3 people that could change our fortunes

[NWC 239]

We have missed out on boosting the team during the transfer window which is very disappointing. If ever a team needed a lift, it was us.However, I think there are 3 people who could make a difference and revive our fortunes towards survival:1) Johnny Howson - Come back fit and strong mate, but come back soon. Boy have we missed a goal scoring midfielder!2) Wes Hoolahan - Be brave Wes, apologize, we will forgive you, work hard, get back in the team. You can take the moral high-ground on this and be the better man. (probably need point 3 to be in place before this happens)3) David McNally - The team is not performing under Chris Hughton and we will go down. We all like Chris and appreciate the work that he has done, but it is way past the time to move on. Balance the £2million sacking compensation against the £80million lost revenue of relegation from the premier league. Under a different manager I believe we have a squad capable of survival. If you fail to act you will incur the wrath of not just the supporters, but the shareholders as well. You are a business man - please see business sense.I think if we secure these 3 things we could escape relegation. If not we are dead men walking.

[Gingerpele 0]

Howson will be a big boost.

I''m not sure about Hoolahan really, he played well against Man.U. But at the end of the day, like the game yesterday he didn''t provide that killer ball, he didn''t score. We looked better on the ball whilst we were on top, but he faded more and more as the game went on (mostly down to lack of game time you''d assume, but he''s frequently not been able to play a full 90 because he gives his all on the pitch).  If he can benefit the team i''m sure they''ll find a way to sort it out. But unless your third point happens, don''t see Hoolahan really being involved.

I think Hughton should go, don''t have any confidence it''ll happen before the end of the season though. I''ve already said somewhere, yesterday just adds to the reasons why Hughton isn''t up to the job. Yes we should have scored with the chances we had, and two poor defensive mistakes technically out of his control lost us the game, not his fault you can easily claim. But essentially it still is. Players of course take the blame as well, but the manager is the manager. He can''t get us to win these kinds of games, like Cardiff at home, Hull away, Palace first half, Villa and even Fulham at home to an extent. Games when we are essentially the better team. We have players like Hooper and Snoddy who can score and create, Fer, Redmond, Pilks and Howson too. All more than capable. But so often its like we just go limp at the last second. So Hughton to go is the only thing I can think of that will sort that out, will it happen though?

I''d like to suggest a fourth. Snodgrass. Best game of the season yesterday. Scored, nearly got a second, should have had an assist of two if the finishing had been there/bit of luck (without seeing replay Bassong really should have scored at the end!). Make sure Snoddy has the confidence to go out and do that in all the remaining games. Give him the freedom to move into the centre of the pitch, he looked very dangerous there especially with Martin providing the width quickly and when Fer came on to support it was even better. God only knows how we didn''t score. But if we can replicate that last fifteen minutes with Snoddy, Fer, Redmond and Hooper playing like that we will score and we will pick up more points. Just need to do if for more than fifteen minutes.

[Move Klose 303]

Massively missing Howson, missing his drive from midfield, and whilst hes out Hoolahan has to play, when everyones fit our best team is,

Ruddy

Martin Bassong Turner Olsson

Snoddy Tettey Fer Pilks

Howson

Hooper

At the moment due to injuries etc i would play

Ruddy

Martin Bassong Bennett Olsson

Snoddy Tettey Fer Pilks

Hoolahan

Hooper

Our best football this year has been when Tettey, Fer & Howson have been together.

[GJP 79]

Yup, Howson has been such a massive loss.

Turner is a big miss too but it''ll be interesting to see where Yobo fits in. Surely he hasn''t come over to sit on the bench.

[Salopian 1]

1) I agree with NWC that we miss Howson, who was a steadying, constructive influence in the centre. (We think that it was the injury to Tettey that Fer''s game went off, but he was still playing well enough at WBA, when Tettey had gone. I think it more likely it is the absence of Howson which has reduced Fer''s contribution.)

2) I am not sure about Wes. He is certainly not the influential player he was in lower divisions, whether because of the pace of Premiership players, and their ability to close players down and mark tightly, or because he tends to be cut off from supply from colleagues. His presence also reduces our struggling defence. He and perhaps Fox are just about the only two who are virtually completely ineffective in tackling.

3) Sadly, I suspect that it is too late to replace Hughton. I hope that the Board will have had discussions and taken advice on possible successors. ( I doubt if they would have sounded out anyone, as being underhand and morally doubtful.) Any newcomer would have to be approached, come to Norwich for interview and discussion, a process which would take a couple of weeks at least, and perhaps a couple of matches for him to form an opinion on players. So it could be into March, with four or more precious games lost in the meantime, before he could even begin to put things right. How soon after that he could make the team fully effective, is uncertain. We need perhaps 15 points, and he would have to achieve the bulk in perhaps seven games, largely against top teams.

I want to think positively, but it is difficult when we see so many of our players under-performing. I have considerable doubts that Hughton can change things as much as required, but I fear that it is too late. We are tied to him, for good or ill.