Norwich City 1-3 Watford Fc - 18/09/2021

Yeah, might try that first as staying in the Premier Inn across the road from it.

 

Dennis could be playing against Messi, Mbappe and and Neymar right now, but he’s got a relegation 9 pointer in Norwich to look forward to instead.

 

After 2 goals against Real Madrid, he decided he was too good for those crappy continental teams and decided to come here for the challenge

 

My confidence is low after the Wolves game but you would have to be clinically insane to think we won't beat Norwich.

We ALWAYS beat Norwich and there's a reason: we're not great but we're better than them.

People revising Munoz's excellent accomplishments already after a couple of losses in the Premier League too are morons. Although if he benches Cucho again HE MUST GO!!!

 

I guess I'm clinically insane then!

 

The Compleat Tosser?

Decent pub though I've not been there this century!

 

Right, where's my straitjacket?

 

I think describing Spurs away as an easier game is being somewhat disingenuous. Likewise Wolves are a decent side who only narrowly lost to 3 of the best sides in the division while creating the most chances (or shots, whatever the stat was) of any team in the division. They arnt as good as Liverpool or City granted but nor are they an easy touch.

If we have any genuine ambition of staying in the prem then Norwich & Newcastle are the sort of games we need to be getting something from. If we loose both of those games then agreed its not looking good.

If they wont sack Xisco after that then they need to be getting someone in to help him. The nock against Xisco so far is that he's struggled tactically during games, he hasnt been able to make adjustments or subs to positively effect the game. It was most noticeable 2nd half against Wolves when his changes not only failed to change the momentum of the game but actually made us worse. I'm sure the prospect of facing the leagues slowest winger being played out of position in midfield hadnt kept the wolves defence up the previous night.

As for Deeney, being a big voice isnt the same as being a positive unifying force in the changing room.

 

On your point re Deeney, I think the proof is in the pudding. Regardless of what people think of him as a player, Watford had nothing but success in virtually every season while he was here, with one obvious notable exception.

I think it’s safe to assume he was a positive, unifying force around the place.

 

No need to worry yet. We're playing like strangers because they are all strangers.

GK never played PL football, entire defence hasn't played PL football (Rose is new), entirely new midfield, entirely new attack.

PL experience with Watford? Sarr. And that's it.

We will need a win or two before November though to avoid getting entrenched.

This isn't the stale side we got relegated with.

 

Budiga that for a game of soldiers.

 

Dear lord the Leventhal propaganda machine is in overdrive this afternoon over on Twitter.com. Some nauseating stuff.

 

The problem is Deeney no longer has the ability to play Premier League football, so if indeed he was a positive, unifying force (debatable in the extreme) and you believe that we would be better off (and have better results now) with him simply on the sidelines being this positive, unifying force, then surely all that does is raise humungous question marks about the manager and his (lack of) ability to do the same??

 

What it means, is someone who was a leader, a big vocal presence, has left the building. That vacancy is bound to have an impact. No one can deny we were extremely successful during the time Deeney was at the club, so it stands to reason, seeing he was the captain, that a lot of credit has to be thrown his way, no matter how much that grinds the gears of some.

We shall see now how well Watford do without him being around and how well we adjust to the situation. But this deflects my overall point a little, as Deeney going is just one component of a bigger picture, not the be all and end all.

However, I would still liked him to be around the place seeing as we’re in a lot of flux. He’s very useful to have from the bench. We only have King as a central striker. I would place Deeney above Fletcher in the pecking order. The other forward options we have are more effective wider than central.

 

I think we won't beat Norwich. Wibble.

 

We’d have no more points or goals If Deeney was still here. He’s only a good option to bring off the bench if you’re winning, which we’ve only been doing in one game so far, and we managed to close it out without him.

If it’s goals you need he’s never going to provide them, I’d personally rather Fletcher ahead of him because with Deeney, one thing you know is he won’t be scoring a goal if that’s what you need, what is the worst Fletcher could do by comparison?

But again, if you believe in any remote way we’d have more points with Deeney’s ‘vocal presence’ about the place, what on earth is the manager doing with his ability to pick the players, motivate them, pick the formation, make subs, etc. etc. etc.

The ‘positive voice’ of one player can supersede and engender a bigger positive impact on the pitch results and goals wise, than the entire remit and toolkit of the head coach?

 

The last 3 and a bit games, and your prediction for Saturday, suggests goalscoring will be an issue too.
In the meantime Troy & Andre are firing them in in the champ ....

 

We’ll never know if he would have scored any goals. However, that’s not what I’m suggesting. I’m saying losing him creates a void in the dressing room. Some may say that’s a good thing, but I think he’d have been useful to us this season.

A motivator, a leader, an experienced striker, an extra body for us to use. A good asset off the bench, to close out games or to to swap with King if he needs resting. I thought he was decent when he came on against Brighton. Created a few nearly moments.

I know people like to paint him as the devil in moon boots, but he’d have been handy to have as an option this season, instead of an empty slot in our 23 man squad.

 

Sorry but there'll be no staying in the Premier this season.

 

Voluntary entry requirements. Pointless.

 

Missed the Wolves game completely which sounded like a blessing.

Comfortable win this week to keep everyone truly confused as to whether we're actually good enough to stay up or not.

Norwich 0 - 2 Watford

 

Very disappointed Onel Hernandez has been loaned out by them and so won't be playing. We ought to have signed him. Broke the bank if necessary.

Not just because he's a Cuban. Well, mainly because he's a Cuban, but he's also at least as good as Ken on his day.

 

A lot of people living in cloud cuckoo land on that forum, even comparing themselves to prime Wenger’s Arsenal. Apparently they’re technically better than every team they play but always lose to teams that aren’t as good as them. They’ve also got it in their heads were some sort of physical team that bully people. I mean, I wish that was the case but it couldn’t actually be further from the truth.

I like to think as a football fan I have a half decent handle on other teams and their various qualities and attributes. Burnley are the one team that often leave me frustrated when we play them and as close to how those Norwich fans seem to be explaining away any defeat in advance of it actually happening - they think they’ll try and play football and we’ll bully them, but we’re hardly Burnley are we?

I mean it’s not as if we didn’t play them twice only last season and beat them twice and it was hardly in the fashion of Stoke/Burnley, they were just outplayed both times.

Incredible levels of delusion from a fellow tinpot yo-yo club, sad really. I guess it’s a coping mechanism to explain away every defeat, we tried to play football and the other team didn’t.

 

'Ooh, look at us, isn't our football amazing, aren't we so sustainable?', mate, you're coming 20th lol

 

A bit early to say now for this season, but over the last few years, I'd say we were the anti-Burnley, fouling a lot and picking up cards, yet actually being pretty brittle. I think Burnley don't actually give away many fouls or cards?

 

Yeah, if anything I think we’re too soft. Like against Bournemouth we completely lost the sh!thouseing battle against them. It’s weird how the fans/media can get a weird perception of a team based on absolutely nothing.

 

Based on the 80s probably!

 

Also maybe Deeney and his reputation as being physical, but it’s not like him deciding to wrestle with defenders actually got us anywhere.

 

Close but no cigar

 

We've got one Hernandez though