City loan star Russell Martin has added a touch of realism to City’s promotion charge stating that ‘there’s a long way to go yet.’
With the Canaries in such a rich vein of form, bookmakers have installed them as second favourites for automatic promotion behind Leeds.
But on the eve of another vital match at Yeovil Town, the right-back, on loan from Peterborough, has warned everyone not to get too carried away – even though he thinks City could field two competitive teams at this level.
“It’s hard. Only half of the season is gone, there is a long way to go,” he said this morning, speaking to reporters at Colney.
“We [Posh] really got stronger last year in the second half of the season so it’s a lot of games. But we are winning and that is what you must do.
“We have a good squad here, I was telling one of lads at ‘Boro that we could field two good League One sides at Norwich which is amazing.”
The 23-year-old has certainly slotted in seamlessly since his arrival, starting in both the Southend and Oldham victories, and he revealed that it’s certainly a case of ‘so far, so good’.
And if Martin keeps up the good work, leaving Jon Otsemobor firmly out of the picture, then it will be no surprise to see him extend his stay in Norfolk come the New Year.
“It’s really good, I have settled in really quickly which is great; it can sometimes take a while. I’m still in a hotel at the moment but I’ll be moving into a new place next week so it’s all good.
“My first game at Carrow Road was fantastic; my girlfriend came along and could not believe it. She loved it.
“And as the lads are playing well, everyone has made it easy. Playing alongside Doc [Gary Doherty] is fantastic, he makes it easy and so do the rest of the lads.
“It was nice to get the pass in for the first goal last Saturday; I just saw Chris [Martin] and tried to get the ball to him. Luckily I did and then Holty [Grant Holt] finished it in style.”
Tomorrow’s trip to Huish Park will certainly represent a different challenge for Paul Lambert’s men. But the Brighton-born defender claimed that if City are on their game, they need not fear anyone in this division.
“It’s long old slog up there. But they are a hard side to beat at home, like a lot of teams in this division. But this club is more than ready to beat anyone.”
And as for Martin’s prospects of a permanent deal come January, City boss Lambert hinted today that it would be something worth pursuing. Some will say it’s already a done deal but the Scot wasn’t giving much away, even though he’s been impressed so far.
“I knew what I was getting with him; he has done fantastically in the last couple of games,” said Lambert. “If he keeps doing that then we will see what we can do.”
Tom Haylett
Remember that if you aren’t making the trip west tomorrow, you can keep up to date with events from Huish Park on MFW. And if you’re feeling brave, join in the conversation – just add a #ncfc to your message on Twitter.
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