If that wasn’t the footballing equivalent of a “perfect storm” I really don’t know what could top it and I’m not simply talking about the inclement weather over the weekend either.
We put up a decent show against the mighty Liverpool and even had the sheer effrontery to score first courtesy of Milot Rashica’s first-ever Premier League goal but as has been said before that only served to annoy the opposition who responded in quite some style, let’s face it.
Sure we gave the mighty Reds a bit of a scare – for around an hour in fact. But then the inevitable came to pass as we were hit by two pretty decent goals within three minutes and a sublime third followed 10 minutes later which meant No Way Back.
The boy Jurgen knows what he’s doing with his subs as he proved in Milan on Wednesday and again at Anfield on Saturday. The introduction of Divock Origi and particularly Thiago Silva was a bit of a game-changer as the latter got a stranglehold on midfield and, frankly, started to run the show.
Dean Smith presented a bit of stiff upper lip afterwards, saying:
“I’m really proud of the team in terms of what they’re giving at the moment. They’re learning all the time.
“I was disappointed last week with the goals we conceded against Man City, and we needed to step up and learn from those mistakes. I thought we did that today.
“I thought we looked a threat, we had a goal disallowed in the first minute. We started the second half really well and took a deserved lead at the time.
“Ultimately, we’re up against one of the top teams in the world and their front three are the ones who have taken the game away from us today.”
Rashica added: “I am very happy but I would have been happier if we had collected something from the game because it was really possible. We just need to stay together and work all together, because we have some very important games coming up.”
I often pick a random comment from my post-match inbox and this time it’s from MFW regular Bernie Owen, who must have been in bullish mood when he declared: “Seven points behind Brentford with a game in hand over them? Game on.”
Maybe Bernie, maybe.
The stats read as follows [Liverpool first of course]: Possession: 69%-31%; shots: 26-6; shots on target: 8-1. Make of that what you will. Regular MFW readers will know that I put very little store by statistics. Even the BBC were pretty gracious in their appraisal of our efforts [Final Score more so than MotD] and that has to be something of an unexpected bonus.
So where am I coming from with this “perfect storm” line then?
No big surprise, it’s the impact of results elsewhere on Saturday of course.
The early kick-off gave us West Ham United 1, Newcastle United 1. What followed was worse as in Brighton 0, Burnley 3. And it was all topped off with Aston Villa 0, Watford 1.
So guess who’s bottom of the Premier League once more? Nobody needs me to spell it out.
But giving Liverpool a good game at Anfield and making them work very, very hard for their win is absolutely no disgrace and I’m not raising the white flag just yet. We won’t be facing that level of quality every week. Actually, we will next week, courtesy of the FA Cup tie at Anfield for our fourth meeting of the season with the Reds.
I’ll see you good readers with the preview for that one although there is the small matter of Southampton [a] this Friday night first.
As for the many hardy souls who made the long storm-battered trip on Saturday, I salute you.
This little diamond from Ritchie Blackmore’s final appearance with Deep Purple really couldn’t be more appropriate. Enjoy.
Morning Mr P, another good write up. It is the teams around us and just above we need the points from, I do not worry about those at the top, it always comes across as it is their league to do with what they wish. And they do.
I could have not bothered too much about the Burnley result had it been a scrappy one-nil, but 3-0 at the seaside did cause more concern than normal. Uncle Wroy getting a lucky win, dominated but held on, Frank is still sorting his stuff out. So not reading too much into that. Toon, half-decent result but West ham are on a sticky run, it is just our luck to have played them when they were flying But Toon has a little run of 3 games that really look a lot easier for them. (Brentford, Brighton and Southampton) I know they have to win them but at the moment I would not bet again them.
The gap has quickly turned to 5 points to the safety line, it is starting to look a lot more difficult, we need another little run. If we are to go down, we are showing some fight, more than the last time. Make me wonder if Farke had been shown the door after seeing how his results were going, but then Smith would not have been available. We have what we have, so no changing that now.
I suggested on Gary’s thread about cashing in on Max, and trying to get Normann to stay, we have Byram who in my view is a better defender, also Giannoulis, Mumbia, & McCallum on the books, should be more than enough to handle Championship. Although as Gary said, Normann probably has his eyes set on the premier, has he shown enough for would-be suitors?
To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
Andy Williams not my style at all, but me Mum loved him
Hi Lad
It’s never the best situation having to worry about teams around us but if you’re not a mid table side I guess it’s kind of inevitable.
I think if we go down Normann is back to Rostov and Kabak reverts to Schalke. We certainly couldn’t afford either if we were relegated and I’m not so sure they would fancy Championship football amyway myself.
Along with Williams and Normann all we can ask is that they put everything in while they still remain with us and I haven’t seen any of this particular loan intake doing anything other than that although injuries have hardly helped the first two.
The best version of *The Impossible Dream* I have ever heard is by Alex Harvey 🙂
Cheers
Hi Martin
By all accounts both Rostov and Shalka are screaming out for both deals to be made permanent and were open to negotiations in the last window as neither club wants them back for financial reasons so again our operating model let’s us down again
Trouble is we’ll get easily outbid for both of them if they become available on the open market. I like Normann but haven’t seen enough of Kabak to make my mind up.
He was certainly made very welcome by Klopp & Co on Saturday.
13 games left in which, to stay up, we need more points than we’ve taken from the first 25. Mission (very) Improbable but not quite impossible. I am at least sure that the team will be seen to battle for every point available.
Southampton look very good on their day; let’s hope Friday is not their day!
Hi Don
We are battling, far more than in the Project Restart season anyway.
Southampton looked very impressive at the weekend I must admit. Gulp!
Cheers
Good morning Martin and as Gary said yesterday, Saturday was the alcohol free Carlsberg!! At least we put up a good fight for an hour and if Pukki could get his ‘radar’ fixed ………
I thought Villa’s defence on Saturday was woeful and ManUre’s wasn’t much better. Can Big Sam turn Watford’s fortunes around – they certainly played well at Villa Park.
It was always going to be a tough could of Saturdays and so it has proved. I’d love to see us get something from our game on Friday, but our real battles are with Burnley, Newcastle and Brentford. Dare I whisper it, but the mighty Leeds are on the horizon as well.
IMO, we are no longer ‘nailed on’ certainties to go straight back down and Dion thinks so too.
It’s good to see Gunn stepping up and making some decent saves, especially against a strike force as potent as LiVARpool’s.
Hi Ed
Good point about Angus. He has done really well although looked a bit silly when Salah put him on his ar$e – but what was he expected to do in that situation?
I get the reference to Roy Hodgson – Allardyce would laugh at that if he ever read it!
Cheers
If we are honest it does look a bit of a pipe dream from here. The new recruits are just not premier quality and, at risk of some criticism from others, nor does Pukki at the moment. He doesn’t seem to be at it at the moment.
Defensively we have improved 100% but lack the creativity and finishing to get the goals we need. I can’t see Gillmore challenging for a place at Chelsea anytime soon.
Hopefully we will continue the form and at least make a fight of it.
Hi Cyprus
Elsewhere today some pundit is suggesting Lampard is already looking at Gilmour or Connor Gallagher [loaned to Palace] for Everton next season.
As our Finnish friend 1×2 said on Gary’s article yesterday, Pukki seemed perturbed when he had that chance against Allison and put it wide. The Pukki of last season would have buried it but I think the simple truth is that we’ve flogged the guy to death largely because we literally have nobody good enough to give him a break.
Cheers
I think Norman and Rachica make a mockery of that statement. Williams is starting to convince me too. The others and I include Tzolis in this may need more time than this season affords.
I kind of agree on Pukki though, he seems to be struggling, first in a struggling side under Farke that was designed in part to set up his preferred type of chances and now in a better Smith team that maybe isn’t set up so accommodatingly. We desperately need him to start firing and that dragged chance against LiVARpoo was the type he can and should be gobbling up. We know he has the quality, hopefully a goal vs Southampton can put him on a run.
Like you I’m not convinced by Gilmour, but as long as S&S are seeing him as the best available option he and they have my support and I hope he starts to show more of that quality that seems so evident when pulling on his Scotland shirt.
Many reports over the weekend have suggested that Gilmour is good when in possession but lacks the ability to win a tackle and is much to lightweight when on the ball as he is so easily pushed of it one pundit says that he needs a minder to protect him and city can’t do that
I have no idea how Gilmour would fit into the current Chelsea side right now – he’s one for Thomas Tuchel to run the rule over in the summer.
Hi MoO
Pukki was in his element when he had Emi more or less in tandem with him and has struggled a bit this season since the latter’s departure for the greener pastures of Birmingham – touch of irony there, of course.
I’ve more or less been consistently pleased with Brandon Williams.
We’ll have to enjoy him for the season he is here which is a bit like I feel about Olly Skipp. But I have noticed he’s not playing too much at Spurs right now under Conte. I’m not talking anything up. I know we could never afford him.
Cheers
Is just me who thinks ‘if Carlsberg did weekends’ this would be exactly as they’d pan out? Nasty horrible rats wee, not even a goodun in Lager terms!
Another encouraging performance that whilst yielding an all to expected result still offers hope.
I think we will get relegated, but with pride intact and no little hope that we can again have a good season in the Championship.
S&S look a canny pair and once again Webber is smelling of roses. As others have said his recruitment is not looking so poor as people were vilifying him for, with a little more luck on injuries I believe this squad was/is capable of staying up. Before everyone shouts ‘defensive midfielder’! yes things could have been better but I choose to believe that Webber knew this also, but could not get the right player and so had to make do with in the straight jacket of self funding.
Hi again MoO
Yeah we’ll keep a level of pride, much regained already after our dreadful start to the season of course. Dean Smith is no Farke-like cavalier.
Self funding is slowly strangling us but that’s another topic for another day.
As for your lager comment, in the days before PC we’d always deprecatingly call it *Girlsberg* as you could have three pints of it and drive home legally where as any more than a pint and a half of Stella or Kroney could put you in trouble with the breath bag.
Cheers [hic!]
Hi Martin
A good read in an extremely windy Blackpool, Fleetwood game tomorrow V Sheff Wed postponed due to stadium damage no surprises in that.
Every swinging Richard on TV has skipped over the blant Allison hand ball outside his area and yesterday MD says it’s his assistant that should have alerted the Ref to it surely it’s the Ref responsibility to follow the flight of the ball and watch for any fouls.
What’s done is done and poor refereeing or giving the advantage to a richer and a top six team is the new norm so should teams like city and the other 13 in this league suck it up or pressure the PGMO to start hitting these Ref’s that are more interested in the top clubs winning than controlling the games with the rules provided.
Rugby have less incidents of discent that football as the players except harassing officials is the sin bin or sent off, an independent timekeeper makes sure the full 80mins and extra time is adhered too a captain can challenge a decision and all referred incidents are on the big screen for all to see and the Ref is miked up so the crowd knows what’s going on it would also stop players verbal abuse as it could be an open circuit no secrets as now.
City are fighting which is good to see but DS&SS are playing the party line every one knows the team needed someone to score goals and help Pukki so I will say again this 9wnership model doesn’t work in this league and not in the championship for more than one season or while the parachute payments last a deaf,dumb and blind man can see that why can’t are owners are the rest of the board too scared to voice their own opinions or happy to tow the line hoping that they are safe from the blame and Brown stuff
Hi Alex
As for the refereeing that really needs a comment from a fully qualified guy like our very own Mick D [see Gary’s article yesterday] but in the interim I’ll say that the assistant referees are there for a reason and on this occasion one of them clearly was negligent.
I know assistants get good retainers, match fees and allowances but I would not do that job in ten million years. I don’t feel sorry for them in an individual capacity but certainly do for the lifestyle choice they have made collectively 🙂
We’re likely to be big fish, small pond next season so let’s see what happens then.
Cheers mate
Alisson is so difficult goalkeeper to beat especially in that situation what Teemu had, but part of it is 100% sure mental. So many good goalscorers fails when they go head to head against him.
Norwich create so few scoring chances that its very difficult for striker. A lot tells that Teemu has also created most scoring chances and made most key passes.
Even it sounds harsh, Norwich must open new page next season. I believe that when/if Norwich relegation has basically secured, you will not see Teemu in your starting lineup. That indicates start of new era for Norwich and like I have said Teemu also needs new project to stay hungry as a player. National team has been very important to him in last years, we dont need unmotivated players either. Im honestly worried about his body language now, yes he do basics but does not seem to enjoy. He has history of been like that. Before Liverpool game started McLean tried to cheer him up little bit, but he was in his own world and didnt look as part of team.
Hi 1×2
Funny that – NCFC Official put out lots of pictures of the players in training and Teemu always seems to have a smile on his face. But the output is heavily edited so what might be going on his mind I am not sure.
You and I have agreed before that this is likely to be his last season at Norwich.
He has the chance to get a two year contract somewhere else next season and I would imagine he goes with a huge blessing from everybody at NCFC.
We really couldn’t have asked for any more from him.
Kiitos