Is Saturday's game potentially season defining?

[kingcole]

Forget the points permutations - on that basis it is not season defining.

It's about the psychology. Norwich is a similar sized city, a club with a similar size stadium and fan base, but a club which has nearly always had the edge over us, including in recent seasons by buying our best players, poaching marquee signings from under our noses and generally being at least half a division ahead of us.

Putting one over them would be HUGE. A changing of the guards. A statement that we are more than a match for them. It could well give us the belief we need to finish the job this time.

Norwich have proved that they are often too good for the championship but usually not good enough to maintain their status as a premiership club - they are serial failures in that league. When we finally get there, I'd like to think we'll make a better fist of staying there.

Like this

 

[Icy Gull]

In my mind at least, I have now reached the conclusion that the Norwich game is potentially season defining.

Totally agree, yesterday will have left the squad believing 100% that top two is attainable. Removing doubt can only help with the tough games coming up. Beating other top six teams is a massive confidence booster for squad and fans IMO.

I feel way more confident about our chances of auto this season than I did at any stage last season. Before a ball was kicked I wrote off any chance of the top two though. Fickle? Moi?

 

[Bigtomfu]

I see it more as a marker/statement of intent akin to an unfancied boxer getting a head shot in early.

Last season we were exceptional at dispatching lesser teams with ease - more so post January and the additions of Jiri and Knockaert - and then mainly not losing to the competitors - Burnley (H&A), Boro (A), Sheff Wed (H&A), Derby (H&A) and Hull (H&A). Ultimately this cost us promotion so improving our record against these teams is vital to exceeding last years performance.

I looked back at certain games against higher positioned teams last season to try and see what the difference was, not in personnel terms but in the approach/tactics and mentality of our performances. In the second half of the season I felt CH threw a little more caution to the wind, perhaps freed by the addition of Knockaert who always seemed capable of delivering the incisive pass or finish but that pre-January we tended to keep things incredibly tight and perhaps stifle the opposition more than express our own ability.

How CH approaches Saturday is as key as any game in his tenure to date for me. Playing our natural 4-4-2 with the Baldock/Murray combo and pace on the wings - I personally would love to see a Murphy/Knockaert combo with March/Skalak on the bench - will give me confidence that he believes this squad this season are better than last year. Any retrenchment into maybe switching one of the front two and going with Skalak/Knockaert on the wings would signify a certain fear of losing this game.

It's a shame Kayal isn't fit as this is his type of game, being busy, spoiling, frustrating and releasing others into the fray but I am much more relaxed about seeing Sidwell on the team sheet now than I was last year. Match fitness counts for so much at his age and perhaps his experience, knowing to limit his game to key contributions and let others do the lung busting work might work well in this game, especially if it's Stephens alongside him.

We have to play positively and if we do so then I firmly believe we can get the rewards we deserve.

UTA.

Well bar my Skalak related aberration it certainly turned out nice didn't it?

Such a huge statement of intent that I could not have hoped to achieve beforehand. Marvellous scenes and well played Mr Skalak such a sublime crosser of a football both on the run and deadball. Fantastic.

 

[Finchley Seagull]

Totally agree, yesterday will have left the squad believing 100% that top two is attainable. Removing doubt can only help with the tough games coming up. Beating other top six teams is a massive confidence booster for squad and fans IMO.

I feel way more confident about our chances of auto this season than I did at any stage last season. Before a ball was kicked I wrote off any chance of the top two though. Fickle? Moi?

I bet when you started this thread you never imagined this as a result. What a statement of intent. Still can't believe it happened to be honest.

The most interesting thing in my view is how bad Norwich were. I know they won't be that bad other weeks but, considering they are possibly our main rival for second (assuming Newcastle win the league), I thought they were awful. They will improve but defending has clearly been a problem for them this season as they've kept only one clean sheet.

 

[saafend_seagull]

Boro 4-0 Norwich 2014, few months later in 2015 Norwich beat them in the play offs..


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[Finchley Seagull]

Boro 4-0 Norwich 2014, few months later in 2015 Norwich beat them in the play offs..


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Absolutely. There are plenty of examples. Brighton 1 Bristol City 4 in the play off season springs to mind. However, there are examples where games like this are key e.g. the Middlesbrough home match last season. Nobody is saying it is anything other than a great day but what a day it was.

 

[sydney]

the answer is yes...it will define how we match up against Norwich at our own ground and will define whether our players can lift for the occasion and get the win , it will define whether the crowd can make The Amex a cauldron of noise and become a 12th man , it will define whether CH has the tactics to take out such a game ...i honestly believe when we play to our best we can wipe the floor with anyone in this league...including the geordies.

hate to do this but ....as i said , we are capable of wiping the floor with anyone in this league.....on our day.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Before yesterday's game I had Norwich as just about the more tricky game than Bristol City even though we were at home.
Although I am delighted with the result and the way we played Norwich were dire.
Bristol City are a good side and very difficult to beat and on their day are capable of beating any team in the division.
If we can win both of the games then, with luck on the injury front I think we could really stand a good chance of automatic promotion.
The Bristol game, to me is just as important, maybe more important than Norwich as we will need to pick up points (hopefully 3) away against the better sides.
We have created some cracking atmosphere at Bristol in the past, I hope we can fill the away end and do it again.

 

[warmleyseagull]

It certainly earned some begrudging respect from the two doubters on the Football League Show who consistently underrate Albion - 'over achievers last season' who are not contenders said Gray a few weeks ago. But, waking up and trying to make sense of this, it is no more thna CH said: a win, and one against a rival that stops them getting the points. The margin is unlikely to be relevant come May.

Where I do think it could be defining is the GS department; now equal 3rd despite not getting the striker we all craved. Dunk got his first yesterday, Stephens last week, looking good to get others than GM, SB & AK n score sheet.

 

[Triggaaar]

I feel way more confident about our chances of auto this season than I did at any stage last season.

Before the Derby game we just needed a win and a draw (or even a loss followed by a win) - that was a pretty decent chance. There's still a very long way to go this season.

 

[Triggaaar]

'over achievers last season' who are not contenders said Gray a few weeks ago.

Seriously? Does he not actually watch football? That's so far wrong I don't know where to start.

 

[Icy Gull]

Before the Derby game we just needed a win and a draw (or even a loss followed by a win) - that was a pretty decent chance. There's still a very long way to go this season.

You are of course right but I still feel this team has more about it than last seasons. Murray and Duffy are massive additions. We don't get bullied at the back any more and apart from being a predator Murray is also an excellent defender at set pieces. Set pieces undid us so many times last season, not happening anymore. Yes we have over half a season to go but I am convinced barring injuries/suspensions to two forwards at the same time we are in a good place.

Did I mention we haven't missed Kayal at all? Unthinkable last season.

 

[NooBHA]

Totally agree, yesterday will have left the squad believing 100% that top two is attainable. Removing doubt can only help with the tough games coming up. Beating other top six teams is a massive confidence booster for squad and fans IMO.

I feel way more confident about our chances of auto this season than I did at any stage last season. Before a ball was kicked I wrote off any chance of the top two though. Fickle? Moi?

It can go the other way as well. It can lead to complacency in that players start to think they just need to turn up to win. THEY DON'T. They need to give 100% in every game and if they do that they are capable of winning the league. If they don't give 100% it could all go tits up .

So I like to play the matches one game at a time and so should the players. We as fans can play games in our minds if we want. There's no harm in that but I don't want the players to start doing it.

 

[Icy Gull]

It can go the other way as well. It can lead to complacency in that players start to think they just need to turn up to win. THEY DON'T. They need to give 100% in every game and if they do that they are capable of winning the league. If they don't give 100% it could all go tits up .

So I like to play the matches one game at a time and so should the players. We as fans can play games in our minds if we want. There's no harm in that but I don't want the players to start doing it.

I get the impression your mate may be on that

I have to say that I was so pleased for CH after his shabby treatment by so many entitled Norwich fans. I was laughed at by two and given a lengthy explanation about how bad he was by two Norwich fans I know just after he was appointed. In fairness I thought they might have a point in his first few months here....

 

[Finchley Seagull]

I get the impression your mate may be on that

I have to say that I was so pleased for CH after his shabby treatment by so many entitled Norwich fans. I was laughed at by two and given a lengthy explanation about how bad he was by two Norwich fans I know just after he was appointed. In fairness I thought they might have a point in his first few months here....

I think that first half season was a bit of a write off. We did okay until Baldock and March got injured and we had to rely on uninterested loan wingers. The irony is some on here wanted Hughton sacked that summer. I wonder where we'd be now if they'd got their way.

 

[NooBHA]

I get the impression your mate may be on that

I have to say that I was so pleased for CH after his shabby treatment by so many entitled Norwich fans. I was laughed at by two and given a lengthy explanation about how bad he was by two Norwich fans I know just after he was appointed. In fairness I thought they might have a point in his first few months here....

LOL

He will make sure that they play one game at a time.

I have been texting my mate all morning that I was friends with when CH managed up there. He is saying they screamed for attacking football when Chris gave them cautious defensive football. He says today they are screaming for someone to sort the defence out.

Oh the irony of it all. I just enjoyed sweetness and vindication that came with yesterdays result

 

[Stat Brother]

It can go the other way as well. It can lead to complacency in that players start to think they just need to turn up to win. THEY DON'T. They need to give 100% in every game and if they do that they are capable of winning the league. If they don't give 100% it could all go tits up .

So I like to play the matches one game at a time and so should the players. We as fans can play games in our minds if we want. There's no harm in that but I don't want the players to start doing it.

Reading the Sunday Times report, it was hard to not adopt a shell shocked internal monologue when I got to AN saying words to the effect of:-

'but we were top 10 days ago, and everyone was saying we were a shoe-in for a return straight back up'.

 

[NooBHA]

Reading the Sunday Times report, it was hard to not adopt a shell shocked internal monologue when I got to AN saying words to the effect of:-

'but we were top 10 days ago, and everyone was saying we were a shoe-in for a return straight back up'.

He also said. ''I was manager of the month last month'' - To be honest I don't care about them now until we play them in the Return fixture. To sack or not to sack. I care not one jot. Our job against them has been done for now

 

[Stat Brother]

He also said. ''I was manager of the month last month'' - To be honest I don't care about them now until we play them in the Return fixture. To sack or not to sack. I care not one jot. Our job against them has been done for now

Once again it's hard not to read that and sound like:-

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Reading the Sunday Times report, it was hard to not adopt a shell shocked internal monologue when I got to AN saying words to the effect of:-

'but we were top 10 days ago, and everyone was saying we were a shoe-in for a return straight back up'. [emoji38]ol:

He was telling little lies. The last matchday he was top was the 16.10.