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Ladies and gentlemen, pray silence. Dr Stan has found a pulse…

26th September 2007 By Guest Blogger Leave a Comment

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Hang on a minute, Stan has found a pulse.

Having thought a combination of clogged arteries, seizure and complete collapse had rendered the patient DOA, Dr Stan can report that there is life in the old club yet.

And that, Stan suggests, is why we all love football and Norwich City FC – there must always be hope to bolster the faith.

Now, having got a bunch of mixed metaphors out of the way, let's get to the crux of it.

Norwich went to Man City – third in the Premiership – having just put in one of their most appalling performances in recent history.

Grant's dream seemed shattered; our illusions exposed as fallacy. Yet, we played very well; we could even have won the game and lost only in the last minute. Yes, we lost? again.

But at least we showed commitment; we were, at times, on a par with an unspectacular but decent (and only slightly weakened) top-flight team, and could even have nicked it. We had chances, we were not over-run in midfield, and we gave as good as we got.

Of course, it is Saturday that matters. It is against Sheffield Wednesday that the final judgement may well be passed on Team Grant. Clearly, he managed to motivate those on display last night, and kept a recognisable shape throughout.

For this, he was rewarded with a pretty solid defensive performance (with Murray looking happier in the middle than on the left), youngsters chomping at the bit, and a positive response from the City faithful who made the trip.

Spillane, in particular, looks to have come on notably from last season and surely warrants a start on Saturday. Jarvis, with Rotherham scars down his legs no doubt, similarly looks to have the fire that his brother seemingly lacks.

Both played like the shirt mattered – and, if rumours are to be believed, showed young Chrissy Martin that it does not pay to get too big for your boots (either physically or psychologically).

Up front, Brown gave us a presence that David S does not, and Crofty did a fine job on the right. Him and Johnny O have a definite understanding, and although PG seems unsure about Croft, it may prove beneficial to stick with it and allow the partnership to develop.

Again, however, we lacked goals, and another target man must surely be joining 'two centre backs' and a 'combative midfield player' on PG's 'must have' list.

As for Hucks, his no-show got tongues wagging. Is he injured; has he downed tools; has PG told him to stick it? Well, Hucks was in Manchester and injury seems to be the official line.

Nevertheless, his tantrum on Saturday does seem to have divided opinion. For some, he said what everyone was thinking but dare not utter – that regime change had not yielded the expected results, and that civil war was close to breaking out in the dressing room.

For others, he split ranks at a time when the team needed to come together in order to dig themselves out of a hole. Was he simply 'going public' to knock heads together and rally a response? Or is he an overpaid prima donna who thinks he is bigger than the club?

The truth, Stan thinks, lays somewhere in between. Hucks cares and let's us know it – he says what he thinks and his status at the club allows him to do so with certain impunity. He is a great player and a City legend.

That said, his timing may be questioned, especially as he was as appalling as the rest of them at Wolves.

For Stan, and if Hucks plays on Saturday, it is for experienced pros like him to lead by example, and for the young players (Jarvis, Spilline, even Croft and Johnny O) to show us the fire and the spirit that will give this club a healthy future.

On the ball, City?


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loodofsquit Kris G @loodofsquit ·
23m

Granted I no longer go to #ncfc matches, and I’m all for atmosphere at the football. However, what’s with the term ‘elite’? Alluding to one group of fans being better than the other! I’m sure it’s not meant like that but it is what it is

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norwichcityfc Norwich City FC @norwichcityfc ·
27m

🇮🇪 Andy O starts for the Republic of Ireland tonight 👇

#NCFC

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champchatpod24 The Championship Chat Podcast @champchatpod24 ·
35m

Norwich City stumbled their way to the international break, picking up just two points from their last three matches. 😬

Despite that, the Canaries are only three points behind sixth-placed Millwall. 👀

Canaries fans, will you finish inside the play-off places? 🤔

#CCP | #NCFC

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neilhall Neil @neilhall ·
39m

Sad to see #socceram getting axed after 30 years. It was fun to be a part of it with #ncfc in 2007.

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loodofsquit Kris G @loodofsquit ·
41m

With us suspending our strike action, it now means it’ll be easier for #ncfc fans to attend the Sheffield United game. Sorry 😉

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