We had injuries, but...

[mike93rh]

...why did we play the way we did today? I was so critical of Ipswich when we played them but we were basically a Mick McCarthy side today. 

Chuffed with the point mind, especially considering our injuries.. but does anyone else know why we insisted on hoofing it up to the relatively tiny Russell every time we went forward? especially our full backs! we missed our midfield out completely today and I feel, regardless of personnel, we should have players who recognize how to play a certain way, and if something isn't working they should adapt! 

[DesertRam]

I noticed we were missing the midfield out as well, even when we weren't being pressed by their

forwards, so agree it was obviously part of the plan to contain them, and nick something at the

other end. I would expect us to go back to our usuall when we have a few more to choose from thou.

[cloughandtaylor]

it was a game we could not lose and Mac played to not let them over run us, Yes agree with the above comments, it stops Norwich in their tracks.

Was it win ugly that they said?

We drew ugly, but its a point!

Lets hope we have CM and Thorne back for Tuesday - we will need them,  we cannot play JR as a CF.

Boro is now a game we actually need 3 pts from, it would give us a massive lift for the Wolves game on Friday -Its still in our own hands- but we have to beat the teams around us now.

[Alph]

Quite agree. Don't understand the fear and respect for Norwich. Even with injuries I expected a bit more. I was happier with the Brum game as for 90mins we were totally dominant. Was angry at the end but got over it by the time we got home. 

Yesterday I just thought we played the role of Birmingham and so many percentage sides that come to the ipro without a plan to win.

maybe I don't respect other top teams enough but I wouldn't accept a point before ko off any of them. The top teams shouldn't be playing for draws anywhere until they're in a losing position. 

But again, it's only 1 game. Don't want to see the same again and again though. All what Simmo said about playing ugly? 

Nah. Play the way you're built to play. That's where Nigel went wrong. With Christmas came 442 survival football. 

Everyone plays "the right way" in August. What set us apart and got us so much hype and praise was the reckless way we just ploughed on. 

[AndyB]

In the context of current form it was a great point. Job done, move on.

[Sexydadbod]

We needed to play this way otherwise it would have been like Leicester away again. 

[CheltenhamRam]

"Yesterday I just thought we played the role of Birmingham and so many percentage sides that come to the ipro without a plan to win." 

Good point AS. Understandable at the moment despite it not being very palatable.

[Alph]

"Yesterday I just thought we played the role of Birmingham and so many percentage sides that come to the ipro without a plan to win." 

Good point AS. Understandable at the moment despite it not being very palatable.

[VulcanRam]

Sometimes the percentages is the smart thing to do, especially with the personnel at our disposal. Playing Norwich off the park and coming away with no points because we've left ourselves open and they've hit us on the counter would have been devastating at this stage of the season in terms of morale, and not clever in terms of points tally.

Btw if you think what they were doing yesterday is easy, I'd think again!

We'd all love to be playing champagne football but for several reasons it's just not possible at the moment. And in those situations you leave the purism aside and just do the basics right.

[Ashz09]

It's more the fact we got no target man at the moment. Russell can't hold it up play to his strengths let him run after lost causes and balls to the corners of long ball. 

 

Until we get Martin back we're shouldn't play football imo let them have it hit them on the break and press them high. Was impressed with our 2nd half and we can add that to our game now.

[Alph]

Sometimes the percentages is the smart thing to do, especially with the personnel at our disposal. Playing Norwich off the park and coming away with no points because we've left ourselves open and they've hit us on the counter would have been devastating at this stage of the season in terms of morale, and not clever in terms of points tally.

Btw if you think what they were doing yesterday is easy, I'd think again!

We'd all love to be playing champagne football but for several reasons it's just not possible at the moment. And in those situations you leave the purism aside and just do the basics right.

[The Scarlet Pimpernel]

There is no doubt we need a very big performance Tuesday. No fear, no hanging on. 

[VulcanRam]

I can't really argue with that. Only to say I don't think we did it very well yesterday. Norwich had chances and we didn't really. The corner we scored from wasn't well taken. I think we were quite lucky. 

McClaren always says if the performance is right then you win 8 games in 10. Lose 1 and draw 1. 

I think that unfortunately we had our 2 unlucky games back to back. hard to take but we play like that for the next 9 games and I think we win most of them. 

Play like yesterday and we don't score corners and the opposition  do take their chances and we lose 2/3 goals. 

I'm not rubbishing your point though. I just see it a different way. I don't like to see compromise. I've never said that scrappy wins are the sign of a good side. I know it's a popular saying but I don't believe it. Scrappy wins are down to chance.  When you're giving away chances and firing balls into channels trying to pick up scraps then you rely too much on the opposition making errors. That's too 50/50 for me. 

[Curtains]

Vulcan we are 2 points off the top .

 

We have been good enough most of the season without Eustace and Thorne 

It's  difficult though without a CF 

[Alph]

[VulcanRam]

Vulcan we are 2 points off the top .

 

We have been good enough most of the season without Eustace and Thorne 

It's  difficult though without a CF 

[VulcanRam]

You're probably right. Just so frustrating watching us keep passing to Russell's neck.

These injuries are infuriating. Not one to complain usually but they've destroyed 2 positions for us. We've had our cover for our cover for our cover wiped out at DM. And our cover striker too.  

What's worse is we have depth all around the team but nobody can have that much depth in 2 areas. It's happened before too. From 4 wingers to 2 unfit ones. But this DM and striker situation at this stage of the season... Thank God Ince has been so good for goals  

[G STAR RAM]

Sometimes the percentages is the smart thing to do, especially with the personnel at our disposal. Playing Norwich off the park and coming away with no points because we've left ourselves open and they've hit us on the counter would have been devastating at this stage of the season in terms of morale, and not clever in terms of points tally.

Btw if you think what they were doing yesterday is easy, I'd think again!

We'd all love to be playing champagne football but for several reasons it's just not possible at the moment. And in those situations you leave the purism aside and just do the basics right.

[mike93rh]

I agree with the general consensus that we were right not to try and play them off the pitch, instead doing the not so pretty stuff to churn out what was a great result considering our situation.

Alpha Signia summed up the point of my post quite nicely though with the phrase 'passing to Russell's neck', which was my main gripe. playing direct is required some games but I don't think we did it at all well, we should've looked to the channels on more occasions and given our wingers something to chase, mixed it up a little..

Saying all that it was still an excellent result and I'm looking forward to the match tonight, I'm quietly confident and think we'll create a lot more in front of goal tonight. 

[Curtains]

​I think you're absolutely right Curtains, and believe me I'm delighted at where we are and believe we're going to go up. But there seem to be a lot of people who think we should be blowing teams away week in, week out, (not referring to you @Alpha Signia) and that leads to unfair expectations, which in turn leads to disappointment when we don't win every game at a canter, which then leads to criticism and anger, which then feeds the expectation. 

So the question I was posing is are the players/team unit as good as the hype and therefore are we placing too much expectation on them when in fact they are as good as Bournemouth, Boro, Norwich etc but not necessarily over a season much better?

We are indeed in the mix, but the general sense here and at the iPro is not joy, but a bit of a disappointment that we're not doing better. And I guess the overarching point is: is that justified? Should we be blowing teams away? Or should we be happy scrapping a point away at Norwich any which way we can?