July 31st, 2007 by Latest News | Comments Off
Peter Grant's patience with Youssef Safri finally snapped in fairly spectacular style tonight as he accused the 30-year-old City playmaker of telling “a pack of lies”.
Safri's name was one again notable by its absence from tonight's team-sheet against West Ham United; just as his presence was notable by its absence in yesterday's official team photo.
Events of yesterday were clearly the last straw as far as Grant was concerned. And given the tone and, …
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July 31st, 2007 by Latest News | Comments Off
New Canary keeper David Marshall proved the star of the show at Carrow Road tonight as the 22-year-old pulled out all the stops to limit Premiership West Ham United to just a 2-1 win.
But for his instinctive reactieons to deny Lee Bowyer and Bobby Zamora, Norwich could have been staring a morale-sapping rout in the face.
Instead, a far improved second-half showing found substitutes Lee Croft and Chris Brown combining for a well-deserved strike; in the …
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July 31st, 2007 by Latest News | Comments Off
Julien Brellier – Norwich's very own International Man of Mystery – will again be missing this evening as the Canaries take their pre-season preparations up another level by playing host to Premiership West Ham United.
Brellier has played just 45 minutes this summer away at King's Lynn and was left a spectator in Holland after picking up a thigh strain against the Linnets.
Though the one-time Hearts enforcer has now resumed full-time training, City boss Peter Grant …
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July 31st, 2007 by Latest News | Comments Off
His first proper, home debut came all of 13 years ago – on Fireworks Night in 1994. A 0-0 draw with Everton; a game sadly lacking the kind of sparkle that the one-time City youth star would invariably produce in front of goal.
Tonight and Jamie Cureton makes his second home debut, albeit in the 'friendly' surroundings of this evening's Carrow Road clash with West Ham United.
“Will there be a tingle down the spine? Yeh, definitely – it'll be great,” said …
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July 30th, 2007 by Latest News | Comments Off
Goals were what walked out of the door when Dickson Etuhu packed his bags for Sunderland.
That when City boss Peter Grant bemoaned the loss of his 6ft 3in powerhouse, that was the one thing that he could ill-afford to lose. Goals. Goals from midfield.
They are, you always sense, worth their weight in gold as far as any manager is concerned.
Which is why City old-boy Darel Russell has been attracting so much attention of late – goals. He hit seven last season …
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July 30th, 2007 by Latest News | Comments Off
City boss Peter Grant today welcomed home summer signing No7 – just as he bid a temporary farewell to signing No7.
On-loan Chelsea youngster Jimmy Smith was ruled out for a ?minimum? of six weeks this lunchtime after both the Canaries and the London giants scanned the 20-year-old's damaged calf for the extent of his pre-season injury.
Given the on-going uncertainty surrounding Youssef Safri's future and the gaping goals-hole left by Dickson Etuhu's exit, the …
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July 30th, 2007 by Latest News | Comments Off
The pace of City summer transfer activity looked set to step up another gear again today as one familiar face prepared to pack his bags for home as another was reported to be performing the same prodigal son routine as Jamie Cureton and coming back to Norfolk.
The Sun this morning suggested that one-time Canary youth product Darel Russell was expected to complete a ?600,000 switch back to Carrow Road after his four-year spell at The Britannia Ground, Stoke.
Russell – in …
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July 30th, 2007 by Ferret | Comments Off
To be fair, it's been one of the biggest 'Who-is-it's?' of the summer.
That No 5 shirt. Just lying there. Empty.
Today the gaffer dropped the biggest hint yet that it will be filled come August 31; the lad concerned might even make it in time for August 11 and the trip to Deepdale.
Well, just.
“I've still got a defender on the list,” confirmed the City chief, as Rusty signed in at Carrow Road this lunchtime.
“I've …
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July 26th, 2007 by Stanley | Comments Off
So pre-season friendlies are upon us once again. Not one of Stanley's favourite things, if he's honest. Whenever Stanley peruses the match reports of City games at this time of the year it always reminds him of Tosh.
Tosh was a fella Stanley used play football with when Stanley found himself, for a brief period of the 1990s, exiled in London. Stan would always play 7-a-side football on a Friday night at Coram's Fields on a three-quarter sized pitch but with full-size …
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July 26th, 2007 by theexpert | Comments Off
Pre-season results matter not a jot once you get down to the real business on the first day of a new season.
You can look like Real Madrid and smash teams all over the park in friendly games, only to be left with red faces when you find that it isn't quite as easy once the action gets competitive and really matters.
Similarly, pitching yourselves against a higher standard of opposition during pre-season to really test yourselves but continually being …
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