Hhmm.
Traditional footballing convention tells us we should be happy with that.
A point away from home against the side who were third, just two points and one place below us, sounds fine. So too the fact the league leaders lost at home, which means we’re now level on points with them and only second on goal difference.
What’s not to like?
Well, on the face of it, nothing, especially if you’re able to ignore the fact it was a performance largely devoid of joy, inspiration, and guile.
But it was… devoid of all of those things.
Despite digging in, putting bodies on the line, and doing the ugly stuff well – all of the things we lauded them for on Saturday – by no stretch of the imagination could that be deemed a good performance.
One shot on goal.
Some credit of course must go to Reading who, I guess, did a number on us, and by using Andy Carroll as a 6’6″, immobile lynchpin they caused us problems.
Any side with Paul Ince and Alex Rae snarling and prowling in their technical area is going to be combative and feisty, and sure enough… And, on that note, during the latter stages of last night’s first half, there were ominous signs of us being bullied again – an issue we hoped was a thing of the past.
The stars of the show were again those who travelled, with the Madjeski (as I’ll always know it) rocking to the beat of a drummer in yellow and green. They were non-stop all evening and via the prism of Sky Arena, it sounded like a great atmosphere – one unbecoming of the fare on offer.
Incidentally, I concur with those who point out that away performances like last night’s are the bedrock upon which promotion charges are built, but that assumes that between the performances of grit and determination there are also some of fluency and class.
For now, that second element is missing. Every performance is stodgy. All shade, no light.
As ever, the big question is whether we can sustain this level of performance while still picking up results, or whether, with some very big games incoming, the lack of quality will eventually be matched with a lack of points.
But there’s a little more to it than that. It is nice to be entertained occasionally.
It’s football, so we don’t expect it to happen all the time – it’s not like going to a gig or the theatre – but part of football’s allure is the hope that you’re going to see a good game; that belief your team is going to play some good stuff; that they’ll get you on the edge of your seat; that you’ll come away buzzing and with talking points aplenty.
But, right now, none of those things are happening. We’re picking up points but it’s pretty joyless.
That Dean Smith knows and acknowledges this is a good start, but it’s down to him and Craig Shakespeare to find a formula that will at least sometimes entertain us as we collect those points.
A worse scenario would, of course, be playing poorly and not winning or drawing – so let’s not appear too ungrateful – but on paper this squad is capable of more than its delivering on the entertainment scale.
It does however lack an X factor. There is no Emi Buendia type to find that killer pass that so often got us out of jail in games that looked as if they were drifting away. We hope that Marcelino Nuñez will become that man, but he’s not there yet and, in fact, had a poor one last night.
He wasn’t alone though. I’ll not name names but there was one central midfielder last night that wasn’t Nuñez or Liam Gibbs who found more advertising hoardings than he did City players.
And the fact that two of the front three got hooked says a lot about their night, and if the third member had suffered the same fate no-one would have blinked an eyelid.
While it’s clear Smith feels the need to play Josh Sargent due to that purple patch he had in front of goal, it’s equally clear that him playing as a right-sided attacker is never going to work. Maybe now’s the time to bite the bullet and make a straight choice between him and Teemu Pukki (it’ll be Pukki) and play someone on that right side more naturally suited to the role.
But, amidst the ponderous sideways passing and laboured build-up, there was a 19-year-old who shone.
No one would have been able to tell Liam Gibbs hadn’t kicked a ball in anger for 37 days. In a midfield that was crowded and, at times, frantic, he more than held his own both with and without the ball and appeared to get stronger as the game went on.
We haven’t half missed his ability to take the ball under pressure and make a pass. We just need those more experienced heads arounds him to latch onto that same principle.
But, all said and done, we took a point from the side with the best home form in the league and, regardless of how it was achieved, we still remain in a good place.
Let’s not lose sight of that.
Yep, not a great performance but another point and no team has more of those than us.
I’m not too downbeat with the performances. They’re not silky smooth but have their moments. Dean Smith said just before the unbeaten run started that we were becoming hard to beat (people laughed) and it’s important that we stay that way. As you suggest, it would be nice to have some gold with the grit.
I thought many of the players just looked knackered last night, perhaps a day or 2 rest might be useful.
We should be concentrating on improvement before promotion. I get the impression that there has been a fall out between Smith and Pukki, that was an early sub for two players who can change the game in an instant.
I would not say that myself, Think he was right to make that change. Pukki had not been in it that much Sargent likes playing the centre role. no biggie for me
Pukki went down the tunnel as soon as he was subbed….precautionary perhaps rather than a fallout with the Gaffer ????
You’re right Gary we are not a good watch and it’s because we lack style.
Byram is a good right back and not a bad centre half but he’s no left back.
We need one of the injured back soon to play in that position.
We also need to play both backs as wing backs in order to give us some width.
I’m sure Pukki would get better service playing off Sargent down the middle. At the moment one is out of position and the other looks fed up with a complete lack of service. If things don’t change I wouldn’t be surprised to see Pukki make a big push to leave in January.
If we can get Hayden on the field I’m sure Gibbs can provide the creativity everybody craves for. He’s certainly up there with any nineteen year old who’s put on a Norwich shirt.
Kenny provides no end of endeavour but lacks finesse. Dowell and Sinani don’t seem to fill anybody with hope when they come on.
Overall it’s still difficult to detect any method in our play apart from wandering around interspersed with the odd desperate block.
No wonder new players are finding it difficult to settle in with the exception of Gibbs.
There isn’t much really to say about identity other than the shirts, the format looks random, make it up as we go. Have seen us play much much better and get beat. Still the points are piling up.
Just sit back and wait for something to really click .
It’s a weird one when your team are top of the pops or just about but you are underwhelmed and disenchanted by their performances. Not sure if Hayden and a returning left back back would help bring more excitement back but let’s hope so. Would like to see our tactics change for Max A to bomb forward more often but can’t see that coming soon. As a fan of 50 years + I can’t recall a past year like this. We could be say 6 points worse off because Smith opted for exciting football which left us more open at the back and the natives wouldn’t be particularly happy then either.
Onwards to Preston, let’s hope we click and score 3 !
Nicely summed up Gary, the word ‘joyless’ says it all really and I entirely concur with the comments of JohnF.
I think we may well be in for another fun packed afternoon on Saturday because I’ve just heard the Sky commentator mention that Preston have kept nine clean sheets this season.
Oh how we would have longed for results like this under Hamilton, Rioch or the rodent a hard ernt point away from home at third in the table.
Instead everybody is moaning because we didn’t play open expansive football and win 5 nil.
Norwich supporters need to look at the bigger picture 90% of the club in the lower leagues would give everything to be us.
I’d take a 1 nil over 3 nil defeat any day of the week!! Ask arsenal supporters from years ago before they won every trophy going
When I first watched City we were glad to be in division 2 and hoped to play one of the big clubs in the cup.
Fortunately since those days the club has improved and along with (and I might say driving) that improvement is greater expectations from supporters.
I think it healthy for fans to demand more from the club as it keeps everybody on their toes.
As soon as you accept second best you will become second best!
How is 9 undefeated in the hardest league in the world accepting second best?
Seen it all in the 47 years I have resided ar NR1 just feel 90% of fans are being very unfair on Smith
I cannot help but feel this is just a phase to get a job done – DS is using the players he has rather than who he wants and if the current playing staff are not good enough to get points and provide entertainment, then he is settling on getting the points (and why would he choose otherwise as this is what is ultimately measured) – Our squad was too big and a number were earmarked to leave over the summer, only to end up going out on loan when no buyers came forward. If buyers had of come forward, I am sure DS would have used the funds to pick up another player or two to slot into his jigsaw. As it is, he is having to make do with some players who would otherwise not be his first choice.
If we stay in the Championship, then I am sure next season will see a few extra additions to the playing staff and the entertainment will be more consistently provided. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on your stance; as we keep picking up points, promotion is a very likely prospect and if we are successful, we will need more than a few new additions just to try and compete in the PL … and entertainment will again be 2nd on the agenda, this time behind playing for points just to try to survive.
Unfortunately watching Norwich is joyless – no pattern of play, slow ponderous build up and mostly little or no threat. Yet…….. we are joint top, only lost 2 games (to poor opponents) and absolutely in the mix as things stand. We badly lack a real defensive midfielder (KM is just not that man and never will be) and creativity and pace. Add these and we stand a chance of promotion – even more than this dour team has now
Like you Gary I despair at the offerings under Smith,- I can’t stand the man or his style of coaching and that seems to be showing up in some of the players- getting the points is one thing, pleasing the punters is another and I can’t see much is going to change going forward. I was a season ticket holder from 1957 until I migrated to Australia in 1977, and I’ve followed them along with my Norfolk friends out here very closely ever since, through the EDP, the Pink UN ( that I subscribe too) and various forums such as MFW and of course most of their matches on TV and I’ve never before sensed the kind of apathy amongst the fans as at present, and I feel for them, I’ve never felt so dejected myself as these past two seasons. During the canaries premier forays we could pick and choose any match we wanted to view live, and in the past most of City’s Championship games UNTIL now!! the first few games at the start of the season were televised but of late nothing, and why? the general consensus amongst us here is that quite simply they are not worth watching, ain’t that a fact, and SKY-BET want subscribers not viewers turning their sets off, nobody wants to watch the kind of football being dished up, especially after last season. On another point if the supporters are hanging their hats on an injection of serious funds from this new club directer Attanasio then I feel they are going to be sadly disappointed, he’s made from the same mould as the cook and Mr Mague I’ve researched him as I know you have Gary and what I’ve learned is he runs his club much the same as our club is run, the fans are always moaning about the lack of investment, and I might add they are non to happy about his investment in Norwich City. Who knows what his long term aim is with Norwich, if he has one, but it wont be anything other than more of the same,it doesn’t paint a very good picture for me, sadly.