I’ve racked up 1,388 miles across the previous three league games, which is one goal conceded for every 167 miles travelled; likewise, it was one goal scored for every 446 miles.
The worst part is that I’d do it all over again.
To enjoy the good times, we have to go through the bad times. And Saturday’s trip to Home Park was pretty much as bad as it gets. Of course, I was completely miserable across the next few days, with my team at work being warned on Monday morning to not discuss the game or the result under any circumstances.
The Leicester result I could accept, with the resources available and the financial advantages that they have, they should really be unbeaten and at the top of the table. The influential Graham Scott aided their win with his dogged determination to flash as many pointless yellow cards as possible.
Plymouth was somewhat different; the expectation was higher and the performance was much lower. For me, the defeat was so much harder to swallow when you consider the quality of the opposition. The Pilgrims were the worst side I have seen this season, yet they found a way past Angus Gunn on six occasions.
With 31pc possession, the home side completed just 64pc of their passes. The evidence presents itself fairly accusingly: Plymouth were not good; we were just much worse. We looked laborious and rigid, with the majority of the side nowhere near the levels that they had reached collectively and individually on the other side of the international break.
A still life artist would have had a field day with the movement, or lack thereof, from our forward line on Saturday. Christian Fassnacht was far too wide, with Jon Rowe offering the opposite problem of not finding enough width. Hwan Ui-jo, while tidy in possession, failed to make his mark on the game. I would like to think that we will see a better player once he has a few more minutes under his belt.
I felt sorry for Adam Idah on Saturday. We seem to have made the mistake of trying to fit in a square peg in a round hole, and we were certainly not playing to his strengths. With Josh Sargent’s injury, it seems as though Idah is being asked to play a like-for-like role. He would be much more effective if we slipped the ball through for him to run onto; he is always looking across the line.
When released, Idah looked dangerous as he doubled his goal tally for the season. This is exactly why I feel we could line up against Birmingham with a side similar to the one that ended against Plymouth.
Gabriel Sara’s creative nature is exactly what we need further up the pitch and the perfect foil for Idah. With Sara having created the most chances in the Championship this season and Idah leading the charts for the best shot on target percentage at 87.5pc, this duo seems primed to help us get the right result on Saturday.
There must be one hell of a draft in the corridors at Carrow Road with the number of doors that Przemysław Płacheta is opening with his recent performances. With his blistering pace and coolness in the final third, it would be hard to argue that he hasn’t done enough to force a start at the weekend.
Adam Forshaw’s introduction at half-time was largely positive. I’m a big fan of players that love to get on the ball, and provided his fitness levels are where they should be, I’d be hoping to see him start alongside Kenny McLean.
While losing three of the last four matches doesn’t make for pleasant reading, my hope for this season is not diminishing. We still go into the weekend as the division’s joint highest scorers, and with Borja Sainz’s cameo on Wednesday night suggesting that he might be the ingredient that we have been lacking lately, I’m hopeful we can get back on track.
OTBC!
Read the full article here
