There's a reason for every decision that is made.
To the untrained or inexperienced eye, it might not seem obvious and it might indeed seem puzzling to say the least, but there will be some logic involved somewhere.
However, playing Darren Huckerby on the right side of midfield when he's clearly happier and better suited on the left, and when you've got a more than adequate alternative for that particular position ? and one of the few performers actually able to say that he has been playing somewhere near his true potential at that (Lee Croft) – sat twiddling his thumbs on the bench did seem a tad perplexing, I have to admit.
Likewise the decision to send young Michael Spillane on at centre-back on Saturday ? even though he has played many times in that position in the reserve and youth teams ? when he seems better suited to a midfield role, and after he has already proved his capabilities in the heart of midfield only a few weeks earlier understandably raised more than the odd eyebrow.
And especially so when it meant moving Ian Murray from that position – one in which he had been performing capably – over to the left-back berth (a position in which he certainly hasn't) and when there was a tailor-made full-back, Simon Lappin, on the pitch at that?
Strange.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing of course, but it wasn't exactly difficult to predict those particular decisions might not best suit the Canaries on Saturday, and so it proved.
At least we can take solace from the fact that City did look up for the contest in the early stages at the weekend, and could ? perhaps should ? have wrapped the game up had they converted a couple of the chances that they created.
And if we can count on a similar start at Burnley tomorrow night then we'd certainly take it without a moment's hesitation.
However, when your down on your luck and in the dreadful situation that City are right now, and the game is away from home to boot?well?let's just say that I don't think we should hold our breath.
Hosts Burnley's 1-1 draw at Barnsley on Saturday pretty much summed up their season so far.
The Clarets played well from an attacking point of view, and had they made better use of some of the excellent goal-scoring chances that they created would have won the game quite comfortably by all accounts.
But a failure to kill their opponents off when they were in the ascendancy combined with another defensive slip-up at the back once again cost them valuable league points.
As seems to be the case in every game that the Canaries play though, no doubt Steve Cotterill and his team will view tonight's encounter in much the same way as all City's other opponents these days ? namely that it is a golden opportunity to grab all three points off a side that is in a right mess at the moment.
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