The Norwich away, match thread

[bobo the clown]

To be fair to Trotter (note this moment, it won't happen again) he's only had half a game to show his full worth. Personally I think that's more than enough but going on your clean-slate suggestion he deserves a run .... a run to prove something which is blindingly obvious mind you.

Lenin must be allowed mistakes too and replacing a struggling Spearing with the Wardrobe has to class as one. As my old boss, Denis, used to say ... "there's only one thing worse than making a mistake ... & that's repeating the fckr".

[TKIZ!]

We got beat by the better team. He wasn't happy with it, which is great.

We already look a better team than before.

Lennon is a winner it will come good.

Yeah, I think a bit too much focus has been on us rather than them. They're a good team, packed with quality players and we were away, still low on confidence, and lost 2-1. Both goals we conceded are easily fixable and we can be better going forward too, so whilst a loss is frustrating, it's not like we were hammered against a poor team. There was still enough there to make me think we're going in the right direction, so whilst I'm disappointed we didn't get a point, I'm not particularly worried for the long term either.

Totally agree with this post. We can't expect an absolute miracle from the outset. Away from home we've been poor all season. It's obvious we need a striker and Vela would have been a better option than Trotter. Lennon has done the right thing and giving the players a chance to assert themselves in the squad of players.

Some of them will get shipped out soon. As others have said I'm pleased with progress and it's not like there is a massive gap between teams in the league. 2 home games to come so let's get the points on the board!

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Some of them will get shipped out soon. As others have said I'm pleased with progress and it's not like there is a massive gap between teams in the league. 2 home games to come so let's get the points on the board!

I read that bit as one sentence and thought shit, are we really preparing for that?

[TKIZ!]

Some of them will get shipped out soon. As others have said I'm pleased with progress and it's not like there is a massive gap between teams in the league. 2 home games to come so let's get the points on the board!

I read that bit as one sentence and thought shit, are we really preparing for that?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Suspect Lennin learnt a thing or two on Friday.

He knows thatcwe can be rolled over. That our defence has a mistake in it. That captain Speariing has bad days. That Trotter has bad years not a footballer. That Pratley and Danns aren't proper wide men. That he has more to do than talk some of them up.

He seems like a quick study. Let's hope he is. If Trotter starts on Tuesday I'll be extremely worried.

Seems to me that Lennon is giving players a chance. For some this means redemption, others fixing a target to their arse. I would hope Beckford has had his chance now, but we may have a few more games with Trotter yet. As frustrating as it must be to watch, I'd rather his approach of giving a few games to prove oneself, rather than Dougie's give them random 5 minutes here and there and announce them not ready/not good enough.

Furthermore, was Trotter playing in his best position? Not if he was brought on as like-for-like for Spearing in that (ineffective) 4-1-4-1. I'm not sure what Trotter's best position is, but maybe it's harrying and hassling (Pratley-lite?) rather than being the key linkman between defence and midfield.

I think we'll see more of him, let's hope we see more from him. I wouldn't be surprised to see less of Beckford. Maybe Cravies and Clayton up top v Cardiff? Or will NL consider 4-2-3-1 at home against the better teams?

[bobo the clown]

All my natural cynicism about Trotter to one side for a moment, replacing Spearing cannot have been an intended like-for-lie (God, I hope not). His 'best position' ... again, biting my tongue here .... would be the midfielder linking defence and attack, a more fluid link, a sort of lightweight (!!!!) Mavies. Or what Pratley would like to be doing.

Taking Spearing off, & to be fair to him he's improved his performances since Lenin took over, must have been a shaker for him. Let's see how he reacts.

[bwfcdan94]

I thought we played quit well, but we certainly didn't deserve to get anything from the game . Was a good day out and certainly worth missing the last train home from Reading for (So walked 9 miles home rather than wait 4 hours for the next one). I wasn't however impressed to find that I was 1 of only 20 people who stood up for any period of the game(was stood with a mini bus load from Leigh)., there was not a lot of singing and the 150 or so in front of us only stood up at half time to go to the bogs. Don't get me wrong Bolton to Norwich on a Friday is one hell of a trek especially on a Friday but why couldn't our fans that were their make some effort to provide an atmosphere - If it wasn't for the Norwich fan who we called ears the atmosphere would have been dead.

[Jugs]

What's crazy is that Trotter had a good goalscoring record at Millwall. Something like 1 in every 5.8 games. I've seen nothing to suggest he will repeat that here.

Not even his wonder strike against Wednesday (he isn't gonna score one of them every 6 games is he).

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

What's crazy is that Trotter had a good goalscoring record at Millwall. Something like 1 in every 5.8 games. I've seen nothing to suggest he will repeat that here.

See also Pratley:

Swansea: 26 in 177 league games (1 in every 6.
Bolton: 5 in 86 (1 in every 17.2)

(I'm aware that for us he has played at a higher level. Well, except he arguably hasn't, it's just that the team has been playing in a higher-level competition...)

[bobo the clown]

↑↑↑↑ People in Swansea almost bow when they say Pratley's name. They know they've moved on since he was with them and have better players at a better level now but they can't even begin to comprehend why he's not our lynchpin at this level. Something really went wrong when he arrived here. To be fair to the lad you can't even say it's lack of effort on his part ... which makes it even more bewildering.

[officer_dibble]

Confidence has played its part. Same as beckford really. Probably play better with fans on their side.

[Prufrock]

Nah it has to be more than that, he can't play football. Two or three times a game the ball goes nowhere near where he meant it to go. Kind of like Fab was, but without the all-round athleticism and tenacity, and as a supposedly creative player!

[officer_dibble]

Ok you are right, he cant play football

[TKIZ!]

He definitely can't play football

[Jugs]

I agree with AT. Lennon said that the slate would be wiped clean, everybody would be given a chance. And that's exactly what he's doing. Lennon was never going to drop players on the basis of watching a few DVDs so let's leave him to it.

Beckford has had his chance, but he hasn't impressed. Same with Trotter and Pratley.

Aye, but it's the same players being given another chance. Beckford and Pratley in particular.

Whereas the likes of Vela and Hall are still not being given a proper chance.

Not that I'm having a moan. But, for me, we've probably seen as good as we're going to see from Pratley on the wing. We'd seen enough after five minutes of him coming on at home to Forest. And that was back in August.

[Tombwfc]

I still think Trotter might be salvageable. I liked what I saw of him at Millwall, but I think (despite being huge) he's a bit of a soft arse. Dougie's killed him really by playing him in a way he was so unsuited to when he first came in. He then took shit off the fans and completely went into his shell. He never takes responsibility any more, rarely shoots or tries anything other than a five yard ball sideways.

Pratley on the other hand, has been here for three and a half years. He clearly made a deal with the devil to get Swansea promoted and has been paying for it ever since.

[bobo the clown]

↑↑↑ Tom. He never gets near the ball !! He stands there in an odd crouch (like the Subbuteo goalkeeeper) and watches the ball ping past him. He's (become ??) slow. Slow of thought ... & that was from his very introduction. Yes, DF possibly misused him but bloody hell he's been shite.

[LeverEnd]

Nah it has to be more than that, he can't play football. Two or three times a game the ball goes nowhere near where he meant it to go. Kind of like Fab was, but without the all-round athleticism and tenacity, and as a supposedly creative player!

You're right about footballing ability, but he's got plenty of the above. Useful in away matches for closing down and harrying, but not at home when you need to unlock defences. Should never be first choice though.

Still not seen Trotter at full fitness. Chucked in by DF when totally out of shape against all his supposed principles, then thrown in at weekend against a superior team after just 45 mins of reserve football. I'm not impressed, but reserving judgement.

[Prufrock]

He's got an engine certainly, not the same power and application that Fab had though. That's the only way I could ever see Pratz as a proper player , a run-around-stop-them-playing type. Doesn't matter how fit you are if your touch is that bad though. And it can't be a confidence thing coz he's been shit since day 1. He tried a flick round the corner against Brum that I could have done and shanked it off his Toblerone boots back the way it came. Yet he was getting into Swansea teams under Brendan Rogers. Have we definitely not got his brother? Every time I watch him I'm astounded that he gets paid to play football. If it was as easy as just getting very fit I wish somebody had told me before I took up the booze and fags. Most of the time watching professional footballers and saying "I could have done that" is exaggeration. Often not with Darren.

[LeverEnd]

Well he doesn't compare to Muamba, but nor do any of our current players to his teammates. He had a spell under Freedman where he looked like a proper player for a while. I've not given up hope on him finding some form. In the meantime I'd like to see him used sparingly in a very limited role and under strict instructions to give it to a footballer wherever possible.