In the spirit of positivity, at least we were spared the awful ‘did that really happen’ moment upon waking this morning.
While yesterday’s draw was not exactly what the doctor, the statistician or the McNally ordered it did at least nudge the points total along and it didn’t engender the numb feeling so prevalent in Norfolk on Monday morning.
But it still wasn’t good. There’s no point in pretending otherwise.
While some were quick to trot out the ‘no damage done’ platitude in terms of league standings I’d argue otherwise. Yesterday was the latest in a long line of opportunities to put clear water between City and the melee at the bottom but again it was one that was missed.
Depending on the tint of your spectacles City’s fifteenth place, four points clear of eighteenth, could be construed as a small drop-zone buffer but with three of the teams below us now with games in hand it’s looking more precarious by the week. And that’s before the much discussed final four games are woven into the equation.
Throw into the mix City’s awful goal difference – in the final reckoning it could be be akin to a one point deduction – and the brown stuff looms that little bit larger.
All of which is why ‘two points dropped’ – the most over-used phrase post-match – resonated louder yesterday than it has done any other time this season.
The Premier League fixtures computer has long since deemed March to be the month when City’s short-term future is decided but with one point from a possible six on the board so far, even the optimists among us – and I’ve really tried – must be wavering slightly.
As ever it was the inability to score more than a single goal in a game that was to prove costly. A second goal to add to Bradley Johnson’s header would surely have won the game but, in truth, few present expected it.
Instead – and there’s no way of knowing if it was by design or otherwise – City retreated into the familiar ‘let’s consolidate’ mode; one that – not for the first time – was also to cost them dearly.
I’m loathe to mention it again (it still hurts) but those fateful sixteen minutes that followed Benteke’s opener last Sunday were the epitome of putting a game to bed.
While I suspect the Stoke back-line would have coped rather better with the kitchen sink than City’s did seven days ago, it would have been good to see the high tempo maintained and questions continued to be asked of Messrs Shawcross, Wilson and co.
It didn’t happen.
Instead Wes Hoolahan – City’s most creative spark – was sacrificed for the more defensive qualities of Jonny Howson. “Fresh legs” was the official line offered by Chris Hughton to BBC Radio Norfolk’s Chris Goreham but, while there’s no reason to doubt that diagnosis, those tiring limbs would have come in very handy in the final ten minutes when we needed a lock to be unpicked.
As it happened Stoke’s two banks of four were to retreat deeper and deeper (almost to the point of Begovic making it a back five) and the resultant sight of City slowly and deliberately shifting the ball to and fro in search of an opening was almost painful.
In similar circumstances – and bereft of a better option – other teams resort to banging long, hopeful balls into the box in the hope of a loose ball dropping favourably, but in the absence of ‘a big unit’ and faced with a defence akin to a rugby union second row it was a non-starter.
Minus that option it required something special to make the breakthrough. A delicately threaded through ball, a trick, a piece of magic, a long range howitzer – none of which were in the armoury.
Of course, if City had gone on to win the game the Hoolahan/Howson switch would passed without a murmur, but in the circumstances the lack of invention in the closing stages was laid horribly bare.
The need to get Howson into the fray was understandable but, in hindsight, to do so at the expense of Wes was a mistake. With Nathan Redmond, after some early promise, enjoying little success in the second-half an option would have been to bolt Howson into the central midfield and permit the Dubliner freedom to join in from a wide-left starting position.
Again, hindsight.
While the penalty was as soft as they get – and Guidetti certainly made the most of it – it was needless for Sebastien Bassong to even give Andre Mariner a decision to make.
Alas, as rash as Bassong’s challenge undoubtedly was, when you’re walking a defensive tightrope these things unfortunately can – and often do – happen.
The root of the problem remains in the attacking third. Ricky van Wolfswinkel, despite enjoying the unerring support of Hughton, continues to struggle. Yes he’s neat and tidy in possession, yes he works his socks off and yes, his contribution ‘back to goal’ is improving. But when you shell out £8.5million for a goalscorer it’s fairly obvious what you’re expecting.
Whether his lack of presence in the penalty box is due to the set-up of the team, not enough chances being created or others not picking out the Dutchman’s runs it’s impossible to say, but the smart money is on it being a combination of all three.
Either way, the dearth of goals is killing us. Gary Hooper too is midst goal famine, although I’m unsure quite what occurred at Villa Park to cost him his place in the team. From a layman’s perspective it was a day when the problems were at the other end of the pitch and Hooper’s contribution, again, looked to be a decent one.
Alas six goals from three newly acquired strikers tells a story all of its own and, if the worst happens, will ultimately be our undoing.
For the most part it’s been fairly turgid to watch. The downs have heavily outnumbered the ups. And unbridled joy has been in fairly short supply.
However, if – and it’s a big if – said strikers had mustered another six goals between them we wouldn’t even be having these conversations now. Mid-table mediocrity would beckon.
But they haven’t and it doesn’t. Instead we’re edging closer to the precipice by the game.
This one is going to the wire folks. We’d better brace ourselves.
I fear we are now well and truly in the Wilkins Micawber part of the season, waiting for something to turn up. The big worry for me is that nothing will. We will carry on with game plans that didn’t work in Chris Hughton’s first match in charge, and still don’t work today. I think most fans know it is now too late to make any radical change, but in terms of form and performance, we are very close to being one of the three worst teams in the Premier League. Perhaps Southampton next up will be the unexpected day when things click, though I doubt it. Indeed my belief is now so low, I can see no more than two points coming from the West Brom and Sunderland matches. I hope I am wrong – and certainly margins are so small it will probably go to the wire as you say. But after the cracking effort against Spurs we have gone backwards again. Whilst I am not always sure that fortune favours the brave, I am sadly of the belief that our ultra caution is only going to take us one place.
Good article. Much as I hate to single people out, the form of Bassong is now a worry. Fitness an issue; he’s unthinking as a defender and has now cost us a few points. As bad as it is upfront ( and it’s very bad we’re all agreed) the lack of leadership and defensive frailty embodied by our captain is an unwelcome development this season.
17 goals in 65 Premier League games, the total by all our strikers under Hughton. Are they all that poor or is it the set up.
Jt (3): every team sets up differently, so the only fair yardstick is total team goals. For us, that’s the damning stat.
2. Agree re Bassong. Would have had Bennett in yesterday. Hope CH grows some and makes the change next week. Give Martin or Johnson the armband. Although the Wolf was full of movement, so much was outside of the box and main channels, can’t understand that.
Jt (3):We have not scored more than one goal in a home match for over 4 months, and just once since August. I am convinced it is the set up.
This was evident again yesterday. After overcoming a shaky start (did we need two midfielders sitting in front of the back four against a side who tend to bypass the midfield?) we scored and were in control. The negative substitution had an immediate impact on the players. The gap between the midfield and the strikers widened, the players became tentative and the inevitable happened.
I have given up hope this manager can change things around. Realistically the most we can expect from Sunderland and West Brom at home is 4 points. With our awful away results and Liverpool and Arsenal at home can anyone see us getting the 5 further points we are likely to need?
I too was of the view that it was too late to change until the article in yesterday’s Times outlining the fact that of 11 managers sacked in the past decade in the EPL with 12 or fewer games to go, seven have had a positive impact. Even Di Canio was able to do it! My only hope now is such a change takes place, anything will be better than relegation by a thousand cuts which we have been facing since October.
Hindsight I know but I expect many of us now wish we had chosen Steve Bruce in the summer of 2012!
We won’t get another point away from home, and we won’t get anything from either Liverpool or Arsenal at home if we need to. That leaves two very big games against Sunderland and West Brom. If we win them both we should stay up. If not, we won’t.
Either way, at least next season my club will be free from this manager and I might be able to enjoy watching again. It really is that simple.
I feel sorry for Redmond.A genuine attacking player who’s instincts are being shackled t o the extent that he knows not where to run when his full back brings the ball forward.Too many examples of players having their natural talents suppressed by these awful tactics.For pity’s sake get Malky in now, and free us from this brain numbing experience that is watching Norwich City.
I almost cried out to Martin Peters to pull his shirt on again!
No plan B for me is a major factor. Opposition know how to deal with us as we do nothing different. If its broke, fix it. Lots of blame pointed at the strikers but you have to give them the opportunities. Inverted wingers set up to cut in and shoot at any opportunity but this is simply not productive. Long and short, we are so predictable and a manager who still doesnt know his best team, inexcusable. If we do manage to hold on by the skin of our teeth a new manager is essential if we are to go to the next level. That was the plan this year with the money spent close season but the writing was on the wall. Lets not kid ourselves we were extremely foftunate to stay up last year and were flattered by our final position. Lady luck needs to be on our side again if we are to survive.
Jarrolder (9) bemoans negative tactics, then calls for Malky. Complete contradiction. It seems we want a manager who will make us both more successful and more attractive. There may be someone out there, but – as anyone who saw the Cardiff game at Carrow Road will know – it isn’t Malky.
OK Stewart (10)but I still think Malky is destined to have an outstanding managerial career-why should it not be with us ,before somebody else snaps him up. The man has a presence about him which I think has been evident during his playing career and at Watford and Cardiff as manager.
He was defensive at Carrow Road I grant you, but had inferior players to work with.He’s seen enough of the EPL now to know what we need and what the Norwich fans want.We may live to regret indecision over this.
I am particularly concerned since last year Bassong was our player of the season – yet this year he worries me that he will lead us into relegation as he did with Wolves. Only the worse performances of other teams will save us now – I’m hoping Cardiff can’t turn the corner, that Fulham have already got too far behind, and that West Brom can’t recover.
The one final saving grace that I’m clinging on to is that Arsenal may have an FA Cup Final to rest their players for and thereby offer us the chance of a home win on the last day of the season.
I am also hoping that the approaching World Cup will make the top teams’ players have one eye on avoiding injury.
When you get to this stage you know that you’re clutching at straws.