannot carry on like this we are leaking goals and our goal difference is climbing rapidly. If we lose on Saturday I would expect Hughton to be gone immediately. This is Premier league and we are certainly not performing well to stay in it.!!!! There has been too many make or break games enough is enough!!!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Not really, I think all away games this season will be a massive struggle for us. This is because Hughton clearly does not set up to win any away game. We have just one game plan which is to look at a teams strengths and then do what we can to stop them rather tahn just playing to our strengths. As we all know this does not work. We are unable to make any changes during a game to improve how we are playing. Other teams will look at us when we are playing away and say once they are ahead in a game it''s job done.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
[quote user="splutcho"]I''d argue that we can afford to lose them and that West Brom will be looking at tomorrow and thinking they need to beat teams like Norwich at home. They are the favourites lets not forget.

We won''t go to all of these places and win every game, but we need to pick up some wins from teams around us. Not every game away to a bottom half club is a game we can''t afford to lose.[/quote]A point at the Hawthorns would be a very good result.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Saturday will only be make or break if we are on the end of a heavy tonking and dont show up, a narrow defeat with a decent performance is the worst expected result and that is no make or break situation. Ricardo sums it up for me nicely, and I have always looked at us in this league in respect of how we perform against the teams outside of the top six or seven/eight over the season, although I am disappointed we have received such heavy defeats of course. This league really is two league''s in one and we are in the second tier of it right now, and will be probably for many years to come if we stay in it, any points we pick up from the teams in the top, even at home, are bonus points. So, for me, its the next four matches that are possibly make or break, lets see where we are after them.....with Manure coming up.......

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
[quote user="ricardo"]Nothing is make or break on 7th Dec.[/quote]

Tell that o t he people stationed at Pearl Harbor.

As for having he second best whatever of the bottom 8, WE''RE IN THE BOTTOM EIGHT! What''s to celebrate????

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

×
×
  • Create New...