I posted prior to those two matches taking place that they would be a good indicator of how real our much-vaunted improvements were when measured against the yardstick of likely survival next season. Survival or relegation depend on results, nothing else.
To take the Watford and Bournemouth games as a barometer of how well we will do next season is not very accurate. We didn't judge the previous season on how we performed against Man City. However winning against sides below or around us will be vital that was something we lacked sorely
The dubious thing for me was to judge our season's performance by those two games. Against Bournemouth we lost there by a single goal while according to your XG and XGa stats we were the better team and at CR we lost having had Giannoulis sent off in the 17th minute, having been on top up until then. Both Watford games were decided by a single goal, but the second was after we'd already gained promotion and the pressure was off. Significantly, Watford also lost their next match after securing promotion 2-0 at Brentford. Putting any great significance on individual games is a dubious indicator IMO. Finishing top, 6 points above Watford and 20 points above Bournemouth is a much better indicator. Survival will depend far more on consistency of performance than on any individual results.
Precisely why I describe myself as a supporter rather than a fan; I'm neither "emotionally invested" nor "delusional" I wasn't "judging our season's performance" Rick, I was judging our much talked about "improvement" against the yardstick of chances of survival next season. My opinion on our performance this season in the Championship is reflected in the fact that I have been more confident of promotion from earlier on than anyone else posting on this board.
I think you miss my point more than a little. And I'd argue that you fall more into the role of 'observer' or 'critic' rather than 'supporter.' 'Supporter' implies at least some positive bias towards a chosen clubs fortunes. I'm curious though, you really have no emotional investment in NCFC? If not mind sharing what are you getting out of supporting the club?
I also struggle to recall any comment you have made that would warrant you calling yourself a 'supporter', Robbie. The closest I can remember is your saying that DF is a good Championship manager, only to then add that he'd never be good enough for the PL. The bit of SW's comments you failed to mention was that he had left DF 'underequiped' for the PL. That is much less the case with the 10 new players added since the PL and we should have another 4/5 to come, a very different situation than last time.
There was no need to mention it. He wasn't saying "I left DF under equipped AND IN ADDITION we lacked .........." The lack of top level quality, pace and physicality constituted the under equipping. As for the 10 players added since we were relegated, IMO they are very much more of the same. None is of proven EPL quality, only one -- Placheta -- adds significant pace (but on current showing not much else), and the squad is no less lightweight in physical terms than before. The only player who has improved his body strength seems to be Emi (and well done to him for doing so).
https://www.pinkun.com/sport/norwich-city/stuart-webber-norwich-city-four-year-anniversary-7875060 "Webber admitted to sending Farke 'into war without a gun' but as they crashed out of the Premier League with 10 straight defeats, he kept faith in his methods when many would have been tempted to rip them up and start again"
The need was there if you wanted to fairly represent SW's comments. Instead you selected the comments which would allow you to be critical. Never once have you acknowledged the impact that injuries had on our PL season. Any chance to be negative you accept readily and you call that being a 'supporter'.
That semantic distinction in no way contradicts the point Rick made. In fact, it really just underlines Rick is right. The timing and pattern of both those sets of matches ended up making them poor “yardsticks”, even if they might have seemed like good “yardsticks” on paper. As we have told you before, football isn’t played on paper.
Eh? Giannoulis has serious pace. And I know you don’t like to admit it, but Hanley is much improved. Also Gibson is highly mobile for a centre back (it’s not just pace in attack we need). I don’t know who else you count within the ten arrivals, but even if we exclude Skipp, Sorensen added height and mobility. Not necessarily the strongest, but more solid in midfield than we had before. We’ve also added (internally) pace in the form of Mumba, though that’s perhaps simply matching Aarons’ pace. Sinani and Soto are unknown quantities, but I had understood both are quick. So honestly I’m struggling to see how much more pace and strength could have been added?!? You almost certainly don’t rate McClean, but he’s consistently been strong and good in the air. The only real addition (maybe two, with concerns around McClean’s injury) we could use is a strong defensive midfielder, but that’s because we had Skipp on loan. I think the reality is you just cannot admit to being wrong, so will just repeat any old rubbish without thought in order to avoid having to admit it.
Rupp was also added halfway through the PL season to "improve us defensively" in midfield, and he, like Stieperman and Leitner, is one of the few players Robbie has commended, other than Skipp more recently.