Before I start I should warn you I’m not as angry as some. If you’re looking for some Dean Smith-related rage look away now.
Yes it was disappointing, and yes we were profligate in front of goal and sloppy in defence, but those of a certain age have seen this a hundred times before. It’s football.
Yet those for whom Smith is the devil incarnate are fuming; incandescent with rage. Again.
For them, this was yet more evidence that Smith and Craig Shakespeare are *never* going to be the pairing to take our club forward.
They may be right, but this outcry every single time we fail to win or replicate the spirit of Barcelona 2015 is tiring. For me anyway.
For all the kamikaze defending and general malaise, it was a more entertaining afternoon than I’d anticipated. I’d prepped myself for a 0-0.
In the end, we got five goals, several pantomime villains, and an afternoon of something that was not remotely boring.
That we came out the wrong end was a gut-wrencher but was just further evidence of something we already knew – that in the Championship anybody can beat anybody.
And after writing 1000 words on Wednesday morning about the lack of entertainment so far this season, it’d be hypocritical of me to now bemoan the fact we didn’t win what was an incident-filled game.
Maybe it’s an age thing.
There were though, without question, plenty of things that went wrong yesterday afternoon and the analysis team will have a field day putting together a video of yesterday’s bloopers for Dean Smith’s delectation. In the Eighties, we’d have called it a video nasty.
Yet none of us could have foreseen that after what someone once famously called a blistering start from Norwich.
It really was.
Smith’s decision to re-jig the line-up to accommodate Teemu Pukki and Josh Sargent as a front two and Aaron Ramsey as a ’10’ appeared a good one as we ripped into Preston.
Sargent’s goal came from him drifting in from the left – an area he’d not have inhabited if he’d been wide right – and was further confirmation of his being infinitely more effective as a central striker.
At that point and for the 15 or so minutes that followed everything was tickety-boo.
The passing was accurate, the movement decisive, and the tempo high – just how we like it. Chances came and went and then, as the visitors gained a foothold in the game, that control dissipated.
And we never regained it.
The Preston equaliser, when it came, was not wholly unsurprising although it was a shock to see Robbie Brady hit such a pearler of a cross with his right foot! The less said about the marking in the box the better.
The start we made against a side that neither scores nor concedes many was perfect, but to allow PNE to gain that foothold and then score rendered it useless.
The rest of the first half was the type of fare to which we have become accustomed – passes going astray and there being a general lack of control. In the spells where we did have controlled possession, the laboured passing enabled Preston to defend comfortably.
To go from such a position of domination to struggling to make any headway was, as ever, puzzling.
PNE deserve credit of course, and no team turns up at Carrow Road with the intention of making it nice and cosy for City but, aside from that opening blitz, we continue to struggle to find a way of creating chances when armed with plenty of possession but faced with massed ranks of defenders.
The man to whom we want to turn for this creativity, Marcelino Nuñez, is currently experiencing the dip that many predicted after his flying start to his City career, and Aaron Ramsey, for all his promise, is yet to impose himself in that area of the field – at least consistently.
The second half was more of the same but with added defensive blunders.
Tim Krul’s pass to no one was what precipitated PNE’s second goal and their third, despite a wicked deflection, was a shot that found its way inside his near post – a definite no-no in the goalkeepers’ code of conduct.
In between, we huffed and puffed sufficiently to conjure up a nice equaliser from Gabriel Sara – who had a game of great promise – but it did feel like one of those afternoons where it was destined to go wrong.
With City in the ascendancy and level, it felt like it should have been one of those where we pushed on and grabbed a late winner, yet it still came as no surprise when Preston pipped us to it.
That we scored twice against the league’s meanest defence was, of course, good; that we conceded three against a team who’d scored just four before the game was obviously bad.
I guess City’s early goal brought Preston out and made for an infinitely more open game than anyone expected.
Typically, the blame for defeat has been laid solely at the door of Dean Smith but he’s not personally responsible for very presentable chances being missed or individual defensive and goalkeeping mistakes. The lack of general cohesion and fluidity are, however, in his and Shakespeare’s court.
But, for me at least, yesterday wasn’t the prelude to Armageddon many are predicting. It was our first defeat in ten; the football in the opening 20 minutes was the type of football we have been demanding, and Sara had his best outing so far in a City shirt.
If you want to be angry about it, that’s fine. If you want to demand the head coach’s head on a plate, that’s also fine.
But I’ll sit this one out.
Yesterday was a bit like one of those games where City contrive to overcome the odds a lose a game they should have won at a canter.
It’s clear that for some reason our players seem incapable of concentrating for ninety minutes.
In part I think this may be due to Dean Smith being too nice a guy to instil discipline in players. We often start well and then everybody goes there own merry way and we don’t appear to be organised.
I think Smith uses the subs well but I think there’s a general feeling that when Dowell and Sanini come on we’ve thrown in the towel. Surely we have some youngsters who could do as well and give us all a bit of hope for the future.
The one bright spot yesterday was Sara who started to look a quality player and injected much needed movement and energy to our pedestrian and all too predictable midfield.
I don’t know if others agree but Kenny seemed a more dangerous threat from left back than he did in midfield.
Perhaps it may also be time to give Gunn a game.
That’s just about how we saw it up our end. One thing that hasn’t been mentioned, (and this isn’t me groping for excuses) is the sun. I said to my neighbour in the first half, ‘I hope Krul has brought his sunhat’ but he hadn’t, and spent the whole second half either shading his eyes with one of his amply gloved hands, or half way up the pitch in the shade. As I say, not making excuses. But it was an exciting afternoon, as far away from the misery of last season as we can get and as you say, anyone can beat anyone in this league. Just ask Sheffield Utd.
A very well balanced and sensible article without the hysterical nonsense that often gets expounded after a performance like that
A good sensible article Gary. I enjoyed the game if not the result. It was entertaining with a much bigger goal threat this time against a well organised defence. Sadly the all too familiar defensive errors cost us. We all saw the errors so no point in focussing on them. I do feel that we have relied heavily on good performances from Gibbs, Nunez and Ramsey but unfortunately all of these were below par this time leaving our midfield a bit weak. I do like Sargent and Pukki up front together. They looked very good early on and still posed a threat in the latter stages. I also like Kenny in the left back position for the time being. Offers a much better balance across the defence.
Thanks again Gary, hope you are well.
Thanks, Graham. Hope you’re well ol’ friend.
Very good points, especially Kenny’s left-foot at left back making for a much better balance to the side. Smith needs to weigh up whether Byram’s extra solidity in defence is a price worth paying for sacrificing a left foot in a position that demands it.
All the best.
Yes good sensible article and although Smith leaves me a little flat he is who he is. Earlier in the season we were playing well and creating some good football particularly the Aarons, Sinani Dowell triumvirate down the right. Sarge was in his element in the striker role and Todd was looking to get back to his old self. Then a couple of injuries occurred and Pukki gets fit and we MUST play Ramsey! All of the good progress was then abandoned and we enter this period of inconsistency. The triumvirate is now consigned to a bit part role as subs and instead of building a group to open up sides who defend for their lives we revert to Sarge on the wing where he is ineffective and Pukki in the middle without a Buendia passing machine where he too is ineffective. Add to that the development of Ramsey for the benefit of AV and there is where we have gone wrong.
Well it was great until the Preston eqallizer that we went into our shell quicker then a Cromer crab for 30 mins yes one defeat in ten or one win in four which ever way you look at it my concern with the way we’re playing it could be no wins in next ten as alot of ds teams have done in past keep my fingers crossed doesn’t happen but wouldn’t be surprised 🤨
The trouble is that we knew this was coming. We’ve taken all our luck but this was more bad defending than bad luck. Preston were totally lost after the early goal but we can’t dominate the game for long enough periods. We don’t seem to have the spirit and togetherness that we’ve had in previous campaigns, too many are there just to do a job. McLean was good coming forward but imagine how good we would have looked with a proper left back.
Time for the bench Tim.
Yes Gary I’m one of those Dean Smith knockers you spent the first few Para’s of your article berating, and yes I agree with you in that this was yet again another poor show from Norwich a lack of cohesion and control, a disjointed defense and in general a poor performance, had we won I’d be feeling the same, after the first 15/20 minutes PNE settled and looked the better team and most likely winner. I wrote to your column last week that I don’t like Smith, he’s scruffy and sloven on the touch line almost always with his hands stuck deep in his pants giving a bad impression to the fans and TV viewers but also to his players, he looks lazy and at times his players play that way too. Our undefeated run had to end sometime but it ended because our luck ran out, we are lucky to be top of the Championship if there were any footy justice our opponents would have bagged more points than Norwich, and the next couple of games could well see us sitting mid table where I think we belong,- on performance that is, and that will be the fault of Mr Smith, he’s a poor coach Gary always has been he’s had a bit of luck here and there but that luck runs out at some point- ask his beloved Villa fans.
I agree 100% with this.
Gary, Footy players like us lesser people, make mistakes. Hopefully not too often, and if they’re outfield players it may not be too costly, team mates may be able to correct the problem. Not so with Goalkeepers! A Keeper makes a mistake and the chances are you’re a goal down. Krul made a couple of bloopers and Preston, all credit to them, score a couple more than they might otherwise have done. Time to throw Krul to one side? Not too sure about that, although Gunn would hopefully do a great job. Credit to Smudger he paired the Sarge and the Goat up front and gave Sara a decent run out, result two goals, nice one(two). The Mayor may, by default, have been placed in his best position and scored a perfectly good but disallowed equaliser. So let’s blame Krul, but for his errors would have been a great win, oh and a lucky Preston.
I do not see the issue this season as an entertainment v results issue. The issue to me, present all season so far, is the lack of control for large parts of games during which we give away chances. The difference yesterday is that Preston took their chances whereas others before them have failed. My concern, if this continues, is that this season will turn out to be a disappointment-to follow last seasons disaster.
The signs are already there. Due to chances given away, and clubs now taking them, over the last 4 games we have not, in total, outscored our opponents. Resulting in 5 points from 4. In the last 2 home games, not exactly top opposition, we have just one point. If we continue to give chances away at this rate, by the time of the World Cup – with some top opposition to come – it is likely we will only be on the fringe of the play-offs.
It may well be that an experienced defensive midfielder and a recovered left back will be the answer. Let’s hope Isaac Hayden can have a game or two before the break and play a full part in the new year – why we put all our eggs for this important DM role in the basket of an injured loanee I will never understand! If Hayden is not going to be the answer – he has not played football for a year – is it too much to ask for this issue to be addressed in the window?
Can’t disagree with your article Gary or the subsequent comments following you submitting it to the MFW site.
We should’ve been 3 up before Preston’s equaliser as was our dominance in the first 15-20 mins. Pukki’s miss in the first half was criminal….the second in front of the River End (old money) was equally as bad hence his hands on head reaction.
Think Sara needs a run in the team now…his fitness looks up to it and as much as I love Timmy, Timmy Krul, I think it’s time (We.ve got Angus) got a start with the mitts.
There’s always a mistake in him (Krul) and I’ve never been impressed with his ball distribution from the back, as was highlighted in PNE’s 2nd goal yesterday.
Smith can’t be chastised for striker misses and keeper errors….
Should’ve been game over before Preston were level.
With a tough run of (away) games coming up before the end of the month it was defo 3 points slipped through our fingers.
OTBC
Pick the bones out of that one. With no win in the last three games have the wheels come off at last?
The start, with Sargent looking unplayable was indeed blistering. His goal was sublime and reminiscent of his goal against Millwall. In truth, having found his feet I doubt there is a better centre forward in the division.
The sloppiness and lack of concentration and care which seeps into our game on a weekly basis caught hold and served to let a vastly inferior outfit take all three points.
Although it’s correct to say that Smith can’t legislate for stupid individual errors, he has had nearly a year to eradicate them on the training g pitch or root out the perpetrators.
It didn’t help that the most experienced players were amongst the biggest culprits Pukki and Krul were largely culpable for the slack play at both ends, although many of their colleagues also suffered brain farts.
The second goal in particular wouldn’t look out of place in a Sunday league fixture. Shameful.
The busy and skilful cameo by Sara gave a sliver of light in the darkness and he should be given the opportunity to build on it now.
Ramsay lasted just 57 minutes, 3 less than Tuesday night and his performance ensures that Smith will have questions to answer if he is selected on Saturday.
We are now desperate for a proper left back and central defensive midfielder as the lack of both is hurting us. Allied to Sargent playing down the middle and Sara starting instead of Aston Villa favoritism might prevent this dip bec0ming a slump. Mind, if it does become a slump the debate around Smith will grow whether people like it or not.
We don’t seem to have much structure to our play or control of a match for any reasonable length of time. Still feel like too many square pegs in round holes. Hopefully when/if Hayden eventually kicks a ball along with return of a left back specialist or McLean who’s better at left back leaving said Hayden, Gibbs and Sara/Nunez to control games for longer periods. Even a back three adding Gibson to above midfielder’s and two up front would give us that base especially away.. Here’s hoping we can come through this crucial spell reasonably unscathed and find some consistency in our overall play.
Looks an egalitarian league this year
We rejoice in being in a league where any team has a chance to beat another on their day, so I guess we have to put up with such results as Saturday’s. Maybe with the Steve Bruce sacking there might be an opening for Smith nearer home. Be careful what some of you wish for though. Keyboard warriors didn’t help Farke and many of us still regret that sacking. We could probably do worse than the current duo. They have a great deal of experience and success behind them. However, if we continue to fail against top half teams I think Webber and Co might get a bit edgy. I still feel recruitment has a lot to answer for and hope that moving forward Neil Adams will control that aspect and leave Webber building facilities and getting sponsors etc.
Agree totally Gary.
It wasn’t Smith or Shakey’s fault Teemu missed two sitters that he usually finishes superbly.
Nor was it their fault for Tim Krul’s “pass” to Max Gibbs, nor his lapse at practically pushing the ball into the net for Preston’s winner.
I might get flak here, but on chances this season there are not many games this season that we haven’t deserved to win. Performances perhaps not.
True Deano and Shakey can be held somewhat responsible for that awful second half. But it is the very same players who produced that scintillating opening 30 minutes who then played like Ipswich circa 2019 in the second half.
Those of us who have played amateur football at any level also know that missing guilt edged chances is the difference between winning and losing. And if you played centre forward like I did those games can still haunt you, West Point 0 Golden Sovereign 1 😂