City keeper David Marshall will not be short of a familiar face or two as early pace-setters Birmingham City roll into Norfolk this weekend.
For just as Canary striker Arturo Lupoli will share a joke with his ex-Arsenal Youth team-mates Quincy Owusu-Abeyie and Sebastian Larsson, so the Canary No1 will have the likes of ex-Scotland boss Alex McLeish and Blues striker James McFadden for company.
Throw in on-loan Celtic centre-half John Kennedy and Canary skipper Mark Fotheringham into the mix and the Tartan Army wll be well-represented as the Canaries go in search of their first win of the season against the Championship leaders.
“McLeish is great,” Marshall, told the club's official website today.
“He was in the Scotland squad; he's had a lot of success at Rangers and was unlucky not to get Scotland to the Euros,” said the 23-year-old, granted a grandstand view of the Blues boss in action given his regular place on the Scotland bench.
Barely tested thus far this season, Marshall has long since done enough to justify his call-up this week into Scotland's World Cup party for the double-header against Macedonia and Iceland.
Where, of course, he will team-up again with McFadden. With Ryan Bertrand stepping up to the plate for Stuart Pearce's England Under-21 outfit after the on-loan Chelsea youngster's regular contributions at Under-19 and Sammy Clingan on duty for Nigel Worthington's Northern Ireland outfit, the Canaries will be well-represented next week as the Championship action grinds to an early halt.
For those left back in Norfolk, the fortnight off could yet descend into an intense period of navel-gazing if events do not go as planned this weekend. Particularly given that next on the horizon is that ill-starred trip to Plymouth.
For Marshall, however, his mind will be elsewhere – getting Scotland's World Cup qualification series off to a flier against the might of Macedonia and Iceland. He might even pick up a bit of a tan at the former – as he sits and watches Scotland's regular No1 Craig Gordon go through his paces.
“It will be 110 degrees there next Saturday – they will be two tough games,” he told www.canaries.co.uk.
Certainly England have had their struggles against the Macedonians. Scotland need points on the door early – given what then awaits later this autumn.
“I think if we take four points from the first two games, the'll be good,” said Marshall. “We need a good start with Holland and Norway being the other two in the group – so it will be difficult.
“But if we can go unbeaten in the first two, then we should have a chance.”
Rather closer to home and, at least the Canaries are now unbeaten in two.
Given the assured and powerful manner in which Kevin Phillips and Co have started the new season, one or two might settle now for the Norfolk side emerging from this weekend's contest unbeaten in three.
Not an ideal start to the new season with a fortnight to then ruminate – and all before that long haul down to the South-West. But another point on the back of the Lupoli-inspired draw at Ninian Park last weekend gives City boss Glenn Roeder something to work with as he continues his quest to haul the final big piece of his jigsaw into his thinking.
Hence all eyes tonight will be on Rosenborg's UEFA Cup second leg clash with Djurgaarden. Defeat and maybe – just maybe – the Norwegians will budge over Steffen Iversen.
“It's going to be a tough match,” admitted Marshall, as he steps into the firing line against the Blues this weekend.
He's barely had a shot to save of note; three Championship games and three penalties conceded – therein lies part of Norwich's undoing.
Saturday could, however, be a whole new ball game. It will certainly give everyone a far better insight as to just how good the new-look partnership of Dejan Stefanovic and Kennedy is when the chips are really down. Marshall has every faith.
“I know we've conceded three penalties, but if you take them out the boys have been pretty sound,” said the Canary keeper.
“John and Dejan look as if they have been playing together for years and obviously I've been playing with Ryan [Bertrand], so it's been good,” said Marshall.
“If we can get into the lead in games, that's when the defence can keep us in it and we can get that vital win.”
Three big points in the bag on Saturday, nice big striker in on Monday… won't the world look a different place ahead of that ill-fated trip to Home Park a fortnight later?
That's the theory, at least. Now for everyone to deliver it in reality.
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