I couldn’t help it and only I could do it. I wrote in my MFW preview piece that Cole Skuse is my least favourite binner. And then he picks up the original injury from hell. Cole I am genuinely sorry for my reference and wish you all the very best for a safe and speedy recovery.
Sometimes it feels like I’ve got a sixth sense when I really haven’t. Unless I have, after all. Maybe.
Anyway, as I hit the top of the MFW prediction table, alongside eventual and inevitable winner Steve Cook, I have to say how delighted I was with that result. We had injuries enough of our own to contend with during the game – and who scores the equaliser – nobody less than Moritz Leitner.
A left-foot strike – I wouldn’t have cared if it went in off the referee’s butt. Ask Father Mulryne about that kind of divine intervention. Sweet it was at Reading that evening.
So, we now have two weeks off from all these shenanigans and if anyone has the sheer brass neck to say we should have won today – no, I don’t think so.
But we didn’t bottle it, we stood firm and stiffed them out.
And as the embers of the game were dying, who was on the front foot? Us.
I reckon Timm Klose has got two weeks of recovery time: the irony being that he’s just been recalled into the Switzerland squad. Jeez knows how that one will pan out. Let’s leave it to the medicos – and the Swiss have quite a reputation in that direction.
Okay no spelling it out from me but you know what I mean. I have no dignity or sanity.
We have mid-table engraved on our yellow and green souls. But I don’t care about that too much. Because we frustrated them once again and came away with eleven unbeaten in a nice neat row. When they turn up here we will make it a full dozen.
As I began with respect for Cole Skuse I will end with the same for our MFW preview colleague Harry Wainwright. I would have still said that if we had lost. Yeah, I would.
Got it in a nutshell Martin, we didn’t get beaten by them. All of the issues surrounding our club don’t really matter for a while.
0
Couldn’t agree more Andy.
We came away with a point and against them I’m dead happy with that.
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I am not sure I share your positivity about yesterday’s result Martin. We were the better side for large parts of the game, but worryingly failed to turn that into clear cut chances. In my opinion we still look lightweight, Neat and pretty football, but much of it played in the middle third of the field with no end result. Better teams than Ipswich will brush us aside physically by taking a more direct approach.
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Yeah you’ve got a point there Andy.
We need that physicality but Tettey and Hanley aside I don’t know where it’s going to come from either.
Trouble is that in the Championship direct styles (aka aerial bombardments) will be set against us on a regular basis.
Apart from sides like Forest we will rarely enjoy a game of on the floor football.
3
Two very poor relegation teams producing a dire game of football.
I can see no discernible improvement in the City team over the last twelve months. If anything, without the brilliance of Maddison,they have taken several steps backwards.
What happens if Lewis is sold in January, which is very likely as Delia clings on to ownership?
The fans deserve a lot better than the rubbish currently being dished up by City when you consider they are being charged premiership prices.
Continuing the unbeaten run over our closest rivals no longer brings a sense of achievement due to the lowly position both teams now find themselves in.
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Thanks John.
It isn’t very good and the cost of my ST doesn’t appeal to me. But what do I do?
Delia clinging on to ownership is another matter for another day.
But I’ll agree it’s a bit like finding an old issue of Sainsbury magazine (guess the ID of the publisher). Irrelevant in the current world.
I’m just pleased we ground out a result.
5
As I have said on the previous article I am concerned that we lose Aarons, Lewis AND Godfrey where then? I don’t care about Ipswich and would take a thrashing from them if it put a manager in place who could get the best out of some undeniably good players.
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As long as we have Delia as an owner don’t expect an improvement in the management department. Apart from Lambert the rest have been disastrous.
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Hi John & Cyprus
I would be very much surprised if Daniel Farke goes before the end of his contract for purely economic reasons if nothing else.
Also Stuart Webber would be admitting bad judgement if he didn’t allow DF and team to see their allotted time out.
Godfrey already has his suitors and Lewis and Aarons are doubtless already primed for departure when they hit a certain value.
Good old self funding – dontcha just love it?
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For a coach who instills keep ball, we don’t half give the buggar away a lot, the same costly mistakes still being made in the defensive area. While in the offensive section nothing still being made. (am I starting to sound different)
As has been said by many a case of two very poor sides., each viewing themselves stronger than what they really are. I favour Hurst’s style to gain more fruit than Farke’s , he doesn’t know how to cope with the standard fare of a kick and rush team .
Gunny said in commentary that Ipswich , didn’t play any good football. that might be the case, but we were not good enough to put them to bed either. As so often it was a typical Derby effort, like so many in the past, the joyous days of Holty ripping them apart are nothing but a terrific memory, one I turned to last night on Youtube to lift my gloom.
As some clever chap once said. “If things don’t change they’ll stay the same.”
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Hi Lad
My abiding memory of the keepball conundrum was a sluggish 30-yarder on the half-way line easily intercepted by an Ipswich player who quite naturally proceeded to get a look at the whites of Tim Krul’s eyes.
Your clever bloke was French but I can’t remember his name.
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The important thing is that we didn’t lose but apart from playing a few young players I cannot see any progress under Farke. The statistics speak for themselves. We are getting worse, Our league positions are getting worse year on year and will get worse again as some of the better players are sold. We got a draw against one of the worst 1p5wich teams of recent times but we are on a wretched run and this year will not be able to call upon the individual brilliance of Maddison to get us some unexpected wins to boost the points total. We are not in a good place and this will continue until we get proper investment in the club or a change of ownership.
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Totally agree Catton. We desperately need new owners and substantial investment. Cut price Delia is taking us to the lower divisions.
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Thanks Catton
I fear the problem is that without a change of ownership there will be no investment.
And the dynasty is set in tablets of stone.
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Hi Martin
Yes another point against the blue noses but out muscled where it mattered but watching it on Sky Red Button was like watching the early days of MOTD on the BBC one camera abd no instant replays.
The Ref must have had the idea ut was about him and his whistle did let the game flow and gave more free kicks in any game than I can remember, Ipshite must have seen what was coming and went down everytime they were tackled but didn’t take real advantage of it.
Thompson bravely played on and I just hope he hasn’t aggravated the injury and is out for a long period, we are as have been said light weight and Ipshite took full advantage in the muscle department and we had know answer to it also we gave the ball away to easy all game.
My biggest concern is Krul we all know he has had his injuries over the last few years and was possibly one of the best keepers in the air but now he rarely comes for a cross and his hesitation is starting to effect the CB not knowing what he is going to do at any time, he needs to get his confidence back and they need to have confidence in him otherwise no matter what we will continue to let goals in.
Lastly both goals were lucky strikes from distance, Aaron played well and Emi showed skills but the physical side needs improving at this level.
Now 2 weeks before the next game injured will have time to recover, Farke can work on Krul to get him up to speed and the passing will improve.
OTBC
1
In what way way Leitner’s goal lucky?
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Hi Alex
With the exception of a few individuals such as Holty, Tettey, Hanley and good ole Bradders I cannot remember a physically dominant Norwich side since the Dave Stringer management years.
When people sometimes bang on about “the Norwich way” they advocate being physically lightweight. And that doesn’t work in the EFL.
1
The football is ponderous and predictable. The formation is wrong (we need to play thee at the back with wingbacks). We also need some bite in our team, we’re just not physical enough.
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Thanks Dieter.
We certainly need three at the back away from home.
Take out Tettey and Hanley and indeed we have very little bite. Although Pukki seems a tough little so’n’so.
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One can’t help thinking that if Daniel Farke got married, it would be to an electric appliance rather than a human being.
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Ha!
Read the original Red Dwarf book by Grant and Naylor. That scenario nearly happened. Not with Daniel Farke, but there was a very attractive toaster involved.
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Yea John it was dire,probably see a better game in league 2 !
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Unfortunately there’s every possibility that could be only two years away.
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Watched that with a mixed group including a couple of townies and a few Col U fans. The Col U boys were amusing, they felt we could have an East Anglian mini league in league one next season .
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Hi Bernie
I guess where you live you’ve got that unique triangle around you – Binmen, Col U fans and London glory hunters (various).
You must get lonely mate!
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I’m a bit surprised with the number of people suggesting we weren’t able to cope with the physical side of things on Sunday. I actually thought we stood up to it well & that was after picking a starting XI which included players known more for their creativity than their battling. In addition to that, we finished the game with a young & inexperienced back 4 who rarely looked threatened by their physical attacks.
While I’m certainly not raving about the result/performance, there are positives to take from a game in which we went 1-0 down away from home to our biggest rivals.
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Hi Dave
You can’t legislate for what it looked like Jackson did to Hanley. That was physicality taken to extremes.
I very much agree with you that Hanley and the three youngsters did an excellent job. I’d prefer a “back five” in every away game apart from the likes of, say, Forest.
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