The positives, and patience

[The Great Mass Debater 1,076]

I think looking at the big picture, as the thread on the other teams in the bottom half discussed, we probably arent doing too badly. Yes there are lots of problems, but looking across the table, this seems pretty typical. Every team in the bottom half ''has problems'', I dont hink its just us. Having problems is probably par for the course for any team in the Premier League these days who isnt part of the big 6 (or Everton).

Perhaps we simply have to be a bit more realistic and rememebr that the teams around us probably feel pretty similar to us. The transfer spend was relative, we''re just keeping our heads above water. We want better football, but who else in the bottom half is happy with what they''re seeing. Maybe we need to adjust as fans and accept that this is Premier League reality.

But the positives are, we''re in a good financial position, the club is stable, we have some very good players who whilst possibly underperforming have undoubted ability. For the first time in ages we also have some promising youth. It could be better, but it could be worse. Perhaps we need to adjust to the reality of the Premier League and become a bit more aware of what life is like for our rivals and realise we''re probably not the only ones.

[Holtcantshoot 0]

Have to agree, we''re well run, financially stable, have a talented group of players and a decent youth team.The football we''re playing is probably also the appropriate style to keep us in the league but to be honest the thought of going to watch Norwich playing on Saturday just bores me at the moment. We might somehow snatch a lucky goal on the break and beat United but you can guarantee it will be either side of 89 minutes of dower defensive football full of misplaced diagonal passes and stuttering build up play where no one really wants the ball or is willing to take control of the game for fear of making the mistake. As you insinuate opponents such as Fulham who have been scraping away for the last decade at this level are still playing a similar fearful defensive style as that''s what keeps you at this level. It''s what the club need to do to keep funding our team of journeymen player''s latest sports cars and picking up their multi-million pound dividends at the end of each year...it''s just all a bit boring though.Perhaps if I thought more than a couple of our current team would actually stay with us to win back promotion rather than just jumping ship if we got relegated it would be easier to feel more interested.

[Making Plans 936]

[quote user="Holtcantshoot"]Have to agree, we''re well run, financially stable, have a talented group of players and a decent youth team.[/quote]Agreed, all we need is a Manager who can turn all that into performances & results

[The Great Mass Debater 1,076]

If we were to take Norwich out of the equation though, and watch a bottom half game, for instance Stoke vs Fulham. Would we see a passionate interesting game of end to end flare-filled football? Or would we see pretty much the style of chess match football that is dull as dishwater that everyone complains about. Perhaps the problem isnt a Norwich City disease, perhaps its everyone in the bottom half. What a shame Premiership football has come to this. 38 cup finals where everyone is frightened of what they might lose

[ricardo 7,339]

[quote user="The Great Mass Debater"]If we were to take Norwich out of the equation though, and watch a bottom half game, for instance Stoke vs Fulham. Would we see a passionate interesting game of end to end flare-filled football? Or would we see pretty much the style of chess match football that is dull as dishwater that everyone complains about. Perhaps the problem isnt a Norwich City disease, perhaps its everyone in the bottom half. What a shame Premiership football has come to this. 38 cup finals where everyone is frightened of what they might lose[/quote]At last you are beginning to understand the reality for middle sized teams like NCFC. Those brought up on two promotion years in the lower leagues were always going to find it hard to adjust.Moving on from being a struggler to a genuine mid table team is the next step and it''s the hardest task of all. Only Swansea and Southampton have got anywhere near achieving this.

[ZLF 271]

poyet and di canios passion is so productive isnt it?

 

Playing with disciplined steel & fluidity, swift progress of the ball with some incisive passing and adept movement is what we want

[ricardo 7,339]

[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"]

poyet and di canios passion is so productive isnt it?

 

Playing with disciplined steel & fluidity, swift progress of the ball with some incisive passing and adept movement is what we want

[/quote]Apart from Redmond we don''t have the players for this style.I think we will just stumble on and hopefully have enough to get over the line.Not pretty but perhaps effective.

[The Great Mass Debater 1,076]

I suppose all I want to be able to say is what we''re actually good at. What frustrates me is not the league position, but the baffling ineffectiveness of the football played. At the moment (and the GF GA table backs this up) we dont defend well, we dont attck well. We arent hard to bereak down, but its not because we left the back door open piling forward. At times we dont seem able to string three passes together. We look like we have no idea how we''re going to score a goal. I accept not beating teams, but I want to be able to have faith that our players and our tactics are effective. But perhaps this is modern football. I watch England and think the exact same thing. I tried to watch a neutral game recently where I pretended that I was a fan of one of the teams, to see if I would make the same criticisms of that team and whether I would feel they were ineffective too - but I found the whole exercise too difficult, and anyway the missus came in and made me put Coronation Street on. I just dont know if the football we''re watching is specific to Norwich or whether the whole league plays like this

[Chippy Minton 10]

Spot on GMD! A quick look at other club''s forums and you will find exactly the same as on here - a split of opinion regarding stick or twist, statistics supporting both points of view, blind optimism and depths of despair, voices of reason from some and petty insults from others. the football family never falsl far from the tree!!! Take the team and managers names out and I think you would be hard-pressed to distinguish between our site and those of West Ham, Cardiff, West Brom, Fulham, Aston Villa, etc. etcGiven the nature of the rewards and losses at stake in the PL this is

the stage upon which we play. This is one of the reasons for the managerial

changes at the foot of the table this year.We are still a bottom half premier league team - in transition. It won''t be pretty until the transition is complete. Of course we have to work hard, and hope, so that we are not overtaken by other teams in their own transitional period.In any event, I think the board should be making decisions on future manager/coaching positions when our future - PL or Championship (and I think it will be PL) - is decided.

[ZLF 271]

The description above is my ideal style of football,  rather than one built on passion which for me is hugely overrated.  

 

I agree completely that the style of football we have is going to achieve what we need - avoiding relegation and probably another solid mid table finish come May.   

 

I think we have more than just Redderz able to play that style of football,  RvW has show he has the off the ball movement and touch needed,  pilks offers class on the flank too,  and Fer & Howson has the ability to develop one touch pass football - my vision is more about quick movement of the ball rather than raw pace with it,  both is perfect but not essesntial. 

 

A footballing brain is a must,  Elmander got behind stockdale because he read the situation,  not raw pace,  sadly his fellow attackers did not think or react as quickly to enable the team to benefit from the chance

 

My biggest frustration is that our build up play is too slow,  too often the receiving player (incl Redmond) takes multiple touches to stop and control the ball, allowing the defence to get back into position.

 

Wes is probably the best proponent of this,  but is viewed as too wasteful on the ball!

 

That will come with time in the league - in the interim years it has to be a slow progression with some attritional football.     However both Villa & Fulham have more than a decade in the prem, have both "invested" huge sums of money into the playing staff yet both continue to struggle and are nowhere near breaking the top 5.   That is the size of the challenge we have to become a stable mid table size

[The Great Mass Debater 1,076]

[quote user="Chippy Minton"]Spot on GMD! A quick look at other club''s forums and you will find exactly the same as on here - a split of opinion regarding stick or twist, statistics supporting both points of view, blind optimism and depths of despair, voices of reason from some and petty insults from others. the football family never falsl far from the tree!!! Take the team and managers names out and I think you would be hard-pressed to distinguish between our site and those of West Ham, Cardiff, West Brom, Fulham, Aston Villa, etc. etcGiven the nature of the rewards and losses at stake in the PL this is

the stage upon which we play. This is one of the reasons for the managerial

changes at the foot of the table this year.We are still a bottom half premier league team - in transition. It won''t be pretty until the transition is complete. Of course we have to work hard, and hope, so that we are not overtaken by other teams in their own transitional period.In any event, I think the board should be making decisions on future manager/coaching positions when our future - PL or Championship (and I think it will be PL) - is decided.[/quote]

 

I think you''ve stumbled on a possible great game there (if labour intensive). Lift comments from other clubs forums, remove the identifying features and then see if we can guess what club they''re from, or at least ours or someone elses

[Chippy Minton 10]

I''m on it,  © Chippy Minton Football Quizzes!