Last night: people are getting seriously carried away, I'm afraid...

I can't understand the reaction at all. I thought both sides were very average - mainly because, in a competition I'll never understand the point of, both sides really weren't bothered. Think Southend-Man Utd last season: surely no-one thinks that could've happened in the FA Cup, do they? It doesn't, because most sides take the latter very seriously - whereas far too many Carling Cup games are glorified reserve team matches.

The bottom line is that Man City were there for the taking - but not only did we not take them, but we never really looked as though we would either. I could see the winner coming, as I'd noticed our players beginning to tire - and had also had the sense throughout that Citeh were coasting, and could up it whenever they wanted to.

I know we had a number of players out, but the lack of cutting edge is frightening. There is precious little movement, and our strikers aren't taking any risks and pulling defenders out of place. To give one example: there was a lovely moment late in the first half where Semi produced a brilliant bit of skill, turning away from his man and starting a counter-attack down the flank. It should've led to a great chance for us: instead, first the move slowed up, and then, when Crofty got to the byline, his cross not only totally lacked conviction, but we barely had anyone getting into the area to try and get on the end of it.

A few thoughts on various players: Marshall is solid, and Semi brilliant: he must be wondering what on earth he's doing having joined such a poor side. Brown certainly works hard, but he's NEVER going to turn that into goals: it's not just lack of confidence, it's lack of a true striker's ability too I'm afraid. Is Strihavka REALLY not worth persevering with in a partnership with Cureton? Spillane did well, fair dos; Doc remains an accident waiting to happen. Crofty? I still like him - he's maybe my favourite player at the club - but far, far too often, there's no end product to all that promise.

And then there's one Darel Russell. Back in the late 90s, I can still vaguely recall someone posting on the old official site messageboard that Russell would play for England one day. But throughout his first spell at the club, I felt he flattered to deceive, and I wasn't at all sure about his attitude. Russell's previous experiemce of NCFC was during the 'Costa del Norwich' years of mid-table nothingness: win a few, lose a few, don't really care either way.

And I'm afraid that's what I'm still seeing now: there was one awful moment yesterday where he pissed around so much that he ended up giving it away, leaving 2 or 3 players totally out of position, and we got ran the length of the pitch. A quality side (or, indeed, one that was interested) would've put the chance away - and you can expect that to happen if he does the same thing again in a league game. And did Russell hold his hands up? Nope: instead, he moaned back at his teammates who were rightly berating him. "Wasn't me, guv: not my problem!"

Maybe I'm being harsh; maybe I've got this totally wrong. But as I see it, the national media are right: we WERE second best in a desperately poor game. There was no pressure on us at all, and it didn't require much for us to go away claiming a "moral victory" and patting ourselves on the back. But frankly, we must have been shocking beyond belief at Wolves for people to be greeting last night's display so positively: I left the game more worried than ever about our chances this season, and have a nasty feeling Sheff Wed and Scunny will expose how little last night actually meant.

Posted By: thebigfeller on September 26th 2007 at 14:56:07

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