Norwich City v Aston Villa, Sat 7th April @ 12.30pm | Page 18 | Vital Football

Norwich City v Aston Villa, Sat 7th April @ 12.30pm

JuanPabloAngel said:
I hate the hoofball, don't get me wrong. I agree that even if we play on the floor, his hold up play is better than the others. Hogan can't take the ball with back to goal - not his style. He needs the ball down the channels or coming across the face of goal to have an impact. I'm surprised Bruce and the others haven't twigged that yet.

:arrghh:
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Spot on, said the same to dad the other day, same as what is lobbed in the general direction of Hogan really. We can't keep playing poor hoof balls in the general direction of midfielders/strikers with their backs to the defenders.
 
For Godsake make sure Brucie shakes his hand at the end of the game, otherwise cover the kids ears ready for the expletives.?
GoodLuck??
 
Hogan will score goals a day long with the right supply. Grealish drops deeper and deeper to get the ball what the fuck do you expect, we could have Ronaldo up front and he wouldn't get a bloody sniff, the team is to slow in its approach play and plays far to much with most of the opposition in front of us.
 
Melon Donkey said:
Yeah. Feeling a bit relentless now. Tuesday then Friday this week. Can make Tuesday but Friday is a problem that I could probably sort out but the thought of battling through Friday traffic is not appealing so will probably make do with watching our usual sky sterile performance
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It's the only thing I miss about the prem that it's not so hectic
 
pvb1968 said:
Hogan will score goals a day long with the right supply. Grealish drops deeper and deeper to get the ball what the fuck do you expect, we could have Ronaldo up front and he wouldn't get a bloody sniff, the team is to slow in its approach play and plays far to much with most of the opposition in front of us.
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Yep. I really don't get the Hogan criticism after yesterday. The guy gets limited service, is on his own, gets no support, gets a ball punted at his head from 50 yards or a lost cause chase i to the corner.
 
It's what pisses me off the most because we have seen what hogan can do but it took bloody ages to see it because he was starved of the ball. It all comes back to how we train and are coached and that buck stops with the manager.
 
You have to play on the front foot in this league with the squad we have we should be powering past qpr and preston.
 
Whoever posted about us being a squad of journey men is spot on. I’m slightly bored of hearing neutrals talk about us having a good squad when the reality is we have the likes of Neil Taylor, who is a well known name but really not a good player. He’s not great defensively in my view and going forward doesn’t offer much either -I can’t recall an assist from him, let alone a goal.

I get why Bruce went down the tried-and-tested route, it’s more likely to work and had got us into the playoffs. My concern is that if we do manage to sneak back up through the back door, the squad isn’t good enough to fight for draws let alone hit that all important 40 point plus mark.
 
Not good enough for Bruce or not good enough from Bruce? I do wonder whether his extremely difficult personal circumstances (with which I have a great deal of sympathy, having been there myself) have understandably dampened his desire, drive and enthusiasm for the fight?

"That's football" is not what the players or the fans need to hear, even if it's true. We need all hands to the pump, guns blazing, 200% effort etc,etc. Rockets and arses spring to mind. A lame lack of effort and drive like Norwich is not acceptable. Just watch Colin's lot tomorrow, they'll have been on a diet of raw meat since the Wolves game. Expect WW3.
:punch::throw::guns:
 
A prime reason for our loss to Norwich was the fact that our normally pretty solid defence wasn't solid. Why? Taylor isn't very good. Elmo looks to be fading. The only decent LB we have is Hutton, a right back. We seem to have no alternative to Elmo because Bree isn't considered good enough (despite being signed by Bruce) and De Laet is out on loan. Unless he playes Tuanzebe, if he's fit.

The same weaknesses could undo us against Cardiff. It's not just defence. Adomah benefits from having somebody like Hutton as LB. Again, Taylor isn't good enough.
 
To be honest Taylor is awful and needs dropping. However, I think Bree was equally as bad at left back recently. And Adomah is bang out of form and I would consider starting with Kodjia

One win since wolves which now in the cold light of day (judging by the Norwich game) was not a return to form but a win against abject opposition, who were abject with 11 let alone the 10 men they had on the pitch when we actually scored our goals.
 
I am at a loss to see how professional footballers cannot get themselves up for a game of this importance. Many would question whether they actually want to go up the way they are playing. Maybe they dont as most of them are not good enough to play in the top flight and know they will be replaced. There's a conspiracy theory for you!
 
The players are letting the manager and the fans down at the moment.

We know what they are capable. Bruce isn't asking them to do anything out of the ordinary or anything that is beyond them, its virtually the same team that won all those games in a row, they just aren't showing the required effort.

Time for them to step up and prove themselves again.
 
I agree.

Like I said before there was no need for a team talk on Saturday.

The result on Friday did it and how the players came out and played like that knowing a win would give us a right chance is mystifying.
 
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