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Post by empresstouch on Sept 26, 2021 15:51:24 GMT
As far as progress goes: what needed to happen, in the short-term at least, happened on Saturday afternoon at Goodison. Points back on the board, meaning the worst-case scenarios can still account for a top-half finish - however much we yearn for so much more.
“So far, so good” are of course, Jim Kerr lyrics from Simple Minds’ first top ten UK single Waterfront.
However, yesterday’s almost non-event of a football match could’ve been teamed with that great team’s 1986 double a-side single Ghostdancing.
The result was everything in the medium-term, as well as getting back on track immediately after that reality-check in the second city.
Whilst the match, played largely at pedestrian pace, owed much to a joke of a Norwich City club’s playing AND managerial personnel surrendering to relegation more-or-less already – and we’re only into the sixth weekend of Premier League action this season – there has to be concern that they were not put to the sword by a goals tally of (at the very least), four. Man City, Liverpool, United and even Chelski and Spurs will surely fancy giving this team a real hiding before the season’s out.
It only must be further evidence to Marcel Brands that, should Norwich have less than 10 points on the League table by January, then our club must act swiftly and professionally to get Max Aarons here – even if the sacrifice of a player has to be of greater value than JonJoe Kenny. Aarons was one of very few orange jerseys who actually looked as though he was embarrassed at just how easily we were able to pass the ball all over the pitch. We can only sympathise with those young East Anglian players who’ve worked very hard to get their club back into the Premier League twice in three years; only to have to be bystanders of this.
If by the time this article is published online, Norwich’s board have relieved their manager of his duties, or rumblings of directors taking matters into their own hands (by way of angry words yelled out in the dressing room), it shouldn’t be to anyone's surprise.
For us, there’s something we’ve missed badly, even though the points have steadily amounted.
Yerry Mina may not necessarily be the long-term answer to our club’s biggest weakness: charismatic leadership for players on the pitch, when the chips are down and pressure & intensity is high.
The Columbian DID however offer the team an extra dimension that all other team-mates on the Goodison pitch benefitted from hugely: the confidence and imagination to pass the ball in difficult circumstances. Ironic, that another Columbian having departed for a new, if very strange career move, should find the #1 reason his services were brought here, would find such composure restored by another.
Yes, this was quite literally the worst Premier League opposition you’ll likely ever find – at this standard of play in 2021.
But the evidence of doing exactly this: passing the ball, short or long, but with accuracy and speed, combined with some superb recipient ball control displayed too; our players’ fears of what may happen, should the attack break down early, were lifted.
Allan, a great game again, was not only in right places on the very few occasions Norwich did bother to try to attack, he also showed a side of his game that few praise: his running from deep and drawing defenders together with a superb first touch. It’s an unfortunate part of our game today that the slightest of contact in the penalty area and a sanction must be automatically authorised by a referee, but the fact was Norwich were giving us every invitation to attack and the inevitable would soon materialise.
Still, like Dominic Calvert-Lewin in west Yorkshire and West Sussex, a significant delay before the formality was confirmed, a penalty had to be converted against a World Cup quarter-finalist sub ‘keeper in Tim Krul. Andros Townsend dispatching the duties with great composure this time ‘round.
However, the pedestrian pace played the entire 1st-half remained. Benitez cannot ignore this, whether or not it was entirely his players’ fault. The game did remain very watchable for everyone - other than those investing heavily in East Anglian petrol.
Michael Keane, the only player to be struggling for form right now, is clearly needing a confidence boost and wouldn’t another great performance AND result at Old Trafford next Saturday lunchtime be that? For everyone else, the willingness to make intelligent runs, pass the ball as quickly as possible and make good use of it when it arrived, was very gratefully viewed by me, and I hope all of you too. With a greater rest time this past Summer off-season and a more spaced-out fixture list, there’s less reason to believe why those who enjoyed 70-90% possession last season against us WITHOUT winning, will fail again in 2021-22, unless we can compete WITH possession as much as without it. If DCL can be fit for Old Trafford, the performance of both teams will be a very, very interesting measure (given what happened there yesterday as well).
Despite an incredibly-refreshing blend of willingness and creativity displayed by our entire midfield and attacking pros, and another near-flawless display from a goalkeeper many will now only wish they’d handed £40m over not-so-long ago now, yesterday – enjoyed for what it meant and offered – was won by taking the game to the Canaries with possession. And that, to a very big extent, was down to the composure and assurance given by Yerry Mina.
Enjoy October 2nd.
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Post by rugbytoffee on Sept 26, 2021 17:18:11 GMT
Step up in level next week - as I keep saying our squad is painfully thin when the injuries strike.
But Rafa can only work with what he has got. The Man Utd game will be a pointer to where we really are.
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Post by Avinalaff on Sept 27, 2021 9:56:51 GMT
I think the team are playing awful at the moment to be brutally honest.
We've not played a strong side yet this season, and not wanting to sound negative, but we're in trouble if we don't get our players back soon.
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Post by evertontillidie on Sept 28, 2021 8:09:07 GMT
Step up in level next week - as I keep saying our squad is painfully thin when the injuries strike. But Rafa can only work with what he has got. The Man Utd game will be a pointer to where we really are. Results have been ok but the performances have a lot to desire. Too many players are underperforming and too many missing. What's the point of Gbamin and Delph?
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Post by jimmy on Sept 29, 2021 10:47:29 GMT
I think the team are playing awful at the moment to be brutally honest. We've not played a strong side yet this season, and not wanting to sound negative, but we're in trouble if we don't get our players back soon. A few are playing well like Townsend or Doucoure but we can get better.
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