Italian striker Arturo Lupoli was busily hoping that his return to goal-scoring ways would book him a place on the telly next Saturday night as the Canaries face a distinctly tricky looking away trip to Nottingham Forest.
And all live on Sky.
By when, of course, they could be sat squarely in the bottom three should Charlton, Watford and Southampton get their act together next weekend.
Malky Mackay's Watford look the best-placed to dig City into an even bigger hole before that live Sky TV game kicks off just after five o'clock. The Hornets are at home to managerless Queen's Park Rangers; that's winnable. Southampton have the toughest test – away at Reading. That looks a real no, no.
Charlton play host to Sheffield United. That looks tricky. Whichever way the results fall over the preceeding two hours, defeat to Forest would still see the Canaries entrench themselves ever further into the bottom six should one point from 12 become one point from 15.
The fact that Lupoli marked his return to Roeder's starting plans with a well-taken finish was one of the few bright spots to the contest. With Jamie Cureton's confidence at such an all-time low, the City boss has to be hoping that Lupoli can now push on again after that two-goal burst at Cardiff led to little more than another lengthy period in the selection wilderness.
“It meant a lot because I've been out of the team for the last seven games and so I just wanted to go on the pitch and show that I can be in the team every week,” said the on-loan Fiorentina striker, as he looked back at Goal No4 for the season immediately afterwards.
There must be something about the Welsh that brings out the best in the one-time Arsenal starlet – that's three out of four now against Welsh opposition. Four out of four if anyone wants to throw Plymouth in as some-time Celts.
“It meant a lot to me, but I want to score – and I want the team winning,” added the 21-year-old, as the Canaries struggle to get any degree of momentum to their season.
Having a settled forward line might help. Antoine Sibierski is expected to be fit in time for the trip to the City Ground, but both he and Leroy Lita are only short-term fixes. Come the New Year and both will have gone. All of which means that someone else has to deliver; someone who is guaranteed to be here come the spring.
“October has been a very, very tough month for me,” said Lupoli, as he looked back on his month on the sidelines.
“I only played two games – 10, 20 minutes – and you always go on the training ground and do your best; to try and impress the manager to put you in the team.
“But when you don't play, everything is hard. On the field and outside as well – because your mind is always thinking as to why you don't play. Why is this? Why is that? But I just need to keep going; keep strong. Because in football you can be out for four, five and six games and then you can be ready; scoring goals and helping your team win.”
The suggestion from Roeder was that the lightweight Italian was having to get used to the rough-house tactics employed by the more direct Championship defenders. As if to prove a point, Lupoli was scythed to the floor within the first minute of Saturday's contest. To his credit, however, he picked himself up and promptly enjoyed the last laugh with that sure and certain, 18-yard finish.
It was about the only laugh anyone enjoyed for the rest of the afternoon.
“Very frustrating,” was the Fiorentina striker's simple verdict as he looked back on events this weekend. “It was a very good first-half; one of the best this season, I think. And we should have kept 1-0 going into half-time.
“But we concede a very bad goal; we came out for the second-half and in the first five minutes they score two goals – one from a set-play and one from some not very good play from us defensively. We were a bit unlucky, but to concede two goals in five minutes is ridiculous.”
The next question is whether he, personally, has done enough to start again at the City Ground as the Canaries continue to fall way short of the sum of their parts.
“At the start of the season we aimed for the top six and now we are in the bottom six,” he said. “But in football things can change in three or four games. But at the moment things are going very bad for us. But with the quality of player that we've got, we should be in the top half of the table.”
Has he done enough to stay in the side? “I don't know,” he said. “I try to do my best today and we'll see next week. And, hopefully, I will be in the team – I just need to train well during the week and on Friday the manager will name the team and we'll see what happens.”
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