Saints Vs Norwich - Post Match thread.

[SaintRobbie]

Happy - another win, ground out but who cares... we have a team of winners again.

[eelpie]

We need to use Lallana's ability wide left not in a centre field melee of massed bodies, he needs the room to drift about and use his ability to open up the opposition and be available to track opposing wide runners. He was totally wasted against Wycombe and Norwich.

 

A couple of months ago we were saying we couldn't really see where he could play. Since the Norwich league game his play in the next five games was outstanding at left midfield which could prove to be his best position. We don't play well when he isn't there.

 

I think Adam did well nevertheless. He was grafting hard and furious, running and chasing to win the ball all over the place in tight situations to win the ball from swift, incisive, skilled Norwich players who were on the ascendency for much of the match, and threatening to swamp us with goals. For me he exemplifies the new spirit of combativeness in the side that refuses to be defeated. How he can best be released from defensive duties when we are weak in the middle to forage to better effect is the question. I felt that Hammond was not up to his usual best for much of the match, despite some useful interceptions, certainly not showing the same energy as Lallana was. That may have been part of the problem, but hey Norwich are a testing team!

[derry]

I think Adam did well nevertheless. He was grafting hard and furious, running and chasing to win the ball all over the place in tight situations to win the ball from swift, incisive, skilled Norwich players who were on the ascendency for much of the match, and threatening to swamp us with goals. For me he exemplifies the new spirit of combativeness in the side that refuses to be defeated. How he can best be released from defensive duties when we are weak in the middle to forage to better effect is the question. I felt that Hammond was not up to his usual best for much of the match, despite some useful interceptions, certainly not showing the same energy as Lallana was. That may have been part of the problem, but hey Norwich are a testing team!

 

He worked hard but it was in my view misplaced and a waste of his ability. It is a widely held misconception that packing a narrow midfield affords greater protection. It doesn't against a team that then proceeds to use the full width and free space wide and as Norwich did, pick off the isolated wide defenders.

 

With wide players tracking the first wide attacker it affords greater protection to the full backs and alows a delay which enables the players in the middle and other side to slide across and back and consolidate, blocking off the attack and prevent any outflanking.

 

It was the narrowness that prevented us from coherent attacking and allowed Norwich the room to pull us around.

[krissyboy31]

He worked hard but it was in my view misplaced and a waste of his ability. It is a widely held misconception that packing a narrow midfield affords greater protection. It doesn't against a team that then proceeds to use the full width and free space wide and as Norwich did, pick off the isolated wide defenders.

 

With wide players tracking the first wide attacker it affords greater protection to the full backs and alows a delay which enables the players in the middle and other side to slide across and back and consolidate, blocking off the attack and prevent any outflanking.

 

It was the narrowness that prevented us from coherent attacking and allowed Norwich the room to pull us around.

 

I think originally we tried to match up on their diamond formation, which for the first 20/25 minutes worked a treat. Trouble is they are more adept at playing it and managed to take control, after they scored their equalizer. In the second half, we played 3 or 4 different formations trying to get back into the game. I think if we had started 4-5-1, with 5 across the middle (like we finished the game with the 3-5-2) we would have had much more of the ball and made more chances.