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Daniel Brigham

Where has all the fun gone? - latest blog

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Wes Hoolahan''s transfer request sums up a season of little fun and few highlights. By Daniel BrighamThis

is the best Premier League season ever. It must be. The newspapers keep

telling everyone it is, Sky Sports keep shouting it at us and, just in

case we haven''t heard them the first time, they play dramatic music and

shout it even louder. Who are we to argue? The top and bottom of

the table is packed tighter than Wayne Rooney''s hair weave and you need

a DeLorean to predict how it will finish. Everyone’s right: it’s been

brilliant. So why, as Norwich fans, does it feel like we''re the only ones without a johnny at a bunga bunga party? The

win over Hull on Saturday should have been joyful. Instead it felt like

a toilet break on a delayed train journey, providing only short-term

relief from an arduous trek across the grey, monotonous countryside that

is this season. The summer had promised so much. The signings

of Ricky van Wolfswinkel, Nathan Redmond and Gary Hooper got us all

giddy before a ball was kicked. But as our season has struggled to take

off, it’s becoming clearer with each game that the trailers were better

than the actual movie.Now Wes Hoolahan has handed in a transfer

request, neatly summing up the season for us: our most fun player wants

to leave because he’s not having fun anymore. And when he''s not having

fun anymore it''s a fair indication that those in the stands aren''t

either.Hughton obviously rated Wes. He started him 28 times last

season, including every game of the 10-match unbeaten run. Hughton

isn''t among the damaging breed of British managers who stick their

fingers in their ears and run terrified away from crafty playmakers,

like European settlers seeing kangaroos in Australia for the first time,

screaming, “WHAT THE SWEET JESUS ARE THOSE MASSIVE BOUNCING RATS?”.Hughton’s

use of Wes last season, and his pursuit of Ola Toivonen and Fabio

Quagliarella, suggests he doesn''t see No.10s as massive bouncing

rats. He embraces them.So what''s changed this season? When

Hughton is under pressure he resorts to pragmatism and rigidity at the

expense of devilry and flexibility. That Johan Elmander has started

double the number of Premier League games as Hoolahan this year speaks

volumes for Hughton’s timid approach. Since Jonny Howson''s

injury Hoolahan should have been starting every game. Instead Hughton

has increasingly returned to his 4-4-2 comfort blanket, which neither

gets the best out of our strikers nor our most dynamic midfielder, Leroy

Fer, who, like Howson last season, is forced to sit too deep to have

any real creative impact on a match. It’s not just Hughton’s fault, of

course. Aside from Howson, everyone has underperformed and it has

created a toxic fug within Carrow Road that not even clappers could

penetrate now. This isn’t just a moan for moaning’s sake. After

all, we have to be realistic. In a division in which the term

‘mid-table’ increasingly applies to fewer and fewer teams, sides in the

bottom half will always struggle but struggling in the Premier League is

immeasurably better than struggling in the Championship. This doesn’t

mean we can’t have some fun along the way, that we can finally watch Match of the Day with the expectation we might not be last. In

2012-13 we beat the champions, the runners up and Arsenal, as well as

playing some admired attacking football in our 10-game unbeaten run.

What highlights have we had this year? Does the emergence of Josh Murphy

count? Robert Snodgrass’s free-kick against West Ham? Hooper’s volley

in the draw against Swansea? Exterminating the goal music? Me finally

finding WiFi at Carrow Road? The pickings are so slim that the most

difficult job in the Premier League may well belong to the poor sods

tasked with producing Norwich’s end-of-season DVD.  We can only

look on enviously while everyone else is hogging the fun. Most of the

teams around us have enjoyed some great moments amongst the pain: Villa

beating Arsenal on the opening day; Sunderland reaching a Cup final and

beating Manchester City; Cardiff taking four points off the Manchester

clubs and winning the first Premier League Welsh derby; West Ham’s 3-0

victory at White Hart Lane and getting to a Cup semi; Swansea’s

adventures in Europe; Crystal Palace’s revival from the dead; Stoke

beating Chelsea and playing better football; West Brom winning at Old

Trafford; Hull shocking Liverpool 3-1 and thrashing Fulham 6-0.   All

is not lost though. There are still 16 games to go, still time for us

to create moments of instant nostalgia. We have plenty more

opportunities for a spot of giant-killing – it may be integral to our

survival chances – but so far we’ve had only one good full 90 minutes of

football, away at Stoke. Even the most optimistic man on earth (almost

certainly Kriss Akabusi) would struggle to envisage a sudden series of

memorable moments on Norwich’s horizon. Carry on like we have

been and there may only be a few more toilet breaks ahead on our

achingly dull train journey. What a shame to settle for that, though,

when we have a host of talented, exciting players who could be swapping

the train for a car, throwing the top down, turning up the stereo and

driving alongside all of the other Premier League teams in this

brilliantly unpredictable season.We might break down a few times

along the way, we might skid off the road occasionally. But it would be

a whole lot more fun than it is now. Daniel Brigham is features editor of The Cricketer magazineYou can follow him on twitter: @cricketer_mag

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Another good article Daniel, agree almost completely.

One of my most enjoyable experiences this season was watching us outplay Man U. A game we failed to score in and lost. Kind of sums it up for me.

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[quote user="Daniel Brigham"]

In

2012-13 we beat the champions, the runners up and Arsenal, as well as

playing some admired attacking football in our 10-game unbeaten run.

What highlights have we had this year? Does the emergence of Josh Murphy

count? Robert Snodgrass’s free-kick against West Ham? Hooper’s volley

in the draw against Swansea? Exterminating the goal music? Me finally

finding WiFi at Carrow Road? The pickings are so slim that the most

difficult job in the Premier League may well belong to the poor sods

tasked with producing Norwich’s end-of-season DVD.  [/quote]There is a word missing there, Daniel!  "We played some admired COUNTER-attacking football in our 10-game unbeaten run." The home win against Arsenal was a classic of that kind. Which was why I bought into what seemed to be the Hughton vision. Solid defence but verve in attack. This season the vision looks like a chimera. Instead of counter-attacking  verve we have torpor-inducing slowness against which a defence of geriatrics can organise itself.

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Haha purple is right there. How do we mange to play slower counter attacking football with Hooper/RVW replacing Holt and Redmond in the team? With the latter in the side especially we should be scaring the carp out of teams when we break.

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Can''t be doing with this buddy. It doesn''t tally with what I remember seeing. We beat Man Utd last season in a game of football which was about as enjoyable as us beating Palace at home this season minus the prestige. We played much better football in the United home game this season but this time they got the break so we lost it 0-1. Same with Chelsea. Last season was a pretty drab affair which we lost 0-1. This season was a great game of football where we lost 1-3 because of two late goals conceded as we went all out for the win. To a certain extent the shackles have come off this season but it seems we''re now pining for them to be put back. It seems the grass really is always greener on the other side of the fence.

 

 

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[quote user="nutty nigel"]

Can''t be doing with this buddy. It doesn''t tally with what I remember seeing. We beat Man Utd last season in a game of football which was about as enjoyable as us beating Palace at home this season minus the prestige. We played much better football in the United home game this season but this time they got the break so we lost it 0-1. Same with Chelsea. Last season was a pretty drab affair which we lost 0-1. This season was a great game of football where we lost 1-3 because of two late goals conceded as we went all out for the win. To a certain extent the shackles have come off this season but it seems we''re now pining for them to be put back. It seems the grass really is always greener on the other side of the fence.

[/quote]
Ultimately football is fun when you are winning, they all say "it''s the way we play" but winning is everything in this game.

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You''re right there Purple. It mostly was counter-attacking, which was swift while Wes, Snodgrass and Pilkington were fit and at their peak and had a fit Tetter behind them. As soon as injuries hit - specifically to Tettey - it all went wrong. Funnily enough it all started going wrong this season with Tettey''s injury as well ...

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It was more counter attacking because we had Tettey and Johnson in the midfield. In the summer we brought more attacking players in Fer and Redmond which has seen the shackles removed a bit and an intent to take the game more to the opposition. Something most folk were crying out for in the ten game unbeaten run.

 

I guess it''s the same for most clubs but the injuries this season have rather dictated team selection more than the opposition have.

 

 

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Ginja is right,

Its not about fun or entertainment or style of football.

Its about winning.

Boring Boring Arsenal fans didn''t complain when they were boringly winning every game 1-0 under George Graham , but they did complain last season when they played brilliantly but won nothing.

Chelsea fans didn''t complain about Joses boring tactics when he was in his first spell there.

Liverpool fans never used to complain when they won despite playing badly ( apparently its a sign of a great team)

Problem now is its all about keeping the PL money rolling in, so results are everything.

And its not just Norwich fans who are feeling the pain.

Half the division is in the same position, with all those teams unbelievably inconsistent.

Even the Barcelona like Swansea are falling away and their fans are no more happy than ours despite their style of football.

Expectations have shot up, every club is looking for season on season improvement and all have more resources than ever, but its not a realistic expectation for all the clubs to improve their position each season.

Its dog eat dog and the rest of the season is not going to be pretty for the bottom 10 teams.

Still its more exciting than mid table mediocrity.

Isnt it????

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But we''re not winning, Dreamteam. So we can''t even enjoy being boring. And yes half the division is feeling the same pain - there is no mid-table anymore - but, as I mention in the piece, at least the other sides around us have had some high points this season. I also backed Hughton last season. He did a good job, he improved our defence and I expected Norwich to improve as an attacking force once he got the attacking players in that he wanted. While there we had Tettey behind Howson and Fer it looked like we were involving into an attractive, fluid team that pressed higher up the pitch, although we still put the ball out wide too often rather than play quicker through the middle. Since Tettey''s injury we''ve regressed, we''ve slipped back to rigid lines, we''ve slipped back to relying on set pieces again. That shouldn''t happen because of one injury.

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Where have the days gone when fans, clubs and players all wanted to win trophy''s? Today more peopel are more happy to play slow boring football, setting up to get to that 40 point mark than winning a cup.......

 

I am bored with the premiership, when was the last game you watched on TV with teams from the bottom 10 playing each other? I turn the TV off, haven''t seen match of the day this year and as for Sky, got rid as I wasn''t watching any sport!

 

I would swap our premiership status for how I felt in the morning of the 15th May 1985, the day was exciting, anticipating travelling to London, milling around old Wembley, eating burgers from those outside vans and the hairs stood up on the back of my neck when the teams came out! It was magical and what football should be about!

 

This boring slow tight football being played by not only Norwich but 7 or 8 teams down at the bottom, bcause the threat of losing out on 60 million and having huge financial implcations on the clubs has ruined the match days and season for me.

 

But then that''s just me and I am lucky to have had my day out with this great club.

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Well that''s my dates all wrong as it was March 24th, but what a day! The 15th was my last day at school and last exam! how my mind works!

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[quote user="Indy"]

I would swap our premiership status for how I felt in the morning of the 15th May 1985, the day was exciting, anticipating travelling to London, milling around old Wembley, eating burgers from those outside vans and the hairs stood up on the back of my neck when the teams came out! It was magical and what football should be about!

 

[/quote]Me?No.Not in a million years.

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"Can''t be doing with this buddy. It doesn''t tally with what I remember seeing. We beat Man Utd last season in a game of football which was about as enjoyable as us beating Palace at home this season minus the prestige. We played much better football in the United home game this season but this time they got the break so we lost it 0-1. Same with Chelsea. Last season was a pretty drab affair which we lost 0-1. This season was a great game of football where we lost 1-3 because of two late goals conceded as we went all out for the win. To a certain extent the shackles have come off this season but it seems we''re now pining for them to be put back. It seems the grass really is always greener on the other side of the fence."

I''m not sure I agree with that Nutty. We beat a much better United team with a real gritty, backs to the wall performance, we were well worth our win against a much better side. It''s a bit different comparing a hard fought win against the Champions to a boring performance against a relegation candidate.

I agree the performance this year against Man U was much better, we didn''t deserve to lose but personally I enjoyed the game despite the loss. You''ve given us two examples of losses that this year were better performances than last, that''s great but how many wins this year hit the heights of West Brom, Man City, Swansea, Arsenal, Man U, Everton?

I may be wrong, but I believe Daniels point was even when we win/draw there''s not as much memorable football as last year. I don''t see that as anything to do with shackles being removed (which I personally don''t think has happened).

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[quote user="Indy"]Well that''s my dates all wrong as it was March 24th, but what a day! The 15th was my last day at school and last exam! how my mind works![/quote]

Those that can remember 1985 and before - going back to the John Bond era, will remember that we were an attacking side and were always good value to watch.  Right up to 1994.    After that the bubble burst and we had indifferent managers and poor finances right up to 2009.   The Worthington era was great up to a point, but we were fighting the tide and didn''t really have the resources and personell to keep us up in the top league in the same manner as in the 70s and 80s and early 90s.     But even though its been tough, 2009 - 2012 changed that.   Three seasons that changed our history and the club''s finances.   We are in a position to compete with at least half the table and if the squad can be strengthened to the extent that injuries don''t affect us so much, the fluent football that we saw glimpses of earlier in the season may be more established.   I thought Hull was a good match.  Gutierrez strengthened that midfield area.   So we are gradually getting there.   RVW and Hooper have had significant spells out too and Howson of course, as well as Tettey.In football you have to take the rough with the smooth.   Still a struggle at times, there are some positive aspects to the last two seasons.  We have to try -imo - to focus on the positives, keep the enthusiasm up in the hope that the development comes to fruition.   After all - you enjoy the good times much more when you have had some not so good times.   RVW, Hooper, the rest of the players, some new ones to come in the Summer, the team getting its injured players back, confidence that will flow - especially if we beat Newcastle - and the future can be bright. The focus has been - rightly - on the manager.  He is the one who has to make it happen.  I still think he will - because of his record at other clubs and the glimpses we have seen of when it works well.   It is not all gloom and doom.  Not that much fun maybe, but still fascinating - especially this season, given the position all the clubs are in.  If you want fun, then maybe you would rather be in the Championship or even League 1 - now those seasons were fun..............but they weren''t the Premiership...................

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Lake, I would rather have fun in the Premier League than in a lower division. Like the last two seasons, which both had many high points. If you thought Hull was a good match then I bow down to your sunny disposition!

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And still the old yellow and green tinted spectacles are on for some - and I don''t mean you OP - your blog is spot on, hits the point exactly. Great read.

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"If you want fun, then maybe you would rather be in the Championship or even League 1 - now those seasons were fun..............but they weren''t the Premiership........."

We weren''t fun to watch for the majority of our time in the Championship post 95 imo. No guarantee of fun if we go back.

But I also find your statement above a bollockx political spin answer. You can''t get any enjoyment in the premiership, if that''s what you crave you need to drop down or be rich.

What a load of carp. You are not listening to Daniels argument. It was pretty fun beating West Brom 4-0 last year, it was pretty fun beating Man City or Swansea away. It was pretty fun beating Man U and Arsenal. We put in an awesome performance at the Emirates and I still feel cheated but we played magnificently.

A lot of our first campaign back was a lot of fun and not just for the novelty but because in most games even if we lost you felt like we gave it a go. There were some howlers (Sunderland away that year was awful) but the overall feeling was positive.

This year where has the fun been? Don''t tell people if you want fun it was in the Championship because we all know that is utter tosh.

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We did have 20 minutes of fun at home to Chelsea. Then we fell apart in the last 5 minutes. in surprise at how well we were doing.

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[quote user="Monty13"]"Can''t be doing with this buddy. It doesn''t tally with what I remember seeing. We beat Man Utd last season in a game of football which was about as enjoyable as us beating Palace at home this season minus the prestige. We played much better football in the United home game this season but this time they got the break so we lost it 0-1. Same with Chelsea. Last season was a pretty drab affair which we lost 0-1. This season was a great game of football where we lost 1-3 because of two late goals conceded as we went all out for the win. To a certain extent the shackles have come off this season but it seems we''re now pining for them to be put back. It seems the grass really is always greener on the other side of the fence."

I''m not sure I agree with that Nutty. We beat a much better United team with a real gritty, backs to the wall performance, we were well worth our win against a much better side. It''s a bit different comparing a hard fought win against the Champions to a boring performance against a relegation candidate.

I agree the performance this year against Man U was much better, we didn''t deserve to lose but personally I enjoyed the game despite the loss. You''ve given us two examples of losses that this year were better performances than last, that''s great but how many wins this year hit the heights of West Brom, Man City, Swansea, Arsenal, Man U, Everton?

I may be wrong, but I believe Daniels point was even when we win/draw there''s not as much memorable football as last year. I don''t see that as anything to do with shackles being removed (which I personally don''t think has happened).[/quote]

 

Memorable football or memorable results? Can you remember any memorable football from our 1-0 against Arsenal last season? Do you remember flowing expansive football or a hard fought 1-0 win that we got through discipline, grit and determination?

 

What about Stoke away last season? Fulham at home last season? Here''s one for Tuesday, Newcastle at home last season? Was Everton at home last season a better performance than this season''s game or is it just memorable for the last few minutes?

 

I always plead guilty to viewing things through yellow & green tinted specs. What else would yo expect? Some of the different views on here seem to have been made through murky brown lenses...

 

 

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[quote user="Monty13"]"If you want fun, then maybe you would rather be in the Championship or even League 1 - now those seasons were fun..............but they weren''t the Premiership........."

We weren''t fun to watch for the majority of our time in the Championship post 95 imo. No guarantee of fun if we go back.

But I also find your statement above a bollockx political spin answer. You can''t get any enjoyment in the premiership, if that''s what you crave you need to drop down or be rich.

What a load of carp. You are not listening to Daniels argument. It was pretty fun beating West Brom 4-0 last year, it was pretty fun beating Man City or Swansea away. It was pretty fun beating Man U and Arsenal. We put in an awesome performance at the Emirates and I still feel cheated but we played magnificently.

A lot of our first campaign back was a lot of fun and not just for the novelty but because in most games even if we lost you felt like we gave it a go. There were some howlers (Sunderland away that year was awful) but the overall feeling was positive.

This year where has the fun been? Don''t tell people if you want fun it was in the Championship because we all know that is utter tosh.[/quote]

So its just this season has lost its fun??   Right.   Because we expected so much and got so little maybe?   That is part of the problem. Expectations. I understand what Daniel was saying - its just that "fun" isn''t always what football is about.  This season has been a mixture of - fans expectations not being met, difficulties surrounding new players injuries, the top clubs pushing ahead of the rest, other injuries to key players, loss of confidence (hopefully on its way back after the Hull match), a manager who is seen as negative (I would argue that one) the concertina of clubs in the lower half increasing the pressure for all of them.  I said it in my last post - you have to take the rough with the smooth.   The rest of this season is what matters, not what has been and gone.  That''s why people have to keep their enthusiasm and hope.   We have good players.   We''ve seen that at its best, a Hughton team does attack  (but I would agree we need to see it more of course).   We simply have to stop thinking about the past and look ahead to what is coming up.  

If its so much lack of "fun" for people.....well football is like that sometimes.

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[quote user="lake district canary"][quote user="Monty13"]"If you want fun, then maybe you would rather be in the Championship or even League 1 - now those seasons were fun..............but they weren''t the Premiership........."

We weren''t fun to watch for the majority of our time in the Championship post 95 imo. No guarantee of fun if we go back.

But I also find your statement above a bollockx political spin answer. You can''t get any enjoyment in the premiership, if that''s what you crave you need to drop down or be rich.

What a load of carp. You are not listening to Daniels argument. It was pretty fun beating West Brom 4-0 last year, it was pretty fun beating Man City or Swansea away. It was pretty fun beating Man U and Arsenal. We put in an awesome performance at the Emirates and I still feel cheated but we played magnificently.

A lot of our first campaign back was a lot of fun and not just for the novelty but because in most games even if we lost you felt like we gave it a go. There were some howlers (Sunderland away that year was awful) but the overall feeling was positive.

This year where has the fun been? Don''t tell people if you want fun it was in the Championship because we all know that is utter tosh.[/quote]

So its just this season has lost its fun??   Right.   Because we expected so much and got so little maybe?   That is part of the problem. Expectations. I understand what Daniel was saying - its just that "fun" isn''t always what football is about.  This season has been a mixture of - fans expectations not being met, difficulties surrounding new players injuries, the top clubs pushing ahead of the rest, other injuries to key players, loss of confidence (hopefully on its way back after the Hull match), a manager who is seen as negative (I would argue that one) the concertina of clubs in the lower half increasing the pressure for all of them.  I said it in my last post - you have to take the rough with the smooth.   The rest of this season is what matters, not what has been and gone.  That''s why people have to keep their enthusiasm and hope.   We have good players.   We''ve seen that at its best, a Hughton team does attack  (but I would agree we need to see it more of course).   We simply have to stop thinking about the past and look ahead to what is coming up.  

If its so much lack of "fun" for people.....well football is like that sometimes.

[/quote]Yes LDC, but thinking about the past is what''s worrying some of us when looking to what''s ahead. Daniel is right. This season up to now has been dull as dishwater.I can think of only one game where we enjoyed a pretty comfortable 90 mins and if Stoke away is the best we can come up in 22 attempts then God help us......

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"Memorable football or memorable results? Can you remember any memorable football from our 1-0 against Arsenal last season? Do you remember flowing expansive football or a hard fought 1-0 win that we got through discipline, grit and determination? What about Stoke away last season? Fulham at home last season? Here''s one for Tuesday, Newcastle at home last season? Was Everton at home last season a better performance than this season''s game or is it just memorable for the last few minutes? I always plead guilty to viewing things through yellow & green tinted specs. What else would yo expect? Some of the different views on here seem to have been made through murky brown lenses..."

Nutty I watched all the games last year and the ones i mentioned weren''t just memorable for the results but the way we played. In the Man U and Arsenal games we completely snuffed out the threat of far superior technical teams and performed a smash and grab win. Was it beautiful free flowing football? No. Was it great to see the best teams in the PL completely unable to break down a well disciplined and determined Norwich side? Yes it blo0dy was! Why would that not count as fun?

Was it fun to watch us go for it against a good Everton side and snatch a winner through a brave final onslought? Personally yes.

Was it good to watch us utterly outplay West Brom? Yes. Was it good to watch us play a free flowing attacking game against the Champions in their own place and win? Yes, Yes and Yes

Was it ever so sweet to completely outplay Swansea in the first half at their ground and hold on in the second for the Win. You bet your life.

Was it great to see us play brilliantly against Arsenal at the Emirates and walk away with a feeling of being cheated rather than just we got what we deserved? Yes.

None of those games were about the result for me. They were all different styles of City on offer, gritty determined or free flowing and open but they were memorable to me personally and I enjoyed the games. Where are those games from this year? I''d say the loss to Man U was fun but I''m struggling to think of games we''ve won or even drawn this season where I''ve felt proud to see my team put a great shift in. I don''t think that is personal to me.

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Well I reckon Ryan Bennett''s headed goal last week was as much fun as the late goals against Everton. I reckon The 3-1 over West ham was more fun than last season''s draw. I reckon the 3-1 defeat by Chelsea was more fun than last season''s 1-0 defeat. I rerckon the 1-0 win at the Brittania was more fun than last season''s 1-0 defeat. I reckon the 2-0 win at WBA was more fun than last season''s 2-1 defeat. I reckon the 1-0 win over Southampton was more fun than last season''s 0-0 draw. What will be memorable? Well I guess that depends upon how the season ends. Would last season''s plucky little Norwich results have been so memorable had we been relegated?

 

 

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Were they more fun or are they just better results Nutty, or is that your point?

Because it just seems like you''re now leveling the argument you were trying to put to me that I only liked the games because of the results as your argument for this year being fun.

Just because comparable results were better doesn''t mean to me that a game is more fun. There still has not been many (any?) stand out games like last year or the year before. If there has please point them out, most good results have been tense close nervy affairs imo with not much good football on offer. And we didn''t get relegated with those results last season so I don''t see your point.

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[quote user="nutty nigel"]

Well I reckon Ryan Bennett''s headed goal last week was as much fun as the late goals against Everton. I reckon The 3-1 over West ham was more fun than last season''s draw. I reckon the 3-1 defeat by Chelsea was more fun than last season''s 1-0 defeat. I rerckon the 1-0 win at the Brittania was more fun than last season''s 1-0 defeat. I reckon the 2-0 win at WBA was more fun than last season''s 2-1 defeat. I reckon the 1-0 win over Southampton was more fun than last season''s 0-0 draw. What will be memorable? Well I guess that depends upon how the season ends. Would last season''s plucky little Norwich results have been so memorable had we been relegated?

 

 

[/quote]The 2nd half of last season was probably the most negative, dull, tedious football I can remember us playing.  Not terrible, and not with a lack of quality, just tedious.This season has been a little better, but goals conceded are still up, goals scored are down (amazingly...) and points are still down on last season.

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[quote user="nutty nigel"]

Well I reckon Ryan Bennett''s headed goal last week was as much fun as the late goals against Everton. I reckon The 3-1 over West ham was more fun than last season''s draw. I reckon the 3-1 defeat by Chelsea was more fun than last season''s 1-0 defeat. I rerckon the 1-0 win at the Brittania was more fun than last season''s 1-0 defeat. I reckon the 2-0 win at WBA was more fun than last season''s 2-1 defeat. I reckon the 1-0 win over Southampton was more fun than last season''s 0-0 draw. What will be memorable? Well I guess that depends upon how the season ends. Would last season''s plucky little Norwich results have been so memorable had we been relegated?

 

[/quote]Yes Nutty, much of last season''s fare was pretty grim although the OP''s argument isn''t about comparing games this season against the same opponents last term.After the manager''s purchases in the close season is it unreasonable to expect the football - not the League position - to be a bit more exciting ?From memory even last season''s awfulness produced more memorable games than we seen so far this time. I mentioned Stoke away but forgot Cardiff at home when we were totally in charge but couldn''t find the net. Unfortunate there. As far as I''m concerned those two games are the only ones where I didn''t feel we were in any danger.A pretty poor return.

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