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ricardo

Ricardo's report v Reading.

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I arrivcd at CR this afternoon in a grumpy mood having hung on until the last minute to witness 1p5wich snatch an unlikely win at Charlton. The signs just seem all wrong for us at the moment and I doubt if I was alone in thinking we wouldn''t get the result we needed today. After all, Reading had just lost four straight away games and we all know how these runs always seem to end against us.Adams rung the changes with Hooper and Lafferty making starts and Whits coming in to right back and it was quite a bright start with City coming forward well and on a couple of occasions almost getting Jerome and then Lafferty in. Hooper was showing up well with some strong running and almost gave City the lead with a powerful drive from 25 yards. The Reading keeper did well to turn it round for a corner. A couple of minutes later Redmond tricked his way to the edge of the box and although Jerome failed to get enough on his cutback cross, Hooper was all alone and bundled the ball in from close range. The linesman flagged for offside but all could see that it was a duff call and the ref gave the goal.It should have been just the lift that a team lacking confidence needed and when Ruddy palmed away Readings first shot on goal three minutes later, my son asked me if I thought it was the turning point. I didn''t answer until the second corner came over and an unmarked Reading player out-jumped everybody at the far post to nod in from close range. I''m sure that you have correctly guessed that my answer when it came was,"No".It was very disappointing and for the next fifteen minutes things got quite scrappy as Reading frustrated at every turn. City eventually broke forward in some style and Lafferty deserved better than see his thumping drive finger-tipped on to the bar and away for a corner. From the set piece City should have regained the lead but Turner didn''t get enough on a free header and Jerome could only shin the deflected ball into the side netting from three or four yards.City then had the bulk of possession but despite good stuff from Hooper and Redmond, couldn''t fashion much to bother Federicci. There was little action at the other end but City were rather fortunate when Olsson, I think it was, almost headed into his own net. With halftime approaching, Reading won a corner on the left and it seemed that they had learned nothing from the earlier event because the second goal was almost a carbon copy of the first. Once again you could almost feel it coming. Why oh why are we now so fragile at the back. The ghost of Chis Hughton past would be turning over in his grave at the sight of such sloppy defending.If anyone thought City would come roaring out of the blocks for the second period they were to be sadly disappointed. Reading harried and chased and City could not get anything going. We were up to the 55th minute before a decent move got the ball into the Reading box only for a defender to head clear over his own bar. Needless to say the corner came to nothing. Murphy then came on for Lafferty oat the hour mark and almost set up an equaliser with good control along the bye line but his cut back only found a Reading defender.Reading had succeeded in quieting the crowd and things got worse when defenders started to misplace passes and then Ruddy almost fumbled a long shot into his own net. I think he lost his rag with the fans behind the goal as from then onwards they cheered every time he fielded the ball. With twenty minutes left Olsson came off for Grabban as City went three at the back. Dear oh bloody dear, we should not be having to chase the game at home to these sort of teams.Plenty of crosses went into the Reading box as City drove forward but nary a one found a yellow shirt. There were half hearted appeals for a penalty but in truth by this time Reading, having defended well were more than value for the points. Murphy almost snatched a leveler in injury time but it was par for the course to see his effort fly over the bar.At the final whistle there was a storm of boo''s and I have to confess that I joined in. We have been unlucky in a number of games but today we were tripe and deserved everything we got, which was nothing. This cannot be allowed to continue any longer or we could be looking up at 1p5wich playing Premier League football whilst we struggle in the doldrums. Adams is a good man and Norwich through and through but whatever he has done to change things has not worked. Today was the event that I had feared because it sounded like he had lost the crowd. I don''t know if he has lost the Board but sadly, I have to say that he has lost me.Tonight I am angry, very angry. This season is in danger of being thrown away.[:@]

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A good report Ricardo, thanks.Unusual to hear some anger in your usually measured tone, but its presence speaks volumes.  Worse is the post-match tripe from Adams saying again "we conceded two soft goals and this is unacceptable" - fed up with hearing this now, and fed up with seeing the situation go unresolved.The revolving door is no doubt being oiled as we speak.

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Yep thanks as well Ricardo.It''s ok for a plastic like myself having a whinge and a moan after a game like today, as it is easily ignored. When someone like yourself is fed up then something truly needs to change.Has he lost the players as well as the fans? Second half was a nothing performance.

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Worryingly as well, what I read into Adam''s post match comments is that he is trying to blame the players without shouldering any responsibility himself.

Poor all round.

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Thanks for the report Ricardo. I agree ith the angry sentiments but feel these should be directed at the board. Something has gone wrong with the management ....And too many players not performing. The play is not matching Adams'' words and like Bor I too am fed up of the words that come post match ......think the season is sadly gone. I actually half fear we need to get well on the way to 51 points or it could get uncomfortable. We are surely better than this

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Thanks as usual Ricardo, I saw it the same way, albeit through a ropey stream.

What shocks me is the way we played with no pattern or rhythm and at times it looked like the team hadnt played with each other before, very strange.

Plus generally a lack of urgency and chasing and to cap it all a bizaar bench, that when the camera went on it you saw NA and MP not talking to each other other or, them both up looking like they were giving different instructions, with GH looking like a rabbit in the headlights....compared to a Reading bench that were clearly together in discussion with either the manager or coach up, not both.

IT WILL NOT WORK, IT WILL NOT WORK! Surely everyone can see it???

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[quote user="Scot-e-dog"]Worryingly as well, what I read into Adam''s post match comments is that he is trying to blame the players without shouldering any responsibility himself.

Poor all round.[/quote]Has anyone else noticed that when we do well Adams says "I"  a lot and when we do poorly he always says "they or we"?

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[quote user="Herman "]Yep thanks as well Ricardo.It''s ok for a plastic like myself having a whinge and a moan after a game like today, as it is easily ignored. When someone like yourself is fed up then something truly needs to change.Has he lost the players as well as the fans? Second half was a nothing performance.[/quote]I don''t know, but the players seem to have lost the crowd. You can''t keep yelling in support like a crazy thing when there doesn''t seem to be any response.FFS! give us something to cheer about.

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Call yourself a fan? I think it''s terrible when our own ''fans'' boo the team and then come straight on here to call for the manager to be sacked. I hope the board don''t buckle under ''fan'' pressure and refuse to give Neil the chance to turn it round. Our excellent form earlier in the season means that he deserves the chance. Phelan needs time to work his magic before we make any knee jerk decisions.

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[quote user="coming on strong"]Call yourself a fan? I think it''s terrible when our own ''fans'' boo the team and then come straight on here to call for the manager to be sacked. I hope the board don''t buckle under ''fan'' pressure and refuse to give Neil the chance to turn it round. Our excellent form earlier in the season means that he deserves the chance. Phelan needs time to work his magic before we make any knee jerk decisions.[/quote]Binner.

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Thanks Ricardo, I think. I''m sure it was more depressing to watch than your report was to read!

Given the cyclical nature of football, I can''t help but feel that the wheel''s got a way to turn yet before things change. There are still a large number of players left from our Premiership campaign - they weren''t up to keeping us in that division. Are they capable of getting us up? Is there too much baggage? I just don''t know.

But the table definitely suggests we''re not up to it, for whatever reason...

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There will be no ''turning this around'' he has lost the fans and the team and doesn''t have the experience or tactical nous needed to stem the flow. As for ''knee jerk reactions'' if it isnt done now then the season will be all but lost. We are now in relegation form over the last 10 matches. We all wanted Adams to succeed but unfortunately he isnt up to a job he should never have been offered. The board need to get the inevitable done now before it turns nasty, he doesnt deserve that.

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[quote user="coming on strong"]Call yourself a fan? I think it''s terrible when our own ''fans'' boo the team and then come straight on here to call for the manager to be sacked. I hope the board don''t buckle under ''fan'' pressure and refuse to give Neil the chance to turn it round. Our excellent form earlier in the season means that he deserves the chance. Phelan needs time to work his magic before we make any knee jerk decisions.[/quote]I''ve booed more managers than you''ve had hot dinners, sunshine.

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[quote user="ricardo"][quote user="coming on strong"]Call yourself a fan? I think it''s terrible when our own ''fans'' boo the team and then come straight on here to call for the manager to be sacked. I hope the board don''t buckle under ''fan'' pressure and refuse to give Neil the chance to turn it round. Our excellent form earlier in the season means that he deserves the chance. Phelan needs time to work his magic before we make any knee jerk decisions.[/quote]I''ve booed more managers than you''ve had hot dinners, sunshine.[/quote]

OWNED!

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I was there and ricardos report is fair.

I joined in the what a load of rubbish because that is exactly what it was.

something needs to change and soon

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I thought the reaction at the end was quite muted for what it should have been to be honest. At the final whistle today to board should have been given what was given to Hughton last season. They are the people to blame for this shambles. It''s time for the passports to come out again to scour Europe!

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Great performance by Tettey, btw. Did not deserve to be on the losing side.

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Couldn''t get to the game today Ricky and only just read your report.

Look, I said last week that one more defeat and I thought the fans would turn, did this happen this afternoon.

I have to confess I was egg chasing today!

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[quote user="Jenkins"]Couldn''t get to the game today Ricky and only just read your report.

Look, I said last week that one more defeat and I thought the fans would turn, did this happen this afternoon.

I have to confess I was egg chasing today![/quote]I''m upstairs in the N&P. There were lots leaving before the end and a storm of booing at the final whistle.The recent arrival of Phelan might save Adams for a while longer. If that hadn''t happened he would already be gone.He lost me today and I would guess, thousands more.

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It was always going to end this way Ricardo. The Championship is one of the trickiest leagues in football. The disparity of wealth enormous. The challenge tremendous. We had to appoint an experienced manager, especially following the disaster of last season. But the board didn''t want to appoint another Lambert, one who would challenge them. That''s why we haven''t got Lennon or Warnock now. That''s why we won''t have Pulis tomorrow. That''s why we may be playing Burton not Chelsea next season.

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Once again Ricardo a top report. Nuff respect re your criticism

Now waiting for Nutty bloody Nigel, Lappin it Lap ( were doomed I tell ya doomed) and bell end Morty to fill me with a positive mentality going forward

What a shower those three are

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Hi Ricardo. Comprehensive report as usual and I can say that because I saw Norwich live today for the first time for a while.

I couldn''t take any more Chris Hughton but today reminded me how much the Board and CEO really got my goat.

Ticket prices through the roof and nauseous platitudes to the supporters who, to be fair, are easy game because they are surely amongst the most malleable in football.

From the moment Villa courted Lambert there has been a catalogue of errors involving distracting compensation rows; changing the playing ethos with the wrong players; poor expensive player buys; the treatment of key players like Holt and Hoolahan; indecisive decisions on removing a manager who was given too big a contract and his ex-club too big a compensation; ludicrous timing for the removal of Chris (I would have kept you up) Hughton; absolute bull over the long drawn out appointment of Neil Adams and his being the best candidate in Europe; omni-shambles pre-season tour etc, etc, etc!

I don''t blame Adams for taking the job and I hoped he would succeed. But it is looking bleak for him and we all know how hard it might be for him to lose everything he had with NCFC but he knew that was the gamble, as did Gunn.

So, today. As Ricardo explained, we started brightly. I liked the way we played the ball around the 18 yard box. I did think we failed to use Ollsson though and he made a number of fruitless runs but no one wanted to pass to him.

When we scored the mood lifted I noticed and something was starting to kindle with the atmosphere. Ruddy made a good save low down but then came the corner and the goal.

The second goal saw Ruddy coming off his line and flapping at the ball when he was rooted for the first goal. To me this was a keeper low on confidence who didn''t know when to stick or twist.

The second goal came at a killer time but in any event the thought occurred to me that it has been the constant conceding of goals this season which has really got to the players and the fans.

Last week saw a good game and a cracking 3-3 draw but the fans are so sick of goals being let in cheap they were disaffected.

At the start of the season we won games from behind and I kept thinking it couldn''t go on forever and it hasn''t. Goals against knock the stuffing out of a side and today showed that. After a promising start we never recovered from the blows of conceding. It has been a cumulative effect and we need some clean sheets to build on.

Ruddy almost spilled a speculative shot into his own net. My impression was the player took the shoot because Ruddy was right back on his line when he surely should have been well off it. There was a lot of goal to aim for.

Ruddy got some jeers with subsequent dolly catches and he didn''t like it. He sneered and ironically put his thumb up at the crowd and the last home keeper I saw do that was Robert Green not long before he left.

I''m sorry, but he hasn''t been playing well. He was at fault for both goals today and almost embarrassed himself by pushing the ball into his own net. He then lost his composure and concentration by getting involved with the fans when keeping his own counsel would be the way to get people on his side. He then compounds the stupidity by tweeting a message. I appreciate he might care and is embarrassed and hurt but this is no way to deal with it.

As for the five years, it''s a two way street. That''s Everton reserves to the Premier League and England squad thanks to Norwich City. Yes you could be warming the bench elsewhere but you are first choice at a good club, most keepers never get the opportunity.

I see Redmond too got himself into a stupid altercation with a spectator in the Main Stand too.

We never got up a head of steam in the second half. Hundreds left early as there was a sense of inevitability we wouldn''t score. The malaise induced by the goals killed the atmosphere as well as the players.

I personally haven''t heard booing like that along with the ''rubbish'' chant for many a year.

Why is it going wrong? Well, despite our attacking prowess we always looked vulnerable defensively. With Lafferty constantly going inside and Redmond not having much defensive dna in his body we do push our full backs forward a lot and leave gaps. Tettey played well but we have a soft centre on occasions too.

I also pondered whether the players really respect Adams. Bassong apparently showed disrespect and got sent to Coventry and finally Watford. These former EPL players maybe don''t buy into the manager, their egos are too big and his isn''t big enough (you wouldn''t say that about Lambert for example). But our Board are afraid of big egos. Bowkett''s comments about Lambert''s impatience springs to mind and McNally and Lambert appeared to clash; so better to bring in a yes man and a lamb.

Pulis or Warnock would be complete anathema to our Chairman and CEO but I think many people fee that a strong character is what the players need.

So, what is the brooding Mike Phelan doing here?

Is this a masterstroke by the Board where an experienced man comes in and saves the day thus making Adams and Holt look like fools because we all learn who is really in charge?

Is this more compensation when we sack Adams and the new manager wants his own team behind him.

Or is this a replacement? A man who has shown no previous interest in being a manager just a number two?

And talking of number two''s we have had plenty of them of late and they are hard to flush.

Norwich City''s problems start at Board level. They got lucky; they gambled on paying up debt and not investing sufficiently and they lurched and continue to do so from one self-satisfied calamity to another and their ineptitude is visible to us on the football pitch.

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