Chris Hughton is confident Norwich City will build on a superb first Premier League win of the season against Arsenal.
Norwich City boss Chris Hughton savours winning feeling
David Cuffley
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
10:07 AM
Norwich City boss Chris Hughton has admitted that every defeat hurts on a personal level – and that he was bound to sleep more easily after his side’s first Premier League win of the season.
The Canaries’ 1-0 success against Arsenal not only lifted the mood of supporters in a noisy full house at Carrow Road, but gave their 53-year-old manager a much more enjoyable weekend after waiting nine weeks for that first league victory.
Asked how he felt after his team beat the Gunners, he said: “I’m actually delighted - but being a football manager is tough. You take the defeats very much to heart. It affects you, of course it does, because you don’t like to lose. And particularly you don’t like to lose in a fashion that perhaps we have in some games.
“So it hurts and it takes a little while to get it out of your system. But you have to have belief in the team.”
Just 48 hours before City doubled their points tally, courtesy of Grant Holt’s third goal in successive games, Hughton told reporters he felt their first league win was “just around the corner”.
After that forecast came true in such exciting fashion, he explained: “Probably the defining thing was the four games we had where we did play very well. So you know that’s there, in the locker.
“But it is tough and it’s certainly a better feeling having got those three points. I’ll certainly sleep better tonight,”
Hughton freely admits he did not expect City to finish in the top half of the Premier League, but he believes they are more than capable of steering clear of trouble.
He said: “I think we know where we are. We’re going to lose games, we know that. We know every game is going to be a tough game for us but the players are spirited enough.
“They know there are going to be tough periods but it’s about how you bounce back. As a group, they’re very hard-working and spirited and we’ll need that right the way through the season.”
He said the players had maintained a positive attitude during the two-week international break despite the 4-1 defeat at Chelsea.
“You’ve always got to try to get the balance right,” he said. “On the back of a poor defeat in the last game, you then had to pick them up. With this group it hasn’t been so difficult. We accept that we’re not going to be in the top ten, but if we do it right we’ve definitely got enough quality to do well enough.”
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8 comments
Are you just plain stupid Timbo? - if you can't grasp basic arithmatic,ask somebody to write it down for you , you moron.
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Colonel Grumpfuttock-Horseposture (retired)
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Errm...I fear your "basic maths" is somewhat suspect Mr. Noah. When one team wins the 3 points are not "shared". They are all given to the winning team ! How did you count those animals onto your ark again? 3 by 3 ?
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Timbo
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
And in those 8 games, we've played Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal, West Ham and Fulham to name 5 all in the top half last time I checked and all the teams we've played other than qpr are in the top 12..........bit of realism required
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NorthCity
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
I think the 2 week break done the team a power of good. A chance to reorganise and put a few things right that weren't working. Holt talks of sticking to a game plan against Arsenal, I just hope they have plenty more game plans for the rest of the teams in the PL.
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jharding
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
He has had one win in eight games. If that win ratio continues for the season he'll collect 15 points from wins. By my reckoning he'll need to get a further 24 - 25 points from drawn games to avoid the drop. I wish Norwich City well for the future, a premiership football team has to be good for the region as a whole , they do however have to find a way of winning more games. Teams that draw share two points , where one team wins ,three points are shared, it's basic maths.
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Colonel Grumpfuttock-Horseposture (retired)
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Don't like to say it but wasted the first few games by poor team selection. He obviously never looks at this paper or he would have seen earlier that he needed Holt & Hoolahan together and Pilks rather than Surman. But he has learnt the hard way.
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goldie
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Give the man a chance, Noah! I reckon we need to win at least another 9 games and pick up a few draws. maybe 36-38 points will be enough this season? It`s a tough call. 90 more points to play for.
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Mad Brewer
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Make the most of it Mr. Hughton, I doubt you'll be experiencing it too often this season.
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Colonel Grumpfuttock-Horseposture (retired)
Tuesday, October 23, 2012