Norwich City vs Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[CJ]

Missed McGinn big time, then when Tammy and Albert went off we looked very poor. Think Deano got the substitution for Tammy wrong - should have brought Kodjia on rather than Hogan. El GHazi was shit compared to Albert but all in all we were pretty poor across the whole pitch in the second half, with the possible exception of Axel. It isn't going to change overnight - and I think tonight showed Smith the magnitude of the task in hand.

[Tuscans]

QPR are in a bit of form too....be another bitch of match if we play like we did tonight.

[Nii Lamptey]

I guess Smith has a better idea of what he’s inherited now. If we’re not cut adrift by Xmas, we’ll be ‘there or thereabouts’ 😗

Positives
- Axel
- Tammy pre-injury

Negatives
- The rest of em
- Poor subs by Smith - Should have taken Jack off instead of Hourihane (at least he would have been a goal threat), and brought on Kodjia for Tammy instead of Hogan. If he’s a goal scorer, i’m Brad Pitt!

[Matt Collins]

They're just not used to passing the ball with good movement. Indo think we've got the squad to do it though. But certain players just aren't going to fit in eventually.

[john e]

Second half was every bit as good as a Bruce performance

I think there was only Grealish out there out of the whole team who could actually pass the ball
Norwich were far more comfortable on the ball in every area of the pitch

Taylor, Elmo, Ghazi, Hogan, Whelan the ball might as well have been a canon ball they are pish and will never be good enough to play the style Smith wants

wonder who signed that box of bollocks
 

[Risso]

That was abject in every single department.

[paul_e]

We looked as disjointed as we ver did under Bruce second half.  Yeah, couple of injuries didn't help, but our crossing and shooting is criminally bad and yet again we get bullied by small town clubs with average players.

The bad:
Hogan - Shit.
El Ghazi - worse (they looked like they stopped passing to him after his first couple of touches which is deeply concerning)
Hourahane - pedestrian

The better:
Tuanzebe's best game.  Grealish tried to make things happen, but always looks like he's waiting to be clattered rather than making something happen.  He needs to sort that out quickly. 

Smith will get to grips with it I'm sure, but that was truly poor after the first 10 minutes.

On grealish, I agree he was poor but there was one point, on about the hour, where he had the ball near the edge of their box and he turned backwards and forwards about 4-5 times and literally no one moved to make a pass for him, Taylor, El Ghazi and Hogan all hid behind defenders, i think he eventually played it a few yards in front of Hourihane to get him to move.  After that he started playing for free kicks.

[PaulWinch again]

Jack wasn’t any good, he was incredibly ponderous. When he did pass it generally was too slow and put players in trouble. Obviously not alone in being poor but I expect so much more from him.

[jwarry]

Second half was every bit as good as a Bruce performance

I think there was only Grealish out there out of the whole team who could actually pass the ball
Norwich were far more comfortable on the ball in every area of the pitch

Taylor, Elmo, Ghazi, Hogan, Whelan the ball might as well have been a canon ball they are pish and will never be good enough to play the style Smith wants

wonder who signed that box of bollocks
 

There lies the rub...

[Taylor]

I wanted Bruce gone too, albeit later than most. However I didn't see any more attacking intent tonight. Had he still been in charge he would have blamed for that shite performance.

Maybe our players are just rubbish.

[London Villan]

Smith was always going to give Hogan a chance, i think he had one touch in 40 minutes.

[Matt Collins]

It was classic hourihane wasn't it?

Generally very pedestrian and slow / one footed. But another assist with a great ball in

Ultimately I don't think he can play the sort of crisp passing game that Smith wants

When he got robbed facing his own goal because he wanted too much time on the ball and ended up on all fours  watching the Norwich player run away from him, sums up too many of his performances.

God that was bad. Just took a touch, looked up and before he looked down again the ball was gone

Mcginn is twice the player he is. Just needs to deliver the ball better

[jwarry]

Jack wasn’t any good, he was incredibly ponderous. When he did pass it generally was too slow and put players in trouble. Obviously not alone in being poor but I expect so much more from him.

I really don’t understand these comments, he’s the only player we have that is capable of playing the way Dean wants us to play

[jwarry]

Smith was always going to give Hogan a chance, i think he had one touch in 40 minutes.

Did he? I think I missed it!

[Nev]

Kodja and BB as the subs may have got us a result.