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Courage – that's what Roeder demands to see. Real courage away from home.

2nd November 2008 By Latest News Leave a Comment

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Hard on the heels of yesterday's 2-0 defeat at Turf Moor and City boss Glenn Roeder could be found dropping some big, old gauntlets at the feet of his under-achieving players.

It was Norwich's fifth defeat on the road this season; their second, deserved dismissal within the space of four, painful days following the 3-1 defeat at Pride Park in mid-week.

And after a lengthy, post-match inquest with the players this weekend, Roeder was left asking some big questions of his squad – words like 'courage' and 'bravery' crossed his lips, as well as 'unacceptable' and 'hugely disappointing'.

It is the first two that stick out, however. That's where the manager's anger was focussing – asking pointed questions of players' attitudes the moment that they step on the bus and disappear out of sight of the 25,000 Canary supporters that gather at Carrow Road every other weekend.

In between, of course, Norwich can be found at places like Pride Park and Turf Moor; tough and demanding outposts of Championship football where the weak of will and the lazy of mind will find no place to hide.

That's where the real men stand up to be counted, was Roeder's blunt message after those back-to-back home wins against first league leaders Wolves and then struggling Doncaster Rovers were left to count for so little by two, successive away defeats.

“I didn't feel we showed enough courage,” the City chief told BBC Radio Norfolk afterwards.

“And I'm not happy with any team of mine that doesn't show courage.”

It was the second-half performance, in particular, that fuelled Roeder's fury; that having weathered that early storm; having dug in and got to the break at 0-0, the Canary manager was looking for his team to regroup and push on – get onto the front foot and take the battle to their hosts.

Instead, Chris Eagles was allowed all too much time and opportunity to wrap up the contest. And bar one, gilt-edged chance for Leroy Lita some 20 minutes from the end, that was that. Game over as one or two individuals disappeared into their shells.

“Sometimes you lose and if you've done everything, everything you can to win then you have to put your hands in the air,” he added. “We did all we could, but it wasn't good enough on the day.

“But I don't believe we've done all we could today; I don't think there was enough good performances throughout the team and that is very disappointing.”

The result left the Canaries slumping back into 19th spot and while they may have two, relatively straight-forward looking home games to come – against first Preston North End and then Swansea City – their wretched away form ensures that neither manager nor his playing squad can afford any slip-ups at Carrow Road.

Home form starts to falter and with precious little coming their way on the road and the Norfolk club could all too soon find themselves right back in the bottom three as the likes of Watford, Southampton and Nottingham Forest suck them back into the real mire.

The fact that Reading look all set to formally agree a second month's loan for Leroy Lita is one, small silver lining on some otherwise darkening clouds.

“We've got to do something about our form away from home because this is the fifth time that we've lost away from home – it's a very bad habit that we need to break quickly,” said Roeder, with that televised trip to the City Ground, Nottingham, next on Norwich's away-day agenda.

The Canary chief was ready enough to admit that they “rode their luck” during the first-half as the Clarets looked to extend their current run to just one defeat in 15 outings. But having got away with it till the break, the onus was then on the visitors to tighten up after it.

By the hour-mark, however, it was all over as City first allowed Eagles to spring their offside trap and then found themselves still arguing over a free-kick as the wily old Graham Alexander sprang Robbie Blake free and his cross proved meat and drink for Eagles to convert.

“Going down the tunnel for the second-half, I thought we would step on and perform better than we did in the first-half…'

Oh, no. Another long and miserable return trip down the M6 merely awaited all concerned.

“And it didn't really happen. Well, not didn't really happen – it didn't happen. And we need to sort the men out from the boys in the next seven days,” said Roeder, a process that presumeably started in the midst of that extra-long lock-in afterwards.

“Because we now need to go and win two home games before we get the chance to pick up a point or three the next time we travel.”

Courage, was his word for the day. Courage that he could talk about, but they had to show. That was down to them – not to let their oppo down by hiding from a pass.

“The person on the ball today did not have enough options,” explained Roeder. “And bravery for me in football is when you're not having the best of games, you still keep making angles

“You keep running. You try and help your team-mate out of a difficult spot he might be in and I thought we had too many players that didn't do that,” he added.

“And from that point of view, they've let down eachother. And I don't like that because they are a good group of lads; they're a decent bunch of lads but they have to find a much meaner streak away from home. Anyone can be brave in front of 25,000 people at Carrow Road, but that at the moment is proving to be false courage.

“We need to show far more courage when we go on our travels.”


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