Norwich Pink'uns view of the starts made by the Blades & Norwich City

[Greystones Blade]

Here's a recent article in the Norwich Pink'un sent to me by a Norwich City supporting friend comparing United's start compared with Norwich City's.

Ian Clarke: Why are the Blades cutting it in the Premier League and the Canaries aren’t?

Before the start of this season, are there any of us Norwich City fans who would rather have been in Sheffield United’s shoes than ours?

www.pinkun.com

 

[JPBrods]

Honestly pains me that we allowed that meme team to win the title last season.

 

[originaltrueblade]

I think he got the comments about Moose and Robbo the wrong way round

 

[TJB.]

Such a thoroughly unlikeable football club. Even their paper has a shit name.

Similar to Borussia Dortmund in that the main reason they're is so popular/well-supported is that there's fuck all else to do in those parts besides follow the club.

Admittedly Dortmund are infinitely cooler, more successful, and their fans don't lose their Casio watches in their sisters or pets.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

They still don’t get it do they?

 

[Harry's Game]

Honestly pains me that we allowed that meme team to win the title last season.

That dodgy run of form at the beginning of December cost us the title.

During the rest of the season We took four points off both the other promoted teams and three points off the other sides that made the play offs.

I know they say the league table doesn’t lie but I think we were the best all round side in the Championship last season, and I think the LMA agreed with that assessment

 

[Woodwardfan]

Slightly ignorant lack of awareness of our squad strength after the summer dealings and also the capability of our various established players.

It is very true we have been fortunate with injuries and they have had loads and the changes in their back line have been horrendous.

With our sparse cover at the back and in goal we would have had to find a way. Norwich have not done that and must rue only spending a million last summer.

Life is about taking opportunities and to a man our tried and tested players have stepped up, with the outstanding bonus of Lundstram.

 

[JackSUFC]

The sooner Norwichelona are relegated the better. We’ll stick to our meat and potato football.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

Even after their game v Liverpool where they got taken apart people were praising their style of play. Not shocked at all they are were they currently are. I am slightly surprised at just how much their goals have dried up since they beat Man City 3-2. Only scored twice in the seven games since that one!

 

[Houston_Blade]

Proper backhanded compliment of an article. Basically they'd be better than us if they'd not had injuries, don't have an unfit squad then.

 

[TCsLoveChild]

Their problem was patently obvious, the defence was shitola. The fact they failed to improve it in the summer when they had been given £100m from the PL stinks of rank bad management from Farke upwards. Farke should be sacked and Delia -"WHERE ARE YOU" should resign. UTB

 

[Sheffsteel]

Before even reading it suspected it would be a report bigging up Norwich and making excuses.

They don’t acknowledge that we were probably the best team in the league last season and it’s not a surprise to many Blades we’re doing well in the PL. Last season we dropped loads of points conceding injury time/ last minute goals. Where as Leeds and especially Norwich scores loads of injury time goals.

Norwich were poor the previous season under Farke and Pukki has always been a journeymen even struggling up in Scotland. So one could think that maybe NC were a 1 season wonder and now they’ve gone back to their normal level.

Notice the comment about us bring a big physical side especially in midfield, when the reality is we have one of the smallest sides in the league. Our midfield last season of Duffy, Fleck and Norwood are all slightly built midgets. Norwich City have much bigger players than us.

My theory on NC struggling is quite simple, they play an open game and managed to just about outscore teams last season but in the PL the strikers are better so they are losing. Also the fact they’ve had injuries means the team is more disjointed leading to a loss of confidence.

 

[Revolution]

We have 8 ever present players after 12 games. That is highly unusual, and owes something to good fortune (although the players’ fitness and performance levels have also been a big factor).

it is almost certain that had we had injuries to 4 of these 8 players, say, we would not have done as well. This was also a big factor last season when 5 of the back 6 hardly missed a game (Baldock the exception) and Norwood,McGoldrick and Sharp were never injured.

long may this continue.

 

[super_pig]

FWIR they seemed to win every game 5-4 in the 5th minute of added on time. it was obvious that wouldn't happen in the prem

 

[Sheffsteel]

We have 8 ever present players after 12 games. That is highly unusual, and owes something to good fortune (although the players’ fitness and performance levels have also been a big factor).

it is almost certain that had we had injuries to 4 of these 8 players, say, we would not have done as well. This was also a big factor last season when 5 of the back 6 hardly missed a game (Baldock the exception) and Norwood,McGoldrick and Sharp were never injured.

long may this continue.

Normally you would say it is good luck but something weird is happening.

Since Wilder and his backroom team have arrived we‘ve hardly had any injuries in the past 3 years.

I’ve never known a manager hardly ever tinker picking the same starting 11 week in week out.

Even the injury prone David McGoldrick has miraculously been injury free for 2 years, so the backroom staff deserve massive praise.

 

[Charlieblade]

Proper backhanded compliment of an article. Basically they'd be better than us if they'd not had injuries, don't have an unfit squad then.

United side picks itself these days. I mentioned earlier the work of the medical, fitness and conditioning team behind our success. Kudos to them for the levels United players have maintained so far this season.
Moose still not 100% but getting there. Will Morrison be unleashed mid December?

 

[Revolution]

Normally you would say it is good luck but something weird is happening.

Since Wilder and his backroom team have arrived we‘ve hardly had any injuries in the past 3 years.

I’ve never known a manager hardly ever tinker picking the same starting 11 week in week out.

Even the injury prone David McGoldrick has miraculously been injury free for 2 years, so the backroom staff deserve massive praise.

they do. It’s a refreshing change from, say, 2009-2012 when a number of players were out for months.

 

[Houston_Blade]

Will Morrison be unleashed mid December?

I think he'll be added to the 'just needs a good pre-season' ranks.

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

Let's not downplay Norwich's title win last season, they accumulated more points than us at the end of the day; still, rather have our squad than theirs any day.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

Our steady rise has come over 3 and a bit seasons. Norwich have come from nowhere and are very much a one season wonder. Ta ta carrot crunchers.

 

[BettingBlade]

Theres more to injuries than just luck. Obviously impact injuries are down to luck but even then there is an argument to say that our medical staff are clearly better at helping players recover from such injuries than the Norwich medical team.

I've never seen a Blades team that is so well conditioned and this clearly comes from how well looked after they are medically behind the season. Given the tempo we play at and by all accounts training is full-throttle, its absolutely incredible how our players are kept so free from injury.

Actually when you think about it like this its absolutely astonishing how every member of the playing/coaching staff are absolutely the best we could have got. We've heard Wilder talk in the past about the finer details and how much they count for over the season and this is absolutely proof of that.

 

[tomtheblade]

Norwich did deserve to win the title last season, but to spend nothing on a defence that was leaking goals even in the championship seems bizarre.

I understand not wanting to jeapordise the clubs future by overspending but 5-10m on a quality CB is hardly splurging is it, especially given the financial benefits of staying up. Weird.

What's funny is how dismissive they were of us in pre season this year. Looks a bit silly now.

 

[Niceguyeddie]

Norwich did deserve to win the title last season, but to spend nothing on a defence that was leaking goals even in the championship seems bizarre.

I understand not wanting to jeapordise the clubs future by overspending but 5-10m on a quality CB is hardly splurging is it, especially given the financial benefits of staying up. Weird.

What's funny is how dismissive they were of us in pre season this year. Looks a bit silly now.

Norwich are like a one trick pony ,the way they played through the press against citeh was very impressive and worked a treat but in the premier league much like a top class test cricketer once teams work out what you are good at they work out ways to stop it and you tottaly pummel your weaknesses until you submission unless you can mix it up with plan b ,c and d

Norwich only have plan a and at the top level that's not enough

 

[Coily]

Telling that he mentions they scored 15 more last season. But doesn't mention they conceded 16 more. Added to this they haven't truly strengthened in a naive belief they didn't need to, just as they didn't need to adapt.

Injuries they have suffered haven't helped them clearly, but they have blundered on with the same "style" that will not work against top sides. They can argue about individual strength, but we are a far stronger collective with a management team who have made the step up. Farke seems lost in comparison and results reflect that.

 

[Sheffsteel]

We've heard Wilder talk in the past about the finer details and how much they count for over the season and this is absolutely proof of that.

Ive mentioned this a few weeks back but recently I was chatting to someone in a very senior position at the club...and I was massively praising Wilder.

He was very quick to make it clear that Wilder is getting all the publicity and plaudits but he said his backroom team are truely amazing and a major reason why Wilder is being so successful. Told me Alan Knill is the main man regards tactics and said the conditioning and coaching staff are the reason we have few injuries.
Said Steve Bettis has been brilliant for the club giving advice/ recommendations on all kinds of things including transfers etc.

I know Wilder always makes a point of this but this guy told me it really is “Team Wilder“ and they all deserve credit not just CW. Told me a great quality of CW is that he does encourage ideas and he’s prepared to listen and take advice from his staff. Of course Wilder always has the final say.

 

[metalblade]

Reading the comments under the article made me laugh, one of their fans says our midfielders are huge and don't get bullied like theirs do mmmmm John Fleck 5'6", Oli Norwood about 12 stone wet through. Ok Lundstram is a bit of a unit but fuck me their midfield must be full of under 15's if he think ours are a set of big bruisers.

 

[bromtom]

Reading the comments under the article made me laugh, one of their fans says our midfielders are huge and don't get bullied like theirs do mmmmm John Fleck 5'6", Oli Norwood about 12 stone wet through. Ok Lundstram is a bit of a unit but fuck me their midfield must be full of under 15's if he think ours are a set of big bruisers.

It's just one of those myths that won't go away, that we're a team of huge bastards. Lundstram is 5'11", as you say Norwood is about 3 inches taller than Fleck and is very slight. We only have about 6 or 7 players over 6' in our entire 25 man squad and 3 of them are keepers.

 

[dc_blade]

Plucky Norwich have already won their silverware for the season: The Beat Man City But Get Dicked Every Other Week Cup.

Their injury luck has been terrible but everyone, including their own fans, knows they’d be in the mire regardless.

 

[tomtheblade]

It's just one of those myths that won't go away, that we're a team of huge bastards. Lundstram is 5'11", as you say Norwood is about 3 inches taller than Fleck and is very slight. We only have about 6 or 7 players over 6' in our entire 25 man squad and 3 of them are keepers.

Yeah, it's difficult to think of many in our squad who actually fit that description.

Fleck, Lunny and Sharp are well built but not tall, at least by pro athlete standards.

Bash, Henderson and McBurnie are tall but slim. You wouldn't back them in a scrap.

The only 2 that come close are JOC and Egan, and even Egan is just a fairly tall, fairly strong guy, not a Stam/Vidic/Morgan type. That leaves JOC, who is legitimately a unit but who is also one of the most cultured all-round centre backs we've ever had at the Lane. Hardly a bruiser.

So there you go, 1 or maybe 2, out of 11-14 regular 1st team players.

 

[Weasel]

My theory on NC struggling is quite simple, they play an open game and managed to just about outscore teams last season but in the PL the strikers are better so they are losing. Also the fact they’ve had injuries means the team is more disjointed leading to a loss of confidence.

Whereas my theory on NC struggling is also quite simple, in that they are w@nk.