So team for Blackpool ?

[Ray 111]

Zipper,

IMO a lot depends on Jerome''s fitness, for now I''m going with the same as last week with Hiowson in for Hoolahan, although my crystal ball is a bit misty this week!! If it clears I will let you know what I see in the cards (I do love a mixed metaphor!)

[ZLF 271]

Fingers crossed that Jerome is fit,  but grabban starts ahead of hooper for me if Camjam is still doubtful.

 

Personally I would replace Bennett with BJ on the left. EB continues to have limited impact on the game on the left;  few mistakes but little going forward and less in winning the ball back.   

 

Midfield triangle  of Tettey deep with howson and andreu(wes/hooper) looks perfect and transformative since the brentford debacle.

[morty 0]

[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"]

Fingers crossed that Jerome is fit,  but grabban starts ahead of hooper for me if Camjam is still doubtful.

 

Personally I would replace Bennett with BJ on the left. EB continues to have limited impact on the game on the left;  few mistakes but little going forward and less in winning the ball back.   

 

Midfield triangle  of Tettey deep with howson and andreu(wes/hooper) looks perfect and transformative since the brentford debacle.

[/quote]I haven''t been to the last few games, has Grabban suddenly started showing something that puts him ahead of Hooper?

[Barclay seats 4849 the 3rd 0]

Grabban ahead of Hooper ??

You don''t go to the game do you ?

[te94 0]

Hooper struggles as a lone striker.

We only saw the best of him last season when he was teamed with Elmander, which left us thin in central midfield.

Grabban, although still not great imo, looks more comfortable in the one role.

I''ve always thought that Grabban offers little besides goals. All well and good when he''s scoring like he was earlier in the season, but when the goals dry up, he offers little.

[morty 0]

[quote user="tedwards94"]Hooper struggles as a lone striker.

We only saw the best of him last season when he was teamed with Elmander, which left us thin in central midfield.

Grabban, although still not great imo, looks more comfortable in the one role.

I''ve always thought that Grabban offers little besides goals. All well and good when he''s scoring like he was earlier in the season, but when the goals dry up, he offers little.[/quote]I agree that Hooper performs better in a pair, but he''ll take more chances than Grabban will.

[chicken 0]

I think it''s important to remember that last week''s line up appears to be forced as much as anything else.Neil''s own reflection was that Hooper struggles on his own - so why would that change? Grabban wasn''t that bad - but as you''d expect with one striker, didn''t get as much service as you would with two. He''s also pacier than Hooper which helps when it comes to running channels etc.There are a few niggly injury issues with the likes of E.Bennett as well. So it wouldn''t surprise me if we go back to four in midfield for this one.

[STAN 29]

I don''t understand the current love in with Hooper. Yes he has improved of late, and yes he looked like he was starting to form a reasonable understanding with Jerome, but he still looks far from a striker on top of his game.

I was hoping he was going to look/be the 30 goal man in the Championship, he came to England/Norwich with hopes of forcing his way into the England squad. Almost laughable now really.

Personally I''d take Chris Martin over Hooper any day of the week.

[GJP 79]

Grabban is a better player than people give him credit for.

But he''s been stuck with this label of not being able to take his chances. Even though Jerome and Hooper have been guilty of missing some sitters.

[mrs miggins 0]

Barclay seats 48/49 the 3rd wrote the following post at 07/02/2015 11:22 AM:

Grabban ahead of Hooper ??

You don''t go to the game do you ?

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Why do you do this? You did it last week as well.

Anyway my take on the Grabban v Hooper thing though is that Grabban has got his goals from playing up top on his own, he stopped scoring when we went to 2 up top. It was only last week that we went 1 upfront again and AN said that this wouldn''t suit Hooper.

Although I don''t necessarily agree with AN there because Hooper played up top on his own for celtic (although didn''t like it very much and preferred Stokes playing up with him) it''s clear looking at their goalscoring records that Grabban is the best person to play upfront. (this is because Hooper only started playing on his own up top during the later spells of his celtic career as well as the fact that he''s up against weaker opposition whereas Grabban scored a lot in this league playing half the season more or less on his own upfront).

[mrs miggins 0]

STAN wrote the following post at 07/02/2015 12:21 PM:I was hoping he was going to look/be the 30 goal man in the Championship, he came to England/Norwich with hopes of forcing his way into the England squad. Almost laughable now really.

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I afraid it''s unrealistic to think that imo as he''s not playing as a striker like he has done at his previous clubs in Celtic and Scunthorpe where he tore the leagues apart. When he''s in the team he doesn''t play as a poacher like he really is, he plays a bit like wes in a way, but more of a shadow striker or number 10. We''re using him in a role that he can play, but it''s not his best role.

[ZLF 271]

I do go to games,   but hooper has been woeful as a lone striker.    Grabban was good at it early in the season and has scroed playing that role.  Hooper has not.   All of his goals have come with a strike partner.

 

Hooper has played well this season (with a partner,  at a lower league) whether part of a front 2,  off the target man or in the midfield 4.   Its about recognising the players strengths.    He has not been effective as a lone striker so why would we do that to him?   Its not different to playing him out of position.

 

He IS a real option off the striker - being behind jerome or grabban;   but we have bj, howson, wes & andreu pushing for that spot.

 

Likewise I dont think Grabban has worked as a strike pair - play him as a lone striker or not at all.

[PurpleCanary 5,554]

#NCFC team v @BlackpoolFC: Ruddy; Whittaker, Martin (c), Bassong, Olsson; Howson, Johnson; Redmond, Hooper, Hoolahan; Grabban.

[te94 0]

Really hope this doesnt mean Hoolahan on the wing.

Roeder, Hughton......... Neil?

He''s not a winger.

Play him in his position

[PurpleCanary 5,554]

[quote user="PurpleCanary"]#NCFC team v @BlackpoolFC: Ruddy; Whittaker, Martin (c), Bassong, Olsson; Howson, Johnson; Redmond, Hooper, Hoolahan; Grabban.[/quote]Subs:Rudd, Turner, Jerome, Andreu, Garrido, Murphy, Tettey.

Interesting. Left side midfield?

[Gordon Bennett 780]

Strong bench - Rudd, Garrido, Turner, Tettey, Murphy, Andreu, Jerome.

[mrs miggins 0]

I think this team selection would be under a bit of scrutiny if it wasn''t against the bottom team. However it could be the perfect attacking selection because Blackpool will just sit back. Howson, Hoolahan, Redmond, Hooper and Grabban. Very attacking, just what we need. It''s a shame Jerome isn''t fit.