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Not quite now or never, but next three games could decide City’s play-off fate

15th February 2008 By theexpert Leave a Comment

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Looking at the fixture list and these remaining 14 fixtures, I don't think it would be unrealistic in assuming that these next three games will probably have a huge bearing as to whether the Canaries can indeed complete what would undoubtedly be one of the greatest reversal of fortunes in recent memory by making it to the play-offs, or whether a mid-table finish come May 4 is the more likely outcome.

After tomorrow's trip to Leicester, Norwich have two very winnable home games against Barnsley and Blackpool.

Stick seven, or dare I say maybe even nine points on the board before we head off to title-chasing Watford in the first week of next month, and I doubt even the most pessimistic of City supporters would fail to have their heads turned by the possibility of a two-legged semi-final and maybe a day out in North London.

Should it all go pear-shaped in the next fortnight though, then the prospect of the Yellow And Green Army gathering en masse under the Wembley arch will almost certainly have to wait for at least another year.

With the likes of high-flying Stoke and West Brom still to visit Carrow Road this season, as well as potentially testing trips to Sheffield United, Bristol City and Ipswich fast approaching, the time to put points on the board and mount a serious challenge for the play-offs clearly needs to begin in earnest.

In order or the first part of this vitally important couple of weeks to be a success though, the Canaries are going to have to lift their game at the Walkers Stadium tomorrow and deliver a performance more in keeping with the standards we witnessed at Cardiff last Saturday as opposed to what can only best be described as an unconvincing display in mid-week.

City certainly started the game well against Hull on Tuesday night but then frustratingly flattered to deceive the longer the game progressed.

And come the end of the evening, Hull boss Phil Brown would have been as equally disappointed as Glenn Roeder that his side only had a point to take back to Humberside for their efforts.

There is always the danger of course of forgetting just what a dire situation the Canaries were faced with barely four months ago, and it is indeed to their ever-lasting credit that we're now even in a position to be speculating about the possibility of City extending their season as opposed to that awful situation of wondering where the next goal, let alone league point was going to come from.

The job of staving off the threat of relegation is already as good as done and dusted and 13 games unbeaten is a terrific achievement in anyone's books and testament to everyone concerned, but if it is to be a fairy-tale ending to the campaign then Norwich can't afford to let their standards slip on too many more occasions in the manner they did in mid-week.

When the two sides met at Carrow Road last month the game ended goalless, but a repeat performance in terms of the quality of football on show from the Canaries that day ? if not their finishing – and the manner in which City set about the Foxes would certainly be most welcome again tomorrow.

Since that game Leicester have added just three points to their total courtesy of 1-0 home win over Crystal Palace, and they enter tomorrow's clash on the back of three successive defeats in which they have scored just one goal.

The opportunity is certainly there for Norwich, and ? to paraphrase an opening line from the start of the 70s hit series The Six Million Dollar Man, when surgeons battled to save astronaut Steve Austin's life and rebuild him into superhuman bionic man comparable with what Glenn Roeder has done here with his football team here at Norwich City – 'they have the capability.'

We just need to see it again.


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