Archive for September, 2007

Don't ask why, but every time Stan thinks of City at this precise moment an image springs to mind that he can't rid himself of. It's a scene straight out of Das Boot…

A German naval uniform bedecked PG is stood at the periscope of U39 with a surly looking Duffy stood stoically beside to his left. The news isn't good, the hunter has become the hunted and the mood of tension is so thick it could be cut by a frankfurter.

A destroyer has been spotted, …

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So where do we go from here?

Forget the fact that there's not a cat in hell's chance of Sheffield Wednesday sitting in the bottom three places in the table for much longer – and therefore this hardly being a home defeat against one of the worst teams in the Coca-Cola Championship – because on this showing City are in big trouble now anyway.

You almost get the feeling though that anyone not present in the City of Manchester Stadium, and therefore either having had …

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City star Simon Lappin called on his team-mates to “repay the faith” that hard-pressed Canary chief Peter Grant had shown in them by digging both the Carrow Road club and manager out of their current troubles.

Yesterday's 1-0 home defeat by bottom-of-the-table Sheffield Wednesday merely racked the level of frustration up another couple of notches as the Canaries found themselves 21st in the table and without a goal to their name in six hours of football after that fifth defeat in …

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Under-fire City boss Peter Grant admitted that the chorus of boos that greeted this evening's final whistle hurt.

As, you suspect, would the furious chants of 'What a load of rubbish!' and 'You don't know what you're doing!' that greeted Wade Small's 75th minute winner as the Canaries slumped to a 1-0 home defeat to bottom of the table Sheffield Wednesday.

Once again the Carrow Road club had fluffed nigh-on every line once the TV cameras …

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If I was Granty, the biggest date in my diary right now would be Saturday, October 20.

That's the one you pencil in with big, fat red marker pen on the office calendar. At home to Bristol City. Saturday, October 20.

Get there and I'd be breathing a big, big sigh of relief.

Because at certain stages in any manager's life, you've got to try and second guess the board's intentions and look at the world through their eyes.

And given …

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It's something a of a surreal situation looking ahead to tomorrow's clash with bottom club Sheffield Wednesday with a genuine sense of optimism after the Canaries have just lost their fifth game in seven matches.

Anyone present at the City of Manchester Stadium on Tuesday night though will share exactly the same feelings, because what we witnessed from the Canaries against the team currently sat third in the Premier League table was everything and more that we have been …

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Not for the first time in Part II of his Canary career, City favourite Jamie Cureton was knocking one or two nails firmly on the head.

This time, the word up for discussion began with the letter 'P'. And given Norwich's sorry start to the new season, funnily enough the word in question wasn't 'promotion'. Nor was it even 'play-off'.

It was 'pressure' – of which there will be plenty once the Sky cameras start to roll at 5.20pm …

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City youngster Michael Spillane might not have friends in high places – yet. But he certainly has got friends in the right kind of places as Canary keeper David Marshall backed the 18-year-old's claims for a second successive start.

The two, of course, could find themselves separated by little more than 20 yards if the Republic of Ireland international is asked to step into Gary Doherty's shoes should the Canary centre-half fail a late fitness test on his groin.
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City teenager Michael Spillane could find himself very much in demand this Saturday – be it either in the heart of that much-troubled Canary defence or that ever-changing Norwich midfield, the 18-year-old could find himself with a big job to do once the Sky cameras start to roll.

It is a game that the Canaries can not afford to lose. Not at home to the bottom club in the Championship.

For while the season may still only be eight games old and the play-off places might be …

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Now Stanley has never claimed to be an economist – the E he got in his A-level Economics would testify to that.

In Stanley's defence he would say that was partly caused by Julie Palmer dropping Economics to do History, but that dear reader is definitely a story for another day. However Stanley, like all City diehards always takes an interest, albeit an ill-informed and slightly baffled one, in the annual publishing of the club's accounts.

Now Stanley grew up in a …

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