Okay, so it wasn’t the pitiful no-show of Man City or Chelsea proportions, but there was still a horrible inevitability around what unfolded at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium yesterday. An inevitability borne of simply not being quite good enough; of not having enough top-level quality when top-level quality is needed.
This was the Norwich City of a pre-Project Restart vintage – the one that passes the ball quite nicely, works it through the thirds quite fluently for the most part but chokes in the final third. The one that defends reasonably well for 85 minutes but is guaranteed to cough up at least a couple of more-than-presentable chances.
It’s also the Norwich City that doesn’t contain the type of something-out-of-nothing magic as conjured up by Lucas Moura.
But for all their fine plumage, puffed-out chests and swanky surroundings, Spurs are way off the level of the two aforementioned Euro Super League wannabees or Liverpool. Not even close.
Those three were able to stifle us to the extent we could barely breathe. Spurs weren’t good enough to do that – we had more of the ball for God’s sake – and aside from two moments of quality plus one fortunate break, were fairly underwhelming.
Nothing special. But were comfortable winners.
And right there is the gulf in quality that Dean Smith has to work with. I didn’t see Tottenham (a) as one of those games of the bonus variety, where a point or three would be an unexpected but pleasant surprise. I thought we could get something. So too it seems did Smith.
And I’m not sure I go along with the ‘Tottenham (a) won’t be the type of game that defines our season’ adage. When you have just 10 points from 15 games and are bottom of the league, every point counts. A point squirreled away from north London could be the difference between staying up and going down.
If there even is such a thing as a free hit, they certainly don’t come against fairly ordinary sides who have lost five of their 14 games; an ordinary side that permitted us three perfectly presentable chances – none of which we were good enough to take.
If Teemu Pukki had buried that early chance…
If Adam Idah had hit the target instead of miscuing the bloody thing wide…
And while Josh Sargent’s late miss wouldn’t have changed the outcome, it was of an ilk that normally at least brings a save out of the keeper at this level.
Had any of those three chances have fallen to Spurs’ front three, they’d have been buried.
The ever-reliable @ncfcnumbers (aka Steve Sanders) nailed it as per:
No one needs to be PhD student of the game to see that a conversion rate of that kind is going to land you in big trouble. Ditto when, as a result, you have scored just eight goals in those 15 games.
The goalscoring burden that falls on the shoulders of Pukki has long been too great but becomes ever more acute when we’re in the Premier League. Even more so when those whose job it is to challenge him for a place in the team are currently armed with banjos and are standing in front a of cow’s derriere.
For all of the neat passing and possession, not one iota of it matters if we are going to cough up really good chances when they come our way. And while yesterday’s spotlight naturally fell on our three strikers, it was another day when those tasked with arriving late from midfield and getting on the end of something failed miserably to do so.
While the arrival of Smith and Shakespeare has given the place a lift and has offered some hope of survival when it felt like those in the inner sanctum had already accepted our fate, the failings of old are never far away.
While in the Villa hotseat and while in desperate need of a goalscorer in the January window, Dean Smith would only have had to talk nicely to Christian Purslow, and voila…
Not so here. Not a chance. Reliable goalscorers come at a premium on any given day, but in January they’re priceless. You need gold to be able to afford one.
We don’t have any gold.
Yet, despite it all, and despite our rotten goal difference, we’re on the same number of points as Burnley and Newcastle and only three behind Watford.
As deflated as we all feel this morning, we really are back in the mix courtesy of that four-game run.
But too many more of these what-if afternoons, and we all know what happens.
I cannot really say that our performance was good yesterday. Ok we came out with a good score line but if it was not for Lloris we would have been 2 down at the break. We had no grit especially in our defence and our midfield lake another player. Mora showed that he is the best player on the field.
Do not comment about Spurs as you know sweet fa about our situation you could have had the ball for 24 hrs & still not scored, if we are nothing special does not reflect to well on your losers.
Wow… will make a mental note to never ever pass judgement on our opponents in future 😉 Cheers for your input.
(Yes, we, by definition, are losers)
A tad on the harsh-side Spurs4life?! Purely as an observation I don’t think anybody who was watching the game yesterday could fail to notice that this current Spurs team doesn’t look a patch on the Spurs side of a couple of years ago which is a real shame. However, hopefully with a new manager, all will improve at Spurs soon.
In terms of the game, 3-0 did flatter Spurs as for the large part I thought it was fairly even. The difference between the two teams were Spurs having that extra bit of quality (and good fortune at times) to take key opportunities and Norwich not. Norwich had 2 or 3 really good chances and even if only one had been taken could have altered the complexion of the game. The worry for Norwich is the big lack of firepower up front to compliment Pukki – Idah just looks short in terms of saviness and confidence at this level, and Sargent for all his hard work and effort just seems to lack the first touch and composure. A recall for Hugill in January maybe?
OTBC
p.s. good write-up Gary!
Why wait till January, Notts John?
Hugill apparently became a victim of the West Brom boo-boys early on in his time there, so we have every justification to bring him back early,
Teemu Pukki might well find it easier to work with Hugill, and the fact that we already own Hugill might well make it easy for him to re-settle here.
COYY !!
I may be wrong, but under player registration rules I don’t think we could recall Hugill and play him before the start of the next transfer window because he is registered to play for WBA…
But I agree, I think adding Hugill back into the mix and playing him alongside Pukki could add a bit of extra bite up front.
Apologies for the rant . We know we are a million miles away from City Liverpool & Chelsea, just hurts to hear it from other supporters .
Ha! That’s okay, mate. We’ve all been there. We get super precious when TalkSPORT have a pop at us, which is almost every day 🙂
Crying Shame Spurs4life that you didn’t win the EPL under Pochettino. Certainly deserved too.
The Spurs side that beat us 3-0 in 2016 is one of the best sides I have ever seen live.
I find it surprising that hardly any Spurs supporter mentions losing Mousa Dembele as a turning point in their attempt to win the EPL under Poch.
Spurs are my second team and we were in London for my 40th birthday on April 25th 1998 and we went to Tottenham V Newcastle and Spurs were deserving winners 2-0 goals by Les Ferdinand and Jurgen Klinsmann.
As for us Gary it was like another away game like as you say, pre Project Restart. Plenty of possession but toothless. And bad defending, Sorry Ben.
The attacking stats you quote are woeful, 9 goals from 246 shots !!!! The “funny” thing is that last seasons romp to the Championship we were top in just about every stat, but 20th or near that with shot conversion halfway through the season.
I haven’t seen updated stats for last year, but it seems the recruitment up front in the summer hasn’t helped us too much.
On a positive note I do think Dean Smith is an excellent manager and with his coaching pal Shakey I do feel the future is far better than it looks at present.
If the worse does happen and we get relegated I do feel that while it won’t be another Farke style procession to the Championship title I do see us being competitive next season. These players are not all awful just not good enough or ready for the EPL and in Smith I think we have someone who can mould a very good Championship side.
Ouch!!! That’s a bit harsh considering that anyone can pick up bits of info on any team in the “greatest league in the world” from almost limitless sources.
The current Spurs team at the same level as Chelsea; Man City, and Liverpool?? If you are certain of that, can I have some of what you’re taking??
O T B C
There’s not much to add Gary, I think we all knew that without rashica and Normann this would be a tough assignment.
Pukki has to score the early chance, once squandered the writing was on the wall. Poor defending accounted for the rest of the scoring, with the return of that old favourite, the concession from a corner.
Stuart Webber has some serious questions to,answer with regard to the summer transfer business he conducted. While I appreciate his hands are somewhat tied by our unique circumstances viz a viz the “model” he appears to have, what’s the phrase he used? “Pissed the money up a wall” . His early criticism of David mcnally never sat right and now it can be justifiably levelled in his direction.
When quality was needed, in the right areas, we got quantity, mostly in the wrong areas. The practice of buying young unproven players solely with a view to their resale value in two or three years is a bi-product of the accursed self funding mantra that we are forced to,adhere to. How I hate it.
One doesn’t need the benefit of hindsight to ask why the hell the buendia money wasn’t spent in a manner which would have benefitted the side this season.
I can see gilmour making his way back to London in January, in order to make room for a more sensible loan signing. The prospect of any incoming permanent signings has been quashed by Webber’s comments. Did dean smith really agree to join without first discussing his room for transfer manoeuvre?
So it’s Webber’s fault that by your own admission “Pukki has to score the early chance”. And it’s Webber’s fault that “poor defending accounted for the rest of the scoring”.
There is merit in the argument that we should have bought fewer players of better quality – which particular players should we have bought? Given that you admit that you don’t need hindsight on this, presumably you have a list to hand and are fully aware of what their personal wage demands might be?
Please share.
Dry your eyes. I have a list but I’m not sharing it on here with you.
You did have 3 very good chances but you failed to mention the chances Spurs had and only mentioned the goals we scored. Spurs had a higher xG than Norwich.
You deserved the win, mate. Not disagreeing. We could still be there now are we’d still have nil.
I have to say Farke made a huge mistake with Idah, he should have gone out on loan last season. Instead of sitting twiddling his thumbs on the bench. Gaining experience and first-team games.
To me, the lack of time has had a very detrimental effect on him. He doesn’t look like a striker to me at the minute, a good half-season in the championship may work wonders. I think Hugill may offer a tad more than Idah does at the moment.
Not buying another striker is showing what a mistake happened Sargent may have been good in the German league, but does look lacking, he looks a reasonable attacking midfielder to me. Soto has gone on loan although I have heard whispers he may not be returned. In the dept, we are lacking and it is showing. Just one of those chances netted yesterday and it would have been a different game.
As for talking about Spurs, when was that outlawed, I have 3 members in In-laws who are season ticket holders, they say that Spurs were no great shakes, while we are the losers yesterday 3 nil flatters a little according to in-laws.
Spurs are nowhere near what they could be with the players they have, plus the coffers clearly great than ours, to increase the talent, So who is underperforming out of the two teams ?
Well, that was game which also Norwich could have won 3-0. Very even game, both had 3 obvious scoring chances. Does someone really believe that Lucas Moura scores regularly goals like that? Its almost 1 year when he scored goal last time. Ball bounced to Spurs, thats football. It didnt bounce to them when they lost slovenian mid table club Mura 1-0. Funnily there was no hype that every team in world should try to get Muras coach. It all depends who wins and loose in media and basically which they are from or represent.
Norwich should have scored 3. No it shouldnt, phrase should have scored is nonsense if its used when scoring chance is less than 80% scoring chance. Overall Norwich should have scored 1, Tottenham should have scored 1. So 1-1 would have been fair result.
In Norwich 1st scoring chance Teemu should have shooted better, for some reason shoot was too weak so Lloris were able to save it. Good creating for that scoring chance and Idahs pass was fine, its been rare that final passes have been good. 2nd scoring chance Teemu decide to put ball in better situation, but Idahs leg is just slightly in wrong direction so ball goes wide. 3rd scoring chance Teemu makes brilliant individual effort and passes ball to Sargent to good scoring area, sargent has obvious technical weaknesses but his shoot to his own leg can be described as personal mental breakdown.
I remind that Harry Kane, striker who many british rate as best of world have scored only 1 premier league goal this season. He had also 1 good scoring chance when some reason Krul went too far from his goal, but Kanes effort was not near at all. Scoring goals is most difficult thing in football, its so much more difficult than anything else. Divorce between Norwich and Pukki is getting closer, depending what situation is in january maybe it would be wisest to let him leave. Marcus Forss? He is surely very unhappy to his situation in Brentford, he does not seem to fit to Brentford tactically but he is exactly goal scorer and his personality would never cause team spirit problems.
Slower playback speed gave more answers to your 3 scoring chances. In 1st Teemu actually does fine, its Lloris who makes scoring very difficult and there is 2 Spurs defenders also bothering. Only place where could have scored is left corner but its very difficult shot in that angle. In 2nd Teemu actually tries to get ball to right corner or at least close to that, there were 2 Norwich players Idah and Lees Melou. Lees Melou is in better position but of course you cant blame Idah for trying on his position. Problem is that Teemus kick is outside foot kick so there is spin and of course it bounce more in left which exactly happened. 3rd is only poor quality by Sargent.
So nothing really dramatic happened, just typical things in football. In next game Norwich luck can turn, still your this year fixtures does not look promising.
If the Ncfc board had any ambition or balls they should get Webber to tell them why he bought the bang average players he did.Sargent is nowhere near a championship player let alone an epl one,and for £8 million!Plm is another flop at the moment,although he cost alot less than Sargent.Tzolis looks like he might make the level required in a few years time,not alot of use to us at the moment then theres Gilmour,vastly overrated and only the Scots,chelsea supporters and most of the media think hes marvellous.Kabak is no better than Hanley or Gibson.Only Normann,Rashica and William’s look decent.So to me Webbers recruitment has been awful,not just this summer but ever since hes been at Ncfc,remember Watkins Franke and Husband anyone?No wonder Webber said his next job would be outside of football,who would want him!
Could also add Passlack,Srbeny and Marshall to Webber’s failed list!!
Well Gary we might be only 3points of Watford but can you see us getting more points out of next six games highly unlikely I would say there’s nothing Smith be able to do about it with what he has at his disposal . I can’t remember a more enimick front line in my 55yrs as a Norwich supporter just hard to raise any enthusiasm for this team anymore .
I think Webbo is a car boot man, buy enough and you might get a gem. Or maybe ‘eBay’, “that piece of furniture looks good”, and on arrival “oh no it’s for a dolls house.” He’ll not buy an answer at Xmas, S&S will have to find an answer on the training ground, any youngsters ready?
Everyone loves Pukki because of his record in the championship but at this level you cannot miss guilt edged chances like he had yesterday. Created I might add by good play between Aarons and IDAH with the latter supplying a perfect pass to Pukki. Idah is suffering from DF mismanagement giving him 3 minutes at the end of games. His so called chance yesterday came from a miss-hit Pukki shot which came at him too quickly to do anything other than stick a foot out. I agree he would benefit from a loan but we need him here at the moment and Pukki needs to improve his conversion rate for chances provided.
I watched the game on tv and was encouraged by much of the performance. A DF side would have probably served up another embarrassment. All is not lost this season yet.
Pukki is main reason why Norwich even has points in premier league. He has scored 62,5 % of Norwich goals, surely in your opinion he should score more than 90% but this is not fifa game or fantasy football. Look again that situation and you see that Lloris is top class goalkeeper which he is. Goalkeeping is very much positioning and he made it perfectly covering first most obvious shooting direction and moved little bit to cover more. Im also 100% sure that Teemu has scored more goals than he should have, his scoring chances have been so limited and you cant seriously ask anyone score every time he gets scoring chance. Comments like that prove fan desperation, but also lack of understanding the game.
Idah had scoring chance and its not that easy either to be able to find right direction. No one should blame him for that too much, but it was impossible pass to him easy ball and that he would have time to take ball first and then shoot. He surely has been forced to play national team games too early because Ireland lacks striker options. Norwich has not been wanting to buy more experience, so younger players are forced to play some minutes. To their personal improvement of course better solution would be more playing time somewhere else.
Hi 1×2,
I agree with much of what you say – you don’t have to rush to the defence of Teemu Pukki here, because he commands lots of respect at NCFC – we know fully what he is capable of doing for us.
I think what concerns NCFC fans, is we don’t currently have enough people around who can come into a game and get additional goals for us. Consequently Spurs were likely to be a tough ask – Dean Smith has already pinpointed that we need more players chipping in with goals.
Its heartening to see other players scoring, and we need another happening, experienced goal-scoring striker here so the match-day script can be tweaked to the team’s benefit..
Over the years Norwich were never scared to bring in an ‘old hand’ when necessary – Mick Channon and Martin Peters are two I can think of right now, I know there are others. Its not panicking, its adding an aggressive dimension to our game
I still think we’ll stay up!
No one doubts Pukki’s value in our promotion but it is fair to say he has missed too many this season. He certainly needs some support and we need goals from other departments. Idah is a raw talent but in my opinion he has been let down by the previous regime. I hope S & S will bring that talent to the fore.
This is such a ‘View from the River End’ report (with the greatest respect, Gary). Perhaps another perspective might be: Despite two of our most influential players being out, we played very well, lots of intention, we never gave up, looked threatening, much more cohesive under Smith, many players have stepped up their game and but for a) a screamer and a lucky goal from a corner for Spurs and b) a better day for our (admittedly not good enough) strikers, it would’ve been much closer.
We need to get away from this ‘here we go again’ mentality because under Smith apart from the Newcastle draw we look much more able to go toe-to-toe with teams, and points will come.
And let’s face it, under Farke that result yesterday would’ve been 5/6-0.
Unfortunately Webber is to blame for the transfers this season.
I can only suggest you look at the goal scoring history of the players we have bought in. With the exception of Rashica it is dismal. If you want to stay up in the Premier League goals have to come from midfield as well!
Tod Cantwell is the only experienced goal scoring midfielder and thanks to Farke is unfit.
I agree with other comments Idah should have been on loan in the championship instead of rotting on the bench to come on for 3 minutes at the end.
Teemu Pukki is a 1 in 4 chances striker and does need help but where it will come from who knows?
Time to recall Drmic who is ccurrently on 13 goals in 14 games this season and sits atop the Croatian top division (both as a club and league top goal scorer).
While I say that somewhat tongue in cheek, he has scored the same number of goals this season as Sargent did during his 72 game Bundesliga career. He’s also scored ten more goals this season than Idah has in his entire 39 game career.
When Drmic looks more capable than two thirds of our attacking lineup, you know something’s gone wrong.