My Football Writer Norwich City news… comment… analysis
Norwich City – news, comment and analysis
City boss Glenn Roeder has urged David Bell to follow David Bentley's lead and deliver goal-den opportunities on a plate for the Canaries.
Bell's efforts at Pride Park on Tuesday night were, said Roeder, one of the few plus points to emerge from another miserable away-day.
And with the Canary manager clearly thinking long and hard about handing the ex-Luton Town winger his first start following his recent recovery from that summer injury, so Roeder is hoping that a …
City boss Glenn Roeder this morning launched a passionate defence of his loan signings – challenging anyone who doubted their commitment to the Canary cause.
In his first full year in charge, the Norwich manager has plundered the Premiership loan market with a vengence with the likes of such short-term servants as Martin Taylor and Ched Evans, in particular, proving crucial to the club's successful fight against relegation last season.
This year and Roeder has adopted …
A blast from the past popped up on the old radar this afternoon as Ryan Taylor's name did the rounds.
The one-time Tranmere Rovers full-back was once a target for then City boss Nigel Worthington only for the newly-promoted Latics to steal Norwich's thunder.
Armed to the teeth with Uncle Dave's millions, Taylor made the short journey from Prenton Park to the JJB Stadium for �750,000 and that was that, basically.
Lo and behold and today Taylor's …
Peter Cullum's interest in Norwich City Football Club may find itself parked on a back-burner somewhere after the billionaire's No1 baby – The Towergate Partnership – today reported a �15 million loss for 2007.
Cullum, 57, has been widely touted this summer as the Canaries knight in shining white armour; the man whose reputed �1.7 billion personal fortune was about to ease Delia Smith and her husband Michael Wynn Jones out of power and herald a new, minted era for the …
The sum of City's defensive parts should add up to rather more than a 3-1 defeat at Pride Park.
That's the bottom line.
Look through tonight's team-sheet and, defensively, that's as good as it gets right now with John Kennedy stepping into Gary Doherty's shoes and Dejan Stefanovic masterminding operations in the middle with the 'best full-back pairing in the league' patrolling either flank.
Slam David Marshall in behind that back four …
City chief Glenn Roeder once again confirmed his belief in the forgotten man of late – on-loan Fiorentna striker Arturo Lupoli.
In theory, the one-time Arsenal starlet would have been centre stage tonight as the Canaries headed back to his od maor and the re-match with the Rams.
In practice, however, and the three-goal striker has slipped out of sight; in part in the wake of Leroy Lita's arrival on loan in Norfolk; in part, however, down to the Italian needing to …
Stan knew that it had been a topsy-turvy day when he heard the announcement that Dejan Stafanovic had been named man-of-the-match.
Not that The General had a stinker. But he had just conceded our seventh penalty in 13 games, almost doomed us to a humiliating defeat and, just for good measure, hit one of the most wayward shots towards the River End since Greg Downs used to try his luck in the early 1980s.
Somehow, out of such calamity, the big man walked away …
New City hero Leroy Lita last night night left the door to a second month's loan spell banging wide open as he celebrated yesterday's last-gasp winner against Doncaster Rovers.
Fresh from bagging that hat-trick against league leaders Wolves in mid-week, the 23-year-old on-loan Reading star cemented his place ever-deeper in the Barclay's affections with a 93rd minute strike that not only gave the Canaries their second home win of the week, but gave Lita his fourth goal in …
Few would dare to suggest that Leroy Lita is Darren Huckerby is disguise.
But at some point in that heady autumn of 2003, the Canary legend became the difference.
That he – and Peter Crouch – injected the kind of belief, the kind of momentum and the kind of quality, in short, that set the Canaries off on altogether different path.
This evening and after bagging his fourth goal of the week to give Norwich a basically undeserved three points against a plucky …
It should be one of the easiest selections decisions of Glenn Roeder's 12-month reign. Same again.
And come 2.50pm tomorrow afternoon, it should equally be one of the shortest pre-match speeches of Glenn Roeder's 12-month managerial reign. Same again.
Certainly after Tuesday night's thumping 5-2 success against league leaders Wolves, that's exactly what the home faithful will be expecting tomorrow against Doncaster Rovers. The same again.
“We set …
Well, who'd have bet on us sticking five past the league leaders?
Unless you're part of a Far East gambling syndicate, of course. (Only joking, lawyers.)
It just goes to show that those people on the message boards bemoaning the state of the team, and in particular the heavy use of loan players (as distinct from the use of heavy loan players as we saw with John Hartson last season), know nothing.
Actually, I'd better qualify that before I'm taken …
Tuesday night's emphatic 5-2 thumping of then league leaders Wolves has finally cast a shower of light on what was otherwise fast developing into depressing situation at Carrow Road.
Performances hadn't been all that bad if we're being honest.
Admittedly, it's a damn sight easier to offer up the above statement without fear of having your opinion shot to pieces and your sanity questioned after your team has just enjoyed a goal-fest than it is when …
Royals boss Steve Coppell today left the door just that little bit ajar for hat-trick hero Leroy Lita to extend his tour of duty in Norfolk for another month.
The 23-year-old Royals hitman is due to finish his initial, month-long loan spell at Carrow Road on November 1 – straight after the trip to Burnley.
But after putting league leaders Wolves to the sword in such stunning fashion on Tuesday night, so the pressure will be mounting for the Canaries to pull every trick …
If anyone claims they saw that one coming, Stanley frankly doesn't believe them.
OK, maybe a '1-0 to the City' prediction Stan could accept. The kind of prediction which wouldn't be based upon having watched Norwich play over the last couple of months, but actually over the last three decades or so.
Based upon that eternal truth of NCFC, just when you cannot possible envisage any other result, the exact opposite happens.
Admittedly they have …
Man-of-the-moment Leroy Lita admitted it was a special feeling to get his Carrow Road career up and running after his three-goal haul in last night's stunning 5-2 success over Wolves.
Wanderers went into the match as league leaders and with the doom and gloom merchants evident in Norfolk, not many dared predict a City draw, let alone win.
But in what must be their most impressive performance of 08/09, they simply crushed Mick McCarthy's men with a swagger that …
It's one of those scorelines that you look at once, look at again and then pinch yourself.
Some things were eminently familiar. A soft, free header from an opposition corner; a dubious penalty conceded and then resoundingly converted.
Those kind of events are taken as read; they come with the territory; they're par for the course in this neck of the woods.
What isn't is a visiting goalkeeper walking the ball over his own goal-line; a Norwich City …
City's rebuilt rearguard will need to be on their very best behaviour tonight as Wolves striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake threatens to add to the Canaries autumn miseries.
With both Saturday's starters – Adam Drury and John Kennedy – rated highly doubtful for this evening's game, it will be left to a fit-again Gary Doherty and an eligible-again Dejan Stefanovic to keep the 22-year-old, one-time Manchester United trainee under wraps as the Carrow Road side look to halt a …
I'm not sure tomorrow night's home clash with Wolves is a 'big' game.
It is one of those where you take a point now. Their return to winning ways at the weekend ensured that Jason Shackell's home-coming is likely to be one you just get through. Nothing more.
The home game with Doncaster Rovers on Saturday is, however, bigger than big. It's huge.
For at some stage, this current rot has to stop. City have to finally hit a solid piece of …
City chief Glenn Roeder will be desperately hoping that John Kennedy's 'warrior' spirit can rub off one one or two more of his team-mates tomorrow night as league leaders Wolves provide another big test for his chronically goal-shy side.
The Canaries have now just Lee Croft's late, late winner against Sheffield United and Sammy Clingan's spot-kick against Derby County to show for all their attacking efforts in their last six games.
The trouble then, of …
Stan should have known better than to have raised his hopes to anywhere above 'We're doomed…' However, as football fans around the world do, only a few short weeks back he began to imagine better times lay ahead.
Get this drivel, scribed by yours truly, a mere month back after what has proved to be the only decent performance of the season to date.
'Is this the turning point we have craved for so long? Is this where we begin the new phase in …