Having a quick nose around the previews of today’s game, one thing from the BBC one stuck out.
Aside from the token patronising head ruffling, the match facts at the bottom surprised me. Not the one that says we’ve allowed the more shots at our goal than everyone but Bolton but that “Norwich have scored the joint-most headed goals in the top division.” Continue reading
The success of an excuse is usually determined by how early you get them in. Wenger’s dropped in a hint at what’s to come if they fall prey to us on Saturday- we only had three players go away to play with the bigger boys, Arsenal had fifteen.
Well, Arsene, who’s fault is that?
This can only mean one thing, send them away empty handed we’ll get as much credit as we normally do. A condescending “Yeah but..” and then they’ll go spouting off about why if it hadn’t have been a full moon last night and the mother-in-law had used goats cheese instead of cheddar on yesterday’s lunch it would have been oh-so different.
Now I’m all for a good excuse, and this is no plead for attention, especially as I fully acknowledge that us slipping under the radar a tad has its benefits. And I’m not for one second saying Saturday’s result is a given, just the other day I incoherently splurged a few hundred words of my uncertainty over which way it will go.
Anyway, I can’t help but feel it could be a return for the dithering De Laet, if only because his pace could be a match for theirs. His banishment to the bench should hopefully have channeled his concentration levels, if he ever manages to keep his head all game he’s a genuine contender for the centre-back berth.
We all know we play better against the bigger teams and despite what they tried to have us believe back in August, Arsenal are still a bigger team. It’s also a game crying out for Fox to control. He should have have space and time to imperiously ping.
And everyone loves to see a good ping.
So it seems Super Chrissy Martin’s fallen off the selection board to a point where he’s available for other teams to select.
I’m sure your mate down the pub’s mother’s friend-from-work’s son’s best mate’s brother knows why that’s so, but it’s a weird one. When The Big Wilba is Continue reading
It’s been a while since I’ve been able to sit down and bore you all with my musings. Luckily for you that little hiatus should be over now. It’s probably not the best weekend to find time to start rabbiting about Norwich though, what with this International break an’all that.
Anyway, we’ll trudge on. And talking of trudging on, that seems to be what we’re doing at the minute. We’re playing well in patches, not the free-flowing slickness Continue reading
As usual, all the right noises are coming out of Carra and Colney. We’ve grown to accept it as normal, but it wasn’t too long ago that we were always told how unlucky we had been regardless of performance. Or how rubbish we were and how rubbish we, the fans, were.
But we’ve finally got someone who can do it right, even if repetition is a severe side effect tic. Then again things were a little different this week, we were told this week that our keeper’s ready for an England call up. More of a story would have been a player’s manager saying there is “no chance he’s good enough for a call-up”. Nevertheless, we’ve got yet another goalkeeper peering over the fence of England training to add to the England youth-teamers and our past numero unos. It’s fair to say fortune is aiding it, or fortunate retirements are anyway, but he’s been solid (enough).
We’ve also been told, along with how “brilliant they’ve been”, that our young guns have really stepped up. Again, the opposite would be more of a story, if worrying but it’s not just the young’uns that have stepped up, the squad has collectively. The sight of a calendar keeps this all in check, mind.
But anyway, onto the weekend. I’ve heard it’s a biggy, I guess it is inasmuch as they all are at this level. But daylight between us and them would go down a treat, as would a couple for Morison. He don’t half deserve it. A clean sheet would give that wheel another nudge toward an England cap too, and the defence in front of him deserves it. Especially RMart.
One game at a time and all that.
Going into the last three games, we’d have all taken four points. Mission accomplished, if tinged with a hint of what could have been.
The patronising is even becoming bearable. Us coming away from with our hair being ruffled by the ‘Experts’ in the media is nothing if not tedious. On the other hand it would show we’re doing alright. Continue reading
Hark at us flying along?!
Three points against Swansea, or more importantly no points for Swansea, and we’re in the top half of the table, best of the new boys and above Arsenal. Heck, it’s only October but still, we can be excused for enjoying the moment a little.
You never know we may never have to leave this division if the ‘Foreign Owners’ get their way. It’s fantasy at the minute, but money talks. Penniless clubs scraping a living have redundant vocal chords, sheepishly following where the money may lie.
Even if we were still up in the Premier League when said hypothetical decision was made, I would want no part of it. While none of us would relish the thought of a relegation battle, we would quickly yearn for that stomach-knotting excitement.
Vested interests from the owners, them who pay the bills lest we forget, and they no doubt think they have our interests at heart an’all. Or they’ll tell you that. This won’t or shouldn’t, go through at anytime in anyone’s future but the mere mention of it leaves a bit of a bad taste.
Anyway, if we’re still knocking about for it to cut us off from those beneath us we’ll have plenty of seats to go around. Or we’ll have tickets that are available for more than an hour before selling out anyway.
Then, when the ‘Foreign Owner’s’ rules come in we’ll all fall out of love with football and slide away from visiting Carrow Road to watch stale, dried out football. This sort of thing wouldn’t happen to us, mind. Unlucky and Norwich don’t go hand in hand.
These international break don’t half get in the way. Especially since the one man who appeared to need a rest most was busy laying on goals for ‘his’ country.
It also leaves the rest of us twiddling our thumbs a tad, especially it seems if your job is to report the happenings at Our Fine Club. Spare a thought for Continue reading
*Listening to Arcade Fire at Reading*
It’s been a bit quiet around these parts lately. All I can say is I got Tiger Woods’d. He’s put himself in my life, won me over and I can’t stop myself from going back for more. I’m talking Tiger Woods 07 on PS2. Not that.
Yes I’m back on PS2, and what.
Anyway, yesterday was the day clubs are told to save their pocket money until January. Well, supposedly. And the loan window opens again soon for those lucky enough not to be in the Premiership so it’s a bit of a false dawn.
Cardiff and QPR can bring in even more quality players to help decide which of them wins the league and which will come second.
Come on Bellars, we started your career buddy.
My old haunt, Stoke, were the best, and most surprising movers in the window. No doubt everyone who reads this has some disdain for Jermaine Pennant, but he has something to prove in this division. Eidur Gudjohnsen in a Stoke shirt? He may be 31 but he’ll certainly do a job
And Marc Wilson impresses on every outing, getting shot of Lawrence in the process is canny business. At least Tuncay won’t look so out of place now he has people who know how to kick a ball to an appropriate target.
