• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

My Football Writer

My Football Writer Norwich City news… comment… analysis

Norwich City – news, comment and analysis

Find the best betting sites
  • Home
  • About us
  • The Team
  • Archives Index
  • Patreon
  • ADVERTISE
  • Contact us

Croft the first victim of City’s no-goal start to the season; Bertrand makes his first start

16th August 2008 By Latest News Leave a Comment

Please share

The luckless Lee Croft paid the most obvious price for Norwich's goal-less start to the season when he found himself dropped to the bench for this afternoon's opening home Championship clash against Blackpool.

The City winger had been 'mentioned in despatches' for all the wrong reasons by Canary chief Glenn Roeder after both the 2-0 defeat against Coventry City and the midweek Carling Cup exit to MK Dons.

Not that Croft was alone in missing the proverbial barn door – an accusation that could be laid against the door of the majority of his team-mates.

Either way, his exit allowed Matty Pattison to step into the starting line-up with Roeder giving himself the option of slipping ex-Seasiders hero Wes Hoolahan into a free role just behind the front two as a combination of Mark Fotheringham, Sammy Clingan and Pattison mopped up behind him.

At the back, there were four changes as six of the starters made their official home debuts. The most expected saw the return of both John Kennedy and Dejan Stefanovic to the centre of the defence as the first-choice pair were rested for the trip to the stadium:mk.

That then allowed Elliott Omozusi to return to his more preferred role at right-back; at left-back, it was a first appearance for on-loan Chelsea starlet Ryan Bertrand.

Roeder has long maintained that the two England Youth internationals will provide one of the most potent full-back pairings in the division. This afternoon is their first chance to prove that point.

In the on-going absence of that elusive target man, Roeder decided to keep 18-year-old Omar Koroma up his sleeve; it was time to go back to the Coventry pairing of Jamie Cureton and Arturo Lupoli – the hope with the latter was that with a week's extra training under his belt, his sharpness in front of goal would return in timely fashion.

On the bench and Darel Russell can continue to feel slightly hard done-by – he, after all, came closest to breaking Norwich's duck with that swirling drive against an upright on Tuesday.

For the much-changed visitors there was at least one familiar face – in the shape of ex-Town midfielder Jermaine Wright. On the Blackpool bench was ex-loan defender Zesh Rehman.

And then there was Mo Camara… and Matthew Gilks… it was an afternoon full of reunions in the warm and welcome Norfolk sunshine.

City (4-3-1-2): Marshall; Omozusi, Bertrand, Kennedy, Stefanovic; Clingan, Fotheringham, Pattison; Hoolahan; Cureton, Lupoli. Subs: Nelson, Shackell, Croft, Russell, Koroma.


Please share

Filed Under: Latest news

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

FIND MY FOOTBALL WRITER ON

As featured on NewsNow: Norwich City news” style=

Norwich City News 24/7

#NCFC LATEST

jamesshreeve James Shreeve @jamesshreeve ·
46m

South East? Fuck, I’ve had it wrong all this time. Happy travels from Yorkshire #ncfc

Reply on Twitter 1621532636437946369 Retweet on Twitter 1621532636437946369 Like on Twitter 1621532636437946369 Twitter 1621532636437946369
realrhysfoulkes (R)hys Foulkes @realrhysfoulkes ·
49m

#ncfc

Reply on Twitter 1621531738995363841 Retweet on Twitter 1621531738995363841 Like on Twitter 1621531738995363841 2 Twitter 1621531738995363841
lotaylor23 Lorraine Taylor 😷🦊🐝🐾 @lotaylor23 ·
55m

We're lagging behind Burnley. Get pledging #ncfc fans
#greenfootballweekend

Reply on Twitter 1621530283202977792 Retweet on Twitter 1621530283202977792 Like on Twitter 1621530283202977792 Twitter 1621530283202977792
pinkun The Pink Un @pinkun ·
1h

🟢🟡 Direct appeal from Mr Wagner to #NCFC fans

💬 I can promise we will try everything, we will fight for every inch on the grass. But we need that atmosphere and if we have that energy in the stadium then maybe something special can happen 🔥

https://www.pinkun.com/news/23297857.norwich-city-david-wagner-appeals-fans-ahead-burnley-test/

Reply on Twitter 1621525609397760009 Retweet on Twitter 1621525609397760009 2 Like on Twitter 1621525609397760009 8 Twitter 1621525609397760009
darrellallen94 Darrell Allen @darrellallen94 ·
1h

Can we get some #NCFC retweets on this. After you have finished tomorrow at Carrow Road come over to @DerehamTown vs @themikesfc at Aldiss Park.

Bar and Food available🍔🍺

@CGoreham @BobRutler @AlongComeNodge @canariestrust @cjsouthwell1902 @EDPchrislakey @TalkNorwichCity

Reply on Twitter 1621525515365650435 Retweet on Twitter 1621525515365650435 Like on Twitter 1621525515365650435 2 Twitter 1621525515365650435
Load More...

Copyright © 2023 21VC Ltd | All rights reserved | Not to be reproduced without prior permission.

Disclaimer: The information on this website consists of personal opinions. Whilst we have taken all reasonable steps to ensure that the information contained on these Web pages is accurate and correct at the time of writing we do not accept any liability whatsover for any loss or damage caused by reliance on this information.

We do not accept any responsibility for information contained in other websites to which this site links. We strongly advise users to check any information before acting or relying on it.

Developed and Hosted by