Holmes_and_Watson

Thanks. Looks like my medicine cabinet is getting a contents upgrade.

I blame the Beatles

Sick

I thought I had all the stuff:Blackcurrant Lemsip, Benalyn and Vick's Vaporub. There's surely not things out there that can get past those?

My understanding, from scanning front pages, is that due to government cuts, Immigration control for skilled people and better options elsewhere, that there only is one left. 🙂

The first 5 minutes were good. We started with our usual pace, and got a few chances. It was a bit more even, but we were stronger up until AA had his penalty saved. By that point Norwich were implementing their experienced manager's plans. They pressed us at the back, while cutting off Jander, and to some extent Downes. Fraser was more of a fullback, and we really missed Fellowes today. We offered no outlet down the right. So we ended up playing a lot across the back, only to have to go long eventually. We depended almost entirely on Scienza, with Azaz back to being fairly stationary throughout, and AA back to being an isolated forward. Pretty much a team with the SR flaws built in to see. We had noone to bring on to offer something different to partner AA with, or support him. Robinson was anonymous. As usual we offer little if our main plan, which has been effective under Tonda, is shut off. Their winner might have been hand ball, but Stephens getting a foul for falling over stopped a third. Norwich were a side with injuries at the bottom of the table. But, by doing the basics and having a bit of fight were too good for us. A reality check for the manager and the players.

On my way to my parents to watch this one. More of the same please Tonda. Not that my Dad expects much from his Norwich side, but 3-0 up before half time will destroy any hope for another year.

Classic trousers I thought. Not being able to decide on a favourite from everything he's seen. 🙂

A fan protest going into added time in the second half, not only prolonged the tedium of this one, but got the match abandoned. Tensions between SR and the support have reached a new level. I imagine Sochaux will get awarded the points, possibly a 3-0 win by default and VA will be in some bother. The channel tried to fill some time by showing the highlights, only to find there weren't any. A nice drop into midfield space after 5 mins, allowed a first time ball into a channel. 2 VA defenders could have cleared it. Neither took responsibility and conspired to allow a crisp shot away for the opener. And that was it for Sochaux. They only had to watch VA fail to make a correct decision or pass in the final third. And that's what they did. There was a brief glimmer when Our Rento came on around 72 mins. As much the novelty of having someone to pass to. He did get in between the defence and the keeper. Other strikers might have got the ball on goal and taken the hit. Rento put it wide. There had been a VA shot well over the bar on 67. That only became a shot after the first player slipped. A couple of other efforts went tamely at their keeper. That was despite VA actually having some numbers up. They have no idea what to do with it, and overcompensate or panic. Pretty much the same as we've seen for most of the season. Now with added desperation and lower confidence. Keen SR watchers are seeing one genius all-in approach, being abandoned for the next all different, but still all-genius approach fall flat on its face too.

Can't argue with using SR's resources to get an automatic promotion and keep us in the PL. Oh wait...

There goes any chance of me getting sympathy for my sniffoos. Thanks a bunch with your thread hogging near death experiences. 🙂

Promise

I got a jab free flu through work. A month later, I got the sniffoos. Sure, not the flu, so the jab might have worked. But still disappointing.

Minor

I'm of the opinion that for a player that gets as many goals assists and has a great workrate, he deserves the chance should we get there. We've gone through so many systems and managers, I'd be happy enough to see how it works out. Not very ruthless, considering how the last couple of PL campaigns have gone. But I like to see players rewarded with the chance. And some decent SR reinforcements.

I would have preferred to get a manager with experience in a top division, preferably with more than one club. Simply because I've more trust in someone with a proven track record at getting where we want to be, than someone with none. That's not to say noone without experience would be unable to do a good job. Just that it's more of a risk. Not helped by SR's track record. Tonda has inherited all the flaws/ systems in the side. Baz being Baz, no proper right wing back, and a preference for 3 at the back. DM cover (now filled a bit by Romeu), the lack of an Adams upgrade, and having AA as a main striker. Oh, and a horrible relegation, another massive clear out and a rubbish start to the season. And, with the prior coaching team also having left, he's done a superb job. Despite all of the above, he's brought mobility back into a side that is now playing to it's strengths. No doubt there will be bumps. No doubt there are lots of things he's working on improving. And no doubt other sides are working at putting a stop to it. It's hard to think, other than beating Millwall, how it could have gone better results wise, and in the improvements we're seeing elsewhere. I quite like his subs following such strong starts. Sure there's work needed to make the most of them. But that's as much on the players. Everyone knows where they stand in a settled team. Archer, Aribo and Robinson are all capable of more. So, we should start to see more structure as they are getting quite a few minutes as others are rested and come off. It is a results business (despite SR's player trading beliefs). So there's now pressure to push on from his great start. That's tough considering where he pulled us out from. But we all want promotion. His relationship with Spors will hopefully result in more change for the better in the next window. And that Tonda gets the support that a number of others haven't fully had.

Solo

Lemon

As my dad supports Norwich a Tonda first half will do very nicely. I'd not expect us to come under as much pressure from a slightly improving, but fragile Norwich.

Well, when two people get on really well when they meet on a date, it can lead to...oh, I see what you were getting at...🙂

Just looking at that! Considering where we were until recently, an excellent return. And he does a lot more than just get the goals.

Ballast

It's freeloaders like you that give the welfare state a bad name. Why, when I were a lad I'd have to start my chimney sweeping shift 6 hours before I finished my shift doon pit. Hot gravel? Luxury! We had to live on the soot and slurry we could catch between our teeth, fighting off the pit ponies, bats and other mutant children for the privilege! Oh, we used to dream of being beaten with a broken bottle! But we had to combine our mining with placing radioactive canisters doon pit. We had no time for such affection. And no time to spend any pennies, which is why they were kept from us by our evil workhouse owners. Not that we got to stay in the workhouse, mind you! Those of us not blind from the radioactive sludge or falling masonry injuries would possibly see it through the smog from a distance. If we were lucky!

A combination of some of our best, and some of our weaknesses on show. Overall. we'd once again done enough in the first half. Tonda will be looking at how we compete, while holding onto even a good lead. We were very clinical first half, getting a 3 nil lead through some lovely precision passing, team work and AA's work rate and finishing. We didn't need to create much to get that lead. AA, Fellowes and Scienza opened up the opposition again, with Azaz there to link things up. Jander and Downes controlled the middle well, and THB was the CB getting forward. Loads of positives. After the third, we lowered the pace somewhat leading into half time. Second half, we continued in the same vein. But, when we needed to increase the pace and use space, we struggled a bit. Albion's first came just as we were considering our usual subs. At our tempo, and with the amount of time left, Tonda did the right thing in keeping AA on for an extra 10-15 minutes. When he went off, we dropped again, having to clear a number of corners, before 1 went in. Despite a number of decent saves, Baz was stranded and easily outmuscled for that second. Albion had an excellent chance to level towards the end too. Manning doing just enough to stop a clean strike. Tonda's not been in charge long. And you can see what he's looking for in the subs. With a settled first 11, he will no doubt be working on how to best utilise the subs and manage the game, after great opening work. It's not as though there weren't positives in the subs. Archer looked keen, even if we didn't create much for him. Although slated a bit, Aribo's presence made a difference. At the moment we just don't have a plan to use our subs to take advantage of breaks or put pressure on opponents. Robinson was quiet. He did well late on helping the ball in the corner, only to then move across and give up possession. While Fellowes isn't a wing back, Fraser really isn't. A lot of WBA's attacks went past him. It's a known gap in the squad, as is the lack of a focal point to help us in such games. Aribo's the closest we have, so hopefully we'll see that being worked on. Quarshie still looks raw, but you can see improvements. So, good to see him get minutes. Another win getting us towards playoff places, is more than I thought we'd get at this stage, after our start. You could tell at the final whistle, there was a sense of things to be worked on, rather than resting on that first half. So, more positives there too. Mindful of the improvements, the squad can take a lot of credit from the game and are certainly working hard in the right direction.

As our tempo changes, others have to step up. Cleared 3 times in quick succession between Baz and Manning. Decent closing down too.