Norwich v Boro 0-0

[BoroSmoggie 2,710]

1 minute ago, J.T. said:

By the way, how bad was Johnson? If Roberts had put that performance in he would have been hooked after 30 mins. 

And then dropped for the next month...

Looks like Roberts is on the naughty step for being one of our better players against Rotherham. 

[AnglianRed 6,320]

Well, before kick-off I'd have snapped your hand off for a point. Better performance than the last couple of games - defensively, at least. Bettinelli was a virtual spectator for most of the game. Just a couple of nervous clearances that got the heart rate up.

Attack-wise we still look pretty inept. Managed to put a few decent moves together, but never really made their keeper work, thanks to poor final balls and finishing.

Could have been 3 points had we been more adventurous...and importantly more clinical, after Norwich went down to 10 men, but to be honest I think that was always beyond us.

Credit where its due, Norwich are top of the league for a reason. They've lost just 4 games all season. To break them down we would have needed to be both swift and clinical and I simply don't think we have the players for that. Certainly not against defensive teams.

We can sometimes exploit teams that attack us and leave space at the back. But Norwich were trying to shut up shop and make sure they got something from the game.

So overall I'm still pretty happy. Boro still need to improve across the park, but at least the lads put a shift in today. They knew they were up against it, but gave Norwich a tough game. More importantly they made sure they only lost 2 on the bounce.

 

[J.T. 640]

3 minutes ago, BoroVet said:

Away against the league leaders, didn’t give them a sniff, started with 2 debutants and were the better team on the day. Struggling to understand the negativity.

 

They were down to 10 men for 30 mins and we played like we were the team that was a man down. It’s not difficult to understand. 

[TeaCider24 12,642]

Fisher got man of the match, can't complain but I've have given it to Fry.

[Youngy228 1,444]

Brilliant team performance.

[Redcar Rioja 5,976]

The result was one we would all have happily taken before kick off. That we are frustrated that we didn't come away with all three points is testimony to tactics that while stifled Norwich almost gave us an opportunity to win it.

Had Howson been calmer when he broke or had Johnson's miss hit cross been a few centimetres the other way instead of hitting the bar then we might have been lucky. Norwich hadn't a single effort on target, we have to take some positives from that.

Pukki is probably the best Striker at this level and Fry had him in his back pocket all game. Fisher on his debut made Cantwell redundant but more importantly he understood what his new Manager expected of him and delivered. Admittedly not great as a spectacle but the way our results have gone of late that was a tremendous result.

[Rioch's Braves 711]

I'd have settled for the point beforehand but Norwich down to 10 men, I'd would put Watmore, Fletcher or Britt on before Akpom. Howson was stand out for me all over the pitch, Fisher good debut did nothing wrong and Dael Fry commanding at the back, but nobody played  badly for us to be honest. We just lacked that bit of quality in the final 3rd and that was the only problem.

[sanddancer 1,967]

11 minutes ago, Uwe said:

We all know that it’s harder to play against 10 men. We did well to get a point. 😉

Only when your playing with caution, only when the opponent sits back. We lacked  the basics, quality.  A point is good against the top team but there is no denying the game was there to be won, we didn’t but overall, played well. 

[BoroSmoggie 2,710]

4 minutes ago, BoroVet said:

Away against the league leaders, didn’t give them a sniff, started with 2 debutants and were the better team on the day. Struggling to understand the negativity.

 

Sure it was a great performance. But the negativity comes from the complete lack of desire to swing the game in our favour after they were reduced to 10 men. Our attacking play was woeful today, just look at how many good positions we got ourselves in, but eventually come to absolutely nothing. We had Roberts, Fletcher, Watmore and Britt all on the bench, and we only make a change in the 89th, which was forced due to injury. The performance was great, but the real desire to win the game from the manager wasn’t.  

[DurhamRed 2,047]

That Fisher for 300k is some bargain he had Cantwell who Norwich want 25+ millions for in his pocket marked him out the game with ease

[AnglianRed 6,320]

10 minutes ago, Uwe said:

We all know that it’s harder to play against 10 men. We did well to get a point. 😉

Well its certainly harder for Boro to play against 10 men. 😁

 

[Donnyboro 701]

I don’t think it was the ambition of trying to win the game in the last 30 mins , it was time after time we played the wrong the pass or the right pass badly. Some people will never be happy after the midweek performance that was massive improvement 

[J.T. 640]

1 minute ago, Donnyboro said:

I don’t think it was the ambition of trying to win the game in the last 30 mins , it was time after time we played the wrong the pass or the right pass badly. Some people will never be happy after the midweek performance that was massive improvement 

Do you think we showed ambition after they went down to 10 men?

[liambell42 103]

On 1/7/2021 at 5:53 PM, TLF10 said:

Good posts by both @Neverbefore and @diggerlad07.  Summed up the situation well.

 

On 1/14/2021 at 11:33 PM, uncle_rico said:

Assombalonga could be going to Turkey. Not sure which club but it’s looking likely that’s his destination.

 

3 minutes ago, DurhamRed said:

That Fisher for 300k is some bargain he had Cantwell who Norwich want 25+ millions for in his pocket marked him out the game with ease

Few good tackles too and looked like an ass hole which we like

[CrazyL 2,565]

9 minutes ago, BoroVet said:

Away against the league leaders, didn’t give them a sniff, started with 2 debutants and were the better team on the day. Struggling to understand the negativity.

 

If we had gone gung ho, opened the game up and got picked off then you can guarantee the same folk would have been here complaining that we didn’t keep it tight.