Iwan Roberts: I

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0 Comments This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. After the Bolton game, I looked at the next two games - Swansea away, who were top of the league and hadn't lost at home, then Southampton, which brings its own difficulty as one of the standout teams, along with West Ham.

I think you'd have taken three points from those two.

Then I looked at the next few games that looked like they might easier, starting with Portsmouth.

I think again it was a bit of a nothing performance against Pompey, it lacked a lot of things. It's alright saying that there's quality in the squad, in the team, in individuals, I agree with that- but that alone isn't enough to win you a game.

You've got to have character, you've got to have mental strength, you've got to have physical strength, and at the minute I'm looking at a weak group of players, both physically and mentally.

As I often say, you get in the habit of winning and you get in the habit of losing as well, and when things start going against you, you start looking and thinking, ‘here we go again’.

Norwich fans show their frustration (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

Considering the next four games - three now following the Pompey loss -you would have thought there was a chance of getting back on track, getting back up the table, back up towards that top eight.

Then, all of a sudden, you've lost back-to-back games for the first time since January, and you haven't scored in two home games - that's the first time that's happened since Watford and Stoke came down here, and when Philippe Clement was in charge.

I've said he's got credit in the bank, but you can't keep losing games. I speak to people and they're disappointed, but they're a bit like me - this group is too good to carry on not winning games and keep losing game after game after game.

You need all those things to turn the corner, and at the minute I'm not seeing enough of the nitty gritty, the horrible things you have to do to win a game.

There's no worse insult that you can throw at a player than saying he's not working hard enough, he doesn't care, there's no desire, as soon as the going gets tough the white flag comes out – that sort of thing. And maybe there is a bit of a case of that in this last four or five weeks, because if they've got all those things they're definitely not showing it enough come match day.

That may be the head coach's responsibility, whether he doesn't demand enough of that, but a lot of it comes down to individuals as well.

It's a hard one to turn round. It just gets worse and worse.

City are currently eight points off the play-offs, top eight. They’re 10 points off the top six, 13 points off the automatic places.

Yes, there are two massive ingredients in that team who are not available. Mo Toure is a huge loss, and obviously Kenny McLean, the gel that sticks everything together.

It's not just Kenny's fitness, it's his commitment. He has that fiery temperament, hasn't he? He’ll put demands on players. He doesn't mind having a go, he doesn't mind falling out, he doesn't mind digging people out. And I just don't see enough of that happening when things aren't quite going right.

The games coming up won’t be easy – Charlton away this weekend, Watford a week later and then Derby. Watford and Derby are fighting for their lives, and they'll look at Norwich and think there’s a chance for them. I think whoever they play against now will think that.

This is not said lightly, but I think Norwich are an easy touch at the minute for teams to play against them and beat them. I never thought that would be the case.

I don't agree that there was a lack of investment in the summer - I don't think too many people would have expected Norwich to go out and spend as much as they did the previous summer, not the way they finished the season.

Jovon Makama in action against Portsmouth (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

Some wanted another centre forward because they didn't think Mathias Kvistgaarden was up to it, but he's had a decent start to the season, to be fair. No one expected Jovon Makama to miss the first few weeks of the season.

Philippe Clement is getting some of the blame. Like I say, he's got a bit of credit in the bank, but that credit will run out. That's what he's got to realise. Him and his staff, they're the only ones who can turn this around. Yes, the players follow his orders and he sets the team out to go out and perform well, hopefully, and win games. So, there comes a time when players have to take responsibility when they're on the pitch themselves. But it's down to him. He had so many positive things said about him last season, and rightly so. But you can’t keep losing games like you are.

He performed a miracle last season, but miracles don't come along every day, they're few and far between.

And at the minute, this run of losses, dare I say it, doesn't look like ending. I've not seen anything in the last two games to suggest that.

Swansea was a tough one, to be fair. And do you know what? They've had a good period in the first half at Swansea. They had a good period in the first half against Southampton. But they didn't get the goal that they might deserve. They did at Swansea but they didn't build on that.

One goal in three isn’t good enough.

But look at the defensive contribution – Ruairi McConville, Harry Darling, Jack Stacey, Kellen Fisher and Ben Chrisene. Between them, have 355 appearances for City. And between them they have 10 goals.

Stacey's got six in 129. McConville's got one in 40. Darling's got one in 37. Fisher none. Chrisene two in 57.

It's alright blaming wingers, and attacking midfielders, centre forwards for not scoring enough goals. But it's the responsibility of the whole team.

Back in my day I'd expect big Malky Mackay to get at least five.

That’s one of the reasons I’d consider going three at the back.

I don't think that Ben Chrisene’s or Jack Stacey’s strengths are defensive. Playing them as wing backs would benefit them. Because if they do both bomb forward, and you do lose possession and it gives the opposition a chance to counter, you've still got your three centre halves. And you've still got your one defensive midfielder.

The Addicks haven’t won since August 29. They won their first three Championship games – including at West Ham - and haven’t won since.

They’ve had five draws and three losses since. They haven't lost at The Valley, where they have conceded only twice and scored four. They’ve had three clean sheets in their five home games - Norwich have had three clean sheets in their last 23 league games.

When was Norwich’s last clean sheet? March 21. Where? Charlton.

Norwich have won their last five games against Charlton and kept clean sheets in each of the last three meetings.

All those wins were 1-0 – and Philippe Clement would absolutely die for that this weekend.

Teemu Pukki - simply the best (Image: Daniel Hambury/Focus Images Ltd)

I think Teemu Pukki is the greatest goal scorer in Norwich City’s history.

Had he not decided to leave when he did he would certainly have overtaken me into second spot on the all-time scorers’ list.

And if he had – well, it couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke.

Don’t forget his international record - he scored 10 goals in 10 group games for Finland in the Euro 2020 qualifiers to help them to qualify for their first major tournament.

He beat the great Jari Litmanen to become Finland’s all-time top goal scorer.

And he is the best goal scorer Norwich ever had. When he was on the pitch, you just always thought he would score. He had that telepathic understanding with Emi Buendia - talk about players being on the right page. Pukki knew the type of runs that Buendia would need him to do, so he could thread those little ball-throughs through the opposition's back four.

If I have a message for him in retirement it is: don't regret it.

I don’t miss football. My enthusiasm had been drained, my enjoyment of it, and as soon as those things go, your desire's not there, you're not enjoying it, then it's time.

If you regret things, then you've probably gone a little bit early.

He'll be okay and I'm sure we'll see him again, whether he goes into coaching or some type of footballing role, I wouldn't be surprised.