BFTG Norwich

[Royal Lady]

Well back at holiday inn. Their goals were all our fault. McCarthy kept us in this game yet again but both goals, after his initial saves were because of our shoddy defending. I'd still play Pearce - we're paying his wages so if he could have helped us stay up, we should have used him. No subs was an odd idea. I'd give McCarthy 8 - didn't really do anything wrong tho his goal kicks were a bit suspect again. No one else stood out for me as being good. Generally felt karacan, Jobi, Gunter and Blackman poor but probably be gr8 for us in championship. We haven't deserved to stay up by way we've played but would have loved to have put up more of a fight. Off yo delia's restaurant later to be surrounded by six fingered idiots no doubt just to finish off the day

[SPARTA]

Yawn at the result. We're going through the motions now. Just want the next few games to pass by with no injuries.

Some of our movement was much much better than 4 weeks ago. We are moving the ball about, players are looking for and creating space, and we are keeping the ball and pushing up and putting sides under pressure. It gives me plenty of optimism for next season. I'm just looking forward to seeing a shake up and some new blood coming in, and the dead wood joining Leeds.

[andrew1957]

Terrible management by Adkins. Poor team selection and absolutely no attempt to win the game and no substitutions to even try to get out of the hole.

Our admittedly very slim chances of survival went out of the window when Brian was sacked.

I hope Adkins turns out to be a good choice in the longer term but I have been extremely underwhelmed so far.

[winchester_royal]

Terrible management by Adkins. Poor team selection and absolutely no attempt to win the game and no substitutions to even try to get out of the hole.

Our admittedly very slim chances of survival went out of the window when Brian was sacked.

I hope Adkins turns out to be a good choice in the longer term but I have been extremely underwhelmed so far.

'Poor team selection'?

[P!ssed Off]

Terrible management by Adkins. Poor team selection and absolutely no attempt to win the game and no substitutions to even try to get out of the hole.

Our admittedly very slim chances of survival went out of the window when Brian was sacked.

I hope Adkins turns out to be a good choice in the longer term but I have been extremely underwhelmed so far.

0% chance of staying up under McDermott. 1% chance staying up under Adkins.
The fact that we were the better team for over 15 minutes today is better than 95% of the matches this season.

[Royal91]

Terrible management by Adkins. Poor team selection and absolutely no attempt to win the game and no substitutions to even try to get out of the hole.

Our admittedly very slim chances of survival went out of the window when Brian was sacked.

I hope Adkins turns out to be a good choice in the longer term but I have been extremely underwhelmed so far.

Just shut up!

[andrew1957]

Terrible management by Adkins. Poor team selection and absolutely no attempt to win the game and no substitutions to even try to get out of the hole.

Our admittedly very slim chances of survival went out of the window when Brian was sacked.

I hope Adkins turns out to be a good choice in the longer term but I have been extremely underwhelmed so far.

'Poor team selection'?

Blackman on the right - why. Hunt has played well there many times quite effectively. Alternatively we could have played our two fit wingers on the wings and Hunt supporting Pog. Hunt was quite good last week.
Guthrie and Karacan were largely overrun in midfield. I know most hate Leigertwood but he is the only defensive midfield option we have and this was a must win game.
Still don't really understand the Kelly at left back thing. Harte might be slow but we did not have on player on the pitch who is capable of taking a free kick or a corner. I also think Shorey has been ok when given a chance and he also has good delivery.
Shambles.

[winchester_royal]

Terrible management by Adkins. Poor team selection and absolutely no attempt to win the game and no substitutions to even try to get out of the hole.

Our admittedly very slim chances of survival went out of the window when Brian was sacked.

I hope Adkins turns out to be a good choice in the longer term but I have been extremely underwhelmed so far.

'Poor team selection'?

Blackman on the right - why. Hunt has played well there many times quite effectively. Alternatively we could have played our two fit wingers on the wings and Hunt supporting Pog. Hunt was quite good last week.
Guthrie and Karacan were largely overrun in midfield. I know most hate Leigertwood but he is the only defensive midfield option we have and this was a must win game.
Still don't really understand the Kelly at left back thing. Harte might be slow but we did not have on player on the pitch who is capable of taking a free kick or a corner. I also think Shorey has been ok when given a chance and he also has good delivery.
Shambles.

Harte was injured and Shorey has been defensively abysmal.
McAnuff was excellent in the AM role, whereas Hunt was ineffective there against 'Pool.
Leigertwood can't pass the football, and we were on top in midfield for large swathes of the game.

You're a shambles.

[RoyalTank]

Well back at holiday inn. Their goals were all our fault. McCarthy kept us in this game yet again but both goals, after his initial saves were because of our shoddy defending. I'd still play Pearce - we're paying his wages so if he could have helped us stay up, we should have used him. No subs was an odd idea. I'd give McCarthy 8 - didn't really do anything wrong tho his goal kicks were a bit suspect again. No one else stood out for me as being good. Generally felt karacan, Jobi, Gunter and Blackman poor but probably be gr8 for us in championship. We haven't deserved to stay up by way we've played but would have loved to have put up more of a fight. Off yo delia's restaurant later to be surrounded by six fingered idiots no doubt just to finish off the day

There really is no point of playing Pearce anymore, maybe he could have started today but now we are 100% down there really isnt any need.

McCarthy's punch cost us the second goal, however he has more that made up for it with his saves last week and before his injury.

My ratings (not that they mean much):

McCarthy: 7 - Did not have to make too many saves today but maybe last week he would have punched that clear.
Kelly: 6 - Did well getting forward a few times but his a fair few crosses were put in from his side, including their second.
Morro: 6 - Won the ball back a few times but not his usual aggressive self in the air today.
Maps: 6 - Again didnt do too much wrong but could have done more.
Gunter: 5 - Did well going forward but I am still questioning his positioning as he never seems to be in the right areas.
McCleary: 9 - MOTM played excellent on the wing and topped it off with an impressive goal.
Karacan: 7 - Passed well in the first half and got involved a bit more than he has been recently, still not the same player we saw last season.
Guthrie: 7 - Definitely playing better under Adkins, got lost a bit in the second half.
Blackman: 3 - Did nothing of note all game and gave the ball away a few times when we were in a dangerous position.
McAnuff: 6 - Played well in the first half when we were on top, still not convinced playing him down the middle.
Pog: 8 - Thought he had one of his best games in a reading shirt, would have been a higher rating if he had slotted that chance from 2 yards.

Adkins: 6 (would have been a 9 if we had of carried on with our first half performance) - Great starting line up, but failed to take Blackman off when it was clear to see he was having a shocker.

[Royal Lady]

Yeah no point playing Pearce now - I meant we should have been playing him to give us a chance of staying up.

[Royal91]

424 passes in one game. Normally average about 280!

[P!ssed Off]

Terrible management by Adkins. Poor team selection and absolutely no attempt to win the game and no substitutions to even try to get out of the hole.

Our admittedly very slim chances of survival went out of the window when Brian was sacked.

I hope Adkins turns out to be a good choice in the longer term but I have been extremely underwhelmed so far.

'Poor team selection'?

Blackman on the right - why. Hunt has played well there many times quite effectively. Alternatively we could have played our two fit wingers on the wings and Hunt supporting Pog. Hunt was quite good last week.
Guthrie and Karacan were largely overrun in midfield. I know most hate Leigertwood but he is the only defensive midfield option we have and this was a must win game.
Still don't really understand the Kelly at left back thing. Harte might be slow but we did not have on player on the pitch who is capable of taking a free kick or a corner. I also think Shorey has been ok when given a chance and he also has good delivery.
Shambles.

Wants to start Leigertwood in a "must win game"!!!!!!
This man's mental state is too far gone. I'm out

[The Beardy Man]

Terrible management by Adkins. Poor team selection and absolutely no attempt to win the game and no substitutions to even try to get out of the hole.

Our admittedly very slim chances of survival went out of the window when Brian was sacked.

I hope Adkins turns out to be a good choice in the longer term but I have been extremely underwhelmed so far.

'Poor team selection'?

Blackman on the right - why. Hunt has played well there many times quite effectively. Alternatively we could have played our two fit wingers on the wings and Hunt supporting Pog. Hunt was quite good last week.
Guthrie and Karacan were largely overrun in midfield. I know most hate Leigertwood but he is the only defensive midfield option we have and this was a must win game.
Still don't really understand the Kelly at left back thing. Harte might be slow but we did not have on player on the pitch who is capable of taking a free kick or a corner. I also think Shorey has been ok when given a chance and he also has good delivery.
Shambles.

The whole point of bringing Adkins in was not to keep us up, McD already shot that bolt by losing to every relegation rival.

The point was so that he gets a good number of games to look at what he has in order to make informed plans for next year. That being the case it surely makes sense that he might be picking teams based in part on looking at what he has for next year.

Thus no Harte (injured in anycase) or shorey gives a strong clue that he rates neither as being capable of doing what he requires. That being overlapping with a bit of pace.

No legs as he again is neither technical nor mobile enough for the style of football we want to play.

Hard for him to make a judgement on Blackman without him getting game time. Was a little surprised he wasn't occupying the 'off the striker role instead of Jobi saying that.

[windermere_royal]

. I'd give McCarthy 8 - didn't really do anything wrong (

Apart from being accountable for the 2nd goal you mean?..having said that, him over Feds any day of the week.

[sandman]

424 passes in one game. Normally average about 280!

Thank god for that! I was kind of annoyed that we lost the game but now I know we won the passing competition I feel much better.

[Sanguine]

424 passes in one game. Normally average about 280!

This is a very good thing.

Adkins asked for patience and he should get it. We will play better football under Adkins and hopefully the effectiveness will come in time.

This won't be a quick fix. We were down before Brian got sacked, and we're still going down now. This is about next season and Adkins imposing his style (and in the summer hopefully some of his players) on the club.

Very pleased to see that stat, even if today it only resulted in one fortunate goal.

The usuals like sandman and Mags will come along and bitch about 'but we still lost', but that's a pretty simple argument in a longer-term plan.

[Sanguine]

LOL

and there he is.

[Royal91]

424 passes in one game. Normally average about 280!

Thank god for that! I was kind of annoyed that we lost the game but now I know we won the passing competition I feel much better.

Again Sandman misses the point.

[winchester_royal]

Some of you guys are worryingly short-termist in your thinking. I fear Adkins is going to have to bear Rodgers-like criticism before he comes out the other side...hopefully Anton will be braver than Madejski was.

[sandman]

424 passes in one game. Normally average about 280!

Thank god for that! I was kind of annoyed that we lost the game but now I know we won the passing competition I feel much better.

Again Sandman misses the point.

No, I get your point, it's just a stupid one to come out with after we've lost a game. If anybody still gave a damn about this season others would be a lot less kind to you than a bit of sarcasm.