It’s been a painful year. A year of despondence, disillusionment and augmenting pessimism; a year of declining expectations and of seemingly unrelenting suffering. A year of woe. A year of sorrow. A year of hurt. 364 days is what it’s taken. Fifteen away games attended, three points accumulated, and zero wins obtained. The country has […]
Inexperience, incompetence and Championship naivety painfully reigned supreme at the New Den
The time was 05:30, the Norfolk sun was rising, and I was sat in my local watching Floyd Mayweather masterfully dismantle a spirited boxing debut by Conor McGregor. Despite the Irishman’s rapid deterioration of energy following his opening six-minute assault, it was an entertaining contest. Both landed punches. McGregor so boldly almost lasted the distance. […]
My favourite kits: the purple has divided opinion but has evoked nostalgia of City shirts gone by
As Chris Martin and Coldplay once sung on the turn of the millennium, it was all Yellow. They were right: for City fans, things were – Bryan Hamilton’s side had just achieved an underwhelming twelfth place finish in the old First Division in a season characterised by Matt Jackson’s leadership, Darrell Russel’s midfield tenacity and […]
Tactics, defending and that Nelson celebration: multiple talking points but City are back and I couldn’t be happier
Strolling through Bishops Park on Saturday afternoon, baked in the south-west London sunshine amidst a sea of yellow and green optimism, I could not have been more content. Collectively, we were all aware of the significance of what was about to come; the opening of a new epoch for City, the beginning of a new […]
Cricket injuries, away days, silver linings and a maiden Cottage trip to see Farke’s new-look City
Much like a Daniel Farke training session, opening the batting in the Norfolk Cricket Alliance is no easy task. The bowlers are experienced, crafty and skilful. The ball is new, hard and with a pronounced seam that could so menacingly lead to some form of deflection off the unknown quantity that is the freshly prepared […]
The futility of friendlies: an over-analysis of pre-season can lead to undue levels of pessimism
It’s just been just over three years since Ricky van Wolfswinkel scored those two goals. Two years since our much-maligned forward miraculously scored twice in that emphatic pre-season game at Braintree. It was a warm Tuesday night. City had travelled to the insalubrious Cressing Road under the recently-appointed and relatively popular Neil Adams. Ricky’s ostensibly […]
Webber’s revelations are refreshing but may leave City fans with distorted perceptions
Twitter is a brilliant medium for debate. A medium that engages the masses, fosters awareness of contemporary and pertinent issues and one that facilitates the visibility of a vast spectrum of views. It provokes. It angers. It shapes opinions. Such a medium invariably becomes increasingly active during periods of change, transition or importance. That intensification […]
Tales from the City: summer reading and NCFC nostalgia whets the appetite for August 5
My MFW absence over the past few weeks can be justified. Despite the advent of notable transfer activity and the arrival of significant, youthful promise among the City ranks, footballing notions have been regrettably subordinated owing to hectic foreign odysseys and dissertation proposal deadlines. Following the conclusion of my second year exams, the depths of […]
Arrival of an animated, prowling presence on the Carra touchline is most welcome as a new City era dawns
It’s been a couple of months since I provoked a vehement discussion on a WhatsApp group chat among a selection of my university mates. James Milner had just converted a penalty in front of a jubilant Liverpool travelling contingent at the Etihad to put his side a goal up. On Twitter, I’d read somebody allude […]
The future looks bright but going forward the hunger to succeed will be key in this Canary rebuild
Naismith was superb, playing with energy and vivacity with the ball while harrying Leeds’ overrun midfielders like a terrier off it. Owing to his occasional lack of innovation, Naismith’s significance when City do not have possession has gone increasingly unnoticed this season.
Hughton deserves some warmth on his Carrow Road return as we welcome his jubilant Seagulls
Hughton is a man of dignity, integrity and principal. He never shied away from providing the fans with honest, sincere and forthright answers in times of adversity. In a long term sense, things didn’t work out for him at City. I – like many others I’m sure – wish things had ensued differently.
Will tonight be verve, vitality and offensive flair versus lethargy, torpidity and listlessness?
Russell Martin and Ryan Bennett were mannequins for the lively Jonathan Kodjia’s second goal. I don’t recall Alex Tettey playing a single pass that delineated any sense of directness, urgency or penetration. Steven Whittaker was daydreaming for the home side’s opener.
Board: Be swift and shrewd with this restructured model and the P-word could still be on the cards…
The new business model announced on Saturday morning represents a significant turning point from our club, terminating the seemingly outdated and recently ineffective traditional system and implementing a refreshed, overtly modern continental structure. Although many may have their doubts, such a reconfiguration was exactly what this drifting club needed.
The Hillsborough last chance saloon beckons; time finally to see some character and leadership
Sunday’s stalemate constituted a setback. So did that rudderless outing at the Pirelli. But twelve games remain. With a minimal 3-point gap between City and sixth place so irresistibly looming, we must believe. We’ve seen glimpses from this underachieving squad. Let us nostalgically reflect back to that jubilant trip to the City Ground in September
Dark days on the road again for City, but those notions of hope and expectation will never die
The season appears to have gone. The ostensibly improved run we had recently constructed showed no real signs of progress, with victories only coming at a subdued Carrow Road against relatively low-lying Wolves, Birmingham and Nottingham Forest and the solitary away win in Wales at the hands of the equally incompetent Cardiff.
With the club at a crossroads, Delia and co must be canny when choosing the new chief executive
McNally had his flaws. The bizarrely announced resignation via social media aside, his decision to publicly undermine Chris Hughton through the announcement that he was searching for potential replacements was far from his finest hour. Such impetuousness is not what this club needs.
Another three points at home but defensive issues linger – and there are remedies out there for City
Klose and Martin are not bad defenders but are simply not reliable nor solid enough to function as the backbone of a promotion chasing team. Two clean sheets may suggest otherwise but they have come at home against ineffective opposition and the result at Rotherham once again made their shortcomings palpable.
After seeing New Year in with a win Alex Neil is here to stay – now is the time to unite and support him
This performance did delineate just what this City side are capable of. It showed that if Neil – finally – picks his most effective team, deploys the right tactics and fosters the requisite unity and spirit required to produce results, this season will not descend into the futile one it appeared to be plummeting into. Time now to build.
Promotion? At the current rate something far more damaging and painful awaits this football club
Defensive ineptitude and vulnerability prevailed. City’s resurgence was short-lived, the termination of which once again derived from the failure of individuals to successfully conduct fundamental jobs and to take responsibility. It’s become something of a Comedy of Errors now.
Outwitted and outplayed – yes, Huddersfield were impressive but Moxey and co must act now
The uninspiring and unstimulating duo of Robbie Brady and Jacob Murphy were fundamentally oblivious to their important defensive duties, steadfastly refusing to track back and therefore leaving City exposed.