A poor game all round. Norwich came and played a defensive 442 against us who also play a defensive 442 so it was never going to be a great spectacle. One of out weaknesses is taking the game to and breaking down the opposition. This stems from a lack of creativity in the middle of te park and a lack of ball playing ability. We would have had a much better chance with Brunt in at left back and Evans in at centre back as both can play the ball out from the back, obviously with Brunt injured this wasn't an option. When a team sets up like this against us, we do really need width and width from the full backs at that. Although he would never play him, to win the game yesterday, Pocognoli would have been a much better option; Pulis did have the right idea with McLean but his crossing was poor.
Posters saying we struggle against the teams below us in the table, yes, we do. We are not a team set up to break sides down, we are a solid team first and foremost who have been doing well recently utilising space for Rondon to run into and Berahino to support. Teams below us don't often allow us that space, they sit back, wait for a mistake and counter. They know we lack creativity and ball playing ability. That's the reason why we do not do as well, nothing to do with effort or application.
Finally, we have been a defensive it counter attacking team for years. We certainly were under Hodgson although he found ways to vary the approach a little more than Pulis, we certainly were better at counter attacking under Di Matteo and Clarke too. You have to go back to Mowbray when this wasn't the case. There's nothing wrong with being a counter attacking side but you need either a couple of outstanding individuals (like Leicester) or a manager with clever ideas and a squad with good options to flit between a side that just counter attacks and one that can break teams down.
