City boss Glenn Roeder can look forward to the prospect of a trip down Memory Lane or the delights of Bramall Lane twice in a fortnight as Messrs Beasant and di Matteo did Norwich no favours whatsoever in today's FA Cup fourth round draw.
A home tie is all that anyone ever asks for.
And having taken 3,200 travelling supporters to The Valley yesterday for this weekend's away trip to Charlton Athletic in the third round, they more than anyone deserved rather more than a trip to either South Yorkshire or East London after Ball No13 was paired with Leyton Orient or Sheffield United (a) on the weekend of January 24th.
Unlike Ipswich's prospective away trip to Premiership giants Chelsea, the chances of any TV broadcaster seeing Orient vs Norwich as the TV highlight of the round are nil.
It could, of course, just as easily be Sheffield United versus Charlton if events at Carrow Road on January 13 go against the Canaries in their third round replay and Orient fail to beat their Championship visitors after this weekend's match was postponed due to a frozen pitch.
Certainly City boss Roeder was looking no further than that replay after drawing the team that first nurtured his professional playing talents in this afternoon's fourth round draw.
“We are fully focussed on the job we have to do against Charlton in the replay first,” Roeder told the club's official website this evening.
“There's no point in talking about who we might face in the next round as (a) that's not decided anyway and (b) there is still a job that needs to be done against Charlton at Carrow Road – once we're through that we can talk about what might come next but not before.”
Who we might face next includes, of course, ex-Canary Ryan Jarvis who joined the O's in the summer. In 20 League One appearances, the 22-year-old striker has yet to score for the E10 side. No prizes for guessing as and when he might break that duck.
Orient have still to overcome the Blades, of course, after Brisbane Road fell victim to a frozen pitch this weekend. The two clubs will meet for the first time on the night that Charlton are meeting City for the second time in the cup.
In the meantime, Norwich travel to Bramall Lane in the Championship this weekend; should the subsequent cup ties go to 'form', City's long-suffering away fans will face another trip up the A17 a fortnight later.
By when, hopefully, the Norfolk side might have one or two fresh faces at their disposal.
Quizzed as to his transfer hopes for this week after Saturday's 1-1 draw at The Valley, Roeder appeared in bullish mood – that someone would be walking through the doors of Colney.
They need to. Numbers alone said that kiddie midfielder Korey Smith had to be on that seven-man bench. Roeder also reported afterwards that Elliot Omosuzi disappeared at the break due to a “dead leg”, whilst Adam Drury also played on through an injury as Arturo Lupoli's 71st minute strike cancelled out the Addicks' first-half opener.
Winger David Bell was absent altogether after turning his ankle in training on Friday.
“He was one that I was going to rest anyway,” said the City chief, after the Luton winger arrived in Norfolk in summer with an ankle injury. He is still expected to be fit in time for the United clash this weekend, but it is all tight-rope stuff with a squad still paper thin.
“He came to us from Luton with an injury that wiped out his pre-season training and I just felt that the effects of playing over the last couple of months were starting to catch up with him.
“So when he turned his ankle slightly – we expect him to be fit for next week – we left him at home for treatment.”
The sums don't add up player-wise – as Roeder was the first to admit. He even found himself with Simon Lappin on the bench.
Suddenly the forgotten man of Colney was back crossing Roeder's thoughts.
“Simon knows that long-term he hasn't got a future here,” said the City chief, as the last of the infamous 'Plymouth Brethren' takes one, small step in from the cold.
“And he accepts that. But I would have to say that I have to give him a lot of credit because he is a model professional. He trains properly every day; he doesn't show a bad attitude and for a modern day footballer that's not involved in his first team, that's a rarity.
“Because the first signs of not being in the first team, they normally all show off and throw their dolls and their dummies out of the pram – and suddenly don't become these hard, tough men that they think they are.
“But Simon doesn't do that. He's a really, really honest lad; he's working hard and he deservedly came back into the squad. I wouldn't be worried about playing him if I had to.”
So, transfer-wise next week?
“Yes,” said Roeder, with distinct confidence that something will happen.
“As you can see Korey Smith has crept onto the bench today; Tom Adeyemi would have been another one that has just missed out.
“These are young boys that will, one day, play for Norwich but they're not ready. But having said that, great experience for them.”
City's hopes of being the only show in town as far as Leroy Lita's signature was concerned took a blow today after the News Of The World suggested that both Newcastle United and Everton were sniffing around the last five months of his contract – particularly if there was only a ?350,000 transfer fee attached.
If true, both would hold greater appeal than a spring in the trenches of the Championship with Norwich. That said, given the nature of this particular window beast, that could be little more than the Royals slapping up a 'For Sale!' sign – complete with price tag – and seeing who else out there is willing to take a bite.
He's someone's for nothing in the summer, after all.
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