My First Negative Post...

[Kirkstall Yellow 0]

There are a lot of stairs at St James’ Park, and I reached the top of them full of hope that it was going to be our day. 2 minutes in and I, like everyone around me, had my head in my hands.

First things first, both the Newcastle goals were very soft. The highlights on MOTD suggested that both were a result of Johnson losing his man. That said, it’s a team game, and there were a few players that could have done better in the build up to them both. You can’t make mistakes like that in this league and get away with them.

Another point is that Cisse’s late strike was just about onside. Had it been Hooper, we would all be fuming.

For me, the biggest problem was that we looked lost and toothless throughout the game. The MOTD highlights flattered us immensely, because, for the most part we were completely clueless. No bite, no desire, no quality.

And the substitutions…Ok, yes, bring on Elmander, but on the wing? Really? And the groans around me really summed up the 89th minute introduction of Wessi and Murphy. Too little, MUCH too late. Perhaps if we’d given them 10 minutes, who knows?! I understand why caution can be important in the ultra-competitive premier league, but we had been losing the game since the second minute, there comes a time when you have to take risks in football.

We played badly, we deserved nothing from the game, but (and I’m clutching at straws here) perhaps if Snoddy had been fit, he would have curled in that late, late free kick which was left to Wes. A smash and grab draw would have been daylight robbery, but on a day when we deserved to lose by so much more than 1 goal.

What upset me more than any of the above, was the atmosphere from the Y’army. Its been a long time since we have been collectively so flat, and so down on our chances. Up until the last few weeks, we have always remained hopeful, and often the team backed that up for us on the pitch. But I sat there on Saturday and knew after just two minutes that we were done. We all did. The trudge out of the ground was very quiet, and very negative. That is in no way a dig at our wonderful support, it is a reflection on the mood and the fact its just not going right for us at the moment.

I have always supported Hughton, but his tactical performance in this game was baffling. I think ‘new manager syndrome’ enhanced Palace will be a tough game for us and anything less than a win will result in the end of Chrissy H and co.

As things stand, I’m not looking forward to my trips to Liverpool and West Brom. And that, for me, is the hardest thing to take. I love Norwich city with all my heart, and before every game I am filled with pure blind faith. And hope.

I hate to admit this, but that faith is really being put to the test.

OTBC.

[Hannibal II 0]

most of us have know for a long time that if we go a goal behind away from home now its game over. we''ve lost our backbone and the older players in the squad have lost faith in the manager i guess its what happens when you exile some of the biggest characters in the dressing room.

[a1canary 0]

Very much my thoughts - pretty much where i''m at too.

All i''d say is that actually, Murphy and Wes is potentially a bold and attacking substitution, so not necessarily too little. But of course, so late as to be rendered utterly pointless. It''s as if he''s trying desperately to be attacking but he can''t bring himself to do it until the 89th minute. I think he also underestimates the impace this has on the players he is sending out there. What on earth does he say to them as they go on?

"Off you go lads, get out there and give ''em hell" ? 

"Sure boss, just you watch while I give ''em 60seconds of hell"

What message does that send to the players about the manager''s faith in them, that he only trusts them to be on the pitch for a 1 minute at the end of the game. Utterly utterly baffling. 

[RvWs 4 year contract 0]

Great post.I''m going to WBA away (and Sunderland now that it''s been announced the club is putting on free coach travel) with a sense of dread.

Things can only get better...... cant they? [:''(]

[Graham Paddons Beard 2,424]

Kirkstall I take my hat off to you lot . I sat at the other end to the Yella Army and I have to say you were magnificent. I was lucky enough to go up in a lift to my area and the City Fans were two tiers above me, but I could hear them singing all through the game.

 

We were outclassed in the first half. Simple as that. The two Newcastle full backs bombed on, their 14 (Remy?) had outstanding movement and you just expected them to score everytime they went forward. It was as poor a game as I’ve seen Russ have (and I am a great admirer of his) and Olsson wasn’t much better.  Leroy is a class act, but he didn’t seem to know whether to stick to the game plan or do his own thing and at times spent more time looking over to the bench or down at his boots , than on the ball. You could feel his frustration from the stands, and his body language suggested a very unhappy chappie.

 

How much of our improvement was due to Newcastle clearly sitting (and in particular their full backs) I don’t know. As you say the double sub on 88 mins was met with incredulity from both sets of fans I thought. And it did seem to take forever for Messrs Calderwood, Trollope and Hughton to decide on it, Calderwood in particular must have gone back to the dugout three times whilst it all went on.

 

And Hooper isn’t going to get anywhere near double figures playing in a role like that.

 

CH cut a forlorn figure in the technical area.  

[ricardo 7,342]

[quote user="Hannibal II"]most of us have know for a long time that if we go a goal behind away from home now its game over. we''ve lost our backbone and the older players in the squad have lost faith in the manager i guess its what happens when you exile some of the biggest characters in the dressing room.[/quote]

That''s always been the case for most teams.You can find the percentages somewhere but conceding the first goal very rarely leads to a positive result.

[I Love Fernando Derveld 0]

[quote user="Hannibal II"]most of us have know for a long time that if we go a goal behind away from home now its game over. we''ve lost our backbone and the older players in the squad have lost faith in the manager i guess its what happens when you exile some of the biggest characters in the dressing room.[/quote]How and when has this happened?

[MancCanary 0]

Derveld - Principly and most damagingly - Holt. But the treatment of Morison, Fox, Vaughan and now Becchio cannot have gone unnoticed in the camp.

[the bristol nest 0]

Well written and thought out OP. When you lose the away fanbase you really are in trouble and yet it all seems to be so avoidable. I get the need to keep shape but as stated players appear stifled by it and the lack of flexibilty from the coaches in their response to adversity is incredibily frustrating.

The lack of pressing leaves me shouting at the screen! Fans watching at the ground or on a stream can see what needs to be done. Why can''t the coaching team? I know that it is not as simple as 442 or 451 but the coaching seems to be sufficating any free expressionfromf what I believe to be very good players.

[Reggie Strayshun 0]

It''s difficult to be succint when the problems at our club are so numerous and seemingly mounting by the day.

But, Kirkstall, albeit in a couple of paragraphs, seems to have managed to pull it off. I openly admit that I gave up going to away matches quite some time ago, but take my hat off to those who pay good money to suffer that dross every fortnight.

Agree with everyting he says.

[Shaun Tilly Lace 0]

A change of manager would do wonders. It might even save our bacon. At the moment we are headed in one direction - and it ain''t towards the top ten in this division.

[barclaystand 0]

A brilliant OP, thank you Kirkstall for taking the time to write this. You have summed it all up exactly as I would have done had I had time (and motivation) to write a lengthy post on our current situation.The last game I missed home or away was Brighton away at the Withdean during our League One season. However I am seriously wondering if it is worth my time and £77 of my hard earned cash to go to Anfield just to see what is almost certainly going to be a defeat, and quite possibly another heavy one. Don''t get me wrong I know you can''t win them all but the nature of our losses just zaps my will to go.I can''t believe that we have got to a position where I am seriously considering missing a game.  [:(][:$]

[The Great Mass Debater 1,078]

[quote user="Hannibal II"]most of us have know for a long time that if we go a goal behind away from home now its game over. we''ve lost our backbone and the older players in the squad have lost faith in the manager i guess its what happens when you exile some of the biggest characters in the dressing room.[/quote]

 

This first line says it all for me. Its exactly how I feel watching us, at least away. There is the sense of inevitibility, just waiting for the opposition to score the goal you know they will, that we have been inviting them to score all game. My instant reaction, which has become almost a reflex, when the opposition score is ''game over''. If Hughton had the boldness to make aggressive changes in response (like the much talked about 57th minute triple substitution from Lambo last night), I might not feel like that, but as has been said in another thread, Hughton seems to continue the game as if we have something to protect, only feeling comfortable to throw caution to the wind when there is a minute of normal time left. His attitude and lack of response to the jaws of defeat is absolutely baffling and thoroughly disheartening. If Hughton was seen to be trying to change the game in any meaningful way to get a different outcome, I might not have that sense of futility. But you know two things about watching Norwich away. 1. The opposition will inevitibly score  2. We wont do anything to respond to it 

[Empty Mirror 0]

Great post, Kirstall.

I have a season ticket at CR, but don''t get to follow the boys in yellow away much, and Newcastle was my first trip this season.

One of the joys of going away, despite the fact that results are usually less good, is being part of the Yellow Army: noisy, witty, boisterous and endlessly believing in the team. What shocked me as much as the team''s performance (and for those who didn''t go, the MotD highlights, as has been said, flattered us) was how low the mood amongst the travelling support was.

I''d say that until recently the home support has been fairly evenly split between those who backed Hughton and those who wanted him out, though with a tide flowing slowly towards the "outers". By the end of the Cardiff game at home (when, ironically, I thought we played well) I''d say that the "outers" were definitely in the majority. More so by half time against West Ham! But whether on the train going up, in Newcastle before hand, on the walk to or from the ground or inside the ground, there wasn''t a City fan I spoke to who didn''t despair of our manager. Things were so bad that we ended up ironically celebrating the late string of corners as if they were goals. Fer''s header came as a surprise, and I thought there was just a second''s stunned silence before pandemonium broke out. Then we were all on our feet chanting and singing and waiting from the response from the team, which never came.

But it may be worth bearing in mind that when one comes across rows - on these boards, or in the city - between the Hughton "outers" and "inners" that this year there may be a difference of perception between home supporters, who''ve seen some semi-decent performances (Everton, Southampton, Cardiff, I didn''t think Villa was bad, and the second half v Wet Spam) and away supporters who have seen what many told me are the worst away performances in a generation including complete no shows at Hull, Tottenham, Man City and for most of the game, Newcastle. As has been said above, when you lose the away support, you have a problem.