Ahead of City’s second home fixture in a week, I was fortunate enough to chat with Preston supporter Gary Bond, editor of PNE fansite Lilywhite Magic … There is invariably a lot of tangible links between City and Preston; no less with the appointment of a certain Alex Neil… How is he getting on at Deepdale? Things […]
Connor Southwell
Nobody ever said this would be easy and again we return to that word… ‘patience’
Listening carefully to Stuart Webber discussing supporters frustrations at David Wagner’s football philosophy while at Huddersfield reaffirms the how big a task transforming a football club actually is. Webber speaks of criticism of the ‘tippy-tappy’ football and how the Yorkshire team’s supporters took issue with it in the embryonic stage of Wagner’s reign, stating how […]
Zonal Marking: The future? Or should we revert to what we know?
Us Norfolk folk aren’t best adhered to change. My father, for example, continously rejects national stations in exchange for local radio. In more recent times, his preferable station has become stretched and now its web casts further than the Fine City. Needless to say the station which accompanies my breakfast has subsequently changed. My grandmother […]
The Jerome Debate: a willing runner with an iffy touch, or a someone pivotal to the fine away form?
Cameron Jerome. The mere mention of his name causes division amongst Norwich’s fan base. A player burdened with the marmite effect. Supporters are rarely indifferent regarding the 31 year old. You either laud him or you don’t rate him. There seems no middle ground. While to many he is seen as an ineffective and inferior […]
Barely time to draw breath as games come thick and fast… but time for final look back to that win south of the border
“Love thy neighbour as yourself” – Matthew (22:37) Last night was wonderful… glorious defeat (if there is such a thing) but with Derby now looming it’s our league form that will ultimately define our season. And with that in mind permit me one final look back to those hard-earned three points south of the border……. […]
From the relegation zone to the outskirts of the playoff places in a month. The Farke star is rising but can it continue?
So much has been written and spoken about this seemingly miraculous upturn in fortunes for City. From the relegation zone to the outskirts of the playoff places in a month; if anybody needed evidence of how crazy this division is there is your verification. Whilst people will unpredictably pinpoint praise for particular players, this dramatic […]
No longer seen as the Champs big boys; now the underdog. And it’s a look that suits us
Dogged. Determined. Deserved. That was the beautifully alliterative line produced by Norwich City’s media team in response to an epic victory in the North East. It was a win built from a basement of team ethic and unity, with the team huddle being the evidence of this. It has been a truly miraculous few weeks […]
READING PREVIEW: Flecky, the Nelson non-saga, wealthy owners, bad runs and some dubious Royals fans
For this week’s preview, I’m delighted to be joined by Simeon Pickup, assistant editor of The Tilehurst End – an award-nominated, independent fan blog covering all things Reading. Following the handcuffed small talk, I delved straight into proceedings. The relationship between the two clubs (or at least the fans) has deteriorated somewhat following Reading’s relentless chase […]
Connor discovers his inner Gary Neville… and analyses how things have changed in City’s defensive set-up
Whilst football has evolved and reinvented itself in the more modern years with discussion over philosophies, brands and tactics, one survivor of the era before the globalisation and commerciality of the game is the art of defending. Whilst being a fan of Pep Guardiola’s rebrand and the Dutch with their free flowing football and false […]
A love of City that goes deep and goes far beyond the odd hiccup here and peak there
Every scribble of nonsense bearing my name carries years of generational weight. Football has always been, to my mother’s annoyance, a significant member of the Southwell ménage. Norwich City has been a mainstay between a cohort of people who are hopelessly devoted to the game. My grandfather’s voyage following the likes of Hartlepool United and, […]
Teething troubles? Or major flaws? The next few games will be revealing
I didn’t go to Millwall. I was sat in a caravan in Lincolnshire, desperately scrambling to find updates of events at The New Den. I ended up with Football Focus, as I was engaged in the vidiprinter awaiting news from South London. As the reporter described Norwich’s early dominance, I was overjoyed and my mind […]
Patience. Trust. Context. Three easy words to say (and write) but which are elusive after days like yesterday
I love Norwich City. Like countless others, I travel countless miles away from home to witness thumping upon thumping. I haven’t seen Norwich win on the road since Nottingham Forest in 2016. The humiliations test your devotion; sometimes they even make you question your sanity. My sister’s ears take a bashing regularly as I rant […]
QPR Preview: Ollie, ‘Arry, Bradley & Joey, that ‘bloody darts music’, flouncy answers and chip shops
Ahead of tonight’s QPR fixture, I caught up with LoftForWords.com’s Clive Whittingham, who gave me the lowdown on what to expect from The Rs …. Connor: Clive, it’s fair to say QPR have undergone a huge revamp on the pitch in the last few seasons. Is Ian Holloway the man to stabilise the club and […]
Oliveira v Jerome? Or a case of horses for courses? We’re lucky to have both
Hallelujah. Football returned on Saturday, and was confirmed by me finding myself with no voice come 5pm – all thanks to a certain Portuguese international. Few in the Putney End were aware of Nelson Oliveira’s antics and in honesty, I doubt many cared at the time, but on reflection, the exuberance of the ball hitting […]
Patience is going to be key. Let’s brace ourselves for a slow start and all see the bigger City picture
It’s easy to be mesmerised and uncontrollably excited following an unbeaten pre-season. When the new regime has bred positivity and optimism through supporters by almost clicking immediately, it’s hard not to be buoyant. As pre-season concludes and the ‘real stuff’ approaches, it’s like the countdown to Christmas Day; football fans emulating young children on December […]
Part Four: We’re in the grip of the inverted winger and ‘false 9′, the old-style striker a thing of the past
On the final stretch on this extravaganza of analysis, we arrive at the final third of the pitch. The players, who score goals, who become heroes and who fundamentally have the ability to win matches seemingly single-handedly. With the departure of Jacob Murphy, Norwich will need to call upon other cannons in their arsenal to […]
Part Three: The engine room’s still the engine room but it won’t be one that Y’Army are familiar with
In part three of his pre-season mini-series, Connor looks at the City midfield and how things are about to change… _________________________________________________________________________ With two high profile casualties of two of City’s engine room, a reconstruction under surgeon Farke is well under way. He has inherited a midfield that lacked movement and coherence and, despite the reinforcements […]
Part Two: #ncfc defenders will try the patience of the faithful but it’s something they’d better get used to
In part two of his pre-season mini-series, Connor examines defending 2017-style and how it will fit into Daniel Farke’s vision of a future Norwich City… __________________________________________________________________________ Defending. An art form once perfected on the Carrow Road turf by Duncan Forbes and David Stringer in their own inimitable, physical way has slowly evaporated. With the horror […]
Part One: No longer are ‘good hands’ enough to be a top keeper. Angus’s deft first touch will be key
In part one of a four-part ‘mini-series’, Connor examines the role of the modern day goalkeeper and how it fits into Daniel Farke’s brave new world. _________________________________________________________________________ It’s fair to say the days of the traditional goalkeeper are over. Gone are the days of the worst technical players on a school field being shoved in […]
Plenty of positives but friendlies are friendlies. Some much tougher pre-season tests await Farke’s squad
There is something magical about the complete irrelevance of pre-season in terms of being a football fan. While it gives you a look at the new produce Norwich have acquired from across the continent, it also poses more questions than answers. As I watched on at Crown Meadow, I was indulged by the complete irrelevance […]