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Tetteys Jig

A short mumble to summarise todays game

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I luckily live just an hour or so away from Preston so at least I didn''t waste as much time and money as some but here goes:

The team selection seemed on the face of it quite strong. The only players missing were those with knocks really so I thought we''d have enough in the locker to turn over Preston who are a decent league 1 side nevertheless.

Very early on in the game however, it became painfully obvious that they had both the physical edge and the mental edge. They were winning everything in the air and seemed to have more nous on how they were going to score. The main area they were winning this was that their forwards were making it stick. The young lad Kyal Ried they had down the left looked very handy and became the latest in a long line of wingers to win the battle versus Whittaker who looked yet another yard off the pace. Funnily enough, my mate who went with me as a neutral thought Russell Martin looked like he''d declined today until I told him after the game that it was Whittaker that was playing!

The others in the back three started alright and dealt with most of the threat but as the half wore on, the ball kept coming back and Preston got nearer and nearer before a relief making half time whistle went. In addition, Preston should have had a first half penalty as well for a handball.

The second half started just as the first half finished. Wes was trying to be clever but there was no way through a stubborn Preston back line especially with Hooper looking like a pub player. He certainly is a shadow of the Gary Hooper we scouted and paid big money for if today is anything to go by. Everything he touched went out of play or to a Preston player. To put it simply, he looked out of his depth. It was a massive shame as him and Jerome has looked promising lately. It was back to the fat and unfit Gary Hooper that we''ve seen pretty much the whole of his career with us bar a couple of decent goals.

This brings me nicely to Redmond who I thought was our only good player today. I noticed he beat their left back on 7 out of the 9 times he tried to and one of the two times he didn''t, he won the ball back. The problem for him yet again was the lack of takers for his crosses, the vast majority fell to a city player only for a poor touch or bad decision (sometimes no decision and a Preston player whipping the ball from their indecisive feet). I actually felt sorry for Redmond today and if i were him, i''d be off unless things change very soon at Norwich.

The biggest disappointment today for me was Howson. He can be relied upon to run around enough but all his play was terrible from runs into preston players to poor, unconstructive passes to his teammates. I''ve not seen him have a real bad game like he did today for us in a while, so that was particularly concerning. Johnson got worse as the game wore on and O''Neil wasn''t great either.

As for the subs, Lafferty looks a complete waste of £4m, Loza barely got a chance and Murphy hasn''t progressed as we''d hoped yet. It''s early days for him yet though.

There are never simple answers in football but today for me has further confirmed to me that Neil Adams is not the man for our club. I just worry it''s already too late to pull back automatic promotion so it''s hard to know who we should appoint and who we should buy. I feel like the best we can hope for now is getting lucky in the playoffs but we have really wasted a massive chance at righting last seasons wrongs.

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Thanks JS.I listened to the radio commentary and it sounded dire.Sadly, I have to concur with your conclusions.

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We also had a relatively short journey back which does ease the pain slightly.

I agree with much of what you say but I don''t think Preston were as good as you suggest - they weren''t remotely threatening in the first half. Think they managed one very soft shot which even Ruddy managed to collect comfortably, and they weren''t actually any better in the second half except that our defence, much like us, had got so bored they were half asleep.

Agree that Redmond played well but was effectively a one man attack, Howson, Wes and most of all Hooper were hugely disappointing.

But to what extent is this Adam''s fault? IMO he was at fault in that Wes and Hooper should have been pulled at half time. But the fundamental problem is with the players - these guys are ''professionals'' only in the sense that they get paid huge wodges of cash but there is nothing professional about the way they ply their trade.

I know most people want the instant gratification of sacking Adams, spending more money to bring more mercenaries in but my preferred approach would be completely the opposite - give him three years to gradually move on our non-performing senior players and replace them some of our talented youngsters or signings from the lower leagues that actually want to play for us and will graft for their shirt.

It might not work but if it does then we will have a real ''Norwich'' team rather than the current ''best squad in the division'' who might be able the talk the talk but definitely can''t walk the walk.

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I can only sense that some were disappointed that Adams has the job as it can''t seriously be as simple as Bassong being the only unhappy one at Adams given how he reacted allegedly. They certainly weren''t playing for the manager and haven''t been often this season. Seeing how hard it is to get a new squad of "in Adams we trust" players, perhaps it''s time we got a manager in that will motivate and inspire them. That responsibility falls on the manager.

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Good posts JS and CMid both. One thing I agree with Jimmy is the players don''t seem to be playing for the manager and in many respects I can see why with the following simple analogy, if you were in a upper management position and a junior manager was suddendly promoted to CEO, would you feel that the said incumbent was qualified to carry the responsibilities of leading you on to greater things? I for one would question an appointment like that, in much the same way Bassong and Jonas, allegedly did.

Maybe there is an undercurrent of this pervading the team at the moment, I obviously don''t know but just maybe there is?

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Creative midfielder, you must have hit the bottle the moment the final whistle blew. We have already wasted half a season on Adams, taking us from nailed-on certs for auto promotion to also ran status, doubting our ability to even get a shot at a play-off place. Now, you suggest something even more outrageous than his original appointment - giving him three years to build a new youth-based team.

What on earth do you see in him that suggests we should waste further time on the guy? And this real Norwich talk confirms the conclusion I was coming to regarding your views. It is the originally large but now, rapidly diminishing numbers who bought into the Adams brainwave, who think there is mileage in this former player thing. Putting together a good team with a style of play that is successful is not the preserve solely of ex Norwich players - Bryan Gunn will confirm that for you.

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Creative, unfortunately, though your idea sounds nice and romantic, 3 years and a Norwich based youth team would be great, but football doesn''t have three years of patience. Look at that nonsense at Fulham when they decided to do it, or even Liverpool under Rodgers signing all them players for the future. At the moment, similar to us with Miquel, McGrandles etc, people like that Markovic just look like a bad waste of £25m that could have bought someone like Bony or Benteke to get instant results.

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just pickinh up on the OP''s mention of the £4m spent on Lafferty......between this ,the £3m on Grabban and the £4m on Odjidge-Ofoe, we''ve bought ourselves 2 benchwarmers (one of which yellows cards are outweighing his goals 9 to 1?) and seemingly a crock who wasnt fit from the day he arrived.

I think it was unamimously agreed that the money we received for Snodgrass and Fer at £8m a piece was pretty good business ,but to then waste a huge slice of this on these players ,given the poisition we''re now in ,is every bit as bad as wasting £8m on Van Wolfswinkel as a Premier League side.

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Jimmy great post

Its a gamble if Adams is left in post and its a gamble if he is replaced - with who - don''t know ?

The board have one problem to unravel - if Adams is left in post will we reach the playoffs and subsequently give us a chance of promotion

If they feel that this wont happen (the board are closer to everything than us) he needs to be replaced now

We have to get up this season - it will be much harder next year with a reduced budget & more pressure on our best players to leave

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My first game in ages.....I''ll be back, but god......we were awful today. The OP and creative I agree with. The problem is the squad and that maybe Hughton in the championship may have had more ideas than Adams, but both don''t have the clought to shake up the players enough. Another manager, but first the players.Credit to Preston as in a game that was there to win for both teams they stepped up, stopped us playing. Hooper fluffed every touch, Wes was ineffective and  everyone slow to play with lot of passes to the wings, but not much once out there. No support in attack through the middle or out to help out Redmond when he had the ball. Setup wise it seem like Hooper up himself and a packed midfield so a setup not to lose. I like how Turner played today when I saw him in the 2nd half.Had a quick wtf laugh when Loza came on and ran straight up to their keeper to square up to him and try and spook him.Apart from that.... Butter pie and a cute thin blonde barmaid in the pub near the stadium and a day out. Always look on the bright side

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[quote user="GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary"]just pickinh up on the OP''s mention of the £4m spent on Lafferty......between this ,the £3m on Grabban and the £4m on Odjidge-Ofoe, we''ve bought ourselves 2 benchwarmers (one of which yellows cards are outweighing his goals 9 to 1?) and seemingly a crock who wasnt fit from the day he arrived.

I think it was unamimously agreed that the money we received for Snodgrass and Fer at £8m a piece was pretty good business ,but to then waste a huge slice of this on these players ,given the poisition we''re now in ,is every bit as bad as wasting £8m on Van Wolfswinkel as a Premier League side.[/quote]We would have killed to spend £5m+ a few seasons ago but we''ve wasted this on a couple of lower league journeymen. We might as well have gone shopping in League One and saved the difference. Giving millions to Adams was as good as flushing half of it down the toilet.

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Thanks for the report Jimmy, it was obvious from the radio commentary that Hooper was having a poor game, first touch letting him down, and a reference to Phelan having a go at him then putting his arm around him at half time..presumably he didn''t do any better in the second half.

It sounds like a continuation of the Reading game but with a different group of players. Very sad.

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estrada rumtotal wrote the following post at 04/01/2015 9:13 AM:

GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary wrote:

just pickinh up on the OP''s mention of the £4m spent on Lafferty......between this ,the £3m on Grabban and the £4m on Odjidge-Ofoe, we''ve bought ourselves 2 benchwarmers (one of which yellows cards are outweighing his goals 9 to 1?) and seemingly a crock who wasnt fit from the day he arrived. I think it was unamimously agreed that the money we received for Snodgrass and Fer at £8m a piece was pretty good business ,but to then waste a huge slice of this on these players ,given the poisition we''re now in ,is every bit as bad as wasting £8m on Van Wolfswinkel as a Premier League side.

We would have killed to spend £5m+ a few seasons ago but we''ve wasted this on a couple of lower league journeymen. We might as well have gone shopping in League One and saved the difference. Giving millions to Adams was as good as flushing half of it down the toilet.

Estrada

Dont forget the £1.5M on san Miqeul who was given the run around by a League 1 winger Oh and of course the £3.5M on loan fees - most of that on bit part players as well

In fact I know Purple on another thread has confirmed the total outlay in the summer excluding wages was over £17M and for that we get one regular starter Jerone - joke

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Miquel is a young centreback playing on the left. Blame Adams for that one, when he could have given Garrido a run out. Maybe he just wanted the kid to have 90 minutes under his belt.O''Neil is a regular,and on the whole does ok. Cuellar has started being a regular and since he has been out we have lost 2. Any coincidence?Grabban has been a regular/sub for most of the season. Started great but has tailed off since we''ve gone 2 up front.Jerome a regular and very good.Lafferty regular sub. Not given much chance and disappointing when given a chance.Vadis. Sick note. Not a lot Neil could do about that. Blame the medical staff?

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Though I did not go to Deepdale myself, a friend and ex colleague who is an Everton fan and some time Preston attender ,and lives nr Preston did attend., just to see what Norwich are all about this season. Below is a direct copy of the email he''s sent me. Someone with no particular NCFC axe to grind.:North End fielded a weakened side

and paid the price until Beckford was swapped for the pointless Little and that

added a bit of spice up front (which Norwich lacked all game). Having scored

from what looked like a training ground special Norwich were rattled and the

second goal snuffed them out. Most disappointing from your point of view. Not

a shot on target – in fact barely a shot all game. ‘Small town in Ipswich’ and

‘Championship... You’re havin’ a laugh’ were sung and my comment when one of

your defenders did a particularly poor challenge of being a ‘big Norfolk Turkey’

raised a laugh. Based on that performance I can’t see you being a Premiership

side next season. If Adams is to go – better make it soon. It was a team that

was merely going through the motions. Annoying because there is no lack of

ability – just lack of heart and desire.

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[quote user="Jimmy Smith"]I can only sense that some were disappointed that Adams has the job as it can''t seriously be as simple as Bassong being the only unhappy one at Adams given how he reacted allegedly. They certainly weren''t playing for the manager and haven''t been often this season. Seeing how hard it is to get a new squad of "in Adams we trust" players, perhaps it''s time we got a manager in that will motivate and inspire them. That responsibility falls on the manager.[/quote]Good write up Jimmy.Even if the squad isn''t as good as we think it has nonetheless taken many years, right back to when we were in League One, to assemble. We cannot just throw that away purely to aid Adams''s personal development and so he can be surrounded by ''yes men''. If the board wants to retain him in that way then we can probably write off this season and the next before we can seriously challenge for promotion.We''ve actually gone backwards in relative terms since Hughton. Yes, the playing squad appears stronger, but in terms of a cohesive unit with a clear game plan to win  football matches we are worse and the only games we do win are against vastly inferior opposition, and even against apparently weaker teams we have fallen short.Just how the players feel about Adams will become evident in the next two matches. I can see nothing but a heavy defeat at Bournemouth, leaving the players to pick themselves up for a vital game against a Cardiff in front of an increasingly frustrated home support.

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