This afternoon’s FA Cup fifth round draw did Norwich City Football Club all manner of favours as a home tie with Leicester City proved their reward for yesterday’s 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion.
‘Anything at home…’ is the traditional managerial mantra at such points in the season and Canary chief Paul Lambert will be delighted at the outcome.
It is, if truth be told, unlikely to feature heavily in the thoughts of the TV types as they sift through the likely live clashes for the weekend of February 18 – Crawley Town’s home clash with Stoke and Spurs’ trip to Stevenage look favourite for that money-spinning gig – but that may prove no bad thing.
It is the sort of innocuous tie that can enable a club to sail into the last eight without anyone really noticing.
Equally, it avoids the kind of banana skin that either a Crawley (a) or a Stevenage (a) offers; or, indeed, the likes of a Chelsea (a) where Norwich’s last ‘run’ of any real note ended with that 4-0 defeat in 2007.
Leicester (h) is about as good as it could have got – the Foxes sit slap, bang in the middle of the Championship in 13th – and will merely fuel the growing feeling that 2012 might, just, be Norwich’s year to make an impression.
The only downside to the draw was that it failed to pair two of the bigger guns together again in the manner of the third round clash between the two Manchester clubs and yesterday’s Liverpool vs Manchester United showdown.
The form-book would suggest that Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs will all be in the quarter-final hat – should Norwich progress beyond the last 16.
“It’s a home tie and I think that’s all you ever look for in a cup draw,” the Canary chief duly confirmed to the club’s official website this afternoon – following the traditional managerial script to a ‘T’.
“It was always going to be hard, but being drawn at home is good for us,” he added.
The Foxes – now managed by Nigel Pearson following the exit of Sven Goran Eriksson – booked their place in the fifth round with a 2-0 win over Swindon Town.
The fact that it is all change at the top management-wise will ensure that the Canaries head into cup battle warily – and don’t draw too many conclusions from last year’s ‘double’, autumn’s 4-3 Carrow Road thriller being followed by a 3-2 win away in the spring.
“We played them twice last year in two, really tough games, although it’s a new manager now,” said Lambert. “It’ll be a really tough game, but it’s one that we will look to go and win.”
With yet another Carrow Road full-house likely – and £180,000 on offer to the winner – it is a not insignificant pay-day for the football club; one, traditionally, that they do not budget for.
Equally, the chances are that each of the four, quarter-final ties will be screened live. There’s another cheque to add to the coffers, if Lambert’s men can prevail and make their hard-won Premiership status count.
With the wind fully in their sails league-wise – the Canaries remain unbeaten in 2012 – and a decent cup run starting to thrill and delight the locals, all is set very fair this spring. It remains a glorious time to be a City fan.
None of which will come as any consolation to Baggies boss Roy Hodgson after goals from Grant Holt and Simeon Jackson – coupled to an outstanding debut from rookie keeper Jed Steer – combined to give the Canaries their second 2-1 success at The Hawthorns in the space of two weeks.
“I am sad to lose because the performance was one where we did not deserve to lose the game, although we didn’t really want to go to Norwich mid-week for a replay,” said the Baggies chief afterwards. To him was left the traditional line of the losing manager as to where their over-riding priority now lay.
“Now we can concentrate on our main priority, which is staying in the Premier League,” he said.
by the looks of it you lot think you are already in the nxt round don’t count them chickens
Bit cocky aren’t we? Not exactly the plum tie we were looking for but confident of beating you on your patch.
As a fan that has seen every home game i can honestly say that we are just begining to click and should that continue we have every chance of beating you or at least a draw and then finish the job back at the K.P stadium
Cocky?????????? If we cant be confident of winning this tie, we might as well give up
As my son put it, as a leicester fan I’m totally underwhelmed by Norwich away. Lets face it he said, Norwich are only a jumped-up Championship team after all. If we lose we’re out, and if we win it wont be a big surprise. So Norwich fans, as disappointed as you are with the draw, I can assure you WE are too.
i agree with the leicester fans comment. they are an increasing good championship side with some very good individual players. player for player i bet they are close to us. we cant be looking at the quarter finals yet, this will be a very tough game, especially if lambert decides to rest a few people as well
It’s naive to call the Leicester tie a ‘peach’. Mid-table they may be, but they’re a new team under Pearson and three back to back wins (albeit one of them against Swindon) for the first time since last season will be starting to re-inject confidence into what is undoubtedly a talented squad. They may be the underdog, but getting a result at Norwich is far from impossible.
Dont get too cocky Canaries. Leicester City have a great cup history.I remember well Leicester beating you guy’s on your own ground in the cup before.Leicester in a cup game of any kind are a much harder opposition.we wait and see.
Already through to the last eight! Just what we hope you would be thinking.,
I’m sure Leicester fans are thinking the same thing by avoiding all the big guns and getting one of the weaker teams left in the competition! As John S says…a bit cocky aren’t we?
What an arrogant article. Norwich may well have had a great season thus far but Leicester are a side in the ascendency, and could well nick this. In Beckford and Nugent, we have two premier league standard forwards with impressive cup pedigree (Beckford has 14 goals in 16 FA Cup games, Nugent has a winner’s medal), a very solid defence and a midfield which on it’s day, and fitness permitting, is a match for any in the Championship and I dare say a few in the Premiership. Granted, Norwich look like an impressive outfit, but to say this is as good a draw as you could have got is rather naive. Just saying..
not really an easy draw for you!, we are hitting a bit of form now finally and look very secure. i think we have a chance of beating you on the day !
Ha ha when have nowrich been the next real Madrid you make out you are world class and going to brush teams aside! Leicester have got a good squad we have hit a nice run at min so a draw against bottom half of prem team is a good scalp glad you underestimate us at your own will….. Let’s be havin you !!!!!
Vert very arrogant article, a decent half season in the prem and now you are looking down on clubs like leicester? Yes, you will be favourites and I see you as a well organised decent prem side, much like leicester under o’neill. The fact you think the likes of crawley and stevenage would be more of a banana skin shows your lack of knowledge of anything outside of Norwich.
I’m sure if you ask us nicely we’ll probably not bother even coming over as it’s such an obvious win for you and we can all have a nice relaxing day off.
Leicester fans were hoping for a draw against a beatable premier league team. Expect a big away following, a tight game, a goal from Beckford and a televised replay.
Cocky John? Think you’ve blatently misunderstood that headline. Try looking at the teams left in the hat,would you rather be playing the big sides like Tottenham,Liverpool etc or the potential banana skins in Crawley or Stevanage or a team like Leicester who lets face it given the money theyve spent have failed majorly this season and clearly arent pulling up many trees overall? If you were us you’d be saying the exact same thing.