Jump to content
Sign in to follow this  
ricardo

Ricardo's report v Huddersfield

Recommended Posts

It was brass monkey weather at CR this afternoon and on the stroll to the match I was regretting the decision not to don my twelve quid M&S thermals. Despite the lure of Xmas shopping it was not far short of a full house to see City field an unchanged team from last weeks win at Wigan.The game began with City kicking towards the Barclay End and in the opening minutes it looked like being an entertaining encounter. Holt almost worked an early chance for the Terriers while at the other end Hooper whipped a low cross in from the right but no City player could get on the end of it. Then another decent move down the same wing almost brought a goal as Howson set up Johnson who volleyed a couple of yards wide from just outside the box.City appeared to be resting the innitiative when suddenly Huddersfield came forward in the 12th minute and nearly snatched the lead. A nice ball into the box saw Wells run behind the City defence and clip his shot straight at John Ruddy. The big man did well to parry but the rebound fell kindly for Wells to have a second bite which sailed over Ruddy but came back off the bar and just beyond the reach of Grant Holt who was following up.It was a shakey moment and I turned to my son and said "perhaps that one really is the turning point." We have had so many similar incidents in recent weeks where we have been hit by sucker punches that it was a novelty to see us at last get away with something. Things got even better a few minutes later as the ever busy Hooper kept the ball in play nicely and hooked a long pass up to Jerome who had two defenders in attendance. Hudson I think it was, muffed his clearance as the City striker latched on to the loose ball and appeared to have a clear run on goal only to be felled by the other defender. It was an obvious red card and it seemed our luck had really come full circle.At this stage a braver manager might have brought Redmond on but it was not to be. Despite now having the lions share of possesion very little was being created. Howson volleyed a twenty yarder wide of the righthand post then Jerome didn''t make enough contact with a free header. It was all very ponderous with City trying too hard to thread the ball through a packed defence. Olsson and Johnson also had long range whacks but there was nothing at all to trouble Smithies. The only real chance of the half was from Johnson''s low ball in from the left that found Hooper almost on the six yard line. Unfortunately the ball seemed to get stuck under his feet and a defender quickly mopped up the danger.The half ended with a few boo''s because City had been given a golden oppotunity to right a few wrongs but had looked desperately short of ideas against the ten men.Redmond was the obvious change and it was O''Neil who made way. Within seconds of the restart it was an entirely different game as Howson burst into the box and Hooper latched on to the ball just ahead of the keeper. His cute back heel across goal was turned in by Johnson to give City the lead. We hardly had time to celebrate as Olsson broke down the left and there was Redmond at the far post to loop an unlikely header over Smithies and into the far corner.This was more like it and at last you could see the confidence flooding back into the players. On 50 minutes, following constant City pressure, Howson unleashed what looked like an unstoppable pile driver but somehow the goalbound shot was deflected to Johnson about 15 yards out and the City midfielder made no mistake with a firm header into the corner of the net for his second goal.To their credit, Huddersfield came back strongly and Ruddy had to pull off a superb save as a powerful 20 yarder looked for all the world to be arrowing into the top corner. Johnson and Tetty then had good efforts just over the top as City were looking dangerous with every break. Redmond was a real live wire and was changing wings at will and causing problems wherever he sprang up. One run and pass almost brought a goal for Jerome but his close range shot was blocked and cleared.The goal for Jerome finally came with about 20 minutes left as Hooper set him up nicely to head powerfully in from close range. Having got his goal the big man made way for Hoolahan and within minutes Hooper was replaced by Grabben. These two soon combined beautifully as City broke forward and the little Irishmans defence splitting pass was neatly despatched to give City the full nap hand.There could have been more goals but for a wee bit too much over passing in the Huddersfield area but in truth it is hard to be critical of five goals in one half of play. I can''t be sure but if memory serves, the last time was against Sutton Utd in the FA Cup in the way back when.So a satisfactory outcome after a stumbling first forty five and at last something to bring the confidence back to the team and the supporters. For me, the MOM goes to the much malighned Bradely Johnson with honerable mentions to Redmond, Hooper and Cuellar. Also good marks for John Ruddy who put a bad patch behind him with three good stops.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Many thanks as usual for posting your report.

Seems our luck may have changed a bit today and thank god we took advantage of it in style.

Yes, confidence is huge in any sport and lets just hope we see our team play with more of it next week.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Thank you as always Ricardo.In terms of league games, I believe I am right in saying the last time we scored five in a half was against Portsmouth in 1963.  Now that was Brass Monkey weather, I remember skating up the Wensum for part of the journey.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
[quote user="Philboyd Studge"]Thank you as always Ricardo.In terms of league games, I believe I am right in saying the last time we scored five in a half was against Portsmouth in 1963.  Now that was Brass Monkey weather, I remember skating up the Wensum for part of the journey.[/quote]I recall us getting 5 against Portsmouth in 1963 but I''ve checked the records and it was 3-2 at half time and 5-3 at the end.The only other time I can remember 5 in a half was the first half v Barnet in the league cup 2007 I think, but that was the first half. I''m pretty sure its Sutton in 1989 the last time we scored 5 in the second half.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Thanks Ricardo, great read...as ever. My wife gave birth to a son this week, so this 5 for was the icing on the cake

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
[quote user="ROBFLECK"]Thanks Ricardo, great read...as ever. My wife gave birth to a son this week, so this 5 for was the icing on the cake[/quote]Congrats Mr Fleck. I''m well down the road with a great grandson now[Y].Don''t forget that they need to be indoctrinated into the yellow and green when they get old enough.[:D]

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Good report as usual. Ricardo.In terms of indoctrinating into the yellow and green, my son was wearing his City colours on his 2nd day in this big bad world despite being born 200 miles away from Carrow Road. 16 years later and his Saturdays are still good or bad depending on City''s result. [:D]Its all smiles today.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

some about Holt play and also fans reaction.

also Jacob Butterfield play 90 min player who never receive any chance to shine during Norwich stay so how good he was...

James Vaughan seems not play single min shame no subbed Holt to reicev oavation

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

[quote user="Boris"]some about Holt play and also fans reaction. also Jacob Butterfield play 90 min player who never receive any chance to shine during Norwich stay so how good he was... James Vaughan seems not play single min shame no subbed Holt to reicev oavation[/quote]

Butterfield never got a chance at Norwich because there were better players infront of him and because he was a disruptive/negative influence.

 

Today he was part of a Huddersfield team who looked very poor.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Thanks Ricardo. Good read as usual. I''m a bit surprised though,that they were all popped in down our end. Always been led to believe,from posts on here. That it was them true fans down the other end. The ones who make all the noise,do all the singing. Who practically suck the ball into the next. Perhaps they were blowing instead.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
[quote user="ricardo"][quote user="Philboyd Studge"]Thank you as always Ricardo.In terms of league games, I believe I am right in saying the last time we scored five in a half was against Portsmouth in 1963.  Now that was Brass Monkey weather, I remember skating up the Wensum for part of the journey.[/quote]I recall us getting 5 against Portsmouth in 1963 but I''ve checked the records and it was 3-2 at half time and 5-3 at the end.The only other time I can remember 5 in a half was the first half v Barnet in the league cup 2007 I think, but that was the first half. I''m pretty sure its Sutton in 1989 the last time we scored 5 in the second half.[/quote]

Paulton?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Blackpool ''72albeit one was a Blackpool goal

5 in a half hereand four for one player - when was that last achieved ?a nice set up from Crook for the lastenjoy

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
"and four for one player - when was that last achieved ?"

how could I forget this ?hereenjoy

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

[quote user="Philboyd Studge"]I can only think of Efan Ekoku v Everton or Malcolm Allen v Sutton.[/quote]

John Deehan v Watford can''t remember date.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Thanks, ricardo, as usual. A few points occured to me.Johnson showed, and not just with his goals, why professional football managers keep picking him.We were, again, set up with no width and this continued even when playing against 10. Ponderous it was. But in the last 10 or so minutes of the first half, whether on Adams'' instructions or not, Howson started turning up wide right to provide an overlap, and we started to look much more dangeous. Then the obvious change was made at half-time.The last time we beat Huddersfield Town 5-0 at home we sacked the manager.Plainly one page in the referee''s manual was missing from Mr M Brown''s copy, or was it one of those Uefa experiments, in which possible changes to the rules - in this case eliminating handball as an offence - are tested?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Yes Purple, it''s well known that I am one of Johno''s greatest admirers. Yes, he does put the odd pass astray but some of his passing this season has been sublime and the physical part of his game has always been top class. He was good yesterday and just edged top spot from Hooper who was also superb.

Yes, the ref was a bit of a twat.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Great match report as usual Ricardo, thankyou [:)]
As you say its hard to be critical  of the first half when you''ve won 5-0 and there could have been 2/3 more goals but it was a great result which will give the players and us fans some much needed confidence.
Bring on The Rams

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

×
×
  • Create New...