Norwich Home 15.05.22 2pm

[Tony Towner]

After, being so open against City you can guarantee we'll go back to dull mode...however.
---------------------------Sa-------------
-----Mosquera-----Coady------‐Gomes---------
----Jonny----Moutinho-------Neves------RAN
-------Chiquinho-----Raul------Neto

Bring Boly on for the last 15 for a farewell

 

[PuntsWolf]

I want to see chances and ideally goals please. Don’t care how.

They are getting continually spanked and haven’t scored in 4. Anything less than a comfortable win is a travesty.

 

[jd1981]

If we lose this I’m certain Bruno is a gonna, he might be anyway. Absolutely has to get a tune out the side at home where we’ve been very unpredictable to boring all season.

 

[AndyWolves]

I fully expect a flat performance here

 

[redvictor]

It's a nailed on 0-0 isn't it...

 

[redvictor]

After, being so open against City you can guarantee we'll go back to dull mode...however.
---------------------------Sa-------------
-----Mosquera-----Coady------‐Gomes---------
----Jonny----Moutinho-------Neves------RAN
-------Chiquinho-----Raul------Neto

Bring Boly on for the last 15 for a farewell

I'd go with that.

 

[AndyWolves]

It's a nailed on 0-0 isn't it...

I think Bruno has already gone, half the squad are out the door, nothing to play for.

If this group can't get themselves up when we have a chance of Europe, I don't see them getting themselves up for this game.

 

[Deano]

Why do people keep saying they think Bruno is already gone?

 

[Tony Towner]

Why do people keep saying they think Bruno is already gone?

Agreed, I don't see him going.
He's improved the league position / maintained the revenue stream
He's cheap
He doesn't moan at the wrong times
He's the perfect manager for the ownership
Equally, they'll see him as easily dispensable as when when necessary
Even if we lose the next 2, I'd be surprised if he's binned

 

[Derby Wolf]

Its difficult for me, for my opinion of Bruno to change it won't be enough to win. We have to see a performance. By the same token I dont know if I'm too far gone that even if we get that performance that I'll still be disengaged and just think of us as flat track bullies. I genuinely won't know until I'm there.

Just as losing to City doesn't make or break a manager, nor does beating a shower of shit likely to finish the season only trumped by that Derby side for goals conceded or goal difference in a 38 game season.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Their last five games:

2-3
0-3
0-2
0-4
0-3

They're already down, Smith isn't really a Premier League manager and a large chunk of their team know they aren't likely to be there next season.

I still don't have a great deal of faith in us winning, which says it all. They might be rubbish (well, they are) but we've already played them twice and barely had a shot let alone scored, and the quality of the opposition doesn't stop us being a disorganised, quarter paced rabble, which is what we've been in the last two home games.

I'm way beyond with Lage. We could win 6-0, doesn't change anything. There's too much to wilfully ignore to think "yeah, give him more time".

 

[prawnking]

Why do people keep saying they think Bruno is already gone?

Wishful thinking. Because he's now being painted as some kind of Machiavellian architect of our downfall (that hasn't happened yet), where everything not working is his fault, and everything that's gone OK this season is credited elsewhere...

 

[YoungWolf]

Just a hunch from my part based on some of the things coming out from behind the scenes and also the way the players are performing (or even behaving).

Lage has done OK - but he was brought in because if we’re gonna finish where we finished last season we may as well be playing a more proactive style of football with more goals etc. And the style we’ve had this season despite our league position (as much as some will pretend we aren’t in a false position), will not continue to work if he’s given the same circumstances.

If we’d finished 14th (without ever flirting with relegation like last season) I’d probably be saying the same as I am apart from us being in a false position. We’ve performed very inconsistently, and relied on a really good goalkeeper too much. Every now and then we have put together a really strong (and enjoyable) performance but very rarely in consecutive performances. And in the last six weeks or so some of his decision and the performance of the team have been extremely worrying.

He obviously wasn’t backed enough with the players we needed in key positions. But then his main signing (as in someone he directly wanted) who he also loves has been Hwang

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

I'm way beyond with Lage. We could win 6-0, doesn't change anything.

I agree with everything else you've said there.

But that comment is a bit daft.

If we win 6-0 it means that we've put in a shift, had at least 6 shots on target and been very attacking.

It would change a lot for me, as it would represent change!

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Just a hunch from my part based on some of the things coming out from behind the scenes and also the way the players are performing (or even behaving).

Lage has done OK - but he was brought in because if we’re gonna finish where we finished last season we may as well be playing a more proactive style of football with more goals etc. And the style we’ve had this season despite our league position (as much as some will pretend we aren’t in a false position), will not continue to work if he’s given the same circumstances.

If we’d finished 14th (without ever flirting with relegation like last season) I’d probably be saying the same as I am apart from us being in a false position. We’ve performed very inconsistently, and relied on a really good goalkeeper too much. Every now and then we have put together a really strong (and enjoyable) performance but very rarely in consecutive performances. And in the last six weeks or so some of his decision and the performance of the team have been extremely worrying.

He obviously wasn’t backed enough with the players we needed in key positions. But then his main signing (as in someone he directly wanted) who he also loves has been Hwang

Not sure we have been that inconsistent. Since December we had a 10 weeks or so spell where we were winning most weeks, then after that we've had a 10 week or so spell where we've been losing most weeks.

 

[Lupo]

Which is a bit reminiscent of Lambert who also had a couple of good runs but also had some shocking runs (though he did beat Liverpool in the cup rather than go out meekly to a shit Norwich team), also give Hwang an English name and he would be very much a Lambert style signing.

This all feels very much like the end of that first season with all the whispers coming out about Lambert and speculation as to whether he would be given the next season or his P45. Thankfully he got the latter and Fosun had a gem up their sleeves in Nuno.

I think the run of 'form' that we are on is very alarming and tales of fall outs behind the scenes with senior players who have always been very professional for us are also alarming and if its a choice between Lage going or the likes of Raul, Jonny, Mou then its the former every time.

Even a resounding victory against one of the poorest ever Premier League sides on Sunday isn't going to paper over those cracks

 

[Del Woppio]

Which is a bit reminiscent of Lambert who also had a couple of good runs but also had some shocking runs (though he did beat Liverpool in the cup rather than go out meekly to a shit Norwich team), also give Hwang an English name and he would be very much a Lambert style signing.

This all feels very much like the end of that first season with all the whispers coming out about Lambert and speculation as to whether he would be given the next season or his P45. Thankfully he got the latter and Fosun had a gem up their sleeves in Nuno.

I think the run of 'form' that we are on is very alarming and tales of fall outs behind the scenes with senior players who have always been very professional for us are also alarming and if its a choice between Lage going or the likes of Raul, Jonny, Mou then its the former every time.

Even a resounding victory against one of the poorest ever Premier League sides on Sunday isn't going to paper over those cracks

It's a massively different background though, they were at the very start of a high-spend, fast growth strategy, where the ceiling was a lot further away. Today we're basically in the position where the absolute peak of ambition is ten more points and 20 more goals.

 

[Newbridge Wolf]

My take is this, Fosun and Nuno had different agendas for the season gone, they couldn't agree and Nuno was sacked.

Bruno was brought in as a cheap option, a good coach with an albeit small reputation for getting the most out of players. Fosun liked this, they see a season or longer of stabilising the clubs revenue as a positive whilst getting the most out of the existing talent.

The questions Fosun now have are, do they continue with Bruno and not spending, given the recent trajectory and the likelyhood we will loose a number of key first team players this would be risky.

Do they back Bruno, a manager who has done a good job on improving league position and is clearly a yes man when it counts, maybe, but look at the risk. Whilst he has done subjectivily well, there must be some concerns at recent form, disruption in the team and failing to push on from a great position for Europe.

Do they look at a period of investment with a new manager who has a profile they can attract with significant investment promised and a chance to build their own team, still a risk but maybe not so much of one.

I am leaning to the latter, they have been ruthless in managers previously and I believe they will be setting up a new dawn, trying to replicate the Nuno revolution of that first season

 

[YoungWolf]

Not sure we have been that inconsistent. Since December we had a 10 weeks or so spell where we were winning most weeks, then after that we've had a 10 week or so spell where we've been losing most weeks.

I'm talking about performances. I don't think since the first four games we've had many games in a row where we've played really well and with an identity.

Some people are more interested in outputs, which is understandable. For long term stability and success though I'm far more interested in us performing in a way that is going to allow us to be successful going forwards. The way we've played this season, we will not finish 8th (or 9th if we drop to that) again if we continue as we are.

 

[slink]

I'm talking about performances. I don't think since the first four games we've had many games in a row where we've played really well and with an identity.

Some people are more interested in outputs, which is understandable. For long term stability and success though I'm far more interested in us performing in a way that is going to allow us to be successful going forwards. The way we've played this season, we will not finish 8th (or 9th if we drop to that) again if we continue as we are.

Some of this is on the players we have though. You can get so much out of them and then bang can’t quite get what we need. Bruno still at fault as he keeps picking Hwang, Saiss etc… but we require serious work on the make up of squad. Athleticism and ability to carry the ball in deeper positions and then players that can finish in the final third are really key for me.