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shefcanary

Reflections on tonight

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We are struggling at home. Is the weight of expectation too much for our players? How do we get them to relax. Tonight there were plenty of opportunities to get the ball into the box but the crosses generally were over hit. Sure Charlton defended well but just a bit of subtlety could have paid dividends.

As for their goal, I think it was down to a wrong substitution tonight. Howson coming on for a defensive midfielder was a good call, just that the wrong one was subbed. Tettey would have closed Jackson down, Johnno''s effort was frankly embarrassing.

I suppose in the end the result was always on the cards. If Charlton should go up, it will be a very poor show - frankly late 70''s / early 80''s Italian Serie A springs to mind.

So how do we solve the conundrum of playing at Carra Rudd now? Should we try the Charlton way?

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Norwich played fine tonight. It was probably the most complete performance we''ve seen from them since Blackburn. Even the best teams can struggle to break down a packed defence (not that Norwich did, they regularly got themselves into good positions but didn''t always apply the finishing touch, and even when they did something would go against them). 
I would agree with the Johnson/Tettey thing though. Why so many people seem to think Johnson is the better of the two I will never understand...

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Tettey and Johnson at home against teams that will park the bus is a definite no no from here on in.

And if you have to drop one, it has, has, has to be Johnson. Absolutely no contest.

Grabban could do with a spell on the bench as well. I know he''s stuck a few away, but my God he is wasteful. If it isn''t four yards out or deflected, he can''t score.

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[quote user="Phillip J Fry"]Why so many people seem to think Johnson is the better of the two I will never understand...
[/quote]
I can answer that from my perspective. Jonno brings more goals and forward play to the table. Tettey does the simpler things better, but to my mind in the 2 and a bit seasons he has been here, has always been a sideways/backwards passing player - and at 0-0 down what positive would there be trying to win the game leaving him on the pitch?

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Looking back, I think Neil could''ve brought on Howson around the 60-65 minute mark rather than leave it as late as he did. Against a team sitting so deep, Howson''s late runs into the penalty area/to the edge of the penalty area would''ve been crucial. Attacking runs that start from deeper positions are so hard to track for a defence that sits so far back that there is a good chance he could''ve found himself in some excellent goal-scoring positions.

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[quote user="SeattleCanary"][quote user="Phillip J Fry"]Why so many people seem to think Johnson is the better of the two I will never understand...
[/quote]
I can answer that from my perspective. Jonno brings more goals and forward play to the table. Tettey does the simpler things better, but to my mind in the 2 and a bit seasons he has been here, has always been a sideways/backwards passing player - and at 0-0 down what positive would there be trying to win the game leaving him on the pitch?
[/quote]
Tettey would''ve allowed Howson to push forward more, improved our ball retention and stopped the goal. Just because Tettey maybe less of a direct threat (debatable, BTW) doesn''t mean he can''t have a greater effect on our attacking play. If Tettey playing allows players like Howson, Redmond, Wes, Murphy etc. to play with more freedom and means that those players are more likely to see the ball (Johnson has this annoying habit of bypassing midfielders in favour of trying to hit the strikers), then you can still be a more effective attacking unit.

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This result may get Adams to use the squad, you can''t go with the same players Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday.

It also frustrates me that we let the ball go out for a defensive throw in when there''s time to clear the ball. Ten seconds later it''s 0-1.

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[quote user="Matt Juler"]This result may get Adams to use the squad, you can''t go with the same players Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday.

It also frustrates me that we let the ball go out for a defensive throw in when there''s time to clear the ball. Ten seconds later it''s 0-1.[/quote]
It''s a bit of a rookie mistake, but I think Adams is a fast learner and I expect a couple of changes on Saturday.

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But in a sense you are saying Neil was almost changing like for like (I know Howson is a different type of player running from deep) as at that time we didn''t need to defend but needed to find a better goal scoring chance. Charlton showed no threat until they scored. For me we lost tonights game by not scoring, not by conceding one goal against the run of play. If we did as you suggested we may have finished at 0-0, and that isn''t what Neil Adams is about, he tries to win games. 

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Reflections on tonight:

The Johnson and Tettey combo has been great this season but lacked a bit of penetration against a backs to the wall defence tonight and I agree that Johnson should have been the one to make way.

Whilst we were playing really well and you don''t really want to change things when you feel the goal is coming, taking off Grabbs sooner would have been productive - he was wasteful tonight and gave the ball away a lot.

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[quote user="SeattleCanary"]But in a sense you are saying Neil was almost changing like for like (I know Howson is a different type of player running from deep) as at that time we didn''t need to defend but needed to find a better goal scoring chance. Charlton showed no threat until they scored. For me we lost tonights game by not scoring, not by conceding one goal against the run of play. If we did as you suggested we may have finished at 0-0, and that isn''t what Neil Adams is about, he tries to win games. [/quote]
IMO, Tettey is just as likely to be a direct threat as Johnson, if not more so. Tettey has that ability to burst from deep even if he does use it rarely, Johnson does not. Tettey can play decent passes to attacking players that Johnson is less likely to play. Tettey''s mobility and defensive dicipline allows attacking players to operate with more freedom, knowing that someone is covering them, Johnson is good at 50/50''s and tackling but lacks mobility and is nowhere near as disciplined. Tettey is fast enough that he can adopt an advanced position in support of the attack yet is often fast enough to outrun counter-attacking players. Johnson isn''t. Tettey is a better all-around player than Johnson and you are more likely to win with Tettey in the team than Johnson.  

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[quote user="Phillip J Fry"][quote user="SeattleCanary"]But in a sense you are saying Neil was almost changing like for like (I know Howson is a different type of player running from deep) as at that time we didn''t need to defend but needed to find a better goal scoring chance. Charlton showed no threat until they scored. For me we lost tonights game by not scoring, not by conceding one goal against the run of play. If we did as you suggested we may have finished at 0-0, and that isn''t what Neil Adams is about, he tries to win games. [/quote]
IMO, Tettey is just as likely to be a direct threat as Johnson, if not more so. Tettey has that ability to burst from deep even if he does use it rarely, Johnson does not. Tettey can play decent passes to attacking players that Johnson is less likely to play. Tettey''s mobility and defensive dicipline allows attacking players to operate with more freedom, knowing that someone is covering them, Johnson is good at 50/50''s and tackling but lacks mobility and is nowhere near as disciplined. Tettey is fast enough that he can adopt an advanced position in support of the attack yet is often fast enough to outrun counter-attacking players. Johnson isn''t. Tettey is a better all-around player than Johnson and you are more likely to win with Tettey in the team than Johnson.  
[/quote]
Fair enough. IMO I see Jonno as a better goal scoring threat, as he has scored more than Tettey and is one of our most consistent players over a prolonged period of games. Maybe Grabban should have come off for Howson, and Wes for Murphy sooner, and we could have had Redderz and Murphy in support of Jerome with those 3 in midfield. 

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Have to say I disagree with people saying Grabban should have been off sooner. I don''t think he should have been taken off at all. He was lively all night and contributed far more than Jerome who was quiet and disappointing.

 

But I wouldn''t have taken Jerome off either.

 

There was a greater chance of a goal coming with both Jerome and Grabban upfront than either of them and Loza.

 

Thought NA got that one wrong, unfortunately.

 

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CjMason47 match report:

''Charlton came looking for a 0-0. Norwich, for all their effort, couldn''t quite find the final touch and eventually tricked Charlton into having a shot that accidentally went in.''

This is one of those arsehole Championship games you get- Watford at home in 2003 for example, Reading away last time we were here etc. The ref swings a good performance against you and the opposition catch the game on the bounce.

Only gripe I have with our side is that Grabban was obviously having ''one of those games'' and I would have taken him out at HT or soon after- as it was the subs seemed to come too late IMO.

Saturday is of paramount importance now, we need to arrest this home form slump especially against a team like Rotherham,

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[quote user="SeattleCanary"]

Fair enough. IMO I see Jonno as a better goal scoring threat, as he has scored more than Tettey

[/quote]

I think, in the grand scheme of things, saying Johnson is a better goal threat than Tettey is a bit of a stretch.

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I had my concerns tonight when I saw the bench, For all the talk of our strength of squad our only striking alternative was a youngster in Loza. We deperately need one or both of Lafferty and Hooper there on Saturday, so if we do have another game like this when our strikers run out of steam/ideas , we''ve experience to come on.

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We certainly need to work out a better plan against a side who ostensibly cones for a goalless draw....though with a modicum of luck and better ref we would have had it sewn up before they scored. It was a real smash-and-grab, but it happens, we''ve had it done to us before and done it to others, the crucial thing is to turn it on on Saturday and make Rotherham pay, get back to scoring and winning.

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[quote user="GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary"]I had my concerns tonight when I saw the bench, For all the talk of our strength of squad our only striking alternative was a youngster in Loza. We deperately need one or both of Lafferty and Hooper there on Saturday, so if we do have another game like this when our strikers run out of steam/ideas , we''ve experience to come on.[/quote]

Good point and I thought the same myself. Not a lot there to change it with if it isn''t working for Grabban/Jerome.

 

Having said that, how many clubs in this league have got 3 or 4 good strikers on the books like we have?

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I think under Adams we are starting to see players more natural positions and roles.

I think because of their previous roles people are not noticing subtle changes.

Johnson is clearly more naturally a holding/def mid. His range of passing is far superior to Tettey, not necessarily statistically better but then thats reflected in the difficulty of those passes. In some games he completes more than others but he is the go to man of the two if you need play switched or the ball moved quickly forwards.

Tettey for me is a very changed player. He has said in interviews that he has been given more freedom in joining in attacks. He is energetic and driven. For me he is a box to box midfielder who, whilst perhaps not the most technical, makes up for this with his constant movement. He keeps the ball moving differently to Johnson.

Their strengths compliment eachother which is why they play together. However, Howson, whilst considered more of an attacking mid, fills a more forward leaning version of what Tettey does. I am sure they could both play together but I think you''d see one or ther other tailor their play for the other more.

Tettey is massively improved in his new role. But when you are up against a tight defense and looking to find more killer throughballs Johnson and Howson are always going to be far more likely to find them. Thats no slight to Tettey really.

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We played fine tonight and I didn''t think we needed to make a sub. We missed Wes''s availability for the ball when he went off.

Whisper it quietly but I really am not sure about Josh. He relies totally on his pace but he does some poor things also. Not sure what he gave us when he came on that Wes didn''t, pace aside.

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Agree that it was a fine performance and with the suggestion that just this once the substitutions were not required unless for injury.....possibly contributed to us losing the game?

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Grabban didn''t have a ''quality'' edge last night

It should have been Johnson, instead of Tettey, off for Howson

The bloke on Canary Call who said if we had won 3 or 4-0 then we wouldn''t have mentioned the Ref. Well if he had made the right calls in the first place, then no, you would be right, but he didn''t...............................

Other than that, not a lot wrong at all. There is always a game like that somewhere along the line. Hopefully that was our fill for this season.

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