First of all, they came after us because we were “uncompetitive”, “woeful” and apparently weren’t even having a go at staying in the Premier League.
Now that we are competitive, are not woeful and are clearly giving it a proper go, we’re “boring” and “drab”.
Anyone would think that a club that espouses careful financial planning because (in relative terms) it has barely a pot to pee in, is unwelcome in a billionaires’ playground.
It doesn’t matter though. In fact, it should, and hopefully will, be used as extra incentive to bloody a few noses.
Wolves can count themselves lucky that they didn’t get one yesterday.
As Dean Smith said afterwards, performance-wise this was a sizeable step up on the Southampton game where, let’s be honest, we were more than a little on the fortunate side to emerge with three points. If we had done so yesterday, Wolves could have had no complaints.
Bruno Lage’s men are a good side; full of internationals and with Premier League nous oozing from every pore, but for long spells we outplayed them. City were effective and progressive with the ball but, crucially, organised, tigerish and full of energy and aggression without it.
For all of the undoubted qualities of Farkeball – qualities we’ll look back on very fondly – aggression and bite when out of possession weren’t among them. That, for me, has been the most noticeable upgrade, although there is an edge to us going forward that was not there before at this level, borne of everything happening half-a-second quicker.
Smith and Shakespeare, in their first nine days in charge, have quickly identified what tweaks were needed – some subtle, some (as above) less so – and have used the foundations laid by Team Farke to make this team Premier League ready.
This is no time to get carried away of course – a bloody nose of our own awaits on Tyneside on Tuesday night – but we could have asked no more of Dean Smith from his first two games in charge. From habitual losers to competitors in the space of those nine days.
Billy Gilmour is the obvious route to take for those from outside the Canary Nation wishing to identify the sole reason for City’s upturn, but those who have actually watched the games know that’s far from the case, even if the young Scot is starting to show glimpses of his star quality.
But there are so many more reasons as to why we’re better than we were.
Brandon Williams – whose upturn, in fairness, began at Brentford – has been a revelation at left-back with his linking with Milot Rashica when heading in a forward direction. But it’s without the ball that he’s started to make a difference with that extra aggression that Smith demands being a perfect fit for the Man Utd youngster’s skillset.
Unphased by the introduction late on of the former whirling dervish, Adama Traoré, Williams took not a backward step and clearly relished the physical challenge offered by the Spaniard. Two seasons ago, when Wolves came to Carrow Road and won 2-1, the same player caused havoc with City players bouncing off him as he bundled his way around the pitch in his own inimitable way.
Not so yesterday.
The loss of Mathias Normann – widely acknowledged as City’s best player since his arrival – was handled admirably by not only his replacement, Lukas Rupp, but by the whole midfield, who collectively stepped up to fill the void. Despite the enforced reshuffle, the tackles continued to snap in, so too the hunting in packs.
The game wasn’t without its nervous moments – name me a Premier League game that is – but the moments of peril were largely of City’s own making with Messrs Hanley and Krul getting into one almighty cock-up just before half-time.
Prior to that, the opening 15 minutes – which at the time bore an uncomfortable resemblance to the first half against Southampton – was addressed when Smith flattened the shape of City’s midfield to negate the effectiveness of their “two 10s”. Importantly, during that worrying spell, Tim Krul was untroubled.
The flip side is, for all of the good things described above, we didn’t win the game. All the eulogising in the world doesn’t alter the fact we drew a blank despite creating four really good chances and that’s the one thing that needs to change if we are serious about making a proper fist of this survival lark.
Maybe a visit to the self-proclaimed “richest club in the world” would be a good time to start turning these chances into goals.
🤮
If ever a club deserved to be on the receiving end of a Pukki party…
Obviously, Tyneside’s finest will see Tuesday night as the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone – get their first win while moving off the bottom of the table – but we go there with infinitely more confidence than we would have done if the game had been played a month ago.
We may still go down – the task remains huge – but we’re in the mix now; something that wasn’t the case three weeks ago. We were gone. Done. But now we’re not.
The national media will continue to find negative angles on us, however well be play and however many points we collect, and woe betide us if we go to Newcastle and dare go toe-to-toe with their media darlings.
But we will. We will now.
Never Mind the Danger…
.
***
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Gary
Gary, spot on as usual. Wolves are in the top six and we’re disappointed with the one point, it’s a long time since that’s happened. Hope Webbo can keep Mr Smith happy at Christmas and pep things up even more.
Great review Gary. It’s early days but Dean Smith has been very impressive on four counts: 1) changing our formation in game to address the opposing team’s threats; 2) playing with far greater intensity and aggression; 3) giving substitutes enough time to make an impact, and 4) moving the ball more quickly.
We certainly deserved all 3 points yesterday. If DS can address that issue we’re in with a good shout.
Would love us to beat Newcastle!
There are little bits of that new Magpies’ song that remind me of another set of fans waving £5 notes at us. They might well have to modify the words next season – “the richest 2nd division club in the world” doesn’t scan quite as well!
On a day when the weather meant anything could have happened, the quality of the football wasn’t bad, with our worst moment happening during one of the deluges. Krul’s clearance fell kindly for Wolves after Hanley’s faux pas, but even then Krul got back to stop their attempt. Even if he hadn’t, Gibson was covering behind him.
Great to see the level of fight Smith seems to have instilled in the team. It was hard to pick a Man of the Match, because everyone put a full shift in. I probably would have given it to Rashica, but his end product doesn’t always live up to his approach work. Rupp could have won it if he’d managed to put his late side-footed effort either side of the keeper. Aarons could have got it if he’d managed to cap his brilliant burst into the box with the finish it deserved. All round, it was a very good performance in very difficult conditions.
Now we need Martin Penney’s and Alex B’s favourite second team to do the business at Burnley this afternoon.
Hi Jim
The way Spurs are looking just now I wouldn’t care to bet on it 🙂
Hopefully, Mr Conte has given them a right royal rocket, and they’ll get their collective derrières in gear and surprise you, Martin
Just seen their game is postponed because of the weather!
If only teemos toes was an inch longer!
Thought city were the real deal today! A proper Premier league who believed they could win games
A fit Sam byram getting Max further up field is an exciting thought as s&s have sorted out the left side boads well for the New Year
Bring on the next few games and a good hall of points
What a difference an experienced Epl coach makes,all there is to say really.
At last we are a team with a higher press and not giving the vast majority of the pitch over to the opposition to build upon at will. This was unfortunately Daniel Farkes biggest weakness.
Combine the high press with a more aggressive approach and small tactical changes during the game and we are now a competitive team.
Facilitating the introduction of Billy Gilmour has increased our momentum to premiership levels, he is a bit special.
I must say I’m surprised how quickly Dean Smith has turned us around.
At last we have something to be positive about and regardless of the outcome we are putting up a fight.
At this rate January’s transfer window is going to be interesting.
The press was certainly well done yesterday. Johann Cruyff said “when you have the ball, you need to make the pitch as big as possible. When you don’t have it, you need to make it as small as possible.” And he did know what he was talking about!
With Tuesdays game against the billionaires in the north east in mind, there’s another quote from him that Dean Smith might like to post in our dressing room- “of course it’s possible to beat a richer club. I’ve never seen a bag of money score a goal.”
Ignore the noise, was the catchphrase a few weeks back that still stands good today. no matter what we do we will never be a media darling. In truth, I am not sure I would want us to be but would like a little fairness. but when has that ever happened.
A short while ago we would have been scared of how many we were going to lose by yesterday, a top 6 side with speed, good defence and goals from many areas. Yet such is the change round we walk out of the ground or turn off the whistle disappointed we didn’t win. What a difference a few days make, happy with that. it was the level of fight, passion and no shortage of skill, that made it so worthwhile
I watched a streaming service beamed in from somewhere, managing to watch a very good 85 minutes of the game before switching totally to Radio. One of the most enjoyable games I have watched since last season, for the first time I thought we looked like a premiership side. Free kicks are being given away on or around halfway, instead of letting them run through us. Long overdue, it is a part of the modern game, like it or not, watching the tackles sharp, biting & flying in, pressing higher up the pitch squeezing the opposition in more. Just more sharpness, Accuracy and instinct are needed in front of the goal.
Not attempting to pick a MOM or highlight anyone, it was a team and in that, I include the subs, Rupp did surprise me a lot, well done him. . Tuesday will be a hard one, I remember how a defeat up there affected almost the rest of the season under Alex Neil.
Although there is no one in the squad who were involved around the club (only these in the academy). It will be another roll the sleeves up and give it your all, a good test of our newfound resilience etc.
Who would have thought we would have collected 7 out of nine points as the final whistle blew against Leeds. losing a coach, hiring another one and playing a lot more as a team with hope
Only caught the radio commentary. Sounded entertaining, which if you’re not going to win, then that’s a good second option.
Great to be competitive again.
Not to many doubters on the Pinkun.com yesterday and strange no one calling for anyone’s head,
After the Lord mayor’s show X 2 firstly beating Southampton and secondly a well orchestrated AGM to celebrate 25years of no investment and none being looked for.
Dean Smith knows what he has signed up for I just wonder if there’s an escape clause if another club comes calling 📞 his reputation was on a sound footing and has taken another couple of strides to repair the slight hiccup at Villa.
Smith & Shakespeare could become the new go to like Big Sam has been for so long but with a better style of play so let’s hope their career path continues to bloster cities survival hope’s.
Tuesday’s game live on Prime as are a few more before the end of the year so lots of interesting fixtures as for the Burnley game postponed due to adverse weather conditions 4inches of snow in and around Turf Moor.
2-1 for city on Tuesday Howe to continue his losing run
The application shown by the team gives everyone a lift. The same players but such a marked difference in performance. If only Farke had got the same out of them we would now be well above the relegation zone. It will be a good test on Tuesday with a positive outcome, in my opinion. I can see us rattling in a couple of goals, winning 2-1.
So many great individual performances came together yesterday, we are getting back to business again, lets have more of it please!
We defended like demons, we demanded control of the ball in midfield then we attacked like demons. We were very unlucky not to get three points, another day we’ll win with less opportunities.
The team has shown they have the quality to compete and survive in the Premiership. I hope they prove it again on Tuesday against the Magpies, and follow that by climbing out of the bottom three soon after – and staying up which we are more than capable of doing!
Cheers,
COYY !!