v Norwich City (a) - 17/12/22

[Mike E]

Wharton should be in there complementing what is (so far) a superb performance from Buckley.

We look much better because we're clearing our fucking lines!

[simongarnerisgod]

Just now, TheRoversReturn said:

Buckley's been having his best game so far for some time, to be fair...

if he could do it consistently he`d been in the 10 million class,hopefully as he gets older it will come

[Guest]

Well, so far we have acquitted ourselves all over the pitch. Smith still looking bemused, whilst JDT looking smugdinavian.

[Mashed Potatoes]

1 minute ago, Andy said:

Could not agree more with this, if what we're reading is indeed true.

I don't care who the player is; agents do not dictate or influence team decisions.

Absolutely - the alternative is anarchy.

[WacoRover]

No complaints, glad for the lead at HT. 

[davulsukur]

3 minutes ago, TheRoversReturn said:

Buckley's been having his best game so far for some time, to be fair...

Yep, he's been good 

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Much improved so far...

[booth]

3 minutes ago, Andy said:

Could not agree more with this, if what we're reading is indeed true.

I don't care who the player is; agents do not dictate or influence team decisions.

That's how we got into this decade long mess.

[Sweaty Gussets]

Not watching but Sharpe saying Buckley having a good game. BBC praising us for the work we're putting in to stop Norwich playing. 

[G Somerset Rover]

10 minutes ago, J*B said:

Reacted quite predictably to him being encouraged to sign a new deal on the back of representing his hometown club then being told there’s not even a seat for him on the bus for the biggest game of the season

Sharpe reckons it’s due to his poor performance against West Ham. If poor performances warranted dropping from the squad, then we wouldn’t have any players to select from after the the past two matches. 

[TheRoversReturn]

Winning away from home at the pre-season favourites to win the league...clean sheet too...

It's only one half but that's the kind of response we needed after Burnley/PNE...

 

[BankEnd Rover]

Yeah, would love to see a A Wharton/ Buckley in the middle. On their day that would be probably the best CM duo in the league.

[RTM08]

Maybe I'm missing something as I'm unable to watch it and just popped in to check the score, but everyone seems to be incredible positive despite the fact from the outside it looks like we're offering nothing and fluked a goal?

Anyone got a quick summary?

[booth]

3 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

if he could do it consistently he`d been in the 10 million class,hopefully as he gets older it will come

It's what we've missed. A player that will track back and go forward when necessary.

He's been terrible when picked this season so hopefully it'll give him a bit of confidence and good form.

[Butty]

Well it’s been a shit game, which we’re leading courtesy of a bit of a luck. If we could somehow see this out it would be huge. Two poor teams on show! 

[Waggy76]

Much improved performance  so far keep it going ...

[Sparks Rover]

1 minute ago, BankEnd Rover said:

Yeah, would love to see a A Wharton/ Buckley in the middle. On their day that would be probably the best CM duo in the league.

Course they are.🙄

[LDRover]

Good performance so far. Get it out of the danger zone and play in their half. Press when they get 10 yards from the half way line and work your socks off.

It's all we ask really.

[oldjamfan1]

Sorry if I sound like a curmudgeon but why did we not perform like this in the last two games? This is much better and we seem to be mixing things up much more, which was what we were all asking for.

[booth]

Just now, RTM08 said:

Maybe I'm missing something as I'm unable to watch it and just popped in to check the score, but everyone seems to be incredible positive despite the fact from the outside it looks like we're offering nothing and fluked a goal?

Anyone got a quick summary?

Nah, they've played well so far apart from a few individual errors. It's an improvement.

Not many shots but they are getting the ball forward. I don't think I'm wrong in saying those stats flatter Norwich.

[simongarnerisgod]

need to keep up the concentration,norwich will have had an earful at half time

[Sweaty Gussets]

27 years later.....we've played the long game to get revenge with a flukey goal of our own...

 

[Bethnal]

Odd half of football that. Norwich look a good side (for this level) but - Ayala tactical foul aside - we haven’t seemed too troubled.

We appear better when reactive (defensively-minded, direct) than proactive (play out from the back, break opposition down). This tracks closely with the “win when scoring first, lose when conceding first” stat and also with the age of the squad on the average. At a younger age, against experienced sides who are fine to defend, it’s a lot of mental acuity you need to break a team down that are determined not to be.

I think if we are to break teams down, there needs to be a wholly different approach in midfield and a different composition up front. We would have to be making the opposition camp out in their own half and denying every attempt at a break (3 battlers in the middle) and be able to stretch play in the final third. It needs players gambling and creating space.

[roversfan99]

Good away performance so far, Buckley and Ayala standing out. Very good team performance off the ball, not very good on it. Morton nearly gifted them another goal, he often takes too long in silly areas. Will be a different game in the second half, we need to be better on the ball otherwise they will score at least 1.

[booth]

1 minute ago, Sweaty Gussets said:

27 years later.....we've played the long game to get revenge with a flukey goal of our own...

 

Funny that, this is one of my favourite all time Norwich goals.