That was a tough one to take in the circumstances. In the midst of the worst injury crisis most of us have seen as City fans, to have gone so close to winning the three points against a thoroughly decent Coventry team was an outstanding effort.
If the game had just meandered out to a 1-1 most of us would have taken a point in the blink of an eye, and it was only the lateness of Cov’s equaliser that stung.
But let’s be honest, they deserved it. No complaints.
There was of course the double-whammy of conceding a goal from the same move that left Max Aarons in a heap with what looks a nasty injury.
He now joins the dozen or so others in a treatment room that must, in old money, resemble A&E on a Saturday night just after the pubs have kicked out. At this rate, they’ll be reviving those old Portakabins at Colney to use as a physio room overspill.
While, of course, our crisis isn’t as acute as Jurgen Klopp’s at Liverpool, it is unprecedented and we’ve almost reached the stage where points earned are of the bonus variety, and the name of the game is staying in or around the top six until we can get some more bodies fit.
To be top of the pile, having picked up 24 points from the last 30 available, while having to overcome so many hurdles along the way is extraordinary.
The dam is just holding… just. There are leaks aplenty, water squirting out everywhere but somehow it’s yet to burst.
All we can do is hope it doesn’t burst in Luton and, in fact, holds for the next few weeks. Then we just have to pray that Daniel Farke is on Father Christmas’ good list.
So far, Farke has been spared having to delve into academy ranks to call on the services of young players he deems ‘not ready’ – Josh Martin had already been earmarked for some first-team involvement this season – but the Aarons situation may have changed that.
The likable Mark Robins suggested that our squad has sufficient depth to field “two first-teams” – a boast many were making at the start of the season – but we’ve reached the point where that theory is being tested to the limit.
Two first teams in terms of pure numbers maybe, but that doesn’t allow for, for example, all of your strikers getting injured at the same time.
Marco Stiepermann, despite taking some Canary Call flak, did a sterling job in an unfamiliar role and it should have been no surprise to anyone that he was unable to offer the same movement of Teemu Pukki, the aerial presence of Jordan Hugill or the speed and power of Adam Idah.
Why would he?
I was critical of Stiepi’s first touch and sloppiness against Stoke but have nothing but praise for his efforts in difficult circumstances yesterday. If we’re going to judge and then launch into those who are being asked to fill in then it really is time to give up.
Similarly, those who have singled out Michael McGovern for not being Tim Krul are helping no-one. Other than that one heart-stopping bar-of-soap moment in the first half, he did all that was asked of him, including some okay distribution to both centre-backs (despite Greg Downs’ incredulity that he wouldn’t just HOOF IT).
The Ulsterman will, injury permitting, be in goal for the next four games, so we may as well get used to it.
And we may as well also get used to the fact that while the squad is being stretched to its limits, mistakes will continue to occur. Not because the players are “simply not good enough” or because they’re “ambling around like they don’t care” but because they’re physically and mentally spent.
Aarons was, for once, in the firing line for his role in the Coventry goal – a certain pundit citing him for a poor stating position and then a reckless challenge, both of which were arguably true – but both were the result of a tired mind and creaking limbs.
If there’s one thing that Max doesn’t do it’s dive into challenges. Rarely does he go to ground and it was only through trying to compensate for getting caught under that cross-field pass that he uncharacteristically slammed into Ryan Giles.
A disaster all round but one borne of fatigue.
Luckily the pivotal pairing of Ben Gibson and Grant Hanley remains unbroken (at least for now and as far as we know) and so anyone who comes in or is tasked with a role they’re unfamiliar with will have two booming voices to guide them through. If those two weren’t important enough anyway…
What will continue to be an issue though will be Farke’s inability to make changes to freshen up his team in the latter stages of a game. Robins used his five substitutes yesterday to excellent effect and with such limited options available to him, the German was unable to respond.
Until the injury crisis eases, this is one issue that isn’t going away.
But, we’re still top of the league, Mario Vrancic is back in the house (and scoring) and we have Emi Buendia back for the trip to Luton. Quite who will line up around him remains to be seen. I suggest we all have a stiff drink ahead of Tuesday lunchtime’s presser.
OTBC
Nailed it Gary. Rarely if ever will a squad be this decimated. So it’s all hands to the wheel to support the team, whatever team that is. The canary callers have a new hero in Greg Downs who brought precisely diddly squat to the party yesterday. Pundits and ex players should be able to give a perspective that ordinary folk wouldn’t necessarily have. This clearly wasn’t explained to Downs who decided to deride and misunderstand the ethos that our club holds dear.
Anyway onto the game, they did alright in the circumstances it was a good point and one I think we would have taken pre kick off.
Cheers, as ever, Delfie. Hope you’re well mate.
Tough times but somehow we’re top! And yep, a draw was a fair result.
Difficult to take when you have McCallum, Trybull, Leitner, Drmic, Sinani, and Soto on the books yet somehow deemed surplus to requirements. Ironic too that in less than a year the only position with adequate cover was Centre-Half, and in all other areas we are now deficient. We may be top now but how much is this going to cost us? I think that we would need to buy 10 players in the summer to compete in the EPL next season – people were saying we had a better squad this season but we definitely don’t have a better team at the moment. We would 2 keepers, 2 full backs, a Centre-Half, 2 CDMs, another MF, 2 wingers and a new striker, assuming Buendia, Cantwell and Aarons all leave before next season.
And as for Max Aarons’ error for the goal you can’t criticise a former Norwich City full-back for pointing out the bleedin’ obvious. We had been ripped to shreds down the wings all game and to be caught napping when we only have to defend for the last 5 minutes is unforgivable. The one job he had to do was stop the cross. His defensive colleagues would be asking exactly the same question after the game. I would trust the opinion of a seasoned pro over that of a keyboard amateur when it comes to the art of defending.
Cheers for the comment Tony. It’s okay surely to have a different opinion to Greg Downs? This is an opinion piece after all… would a bit odd if I trumpeted the gospel according to Greg Downs even if I didn’t necessarily agree with it.
For what it’s worth, seems I wasn’t alone in not being 100% agreement with the great man.
Of course, but it was Aarons who was out of position and not doing his job rather than Greg Downs. 5 minutes before he noted than Aarons was walking back after being beaten down the flank. Bash Downs all you want but he was shown to be absolutely right in the end – a defender’s primary job with 10 to go is to defend. Aarons is great going forward but he needed to be better than that on this occasion. Just like Aarons you should play the ball not the man.
I don’t disagree, Tony – but my point was that Aarons was uncharacteristically out of position and hasty in the challenge due to tiredness of the body and mind. *In my view*, these were mitigating factors, but Greg clearly didn’t think so. It’s fine for us to have differing views, even though he’s played for City and I’m just a “keyboard warrior”, right?
Have to agree with all of that Gary (and Delfie)…
Let’s face it, prior to kick-off at Middlesbrough last week end, I personally would have been very happy with a return of 7 points from the past 3 games. It just sucks that having excelled at the hard bit of the 2 away games we rack up more injuries and Emi’s suspension.
To be honest, I was more than a little impressed with Coventry yesterday. Yes, they could use all 5 subs, and did so to excellent effect, but some of their football was pretty damn good to watch.
And is is something in the Dortmund psyche which leaves only us and LiVARpool with rather extensive injury lists??
O T B C
Morning Gary and all on MFW
Kopp has really got under the skin of his own supporter groups of late first morning about the TV schedule and now about the injuries one group said stop going on about thing you can’t change and get on with the job you are paid for.
Farke has shown a more media friendly approach to the same concerns by really not saying too much about cities every 3 day turn round and his injury list.
David Freeze yesterday when asked about possible returns he hoped Pukki would be fit for a part on Tuesday and of course Emi will be back so the forward line up just might have a bit more bite.
Tetney was his usually reliable self and as everyone says Hanley/Gibson are the beating heart of the team a make shift LB who is not letting anyone down but if Aarons is out for a couple of game and Mumba also out who steps in???
As my old granny would say make do and mend but who is the make do while we wait for the mend possible Gibson to LB and Sorensen to RB and Zimmermann along side Hanley that could work for me.
Will Rupp be back for a bit part or will Farke continue with Skipp and Tettey either will be OK, As for Skipp the shifts he is putting in for a loan player is beyond belief and surely must be getting to the stage of exhaustion and need a break.
I wonder if city goes up if Jose would allow another season loan for him now that would be a great call.
It seems harsh to ask the team for more of the same but Farke will have to do just that.
Onwards and upwards
OTBC
Stay Safe and Stay Healthy
First things first, I’m appalled that we, or any other English club, held a minute’s silence for the Argentinian cheat. I don’t care how brilliant his footwork was. George Best was pretty handy too – but not literally – so were di Stefano, Puskas, Eusebio and many others. Bobby Charlton and Pele are still with us; when their time comes I shall mourn with everyone else (assuming mine hasn’t come first). Nobody’s perfect and I’m sure they weren’t all angels (Best off the field certainly not) but they weren’t cheats.
Luck with injuries is deserting us but we’ve probably had the rub of the refereeing green a few times in the last week or two. For those last 20 minutes or so it was clear that a number of players were flagging and desperate to see the game out. Aarons had looked shattered for a while. Hats off to Skipp. Where does he get his stamina from? Is he related to Gary Holt?
I was less than impressed with Greg Downs too. I’m never fond of pundits or commentators who choose to fill their time by making repeated cheap comments about refs, whether they’re right or not. I always feel they’re doing it because they think that’s what fans want to hear, and in any case we can work it out for ourselves. I’d sooner they analyse the game for us.
Tough run of fixtures coming soon – Blackburn (presumably still BCD), Reading, Cardiff and Watford. Let’s hope we have a few fit by then and Sorensen hasn’t accumulated enough cards for a ban..
Yes and we are top with a “worse”team cant ask for any more can we ?
I think that we equipped ourselves quite well given our makeshift team and played some good football which perhaps should have helped us to a few more goals in the last 15-20minutes when Coventry had used their t subs it was obvious that we had a fight on our hands and tiredness had set in Apart from McAlear being bought on it would have been a brave but smart move if we used a couple more subs to give us a better chance against a half fresh team
For what it’s worth I thought Greg Downs was eminently listenable during the match itself, but then again I had the benefit of free live i-Follow so could appreciate what he was saying in context, as it were.
I never listen to Canary Call [no ta] so Downs might well have been out of order on that show. I simply dunno. My favourite *pundits* have always been Mark Walton and Rivo, but I don’t know what they’re like after the game on Canary Call either!
Excellent summation Gary. The ludicrous injury list cost us two precious points.
Twice in a week now the 5 man cavalry charge has hurt us and we are powerless to resist, literally flogging every available senior player until the inevitable breakage to yet another one of their number.
With a vast number of games scheduled into such a short period and injuries taking hold even before a ball was kicked some of the decisions made over loans out look bone headed. With squad rotation inevitable there would have been plenty of employment for the likes of sinani and McCollum if they were still in house.
The injury to Aarons was indicative of total fatigue, tired minds cause errors. Given the amount of square pegs in round holes the performances of stiepermann and Sorensen deserve respect.
We will never know if omotoye could have made a difference from the bench as Stieprmann wilted, clearly farke doesn’t believe the kids on the bench are ready for a part in the action, which is a concern.
Whether the answer lies in untried youth, overtime for the physiotherapists or the return of Drmic I don’t know but something better change.m
Drmic I think has burnt his bridges with our head coach after his interview that was in the Pinkun
Link to the Drmic interview if anyone is interested and sorry not the pinkun
http://c.newsnow.co.uk/A/1056717271?-11057:808
Despite the injury problems, we do still have enough quality to at least hang in there until some players are back.
Michael McGovern is an International goalkeeper, so I have few concerns there. We could move Gibson to LB, still leaves us with Zimbo and Hanley. Not sure about RB though!
Tettey, Skipp and Rupp can anchor the midfield in rotation for the time being. I believe Rupp should be ok for Wednesday?
Emi, Stiepi, PP, Mario and Martin is good enough for behind the striker options. And therein lies the main problem. I admire DF for being tough on players who don’t fit into the group but Drmic is an International striker. Sometimes strength can be changing your mind and giving someone another chance.
Basically, yes it’s bad, but if the attitude is good, we have enough to get through this.