Game management/subs...

[Kristoff]

Fantastic performance first half. Second half, right in the game and once again game management and subs blows it for us.

None of the players can really be faulted for tonight. They probably feel the same heartbreak we do when those players are brought on.

I was looking forward to starting the podcast with a “maybe we were too quick to start looking at managers”, but I’m not sure.

It was a free hit... We played excellently... And he somehow manages to put more pressure on himself. Bizarre.

[bcfcphil89]

Completely agree, went into tonight fully expecting lose (and 3-1 ironically) but from a very different performance from what we actually saw.

Can’t fault the effort tonight and actually creating a number of chances, for me the only criticism of the players tonight is our severe lack of composure in front of goal. Just seem to snatch at chances and can’t hit the target.

Really hope tonight isn’t overshadowed with Karanka bashing given we played well, but it’s hard not to when you keep persisting with passengers like MSJ, take the crossing outlets off when juke comes on, and bring on more defenders when chasing the game.

[Jimbulance]

Bizarre substitutions again! It’s almost as though he wants the sack!
Surely the players must think “WTF” when he brings on Juke and takes the wingers off.
Promising first half and possibly the best we’ve played since Reading away. Second half was ok until he subbed Harper for MSJ and we started slowing down (tiredness perhaps?).
Will we stick with Karanka? I think we’re stuck with him. If he was going anywhere it would of been after the Luton debacle.

[willvbcfc]

On the plus side, he’s settled on a solid 4-3-3 starting XI, which has a good balance and a mix of energy & attacking ability.

But his in-game management... I can’t even start to understand it.

[Kristoff]

On the plus side, he’s settled on a solid 4-3-3 starting XI, which has a good balance and a mix of energy & attacking ability.

But his in-game management... I can’t even start to understand it.

I'm going to take this positive... And hope... And pray... That come 2pm on Saturday it is still the case.

[FrankyWorthington]

Staggering substitutions again. Thought the starting 11 were excellent. But then it’s San Jose & Valery coming on to take a point but within 6 mins they go 2-1...so we chuck Jutkiewicz on but take all creativity off. There must be something in their contracts that Bela & Jutkiewicz can’t be on the pitch at the same time. Absolute madness..but he keeps on doing these negative substitutions.

[willvbcfc]

I'm going to take this positive... And hope... And pray... That come 2pm on Saturday it is still the case.

I don’t trust him either!

But surely at home to QPR and with two decent performances from the lads this week, he’d be a nutter to switch systems.

[Alexjames]

We've gone toe-to-toe with the league's best team tonight and but for another very unlucky goal we probably get a point from that.

Predictably you've gone straight after Karanka and his subs. And I'd agree that they probably were a small part of the reason we ended up with nowt, but I think there's a much bigger picture that you're missing....

As hard as we worked and as good as we were in the first half, the players themselves made more and more unforced errors and poor choices as the 2nd half went on. Fatigue maybe? Or Norwich just being better? Both probably.

So he was right to freshen it up and the system change to 3 at the back and 2 up top was very much a positive change to try and get something. Exactly the kind of thing Karanka was berated for NOT doing at Wycombe. Ok it didn't work but - as above -that's as much down to players not showing the required quality and the fact we're playing top of the league as it is the system.

I DO agree that questions can be asked about the personnel. Why Harper & Gardener? Were they really that knackered? We don't know, but those 2 going off and Valery ending up at CM certainly DIDN'T help.

So for me, I'd be focusing on how well we played 1st half and how we were still in it until the final minute despite the players' quality levels dropping off. Far more significant to take away than anything to do with his subs.

[Kristoff]

Regardless of how you try to look at it, unfortunately the subs WERE the main takeaway as ultimately he made them, and we lost. It's not like a one off as all season we've seen bizarre changes. When you are right in the game with one of the best attacking teams in the game, why do you make changes that take the game away from you?

It was clear at the time that MSJ was the wrong change. If people needed freshening up, why not Halilovic for a more attacking option? Or, what I'd probably have done, and bring on McGree for Harper (if he was that tired) and moved Sunjic back.

The MSJ change invited pressure as the legs from that midfield were gone, around the same time Buendia moved in to the number 10 role, instantly, you could see us sitting deeper and deeper. There was a huge element of good fortune with their goal, but we invited the pressure on that allowed them around our goal.

At the point of his first change, we were level. We finished the game 3-1 down with 9 defensive minded players on the pitch. I'm sorry, I can't get behind that as being a positive change.

[willvbcfc]

That’s exactly how I saw it - not much more to add. Need a like button on this forum!