Two late goals gave Norwich City a crucial three points against Everton at Carrow Road on Saturday, so Football Burp mosied on down to Canaries forum The Pink ‘Un to see what folk had to say. Imagine our mild surprise to find that manager Chris Hughton was still attracting some criticism, albeit not across the board…

Chris Hughton: accidental hero?

RUDOLPH HUCKER

Hughton is getting a lot of credit tonight when he was six minutes from joining the relegation dogfight proper.

His decision to bring on Kamara was his one decisive decision of the day especially as he found the balls to do it early.

He started Wes as a left winger. Wes worked really hard and did his best but was totally out of position.

He played two backs to the goal strikers with no pace and yet again another visiting team exploited the lack of pace by compressing play as their defence camped on the half-way line. Before Kamara came on it was becoming like the Fulham game where we simply couldn’t break forward.

But, he finally made the decision any of us could have made and brought on a pace threat in Kamara, Everton fell back and space appeared

Russell Martin has shown great desire since keeping Whittaker out of the side and has added an attacking dimension with his stamina. He is one of the unsung key characters at Norwich City as far as I’m concerned and won the game for us today. I’ll explain later.

Kamara has been a fans favourite before he kicked a ball. He has a great story, he has charisma, he comes across well, he had a great relationship with his Kansas club and fans and Norwich fans tired of Hughton’s turgid management sensed hope. If goodwill can drive a player on then Kamara should be driven.

Kamara has a go and in doing so lifts the fans which feeds the side, we hit a virtuous circle. Hughton will not have heared a proper FCR atmosphere until today.

In his Radio Norfolk interview Hughton tellingly said at 1 – 1 he was happy with that but the players wanted to go for the win. Nearly right, Chris. The players and the supporters had the same aspiration. It’s about time your aspirations grew and the players showed you how off their own bat.

Such was the drive of Snodgrass and Martin that Snoddy ended up on the opposite flank trying to make something happen, Bassong went up front (Howson did some great covering) and Russ rampaged forward, rampaged across the 18 yard box and worked the crucial late cross with Snoddy.

Holt isn’t quick but given a kitchen sink chance in front of goal will always get there first, and he got it. He may believe he has contributed a lot but strikers need goals and I’m delighted for him.

So, Hughton should have learned a lot today about his players and the supporters. He needs to trust the former and utilise the latter. There are so many positives today, not least. One holding midfielder is enough.

Hughton, to his credit , is very grounded, he won’t over congratulate himself for today, and neither should he because he may have accidentally discovered how to best use some of his players and the supporters.

nutty nigel

The post totally ignores the fact that today Hughton made the best use of the players available to him. The same can be said about Earlier games. Or is anybody of the opinion that he would have got the same result with the players he had available before these new signings. What I see here is a couple of posters trying to be right after the event and clearly failing.

Wing Wang Otter

I think you have raised some good points but nothing should be taken from Hughton today, the most common criticism of him is his substituting, and today was the first time where he made a change early on in the second half with a view for pushing for an equaliser/winner.

We were 6 minutes away from being another step closer to a relegation battle but last season Mancini was about 30 seconds away from not winning the league.

On balance most people will agree that they deserved to win the league, so won’t take that away from Mancini, similarly we deserve the result today because of our poor run of luck in the last win-less 9 games.

Luck plays a massive part in football, and it causes unlikely results individually games every week, but by the end of the season the teams are in their rightful spots.

Yarmy

He must be the luckiest manager ever last in our last 19 premiership games we have lost a grand total of 5 games Good job the likes of Arry and Lambert know exactly how to set their teams up properly. You cant have it all ways ie its his fault when we dont win but down to others when we win. Good job he was his own decision maker whn he did not listen to the fans re Turner.

Ha’ ya got a loight boy?

Can’t quite believe this thread.

So when things are tough and the team are struggling its the manager’s fault, but when they play well and get a result its all down to luck.

Its called management, people – he brings in players, building a team, gradually getting things how he wants them – and he gets paid by results. Anyone care to suggest he isn’t getting results? Does not three points constitute a result? Does a four match unbeaten result not constitute a result? Does not eight points above the relegation zone constitute an ongoing season of relative success?

We are lucky to have a manager who the team will play for right to the last kick of the game. That is where the luck is.

canarygirl

He certainly is a hero, but where your wrong is there is nothing accidental about a manager, new to a club embarking upon its second season in the Prem, with very limited resources, who has the ability after 27 games to have his team 12th in the table!

RUDOLPH HUCKER

Until Kamara came on Hughton had set us up to fail I’m afraid.

Everton came out 2nd half exactly as Fulham and Newcastle did and pushed up high because we’ve got about as much penetration as a eunuch.

But you can’t see that watching on TV.

Strange how a late winner wipes memories. But that’s football supporters.

Hughton can be a really good manager for us as he morphs from being a coach. Interesting to see how he plays from here.

Icecream Snow

To be honest, I think it highlights the fact that Hughton inherited a weak bunch of strikers. Morison and Vaughan are back in the Championship and Jackson will be joining them next season.

He’s not really had a lot to work with.

Herman

The bloke can’t win. He plays two forwards which you’ve been calling for. He brings on an earlier sub which we’ve all been calling for. We win. And yet it’s despite him rather than because of him.

Yellow Wall

Until today Hughton has not been able to play two up front because he has not had two good enough.
Until today Hughton has not been able to make earlier, meaningful substitutions because he has not had the players to do so.
Why change your team to make it weaker?
Perhaps you should be looking at the squad that he inherited and ask yourself how many of them are really Premiership players.
He has had little or no choices with some of the teams he has put out and has worked wonders to get as many results as he has.

can u sit down please

The first 80 minutes was poor and matched that of Fulham and Newcastle.

Bringing on Kamara early was the most positive thing ive seen CH do all season haha. I was astounded that Wes was wide left as he really isnt a winger. I remember that Roeder got hammered for it.

Thankfully the players went for it (as admitted by CH himself) and got the win. The players he inherited are used to going at teams and it was refreshing for the last part, when we did go for it.

It was like watching the Norwich of old.

otbc

Man Who Stares At Goats

“Until Kamara came on Hughton had set us up to fail I’m afraid. Everton came out 2nd half exactly as Fulham and Newcastle did and pushed up high because we’ve got about as much penetration as a eunuch. But you can’t see that watching on TV.”

Steady on Rudolph…. Are you saying that Hughton wanted the team to lose and therefore set up the formation and tactics to those ends? What kind of fan are you? I thought you touched upon some great points in your opening post, but now you’re simply talking like a petulant child.

If you had to guess at the percentage, how often in any game of football would you say a substitute ‘changes’ the game?

…exactly…

But of course if there were a chance, that maybe in that game, the one a few weeks back, you know, that time when he could’ve, but he didn’t, but still if he had, and now that I’m on it, why couldn’t he see it like we did, from the stands, over the radio, in the pub, and made the other choice, the one we all wanted him to make, the one we were all screaming for, but being ignorant he chose otherwise and after, when the whistle blew, and our game IQ jumped 47 points, and we all knew better, then maybe, there would’ve been a different result, maybe we’d be guaranteed safety from relegation by now, maybe Newcastle would be sharing a bed with Villa in the basement, or Man U could have an 18 point lead, but no, wait, I’m off topic…… based on the probability that always accompanies the multiple possibilities, we should know that in any circumstance we’re supposed to win and the manager is a complete moron if we don’t. But hold on….what if, and I’m just thinking out of the box, go with me on this, what if, YOU were in charge….would we all be looking to burn YOU at the stake every week, or would we playing in Europe next year? My money would be on that you would be wetting your leg before every game. Any takers on that bet?

With so many idiots wanting to play in the sandbox, who needs reality TV?

Lavanche

And always forgetting if we have been trailing and things clearly are not going our way Hughton has always subbed players and we have had better last minutes. He has kept pushing his head on the wall only when we have been getting on the right areas without subs.

Hate it or love it he is realist and is happy with point and that makes him so bad manager for some people here, but also most likely keep us in the premier league.

He is at least decent coach if not brilliant and works what we got best as he can. In my opinion we have had good season this far.

All his signings except Butterfield have more or less succeed this far. ( Bassong and Snoddy are key players in every game) He brought Johnson back and he is performing quite well even if he didnt have best day today and his 4-2-3-1 is solid as it can get with our material for defencive end.

We mayby lucky to grab 3 points today, but in how many games we have been unlucky to not grab those ^^

Do you think Chris Hughton is getting the best out of the squad at his disposal, Norwich fans? Have your say in the comments section below…