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If only the rest of us could see it all through the eyes of a child. Alas, it ain't that easy…

23rd February 2009 By Guest Blogger Leave a Comment

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Kevin Baldwin got it spot on in his most recent column; maybe, we've cried relegation wolf once too often over the last few seasons and now no one's listening anymore.

Undoubtedly we've come close to the drop in years past, and at the rump of Grant's disastrous tenure we looked for all the world like a team heading for tier three, but right now it's getting very hard to imagine how we'll survive.

The salient point is that when Grant finally fell on his sword and Stan and the boys huddled around their pints talking of relegation, we were insulated by the fact we were only in October and thus tear-filled days in May seemed a long way off.

This is different. As we limp into the final dozen games rooted ever deeper in the bottom three, the looming spectre of relegation casts a chill shadow across the heart of every City fan… well almost every!

Stan Junior (aged 4) attended once again on Saturday. That's five games he's watched and at present his record is lost two, drawn three. Oddly enough, despite being close to tears at the end of the Bristol game his enthusiasm remains undimmed.

Burnley's equaliser was greeted with a 'Have they scored?' followed by an 'Oh dear!'. As we began the walk home he turned and asked, 'How many sleeps is it until I can come again?'… It almost made a grown man cry.

It's watching his unchecked, wide-eyed joy about coming to the game that has sustained Stan a number of times this season. He just plain and simply, loves the day.

He adores the roar of the crowd and the camaraderie, the wonderful spectrum of noise and colour that he looks out on as the players emerge from the tunnel; the very things that Stan lost his heart to 30-something long years ago.

Whatever division we play in next season won't make any difference to Junior, he'll greet relegation, if it comes, with an 'Oh dear…' and then move on. If only it were so easy for the rest of us.

Whilst Junior gazed adoringly at his new heroes on Saturday afternoon, Stan watched the same 11 yellow-shirted players and tried to calculate the likelihood of them winning six of the remaining 12 games? Pretty slim was the hardly surprising conclusion.

The reason we are in the bottom three after 34 games is because as a team we deserve to be there. We've had good luck, we've had bad luck and if anyone genuinely thinks that we are too good to be in such a position they are deluded.

We did OK again. Huffed and puffed in parts, strung a couple of decent moves together, scored a decent goal, then, true to form conceded a poor one. One point from one game. The season in a nutshell. And as we all know if we continue with this ratio we drop.

We've been through the arguments before about Fotheringham and Clingan's compatibility, and about where best to play Wes.

We could argue to the midnight-hour about whether Marshall has cost us more points than he's saved us or what happens to Otsemobor over the course of five minutes that turns him from lightening quick, competent full-back to indecisive, error prone wreck.

But what we can't escape is that table. Third from bottom, looking ever more unlikely to string a winning run together and games running out fast.

As City fans we've witnessed some pretty remarkable things over the years; unlikely runs to the play-offs, surges to promotion, against the odds giant killings, however should Gunny et al pull us out of this mess it will be equal to them all.

We are at present, plain and simple, relegation fodder. Easy enough to spot, not so easy to remedy.

So exactly how does Gunny save our bacon? In honesty it's not easy to see without some injections of additional quality and some tough decisions about his playing staff.

Stan senses the paucity of quality in the squad they've inherited is just beginning to dawn on City's new management team. Last season we had Dion, Hucks and Ched to dig us out. This season we finished the match with Killen, Bertrand and Daley filling the respective positions.

Kevin was right, the wolf is near. In fact should we fail to beat Coventry next Saturday it might even become visible as it breaks cover from its woodland lair.

Should it so happen Stan has no doubt its appearance will be greeted with much angst and fear from all of a yellow hue?.. And from Stan Junior? Probably just another 'Oh dear…'

Oh to be a child again!


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saund65 Canaries Caption It @saund65 ·
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See Webber getting the blame after a #NCFC defeat again - never gets credit with the wins.
The majority of the squad today (8/10 outfield players who started) were good enough to win the Champ title 2 seasons ago.
Buendia & Skipp have proven to be very hard to replace.

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zaburglartrac ZarinskBurglarTrachonitus @zaburglartrac ·
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That’s a bad a #NCFC side as I have visited in 4 away days. They were toothless, passive and my god given the fan numbers, they’ve lost all connection! Hard, horrible watch. Fans were so quiet to and normally that home end behind the goal sings a couple of songs!

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jstewart_15 Josh Stewart @jstewart_15 ·
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Turn @talkSPORT on on the way home and a Liverpool fan saying they need max Aarons and Daniel Farke in 🤣🤣🤣 good luck #ncfc

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norwichcityfc Norwich City FC @norwichcityfc ·
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🗣 "We know we've got to be better. It's as simple as that really."

Ben Gibson chats to Canaries TV following today's game against Sheffield United 👇

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sam_stork Sam @sam_stork ·
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Loved the passion I saw from Andy Hughes at the end with the Ref/fourth officials... Definitely reminded me of the old days 😊 #ncfc

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