The ACN Match Review 25/26: Hull City (h)

How did we play?

The first half was a breath of fresh air, with some solid structure and the ball being moved quicker. McLean and Mattsson tried some nice passes, and on another day (always another day at the moment) we’d have been 2-0 up at half-time. But we don’t look confident enough to make chances count and duly we gave up after half-time. Whatever Liam Manning had to say at the break must’ve been a real downer because we saw an entirely different performance from the moment the second half started. It was pathetic and we deserved to lose 2-0. The players themselves are as culpable as Manning, Knapper, Webber, Attanasio and anyone else in this shit-show. That second half was shameful. I could list a paragraph for each player’s wrongs in that 45 minutes but it wouldn’t make your day any brighter, so believe me when I say that no one came out of it well. What’s so galling is just how much more hopeful it looked to begin with. How a team can be so bipolar is beyond me.

For all that Mark Attanasio talks about Manning being a good manager and giving him time, there comes a point where any leader will struggle to make clear decisions because of the pressure they’re under. Manning is at that point. We still don’t know if it’s the players, the manager or both, but regardless of how good he might be, the narrative is set. The stress is there, the pressure is relentless and no one is reacting well. Manning is constantly calling out the players. That won’t help. The players are arguing on the pitch. 

The club’s leadership are on borrowed time, if Attanasio’s comments to BBC Norfolk are analysed properly. No one is offering clarity of structure or coherence – which leaves everyone, fans included, with nothing to cling to. 

In the short term, the narrative needs to change urgently, and the only practical option for that to happen is a change of manager. Medium-term, it needs to be the people who have made such bad decisions over the last two years. Long term, it needs to be a strategy that involves supporting genuinely experienced professionals who aren’t sporting directors on an apprenticeship scheme.

What was the best bit of the game?

The first half was the best bit of the game – a 3-5-2 or whatever it was seemed to give us some shape and allowed Jeffrey Schlupp to cause lots of trouble down the left. Sarge could’ve scored, as could Schwartau. It felt like things were coming together. And then they didn’t.

What was the worst bit of the game?

There are numerous elements to this. Harry Darling was all over the place in the second half, misjudging balls and letting opponents beat him too often. Kovačević lost his shit, nearly giving the ball away when his defence weren’t showing for passes. Makama looked shot after 50 minutes, yet was left on to make mistake after mistake. McLean and Mattsson were infuriating – getting in each other’s way, trying to do too much or too little. Both are incapable of a tackle. Leaving huge gaps between defence and attack. 

When we have the ball, Mattsson has a terrible habit of standing next to his marker so not offering an easy pass when just moving a few yards would be so much easier. McLean is like a 5-a-side player who believes he should be on the ball ALL THE TIME, which results in others vacating spaces they should be in. It was so disjointed, so unnecessarily, when the rest of us can see how much simpler it really could be. 

What was the atmosphere like?

You know what? This manager, this board, this sporting director have been incredibly lucky this season because the atmosphere deserves to have been so much worse than it has. 

We’ve watched awful football since day one yet the crowd have been relatively easy on everyone, leaving protests until late on and, if not hugely behind the players, at least not horribly on their backs like previous years. Yet what we’re seeing is dreadful. Webber, Knapper, Manning, you got away with it until now but your luck has run out. 

A note on the tennis ball protest (five balls in total?). As pathetic as the second half itself, but at least amusing.

Hero of the match

Jeffrey Schlupp was an absolute monster down the left in the first half. Possibly the best performance we’ve seen from any Norwich player at Carrow Road this season. That it came to nothing is on his teammates.

Summary in Five Words

Change must happen right now.