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Roeder’s options thinning by the minute. But somehow he has to find one that works.

20th October 2008 By Rick Waghorn Leave a Comment

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I'm not sure tomorrow night's home clash with Wolves is a 'big' game.

It is one of those where you take a point now. Their return to winning ways at the weekend ensured that Jason Shackell's home-coming is likely to be one you just get through. Nothing more.

The home game with Doncaster Rovers on Saturday is, however, bigger than big. It's huge.

For at some stage, this current rot has to stop. City have to finally hit a solid piece of three-point timber if they are not to head off to Derby County on the Tuesday night and Burnley the following Saturday looking all-too much like lambs to the proverbial away-day slaughter.

I'd wager now that the Rams will fancy their chances against Norwich; that those particular 'psychological' scales are already tipped widely in Derby's favour after events of the other week. 'Come on lads, we beat these with ten….' You can write Paul Jewell's dressing room speech now.

As for Burnley (a) on the Saturday, it will be a rare Canary fan who sets off up the M6 with anything more than duty in the hearts as opposed to hope. Not on current form and fortune.

For there's the real worry.

Right now, City appear to be back in an all-too familiar rut – the one where they are being dictated to by events, rather than them dictating events themselves.

Sammy Clingan goes off to play for Northern Ireland, gets injured. Jonathan Grounds comes in; does well; recalled. Home game against Derby County, match fixed. Away trip to Bristol City, three big injuries.

Each and every time, best-laid plans go out of the window. Distraction and disturbance follow; the feeling that Lady luck is once again against us seeps into the City system. Disappointment, disillusion and a growing despair fill the air.

And that's before anyone takes a peek at the 'real' world where a full-blown recession now hoves into view – a world from which each and every player that wears a Norwich City shirt is all-but insulated from.

Run through the current Canary team and you can hear alarm bells ringing in virtually every department. Particularly, right down the spine of that team.

The arrival of John Kennedy and Dejan Stefanovic over the summer should have ticked that centre-half box. And when fit and when available, they probably do. Which is the problem. Both being fit and available.

Depending on exactly how sore his ankle is this morning, the likelihood remains that Chris Iwelumo and Sylvain Ebanks-Blake will have the returning Stefanovic and the fit-again Gary Doherty for company – as the latter makes his first competitive start for five months. Against the league leaders.

One centre midfield slot now belongs to Sammy Clingan. End of. Period. Fine.

The other one, however, remains a huge headache for as long as Darel Russell is asked to be this jack-of-all-trades up front and Mark Fotheringham's confidence continues to take a knock.

Matty Pattison will dig deep for the cause, but his issue is end-product. As in a goal.

Up front and that's where even more problems lie. You can't expect to be anywhere but in the bottom six or so if you've only scored eight goals from your 11 games.

And at some point that has to change. If it doesn't, it'll be bottom six or worse between now and May.

Again more will be revealed today about the extent of Antoine Sibierski's injury, but minus the on-loan Frenchman and Roeder's options look distinctly limited if he still decides that a physical presence is a must. Leroy Lita and A.N. Other will be D Russell. Again.

For me, the one who has made the greatest impact albeit without getting his due rewards – is Omar Koroma. Yes, sometimes you wonder whether the kid knows what he's doing, but with no disrespect to Darel Russell, minus OJ's explosive touch of pace most central defenders will know what Russell is about to do next.

Now what OJ might be about to do next is blast the ball either at the keeper or over the bar, but at least he's getting into the positions to shoot – which is more than can be said for some.

He has purpose and menace. And if Leroy Lita can fnd both in the next fortnight, then there might be one option.
Not great; not ideal. But right now options aren't exactly thick on the ground.


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Filed Under: Column, Rick Waghorn

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