Holmes_and_Watson

Charles did seem to take a step too long to pass it.

Gah! Stewart not able to put in Charles' pass.

But the risk of losing possession! The risk! >faint< 🙂

Yay! Archer showing that striker's instinct we all knew he had ready to pounce. 🙂 Mind you, it took a trademark Norwich Comedy calamity to give us enough chances.

'Tis but a scratch of incompetence! Come back here and watch our defenders collide into each other again! 🙂

If his brothers could play on the wing, they'd be starting.

Norwich mess. But a perfect ball for an AA effort. But it's Archer, so....

Nope. No DM (it's never Charles) No creative attacking midfielder. Just some central midfielders to move the ball about, in Downes (invariably backwards), Charles (usually sideways) and Smallbone (5 yards distance, but across the pitch). Like our attacking width, every player we have is really going for 1 position.

Wood & Edwards in each others way. They became sheepish after that, allowing Norwich in for a decent effort. Wood hurt from it too. Just shout!

Sargent scored from blocking a 'keepers kick. He had turned his body so that the rebound went towards goal. Something for Stewart to work on. 🙂

Stephens, no doubt.

Wood rescuing a free kick for Norwich there. Well done.

Good from Fraser there. No one on the end of it.

A combination of them finding out a ball bounces and the alien territory of it being near the opponents goal.

Really good of McCarthy playing with a pub team for charity.

With the window shutting on 1st September, here's a quick comparison of where we are compared to SR's takeover season (the minimum to stay in the PL) and our last promotion season. Goalkeepers: Despite it being a torrid time in goal, both Forster and McCarthy were better all round 'keepers than Bazunu. With Ramsdale on loan, we have much the same as when we last went up. Except McCarthy isn’t considered as reliable as even then, and only a hope that Baz has improved his shot stopping. Full-Backs: We're without KWP, so we're automatically weaker than in both our SR takeover year, and our last promotion year. In the takeover year, we also had Tino on the right, allowing KWP to be our left back, with Perraud (unceremoniously dumped by Martin) filling in when needed. When we last went up, we were fine with KWP, Manning and Bree for the season. However, with Roerslev, Bree, Manning and Welington (the others looking likely to go), we do have better depth here. Central Defence: Bednerak was our best centre back so weaker here. Another area, where we all thought we'd naturally improve on, only for him to remain our best defender. As a partner, Salisu had more talent than anything we've seen since (with ABK's personality ruling him out). We can hope THB puts last season behind him, and that Edwards builds on his loan move. Like our full back positions, we do have some decent, settled depth here. After seasons of having none, to having a glut of players not working out. Midfield: SR's Takeover season was mainly Romeu, Ward-Prowse and Stu, covering distinct roles in the midfield. When Stu wasn't fit, we had the likes of Ely and Diallo (who we thought we'd improve on). SR basically pushed Romeu out for Lavia, without planning for counting on the ups and downs of having a talented youngster's form and fitness. That was when we were crying out for someone to join Romeu, not as a replacement. When Martin took over, for the promotion season, JWP left early on, and he didn't rate Charles or Alcaraz. But we did have MVP Downes, a much-developed Will, and a fit again Stu (and a fit again Aribo too as cover). Now Charles is back and isn't a DM, Downes is stuck in MartinBall mode and Fernandes is left to do a lot of work. We're a mile off our promotion season and much, much further from SR's takeover year. Attacking Midfielders/ Wide Players: Another area where we can’t move forward (literally, it seems). SR took over with AA, Elyounoussi, Redmond and Tella getting the most games here. It was an area where SR really needed to give Ralph some support. We last went up with AA, Sule, Edozie, Fraser and Brooks (with an early impressive Tella cameo). Our best two options here are AA and Fraser, much as the promotion season, even if they’re not in those positions currently. Centre Forward/ Striker: In SR's first summer window, they smugly dismissed concerns about our front line, looking to offload Adams, for replacements that never arrived. That was when Adams needed to have an Ings like player to work with. We did get Broja's purple patch, that really helped, and was more than could have been expected of him. In our last promotion campaign, we still had Adams. As Martin found out last season, and as we face this one, Adams would walk back into the side. Even after all the windows when SR looked to upgrade. We have much more depth up front than before. But SR have wasted it on targets that were some way down their list, after windows of counting on first choices, while tempting them with SR wages. A lot of them have good Championship scoring records. None of them look capable of recreating those times. We can hope we just need the support players. Where 50% would be keeping the same side: % against SR Takeover season: 9% (AA still in the side, if not position yet, and Fraser being about as decent as Redmond. Weaker everywhere else. And this is being kind.. Fraser's champ form vanished for long spells and didn't do much last season, while Redmond was often just frustrated with RalphBall. AA did nothing in the PL, and Ely actually played more games. So this could easily have been 0% on another day.) % against Last promotion season: 34% (Baz, Manning, THB, Downes, AA and Fraser still in the team. Weaker everywhere else, but have some full back and centre back cover). Still is going to need a very busy, and beneficial week from the recruitment team, to have a chance of implementing a successful system. SR's determination to lower that individual wage bill, trade on up and coming talent and take hopeful punts on others has left us with a bloated squad, still lacking in key first team positions and roles.

Wishing him all the best for a successful career. We benefited financially from his return from Chelsea, and also in watching him in the first half of last season. it reflects well on the club, and it's development of youngsters, to see another talent move on. That said, it's disappointing that his development couldn't continue with us at a higher level, before moving on to an even bigger destination.

Is playing with a lonely striker so much better than playing with a broken striker? Asking for a band who need a Yes on it, so they can finish their lyrics. 🙂

Safe

Ralph and Russ were so system based, that independent thinkers were not required. All managers are going to have personnel issues in their squad. It's also important that players buy into a manager, if it's going to be a success. The downside is that we're left with autonomic drones. A squad where Stephens pulling some hair gets him our equivalent of a Victoria cross for bravery.

It seems that, as a manager takes the same backroom staff along with him all the time, that they don't significantly challenge anything. I think the one coach that stayed on said something along the lines of not liking possession football much anyway. But under the manager, they'll keep such thoughts to themselves. That will extend to other staff. They provide information, but won't risk a job for a fleeting manager. Otherwise our data analysts would be on strike in the PL. 🙂

Rangers turned down a bid for him. The players has then gone on a massive sulk. Apparently, his warm up was poor, and didn't give any indication of having an injury. This one has the hallmarks of squad churn and want away players, rather than a Martin thing.

I can't speak for others, but I'm interested in what he does, not worried about it. We're all very familiar with his style and tactics. So, it's an opportunity, from a safe distance, to see how it unfolds at another club. Looking at the rest of your post, shows just how polarising he was. One one hand he got us promoted, with a Martinball goal, got us a record unbeaten run, and seemed popular with the players, playing with a different approach. Like every manager since they took over, SR also didn't give him all the key recruitment roles to properly compete. On the other, his PL results put him as one of our least successful, who finished fourth in a three horse promotion race, and whose record run didn't close gaps due to lots of draws, playing an extreme system that often had no answers. So, interesting to watch.

A quick peek for anyone needing some details (like me) https://onefootball.com/en/news/report-epl-club-owner-accused-in-international-scandal-40250908

They're still at the stage where their natural instincts haven't been coached out of them yet. Martin hates that as it doesn't follow The Plan. But it means he has to find solutions, as he won't be able to count on it getting him out of a tactical hole.