Following Norwich City’s woeful final few minutes in their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City, it was left to Manager Alex Neil to face the press and no longer protect his team’s errors.
Having opted for a 3-4-3 formation, including five defenders and City league debutant Youssouf Mulumbu, many could predict Alex Neil’s game plan was to ultimately defend and take any opportunity going forward.
Cameron Jerome’s 83rd-minute tap-in following an error by Joe Hart cancelled out Nicolas Otamendi’s 67th-minute header. It was only for Norwich to see the point slip through their fingers in the final two minutes, when both Russell Martin’s and Robbie Brady’s defending resulted in penalties, with the former also being sent off. Yaya Toure re-established Man City’s lead before Aleksandar Kolarov failed to hit the target for the last piece of the action.
Speaking to the Official Site after the defeat at the Etihad Stadium, Neil shifted blame away from his game plan towards the players:
Today we set up completely differently and we had arguably the two best chances in the first half with Matt Jarvis’ shot and Alex Tettey’s from the corner.
Ultimately people have got to do their jobs, and if they don’t then it will cost you games.
It’s been the story for the last two weeks, it’s not as if it’s anything new.
The disappointing thing is that [the error which led to the Toure’s penalty] chucked a point away today with a minute to go.
Whilst talking to the Eastern Daily Press also blasted City’s costly errors, along with describing the moment which saw Norwich travel home empty-handed.
He [John Ruddy] should have probably collected the first cross and then we should clear our lines. Russell tries to get in the way of the ball, as he should do, and I don’t know if it has hit his arm or his shoulder but the referee gives a penalty and you find yourself with a minute or two to go and you concede a losing goal.
After that it is basic errors from individual players. That is the bottom line. When you set your team up there is nothing you can do about people making decisions that ultimately cost you the game.
Neil did, however, draw upon a positive regarding his game plan:
Given how hard we worked and how well the system worked this is tough to take. We have to get over it. We have no choice.
As focus moves over to next Saturday when Norwich take on Swansea City at Carrow Road, the Yellows will be hoping the system will work out just as well and result in a different outcome in front of the home crowd.
Every game is big for us. Ultimately we need to go next week to try and gain some points.
