Reasons to be cheerful of FA Cup eve? Well, here's my five starters...

Thurs 26 Nov 09

Good things are brewing at Carrow Road. Stan finds himself looking forward to each and every game with a sense of confidence last felt sometime around Christmas 2003.


As such, here are five reasons to be cheerful as we move towards the festive period; five reasons why being a City fan feels alright at the moment.

Reason One: To state the obvious, we are winning.


Stan remembers having a conversation in those dark days early in the year, when relegation was looming like a black cloud on the horizon, that part of the footballing buzz comes from winning matches, whoever it is that you are playing. Beating Bristol Rovers 5-1 at home felt, to this Stan at least, just as rewarding and life affirming as
beating Bolton in the Premiership.


Of course there are those special games: those past glories where City have battered the Liverpools and Manchester Uniteds of this world.


But the bottom line is that football fans and football clubs thrive on winning games.


The sight of the ball hitting the back of the net and the pride that victory instils may be intangible, but it is real - and a crafted Grant Holt lob hits home just as much a Robert Fleck tap-in, a Chrissy Sutton header or, dare Stan say it, a Justin Fashanu turn and shot from the edge of the box.

Reason Two: Following on from the above, we are scoring goals by the hatful (cue 0-0 draw on Saturday).


Worthy's team got into the habit of scoring goals.

Unfortunately, the Premiership experience ensured that they also got into the habit of shipping them.


Even our first year down saw us end with 65 goals against and a minus nine goal difference. Thereafter, three successive managers succeeded in blunting our goal scoring edge whilst simultaneously playing a defence seemingly trained by Laurel and Hardy.


Now, however, the goals are back. Holt, Martin and Wes have clicked and our attack looks multi-dimensional.


If Wes' tricks do not unlock the opposition back four, then Lappin can set things up from the left or Martin can cut in from the right. As such, we have seen some great goals this year, and long may they continue to be plentiful.   Part 2 >>