Norwich game

[MadAmster]

Yet again, a game I thoroughly enjoyed watching. Two sides hell bent on playing football and doing just that. The stats appear to show that a draw was the right result and that is also my opinion.

14 shots each, shots on 6-5, corners 7-8.

We started brightly, they then took over for 20 minutes and we got back into it. A draw at HT was about right. They edged the first 30 of the 2nd half and took the lead from a corner. We did our subbing and got a deserved, if somewhat fortuitous, equaliser.

Carson - Good game, distribution has greatly improved
Bogle - Not his best game defensively but was decent going forward. He should buy Bennett a beer or three for all the times the lad was back defending with Bogle well up the field.
Keogh - A couple of loose balls between 70 and 80 minutes but an excellent performance all the same
Tomori - Good but his one lapse saw him lose Klose.......
Malone - Good game after a quiet opening 20
Mount - Good but not his usual level. Down, IMO, to them double and triple teaming him........
Johnson - Very good game
Bryson - almost MOTM IMO
Wilson - ATLMS? He was brilliant at Old Trafford. This performance was back to the poor level of his opening 2 games. Still way too one footed. Still way too easily kocked off the ball but, in his defence, I will add that there were at least 6 fouls on him the ref didn't give
Nugent - Great start and a good rest of his game
Bennett - Worst display from him in an attacking sense this season but the defensive part of his game was immense. Is the attacking display down to the clogging he has received in recent games? If so, it might be rotation time for him but we don't have another wide man who will do his defensive work covering Bogle. That is a quandery for FL.

Of the subs I though Waghorn's cameo was excellent. Marriott was good. Lawrence? Floated like a bee and stung like a butterfly.

The ref? Mixed bag of emotions for me. He did try to let the game flow but on several occasions blew late when we would have had a genuine advantage. Why did he let them block the quick taking of free kicks time after time. The Laws state that players should retire immediately 10 yards from the free kick. Purposely not doing so is Unsporting Behaviour and a yellow card offence. He spoke to 4 of their players about it without producing a card. Next free kick a different player took up position 6 inches from the ball. A weak referee who IMO should not have yellow carded Lewis (?) for that forearm smash into Wilson'd neck. It should have been red. Worst ref of the season so far in aseason of refereeing surprises where, IMO, the best we have had so far was Madley.

[Andy_Faber]

Yet again, a game I thoroughly enjoyed watching. Two sides hell bent on playing football and doing just that. The stats appear to show that a draw was the right result and that is also my opinion.

14 shots each, shots on 6-5, corners 7-8.

We started brightly, they then took over for 20 minutes and we got back into it. A draw at HT was about right. They edged the first 30 of the 2nd half and took the lead from a corner. We did our subbing and got a deserved, if somewhat fortuitous, equaliser.

Carson - Good game, distribution has greatly improved
Bogle - Not his best game defensively but was decent going forward. He should buy Bennett a beer or three for all the times the lad was back defending with Bogle well up the field.
Keogh - A couple of loose balls between 70 and 80 minutes but an excellent performance all the same
Tomori - Good but his one lapse saw him lose Klose.......
Malone - Good game after a quiet opening 20
Mount - Good but not his usual level. Down, IMO, to them double and triple teaming him........
Johnson - Very good game
Bryson - almost MOTM IMO
Wilson - ATLMS? He was brilliant at Old Trafford. This performance was back to the poor level of his opening 2 games. Still way too one footed. Still way too easily kocked off the ball but, in his defence, I will add that there were at least 6 fouls on him the ref didn't give
Nugent - Great start and a good rest of his game
Bennett - Worst display from him in an attacking sense this season but the defensive part of his game was immense. Is the attacking display down to the clogging he has received in recent games? If so, it might be rotation time for him but we don't have another wide man who will do his defensive work covering Bogle. That is a quandery for FL.

Of the subs I though Waghorn's cameo was excellent. Marriott was good. Lawrence? Floated like a bee and stung like a butterfly.

The ref? Mixed bag of emotions for me. He did try to let the game flow but on several occasions blew late when we would have had a genuine advantage. Why did he let them block the quick taking of free kicks time after time. The Laws state that players should retire immediately 10 yards from the free kick. Purposely not doing so is Unsporting Behaviour and a yellow card offence. He spoke to 4 of their players about it without producing a card. Next free kick a different player took up position 6 inches from the ball. A weak referee who IMO should not have yellow carded Lewis (?) for that forearm smash into Wilson'd neck. It should have been red. Worst ref of the season so far in aseason of refereeing surprises where, IMO, the best we have had so far was Madley.

Spot on MA and good to see your previous approval of Bogle didn’t blind you to his less impressive game last eve. I think it actually contributed to Bennett’s lack of thrust going forward. Bryson MOM for me, and where DO him and Nugent fill their batteries, I need to plug in for an hour or so!

Edit: also much happier watching us give up home points when there are a bunch of youngsters doing it, for some reason

[MadAmster]

Spot on MA and good to see your previous approval of Bogle didn’t blind you to his less impressive game last eve. I think it actually contributed to Bennett’s lack of thrust going forward. Bryson MOM for me, and where DO him and Nugent fill their batteries, I need to plug in for an hour or so!

Edit: also much happier watching us give up home points when there are a bunch of youngsters doing it, for some reason

Bryson was indeed immense again last night but for me Keogh just edged him for MOTM.

[ramAnag]

Bryson was indeed immense again last night but for me Keogh just edged him for MOTM.

Have to admit I thought Bryson was finished and I wanted him gone in the summer. Reports suggest I was well wrong...maybe if Butterfield can feel ‘wanted’ again and be played in a position that suits, then he can force his way into the reckoning again too. There’s a seriously decent player in there somewhere.

[mistaram]

Yet again, a game I thoroughly enjoyed watching. Two sides hell bent on playing football and doing just that
. The stats appear to show that a draw was the right result and that is also my opinion.

14 shots each, shots on 6-5, corners 7-8.

We started brightly, they then took over for 20 minutes and we got back into it. A draw at HT was about right. They edged the first 30 of the 2nd half and took the lead from a corner. We did our subbing and got a deserved, if somewhat fortuitous, equaliser.

Carson - Good game, distribution has greatly improved
Bogle - Not his best game defensively but was decent going forward. He should buy Bennett a beer or three for all the times the lad was back defending with Bogle well up the field.
Keogh - A couple of loose balls between 70 and 80 minutes but an excellent performance all the same
Tomori - Good but his one lapse saw him lose Klose.......
Malone - Good game after a quiet opening 20
Mount - Good but not his usual level. Down, IMO, to them double and triple teaming him........
Johnson - Very good game
Bryson - almost MOTM IMO
Wilson - ATLMS? He was brilliant at Old Trafford. This performance was back to the poor level of his opening 2 games. Still way too one footed. Still way too easily kocked off the ball but, in his defence, I will add that there were at least 6 fouls on him the ref didn't give
Nugent - Great start and a good rest of his game
Bennett - Worst display from him in an attacking sense this season but the defensive part of his game was immense. Is the attacking display down to the clogging he has received in recent games? If so, it might be rotation time for him but we don't have another wide man who will do his defensive work covering Bogle. That is a quandery for FL.

Of the subs I though Waghorn's cameo was excellent. Marriott was good. Lawrence? Floated like a bee and stung like a butterfly.

The ref? Mixed bag of emotions for me. He did try to let the game flow but on several occasions blew late when we would have had a genuine advantage. Why did he let them block the quick taking of free kicks time after time. The Laws state that players should retire immediately 10 yards from the free kick. Purposely not doing so is Unsporting Behaviour and a yellow card offence. He spoke to 4 of their players about it without producing a card. Next free kick a different player took up position 6 inches from the ball. A weak referee who IMO should not have yellow carded Lewis (?) for that forearm smash into Wilson'd neck. It should have been red. Worst ref of the season so far in aseason of refereeing surprises where, IMO, the best we have had so far was Madley.

MA agree with most of that the ref was very poor imo . MoM me was either Tomori or Keogh both were very good Agree about Mount teams know stop him and we're knackered Tetty fouled him for 90mins We really are short of physicality in the team to often just brushed aside . Thought Johnson did well but this possession game is frought with danger we got away with some terrible passing last night Bennett i don't get him at all I've told you before he's a kick it and chased it nothing more
Hard to see either of the two teams last night making top six I watch the Boro v Ipswich match on Sky on Tuesday Boro are miles ahead of us everything we are not strong skilful with everyone knowing exactly what they are supposed to be doing Sorry but at the moment I don't see any of that Yes we have a couple of skilful players but very few teams get out of this division playing the way we do For every Bournemouth there's a lot more Cardiffs

[ManxRam]

I thought our wingers were all pretty poor last night.

Scott Malone looks like he could be a useful addition, looks to have a decent footballing brain.

Keogh and Tomori played well but evidence they had plenty to do.

Draw was a fair result, Norwich are a well organised side.

3pts separate around a dozen sides which I think gives a strong indicator of how difficult it will be to make the play offs - it's literally anyone's though there is an argument to say that the top 3 are the best 3 sides.

We are work in progress and there are some encouraging signs.

Manx

[ramAnag]

MA agree with most of that the ref was very poor imo . MoM me was either Tomori or Keogh both were very good Agree about Mount teams know stop him and we're knackered Tetty fouled him for 90mins We really are short of physicality in the team to often just brushed aside . Thought Johnson did well but this possession game is frought with danger we got away with some terrible passing last night Bennett i don't get him at all I've told you before he's a kick it and chased it nothing more
Hard to see either of the two teams last night making top six I watch the Boro v Ipswich match on Sky on Tuesday Boro are miles ahead of us everything we are not strong skilful with everyone knowing exactly what they are supposed to be doing Sorry but at the moment I don't see any of that Yes we have a couple of skilful players but very few teams get out of this division playing the way we do For every Bournemouth there's a lot more Cardiffs

As regards Mount and ‘teams know how to stop him and we’re knackered’...surely the best players can cope with this. OK it sounds as if, on this occasion the referee didn’t do his job, but players from Saunders and Hector to Dalglish and Rush have all received the same treatment and often on ‘mud bath’ pitches too. Nine times out of ten though the opposition couldn’t stop them. I agree we need some greater physicality but Mount has to step up too imo.

[mistaram]

As regards Mount and ‘teams know how to stop him and we’re knackered’...surely the
best players can cope with this. OK it sounds as if, on this occasion the referee didn’t do his job, but players from Saunders and Hector to Dalglish and Rush have all received the same treatment and often on ‘mud bath’ pitches too. Nine times out of ten though the opposition couldn’t stop them. I agree we need some greater physicality but Mount has to step up too imo.

RA Mount often has three players surround him when he has the ball What I meant to say is we have nobody else in the team who can do what Mount can ie dictate play,pass the ball accurately,take free kicks , score goals The oppositions job is to stop him We've spent millions on players who couldn't do any of the things he's expected to do