Ricardo's report v Swansea

[ricardo 7,349]

The big talking point when the teams ran out this afternoon was "where''s the Wolf". With no sign of Ricky, even on the subs bench, it was same again City for the visit of the Swans. The other big talking point was why was the Swansea keeper wearing a fluorescent ground stewards jacket instead of a goalkeepers top.City kicked off and soon had the Barclay goal under siege and the Swansea defence had to be sharp to block a couple of shots before Whit''s whacked one high wide and not very handsome. The visitors were soon showing how comfortable they were in possession and this took a lot of the early sting out of the game. I thought the crowd seemed very quiet and they got even quieter when Swansea moved into an early lead. An out of character long ball found Bassong wanting and somehow he allowed Nathan Dyer to do him and when Ruddy advanced it was a simple job for the little man to toe it over him and into the net from the edge of the area. A bad mistake and a really scruffy goal to give away.To their credit City were straight back on the attack and Redmonds cross was headed across goal where it was defected wide by what appeared to be a Swansea arm. Everyone but  Michael Oliver thought it a clear penalty but only a corner was given, some you get and some you don''t but it looked pretty blatant to me. From here onwards it got quite difficult because Swansea are the wrong kind of team to give a goal lead. There were long periods when they just played it about across the back line and City were reduced to chasing shadows. As the game approached the half hour Hooper finally forced Rangel into a mistake and won the ball on the left of the area. He made straight for goal but the final shot was disappointingly wide of target. City were finding it very difficult to exert any consistent pressure on the Swansea  goal and an almost silent CR crowd didn''t help matters. With the game drifting there was a nasty clash when Bassong out jumped Dyer for a high ball and seemed to land on the little man and a six minute stoppage ensued before the Swansea winger left the scene on a stretcher.With halftime not far away City finally got something going and Bassong was only a foot over the top with a firm header. Then Howson shot wide from 20 yards when a pass to Redmond would have put the City winger clear. Then finally we were treated to a glorious and outrageous equaliser as the hard running Elmander nodded down for Hooper to volley a spectacular drive from all of 25 yards with pace and power paste the startled Vorm. It was as good a goal as we have seen in many a long year and came just at the right time. In fact it could have got even better for City if Redmond could have been more measured after shimmying into the area. Unfortunately his effort finished somewhere near the Snakepit. Apparently there was also a City effort headed off the line but I didn''t see it thanks to people pushing in front desperate for an early halftime cuppa.So at halftime all square and set up nicely if City could just get enough of the ball. The first 15 minutes was uninspiring with Whits dragging a 20 yarder wide while at the other end Michu was similarly off target. However, as the game wore on City looked the most likely to break the deadlock. Swansea were now giving a few free kicks away and from one of these Hooper''s header found Turner nicely placed and his measured header seemed destined for the top corner only for the combination of the bar and a defenders head to smuggle it behind for a corner.With the game now in the final quarter chances were still at a premium and Swansea were still holding good possession without really threatening to score. Becchio came on for Elmander and did o.k. winning a couple of free kicks but never got a sight of goal. A chance however was bound to come and oh! what a good chance it was. You couldn''t ask anymore than it to fall for Hooper and when it did I was out of my seat only to gasp with disappointment as Vorm brilliantly turned it away for a corner. At the other end Ruddy had to be quick off his line to foil Shelvey but that was about it for chances. If you can''t win then make sure you don''t lose and City did that comfortably enough.IMO a good point after going behind. Hooper my MOM and good marks for Fer and Elmander who ran his heart out for the cause. Swansea are a decent side and although it could have been 3 points I''m not too displeased to only get one.[:)]

[splutcho 173]

Cheers Ricardo, this is the first thread I came for after an 11 hour shift at work. In all honesty, at about 4 o''clock today I had this horrible feeling we''d been trounced, so it was quite a relief to come home to 1-1.

And I suppose a point isn''t too bad, roll on next week.

[im spartacus canary 0]

i thought we lost a bit of momentum when elmander went off , even more when redmond went off both were fully involved in most things and although i could see where hoots was coming from it went a bit flat after that

[ricardo 7,349]

[quote user="im spartacus"]i thought we lost a bit of momentum when elmander went off , even more when redmond went off both were fully involved in most things and although i could see where hoots was coming from it went a bit flat after that[/quote]Yes, I agree, Elmander really put himself about today. Redmond was poor first half but sparked up a bit in the second. Going behind early was always going to make this a difficult game.

[GJP 79]

Yup, Elmander did alright today but he''s still far from the answer.

[Gingerpele 0]

What did you think of Johnson today Ricardo?

[ricardo 7,349]

[quote user="Gingerpele"]What did you think of Johnson today Ricardo?[/quote]I thought he had a good game Ginger. He anchored the midfield well was generally neat and tidy and was strong in the tackle when required. An idiot close to me moaned when he banged the ball up the line once but was cut of by Swansea players and had little choice but to launch it.Every Norwich team has a scapegoat and some people think its fashionable to jump on the Johno bandwaggon. I saw it on the other thread, don''t argue with idiots Ginger, you weren''t wrong, he did o.k. this afternoon.

[can u sit down please 0]

Johnsons a funny one. If he plays to his strengths he''s tidy. But unfortunately his passing let him down again. He completed 40/60 and only tackled twice.

The lack of tackles is prob down to our inability to get close to players and sit off

[Gingerpele 0]

Well said Ricardo!

And as they are drawn into the Johnson bashing bandwagon, I''m drawn into responding too them. I really should stop.

Thanks for your response, and well written report!

[Dubai Mark 0]

Thanks Ricardo, agree with all of this and the comments regarding Johnson. This is not our strongest side and we are grinding out points nicely, next week will be tough, they are playing better than a team in bottom place,

[It's Character Forming 1,160]

Good report, looked like this on the stream.

Why are the crowd at CR so quiet at the moment? The commentators were saying there were ironic cheers when Elmander won the header for Hooper to score. Bet they felt a bit silly but it can''t help a player when that''s happening

[ricardo 7,349]

[quote user="Dubai Mark"]Thanks Ricardo, agree with all of this and the comments regarding Johnson. This is not our strongest side and we are grinding out points nicely, next week will be tough, they are playing better than a team in bottom place,[/quote]Indeed, yet I''ve seen some who think its a must win game. I''d be very happy to take a point from Sunderland who are certainly playing better than their position suggests. I watched some of their match at W Ham and they looked streets ahead of the Hammers.

[Waveney Canary 0]

[quote user="It''s Character Forming"]Good report, looked like this on the stream.

Why are the crowd at CR so quiet at the moment? The commentators were saying there were ironic cheers when Elmander won the header for Hooper to score. Bet they felt a bit silly but it can''t help a player when that''s happening

Why doesn''t it surprise me that you watched the game on an illegal stream. This really really sickens me

[ricardo 7,349]

[quote user="Its Character Forming"]Good report, looked like this on the stream.

Why are the crowd at CR so quiet at the moment? The commentators were saying there were ironic cheers when Elmander won the header for Hooper to score. Bet they felt a bit silly but it can''t help a player when that''s happening[/quote]It was eerily quiet today. I don''t know why but sometimes it takes the team to get going before the crowd do. What made it worse was Swansea going in front early and controlling the game with their possession football. They are very good at killing the game and are one of the best passing sides I''ve seen at CR this year( much better at this than us). They didn''t threaten an awful lot but then you don''t have to when you''ve been gifted a goal start.

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

My first live game this season and I thought the team performance was good: punctuated by a woeful error from Bassong who needs to get the casual errors out of his game; and Hooper''s strike which was a gem in every sense, especially, for me the way he moved inside and left his marker out wide as he read Elmander''s intentions.

I wholeheartedly agree about Elmander who worked really hard but I saw Becchio win two free kicks in good positions; make an excellent headed clearance from a Swansea corner; put in a decent pass and showed a lot of the forward movement we lack to tug defences around. I can see a lot of value in him away from home up front alone with Hooper sitting a little deeper.

Fer worked hard but no one worked as hard as Olsson who allows CH to play Fer wide and keep cutting in. If anything Howson had a quieter game than usual.

This Swansea possession thing is misleading as much of it is between the back four but as Ricardo said we gave them the opportunity to do so by gifting an early goal. To come back as we did was very good and it was a draw which in no way disappointed me.

First half we had Swansea passing instinctively and Norwich passing with overdue deliberation but we improved considerably in that respect as the game wore on.

I am most pleased to say I felt I saw a Norwich team which looked too strong and competent to suffer relegation.

It was a good, entertaining game. Yes, we always want more but if Norwich supporters are slow to criticise their team and manager for what had been over a season of dire football they are also slow to see and celebrate the positive improvements. The team has improved ahead of them and they are still to cotton onto that it seems. And as for Hughton: his future hasn''t been a debate since West Ham at home.

[Graham Paddons Beard 2,424]

[quote user="ricardo"][quote user="Dubai Mark"]Thanks Ricardo, agree with all of this and the comments regarding Johnson. This is not our strongest side and we are grinding out points nicely, next week will be tough, they are playing better than a team in bottom place,[/quote]

Indeed, yet I''ve seen some who think its a must win game. I''d be very happy to take a point from Sunderland who are certainly playing better than their position suggests. I watched some of their match at W Ham and they looked streets ahead of the Hammers.
[/quote]

 

After watching Sun''land tonight, I''d be even happier with a point. Wes Brown was outstanding.

[Graham Paddons Beard 2,424]

Oh and PS, Hoopers goal was worth all of the arse@ache of the sunday rail service ! Via Ely indeed. Felt like an away game.