I'm in two minds after that.

On the one hand, as Common Sense Police has rightly focused on, we didn't have defensive midfielders available today. In that sense, Gary O'Neill is more culpable for the result than anyone else. If he hadn't been sent off at Stoke, we'd surely not have lost today.

Plus, well, we looked good going forward. Really good, with Naismith slotting in lovely and Mbokani going from strength to strength. But...

... It's like when we strengthen offensively, we're automatically weaker at the back. That balance we had between Swansea (h) and Southampton (h)? It's gone. We look horribly soft-centred again.

I'm actually delighted to see so many Wrathers so angry at what happened. It'd be so easy to say we were playing Liverpool, we scored 4 goals, it was a wildly entertaining game... but it's s**t losing like that. It's awful. The fourth and fifth goals were horrific. It's a little glimpse of the default Norwich I railed against under Neil Adams.

But it's not even today that worries me as much as:

1. According to the BBC, in the final half hour of games, Norwich have conceded 6 goals more than any other side in the league

2. We have the second worst defensive record in the division

3. Those stats SCC was posting last week about us doing so much less running than anyone else

I don't know why that is - is it our fitness? If so, why? - but it's a real cause for concern. At Stoke, even allowing for us being down to 10 men, I thought we looked totally out on our feet near the end... and it was only January. And when a side is physically tired, it makes mental mistakes, as we did today.

We've got to get defensive cover in by the end of the window. DEFENSIVE cover - not players like Pinto who are great going forward but will take ages to get up to speed at the back. If we don't, we'll just beat ourselves and go down - and what an absolute crying shame it'd be if we do.

The manager will know what the problems are. He'll be worried too. But can we fix them?

Posted By: thebigfeller on January 23rd 2016 at 19:05:12

Message Thread

I'm in two minds after that. (NCFC) - thebigfeller, Jan 23, 19:05:12
- I naturally thought that Klose's arrival would raise Martin's game (NCFC) - talbotsunbeamer, Jan 23, 19:31:24
  - But Klose is a lefite so is compo for Bassong (n/m) (NCFC) - Larry Hagman, Jan 23, 19:36:54
    - Should be Klose and Benno then. Weird RyBen couldn't even make the bench today (n/m) (NCFC) - essexcanaryOTBC, Jan 23, 19:37:34
      - Klose supposed to be v.good in the air so AN might select RM again as the ball player... (n/m) (NCFC) - Larry Hagman, Jan 23, 19:41:14
        
        Klose a ball player too - better dribbler than Messi! (n/m) (NCFC) - essexcanaryOTBC, Jan 23, 19:45:03
- have the pizza, can't go wrong. (NCFC) - Tombs, Jan 23, 19:21:36
  - Had one last night. Yum yum. And you're right, of course (n/m) (NCFC) - thebigfeller, Jan 23, 19:25:15
    - good stuff, i would add though (NCFC) - Tombs, Jan 23, 19:29:52
      - Agree again. I still love him. (n/m) (NCFC) - thebigfeller, Jan 23, 19:30:51
        
        Same (n/m) (NCFC) - essexcanaryOTBC, Jan 23, 19:32:56
- The problems have been abundantly obvious since last season (NCFC) - Jim, Jan 23, 19:12:44
  - Spot on Jim! (n/m) (NCFC) - Kirrie, Jan 23, 20:21:05
  - why not go more defensive again? (NCFC) - Mecagoenti, Jan 23, 19:14:16
    - Because we don't have the players for it (NCFC) - Common Sense Police, Jan 23, 19:20:16
      - We do need another if he won't even play Mulumbu with the players missing today (n/m) (NCFC) - Jim, Jan 23, 19:23:07
      - Agree. Are there any decent ones available? Worth splashing the cash on such a key role (n/m) (NCFC) - essexcanaryOTBC, Jan 23, 19:21:26
    - Obviously we need to go a bit more defensive (I.e play at least one defensive midfielder) (NCFC) - Jim, Jan 23, 19:17:51
      - My thinking is that if we play a 4-2-3-1 formation (NCFC) - Mecagoenti, Jan 23, 19:25:07
        
        Mulumbu isn't a sitting player though (NCFC) - Common Sense Police, Jan 23, 19:30:46
      - Need defensive midfielders available for that to happen (n/m) (NCFC) - Common Sense Police, Jan 23, 19:23:23
      - Naismith and Mbokani will achieve that. Retaining an attacking threat (n/m) (NCFC) - essexcanaryOTBC, Jan 23, 19:18:16
        
        Best quality strike force we've had for years! (imo) (n/m) (NCFC) - essexcanaryOTBC, Jan 23, 19:18:52
        
        Strongest since Holt & Morisson (n/m) (NCFC) - Larry Hagman, Jan 23, 19:21:12
        
        And better than those two in terms of quality. (n/m) (NCFC) - essexcanaryOTBC, Jan 23, 19:23:16
    - Agree with this (NCFC) - thebigfeller, Jan 23, 19:16:05
      - No I'm saying we need that balance. We were too defensive in several games. Most (NCFC) - Jim, Jan 23, 19:43:28
      - yep, if we play with a front four of, for example, (NCFC) - Mecagoenti, Jan 23, 19:20:31
        
        To be clear I prefer that formation with two more defensive midfielders and four (NCFC) - Jim, Jan 23, 19:45:01
      - Now we have Naismith our striker doesn't look so isolated (NCFC) - mr carra, Jan 23, 19:19:42
        
        Exactly! (n/m) (NCFC) - essexcanaryOTBC, Jan 23, 19:21:38
  - Also not only did he give the centre backs no cover but he also played Redmond as well! (n/m) (NCFC) - Jim, Jan 23, 19:13:28
    - Yep. Pinto and Redmond not exactly a solid right side. (n/m) (NCFC) - SeattleSounders, Jan 23, 19:15:23
- Look at the goal diff generally the teams with the worst go down (NCFC) - Mickdundee, Jan 23, 19:11:21
- Don't know if true but a poster on the pinkun said (NCFC) - SeattleSounders, Jan 23, 19:11:17
- Too many minds (n/m) (NCFC) - mr carra, Jan 23, 19:10:43
  - lol (n/m) (NCFC) - thebigfeller, Jan 23, 19:16:21
- conceding so many late goals is really worrying (NCFC) - Mecagoenti, Jan 23, 19:10:33
  - could be down to other things than fitness (NCFC) - matt in london, Jan 23, 19:22:38
    - true, but combined with the stat that we run less than every other team (NCFC) - Mecagoenti, Jan 23, 19:29:07
      - it seems possible yes (NCFC) - matt in london, Jan 23, 19:37:06
  - ...something is wrong with fitness (NCFC) - Mecagoenti, Jan 23, 19:11:25
    - His subs are sh*t. Can only think of a couple that have improved is. We've (NCFC) - Jim, Jan 23, 19:15:07
      - Much better than Hootun or Neyul with subs! (n/m) (NCFC) - Kirrie, Jan 23, 20:19:50
      - which could be linked to the fitness issue again (NCFC) - Mecagoenti, Jan 23, 19:17:08
        
        I am sure he can. It's weird. There are sometimes players who look knackered and (NCFC) - Jim, Jan 23, 19:21:35
      - Not true about his first game when he came down from the stands (n/m) (NCFC) - essexcanaryOTBC, Jan 23, 19:16:20
        
        That was a bit lucky if you ask me. (n/m) (NCFC) - Jim, Jan 23, 19:19:36
        
        He saw what was and wasn't working and changed things (n/m) (NCFC) - essexcanaryOTBC, Jan 23, 19:22:02
        
        Not really. He just went for it and it came off, as most things did last season (n/m) (NCFC) - Jim, Jan 23, 19:24:21
- Too many words (n/m) (NCFC) - Bristol Graham, Jan 23, 19:07:57
  - Where are you from Graham? (n/m) (NCFC) - essexcanaryOTBC, Jan 23, 19:26:49
- Too many words (n/m) (NCFC) - strap_on sally, Jan 23, 19:06:24

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