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Seven lessons for us all to cling to after four roller-coaster days on the City trail

12th August 2009 By Mick Dennis Leave a Comment

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Heavens, that was better!

The numb fatalism before the start at Yeovil was replaced by nerve-shredding tension as the home side pummelled the City defence for a 20-minute spell in the first-half. Then came that glorious second-half romp, with all four Norwich goals scored in front of the terrace on which their supporters were standing.

And the Yellow Army, engulfed by relief, became quite brilliantly silly. “Que Sera Sera,” sang somebody, “We're going to Wember-lee!” Somebody else tried to get a chant of “We want seven” going. And I thought “Sit down if you hate the scum!” was genius.

Now, let's be clear about this. A Carling Cup win does not erase the memories of Saturday's calamity, nor answer some of the serious questions it posed. And it could all go t*ts up again at Exeter.

But, if it is true that we should not draw too many conclusions from the Yeovil triumph, then perhaps we should not draw too many either from the Colchester car crash. Instead, let us look what we can glean from both games.

The first conclusion relates to the fans. I have used the Pink Un message board to talk about the few who yelled abuse at me on Saturday (my “crime” is that I support our majority share-holders). I understand their anger, but I ask them to believe that I felt the same hurt.

Some of the postings after Saturday were disgraceful, however.

One said: “City til I die? I don't think so after that.” What kind of support does he offer then, do you suppose? “City til I have to take a bit of stick at work”?

But those who made the trek to Yeovil were magnificent. My journey was half the distance of those who must have left Norfolk soon after midday. So, given what we had witnessed three days earlier, it was inspiring to see the away fans' car park filling up an hour before kick-off.

Delia and Michael stressed at the Capital Canaries question and answer session on Monday night that our impressive Carrow Road attendances do not generate enough income to pay the wages of even a League One squad.

But the sort of support which defied the disappointment of Colchester to mass at Yeovil is a truly awesome asset.

The second lesson to be taken from the first two competitive games of the season is a pretty obvious one, but it is worth underlining: a decent keeper is a basic requirement.

During the four decades I have watched City, there have been only four really great keepers. Kevin Keelan helped Norwich reach the top division for the first ever time. Chris Woods was a Milk Cup winner. Bryan Gunn starred in a genuine Premiership challenge and a swash-buckling European adventure. Robert Green played a huge part in our Championship win just five years ago.

Declan Rudd might be the fifth, but until and unless he is ready, we'll have to rely on the hated policy of borrowing someone from the Premier League. Michael Theoklitos (now cruelly labelled the only Aussie who can't catch…) was too badly damaged by his cataclysmic introduction to League One to be allowed near the first team for several months.

Tottenham's 22-year-old Ben Alnwick looked an entirely different proposition at Huish Park. He made a couple of top-drawer saves and, just as significantly, came out and claimed any ball lofted into his six-yard box.

Lesson three: Grant Holt and Chris Martin are too strikingly similar in approach to be our striking pair, but Holt and Cody McDonald will score goals in our division.

Holt is the first genuinely effective target man we've had since Iwan, but whereas our Welsh icon was tall and sinewy, Holt is as bulky as a wardrobe. He is mobile enough, though, and more importantly each of his goals at Yeovil was scored with the unhurried, dead-eye accuracy of someone who expects to score, rather than hopes to.

And McDonald's running? I'm loving it. Sometimes his quick feet take him into an impenetrable maze of opponents. Sometimes his first touch is a shank off his shin. But he just keeps motoring.

Nobody has told him that if a defender has the ball under control 20 yards away, seasoned pros seldom bother trying to nick it. Let's hope nobody ever does. His unschooled enthusiasm terrorizes opponents.

Lesson four: Wes Hoolahan is the new Hucks. He can go around people. He can carry the ball quickly upfield. He doesn't track back.

Lesson five: There are swift forwards in League One. That is bad news for the Doc, who has not grown any quicker in the summer. But against Yeovil, Jens Berthel Askou was his central defensive partner and took over the job of moving forward, out of the back line, to challenge for aerial balls.

That left the Doc able to drop off a little and be ready to turn if necessary. Doherty is a confidence player and, just as his self-belief was battered badly in the first game, so it began to recover in the second.

Lesson six: Gunn has given himself options with his summer recruitment drive. By my calculations, he has used 17 players in two games, and although it might be a considerable time before we see some of the Colchester casualties again, he has choices for all the positions.

Tactical nous, organizational ability and motivational skills are needed by managers, but at the level we find ourselves, and with the financial constraints relegation has imposed, the man who manages Norwich will be judged by his recruitment policy. I think he has done well on that score.

Lesson seven: It is never, ever dull supporting Norwich. Maddening often, crushing sometimes, exhilarating occasionally, but definitely never tedious.


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