My Football Writer Norwich City news… comment… analysis
Norwich City – news, comment and analysis
After witnessing his under-strength Canaries side secure all three points against Barnsley last Saturday, and just before the squad jetted off for a short training break in sunny Spain, Glenn Roeder suggested that he might have a problem in selecting his team for the visit of Blackpool tomorrow.
The performances of the likes of stand-in players Matty Pattison, Kieran Gibbs and particularly Alex Pearce in helping return City to winning ways means he has now to decide whether to …
City boss Glenn Roeder revealed this morning that captain Mark Fotheringham was by no means guaranteed a swift return to the starting line-up as the Canaries prepare to face Blackpool at Carrow Road tomorrow.
The Scot, who has been in fine form this season since the arrival of Roeder, missed last weekend's 1-0 win over Barnsley through suspension and with Arsenal loan starlet Kieran Gibbs and Matty Pattison impressing in the engine room, the Canary chief admitted that the former …
City captain Mark Fotheringham today praised the impact of the Canaries' loan rangers and admitted that he must play a waiting game to find out whether he will return to the starting line-up against Blackpool tomorrow
Boss Glenn Roeder was keeping his cards close to his chest when quizzed about the Scot's possible inclusion after he missed last week's 1-0 win over Barnsley at Carrow Road through suspension.
And with Arsenal loanee Kieran Gibbs and Matty …
Former City goalkeeper Joe Lewis revealed today just how much he is loving life at Peterborough, as well as admitting he was keeping his fingers firmly crossed as his old club aim to bag a late invite to this season's Championship play-offs.
And after a string of impressive performances for the Posh, the Norfolk-born stopper also found himself linked with Premier League giants Manchester United and Liverpool in this morning's Sun newspaper ? all of which could mean a …
City's sales and marketing director Andrew Cullen today hailed the Glenn Roeder effect as “absolutely critical” in the surge in season ticket renewals the club are currently enjoying.
Four, short months ago when Cullen and his team were putting together the season ticket package for 2008-2009 – a process that included a strong supporter contingent on that Carrow Road working party – and the Canaries were friendless and adrift at the very bottom of the Championship table.
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Sometimes Stanley wishes he was a gambling man. Even Mrs Stanley sometimes wishes Stanley was a betting man.
Well, at least her terse response to Stanley's match analysis: ?Of course we beat Barnsley, it was an absolute 'given'…? of ?Well 'know-all' if you were so sure City were going to win why didn't you put some money on them?? suggested that to Stanley.
As sure as Stanley was that last Saturday's trip to Leicester would prove to be a …
As City boss Glenn Roeder sits down today and laps up some early spring sunshine on the Canaries mini-training break in Spain, there is one thing of which you can be sure.
He knows each and every one of Norwich's remaining fixtures like the back of his hand; every possible point and permutation, every potential twist and turn between now and the first week in May will have been pondered and dissected.
This is, after all, a manager who knows exactly where Norwich would …
So, the play-offs. What do we reckon? Still in with a chance?
Seven points and six places adrift of the last play-off spot ? and only 12 games left in which to close the gap. It seems unlikely? but as older readers will know, there is something of a precedent.
Gather round the rocking chair while I light my pipe, young folk, for I have a remarkable tale to tell. I was going to save it for my grand-children, but as my memory will be long gone by the time they make an …
Saturday's hard-fought 1-0 win over Barnsley was a welcome three points after City's no-show at Leicester the previous week but, for me, the most pleasing thing was the return to form of stand-in captain Jamie Cureton, who, in my opinion, still has a massive part to play in the Canaries' future.
At the age of 32, he is most certainly one of City's elder statesmen but that is the reason why he could be so key as we approach a summer of rebuilding for the Canary …
Defeated Tykes boss Simon Davey reached for one of football's older cliches as he tried to explain how the heroes of Anfield one week can go to the villains of Carrow Road the next.
Quizzed as to whether he thought that Saturday's 1-0 defeat against the Canaries was a fair result, the 37-year-old Barnsley boss pointed to two big moments in the first-half when Jon Otsemobor's goal-line clearance and a fine save from David Marshall denied the visitors an early strike.<br …
Canary skipper Mark Fotheringham, veteran striker Dion Dublin and regular centre-half Jason Shackell will need to be firmly on their toes this week as City boss Glenn Roeder ponders as to whether or not he should split a winning team apart ahead of next weekend's home clash with Blackpool.
For after that 4-0 humbling away at Leicester City that saw the Canaries' 13-game unbeaten run end with a certain bang, Roeder actually made six changes to the side that started at the …
He must get really cheesed off being who he is at times. It's like everything seems to revolve around him at Norwich ? it certainly has in recent weeks.
He even acknowledged that everything he says is usually made into headlines, and when his name didn't even make it onto the team-sheet for last Saturday's trip to Leicester, well, the stories were already being written, weren't they?
But sorry Hucks, that's just the way it is I'm afraid …
City boss Glenn Roeder was not in the least bit surprised. Seeing 19-year-old Reading youngster Alex Pearce jet off in search of some Spanish sun with a bottle of 'Man of the Match' bubbly under his arm was exactly what the Canary manager had expected.
“I see that every day in training,” said Roeder, after the on-loan Royals centre-half was finally granted his Norwich debut and didn't disappoint. In fairness to Roeder, he had long been suggesting that Pearce was …
Canary striker Jamie Cureton today revealed how he had taken a leaf straight out of Ian Wright's book as he celebrated that all-important lone strike against Barnsley yesterday – and all on the day that Glenn Roeder made him captain.
The armband may well, of course, pass back to Mark Fotheringham next weekend as he makes his return from suspension. But if only for one weekend, there will be few prouder men in Norfolk than a one-time City youth starlet asked to lead his beloved …
City boss Glenn Roeder elevated yesterday's 1-0 win over FA Cup heroes Barnsley as the most satisfying yet of his four-month managerial reign at Carrow Road.
It was never one where swash-buckling football reigned supreme. And, yes, going forward he would be looking long and hard about Norwich's need to give themselves a greater margin for error – to put teams to be early on the back of a 2-0 or a 3-0 success.
But for a big Championship triumph in the face of …
Norwich City (4-4-2):, Marshall; Otsemobor, Shackell, Pearce, Bertrand; Croft, Gibbs, Pattison, Huckerby; Evans, Cureton. Subs: Gilks, Shackell, Velasco, Eagle, Henry.
Faced with three big suspensions in the case of Messrs Russell, Fotheringham and Dublin, City boss Glenn Roeder certainly didn't shy away from some big decisions – the most notable of which saw Jason Shackell sat squarely on the bench as on-loan 19-year-old Alex Pearce …
City's new Spanish acquisition Juan Velasco admitted he is confident that he can overcome the language barrier “as soon as possible” after his introduction to the Norfolk media at Colney yesterday.
To be fair to him, his English is already much more advanced than my Spanish, or any of his new team-mates' ability to speak his native tongue for that matter.
And, with a bit of luck, the universal language of football should be able to get him through any communication …
Before the game at Leicester last week, I reasoned that City's next three games would in all probability decide their play-off fate one way or the other.
Supporters had understandably stared to turn their attentions to the team occupying sixth place in the table, as with the Canaries extending their unbeaten run week-on-week and showing no obvious signs that they were about to fall flat on their faces, and the gap between Norwich and the top six accordingly ever narrowing, …
The Darren Huckerby contract saga was further clouded in mystery today after the City talisman admitted he would be willing to discuss a new deal with the Canaries.
With Norwich boss Glenn Roeder revealing last week that he thought Huckerby had “made his own mind up” that he was leaving, the City hero has insisted that he just wants to get back to doing what he loves most ? pulling on that yellow and green shirt.
Any contract issue would be sorted in good time, and even …
City favourite Darren Huckerby will be thrust right back into the limelight tomorrow after boss Glenn Roeder revealed that the Canary talisman would be in the starting line-up for the Carrow Road clash with Barnsley.
It has been an up and down season for the wing wizard and Roeder admitted only last week that Huckerby has “already made his own mind up” on his Norwich future.
Hip problems and all, it would seem that the curtain could finally be coming down on a glorious …