Match Day Thread Watford vs. Norwich City 26th Dec, KO 7.45pm

Back to the quality of our team, Cardiff manager, Neil Harris, had this to say:

"I think Norwich, from what I saw the other day, are a cut above in the league this year. I thought they were better than Leeds last year. The praise that Leeds took last year was immense - I think Norwich are better from what I’ve seen, watching them at the weekend but also watching their previous five games."

 

@Canary Rob
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Let's be 'avin you


I think I may have missed a couple of posters


Correct me if I'm wrong but @bengalurucanary got 5 wins 1 loss

@Bure budgie 7 wins 3 draws 1 loss

@DUNCAN DONUTS 1 loss

@Cromercanary 2 win 1 draw 1 loss


That makes 22 so I ****ed up somewhere

 

If no one is interested,I am happy to pick up the baton again.

 

I think It's @Cromercanary on next as he kicked us off then me unless anyone else wants it .

I doubt you will be waiting long mate knowing my luck


Phenomenal run by you and @bengalurucanary got us this far

 

I would like to offer an opinion from the other end of the ground aka WFC. We all see what happened in a game through our own prism, favouring our productive bits as brilliant, the oppositions as lucky etc. Anyway, I watched the whole game on Tv and watched the highlights a couple of times before venturing here. During the game I thought norwich's forward movement was terrific, bus a the game wore on, it became clearer that the end product just wasn't here. the WFC defence mopped up just about everything, reducing Norwich to long shots of average quality, and just the one opportunity at the end, stopped by a truly miraculous (and highly risk) tackle which nevertheless succeeded. On the other hane, WFC should have had 3 goals at least, if we could remember how to shoot properly. deeneys miscue when there was noonwe near him, Gray's 2 efforts again not really under pressure. WFC's attacks were far more threatening, if only resulting in 1 goal. BTW, going on and on about the deflection doesn't acknowledge that sorenson should have got to the ball before Sarr, so it wasn't flukey.and Cleverleys goal bound shot was deflected. A goal would have been a certainty before it got deflected.
So where are we ? WFC deserved to win according to the rules, and according to my view of the game. WFC had less attacks, but they were more threatening, leading to better chances.Norwich are a good side and WFC are in a decent position having played pretty poorly under a defensive-oriented manager. That looks like changing ! I think Norwich and Watford are best bets for 1 & 2, although Brentford are mightily impressive. Aarons impressed me a lot.

 

Should have scored 3 goals but registered one shot on target in 90 minutes

 

Watford had 7 shots, one on target, and scored 1 goal; we had 16 shots, 3 on target, and scored no goal. Only 2 of our 16 shots were from inside the area, compared to 4 of Watford's 7. Of Watford's 7 shots, 5 were chances of equal or better quality than the best chance we created; three of those 5 Watford chances, including Sarr's goal, were rated "Big Chances" by Whoscored. I think Mr Bodbo has a good case.

 

No surprise there, but as Bodbo said he is looking through a Watford prism and accepts that this may cloud his view. As always you seem incapable of looking at a game through a Norwich prism always preferring to look at it from an opposition view.

 

I prefer not to look through any prism, just at the evidence; which in this instance supports what Bodbo said, rather than Duncan..

 

I'm fairly convinced he's just an Obsessed Ipswich fan that gets his jollies out of moaning and arguing.

If Norwich had registered 1 shot on target and didn't even hit the woodwork from the other 6 shots I wouldn't be arguing that we should of scored 3 , 1 shot one goal is quite lucky no matter what sort of prism you look through.

I put the annoying doom monger back on ignore again .

 

Thanks for this Bodbo.

The only bit I think you really should factor in is that at least two of your really big chances (not the goal) were completely made by poor Norwich passing/getting caught on the ball inside our penalty area. You really should have had a second goal when Zimmermann bizarrely passed it to your striker (Gray I think) and I am still amazed that didn't end in a goal. But I do not think even the most biased of Watford players could argue that was created by Watford as Zimmermann was not really even under pressure. Same for the uncharacteristic misplaced pass from Skipp. Defensively we certainly had an off day, even by our weak defensive standards.

What I think you did right was sit rock solid and structured at the back, making no mistakes, and make the most of one of your handful of counterattacks. I agree with Robbie that this style is going to be far more effective in the Premier League than our style. Personally, I prefer our football, but it is clear that many fans would prefer to be in and stay in the Premier League and that's fair enough too.

 

Sorensen got beat to the ball, and McGovern should have picked off the cross IMHO (that's a matter for debate, though). Shots and shots on target don't always tell the whole story - too often we screw up a good opportunity without ever getting a shot off. Watford were more dangerous going forward than I expected and either team could have scored three goals.

 

His selective use of stats to highlight games where Norwich have not been at their best, suggests to me that he is no more than wind up merchant. We all know there are going to be off days , but to suggest that we have not progressed as a team since we last gained promotion, on account of losing to the other 2 relegated sides, is farsical and has obviously been made to get a reaction. So you either ignore such postings in future or you encourage him to continue in a similar vein. To be top of the league with all the injuries that we have had , is quite simply an amazing achievement. More of the same please! OTBC

 

How come everyone seems to forget that the goal came from Aaron's failing to block the cross. To single out McGovern and Sorensen as being responsible whilst ignoring Aaron's part seems bizarre.

 

Sometimes crosses get in. I'm just looking at what happened after the ball came off Max's foot.

 

No-one has mentioned the Pukki refused penalty in the second half. Having finally watched it, to me it was a stonewall penalty. the tackler may have got a touch on the ball, but the tackle was from behind, which I believe is still illegal, ergo;- Penalty. For the QPR goal a lot of the fault must be laid at the feet (or hand) of McGovern. he went to cut out the cross and pulled his arm back. I can only assume he believed he could not collect the ball cleanly thus giving a scoring chance. Big mistake as I see it.