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Back to life, back to Championship reality. Now you know why we're bottom…

7th November 2007 By theexpert Leave a Comment

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Despite this still being a relatively early stage of this season, there must have been occasions recently when even those that would happily accept being categorised as the eternal optimists would have feared the worst for the Canaries this term?

As if being slumped at the bottom of the table wasn't bad enough, the manner of some of City's performances certainly were…

And when a side appears to be devoid of confidence as well as quality much in the manner of the majority of Norwich's matches this season, all hope is lost.

The appointment of Glenn Roeder just over a week ago therefore really was the last chance saloon here at Carrow Road, because had his arrival not coincided with a significant on-field improvement or provided any genuine signs of optimism that the dynamics of this 2007-08 campaign could be radically changed, then it was basically goodnight and God bless to the Coca-Cola Championship.

And although we are only two games into Roeder's tenure, I think everyone had assumed that after the marvellous effort against Ipswich on Sunday it would all be sweetness and light from hereon in.

OK so the Canaries didn't win on Sunday, but surely we saw enough to suggest that the tendency for the Canaries to capitulate in matches or heap shame and embarrassment on themselves would now be a thing of the past?

Well, it was certainly anything but a case of it all coming crashing down to earth with a bump last night and a reality check of the harshest kind, seeing as in terms of effort and a determination to compete against their opponents Norwich undoubtedly couldn't be faulted on that score.

They were up against the league leaders after all.

But one thing that we were to quickly discover last night, was that unless City can somehow manage to raise the bar in matches akin to their sterling local derby showing, then we'd still better prepare ourselves for a long, hard winter ahead.

Aidy Boothroyd's Watford side had to battle last night, but that's second nature to them now anyway and so they would have returned to Vicarage Road with all three points and a feeling that they were never really in danger of not doing so in truth.

Minus Darren Huckerby and Dion Dublin Norwich crucially lost pace and height from their attack, and try as they might, Jimmy Smith, Jamie Cureton, John Hartson and Luke Chadwick simply didn't possess the necessary attributes to penetrate a strong and superbly well-disciplined Hornets defence.

Watford dominated throughout, and aside from having to pick the ball out of his net after Lee Croft had thrown the Canaries a lifeline with his goal after 64 minutes, 'keeper Richard Lee basically didn't have anything else to do.

Unfortunately all the goalmouth action was taking place at the opposite end of the field, where the Canaries' midfield and defensive rearguard were finding themselves in the position of trying to suppress the likes of Darius Henderson, Marlon King, Tommy Smith and Co from bearing down on David Marshall's goal on an all-too frequent basis.

Only when Roeder introduced Croft to the fray for the seemingly injured Luke Chadwick, and Chris Brown, and Chris Martin for the ineffective Jimmy Smith and John Hartson did City ever seem likely to build up a head of steam.

And for five minutes or so following Croft's strike you wondered if Norwich could indeed pull off another amazing comeback, but unlike on Sunday, this time the visitors were having absolutely none of it.

After Sunday's events the new City boss must have wondered what all the fuss was about here at Carrow Road, and so – if nothing else – last night's defeat to a team that is as good as a nailed-on certainty to return to the Premiership next season has at least provided him with a clearer picture of what he is actually up against this season.


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