• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

My Football Writer

My Football Writer Norwich City news… comment… analysis

Norwich City – news, comment and analysis

Find the best betting sites
  • Home
  • About us
  • The Team
  • Archives Index
  • Patreon
  • ADVERTISE
  • Contact us

Team Hughton calls it right again; even Sir Alex and the Match of the Day boys agree

18th November 2012 By Gary Gowers 2 Comments

Please share

It’s hard not feel a little euphoric after an evening like that… impossible in fact.

Most of us had accepted that the Arsenal game was probably THE moment of the season – akin to last season’s away win at Tottenham and the home win against last night’s opponent back in 2004/05.

But no… just two home games after that win over the Gunners, Chris Hughton and his men deliver us another that arguably surpasses them all. It was a victory that not only lifts us closer to the much coveted mid-table, but further reaffirms the belief that this new regime is getting things right.

Last night was a classic case of Team Hughton getting the tricky balance of defence/attack absolutely spot on. To go ‘gung-ho’ against the likes of United leaves you wide open to be picked-off on the counter-attack, and to park the bus merely invites them to further pile the pressure on. Instead they struck a balance so perfect that even Sir Alex Ferguson had to admit that the City win was a deserved one.

The MotD crew were again given little choice but to wax lyrical about the performance and even dear old Harry was happy to agree the victory was a merited one – citing that we created as many chances as the Reds.

Statistically we may have been second best – we knew that would be the case – and there is something aesthetically pleasing about the way United knock the ball around. But was John Ruddy busier than normal? The answer is an emphatic no.

With the exception of those torrid closing minutes his evening was relatively quiet, and that Hughton spoke in glowing terms of his concentration levels tells its own story.

Much of the pre-match discussion in and around Carrow Road related to last week’s yawn-a-thon at the Madjeski, and how some of the team looked a little jaded and leg weary. Quite how the management team went about their week long ‘refresh’ of the squad will remain a Colney secret, but it clearly worked.

Or maybe I’m just thinking too much… that United are in town is usually motivation enough.

Whatever the reason, there was a verve and energy about City’s performance that – from minute one – told us they were ‘on it’. The tackles were being snapped in; the shape was being retained; the tempo was high; and Fergie’s gum was taking a bashing as he prowled the edge of that technical area.

All of them were tell-tale signs that maybe – just maybe – we were on the cusp of another of those unforgettable Carrow Road occasions.

When Anthony Pilkington’s header looped gloriously over a flapping Lindegaard, the old place typically erupted – and yet it was no more than we deserved. Such had been our foothold in the game, when it arrived the feeling was one of elation, but also one of relief. Relief that our good work had finally produced – even though there were still 30 minutes to endure (plus the dreaded Fergie time).

If Jonny Howson’s late cameo had been capped off with a goal – instead of a near miss – those final few minutes could have been joyous. Instead, the agony and angst that those present – and those watching and listening from afar – experienced was something that will remain with us all for some time.

Referee Anthony Taylor saved his best contribution of the match for the 94th minute, when he finally called a decision correctly and gave a short, shrill blast on his whistle.

For the second time in the evening, Carrow Road erupted – but this time there was no tinge of concern for what may lie ahead. Instead a mixture of relief, unbridled joy and ecstasy engulfed the place in a way that hadn’t been seen since… well, 20th October.

We could get used to this couldn’t we?

If that feeling of victory wasn’t sweet enough, the less than magnanimous way in which the United supporters responded to defeat merely added to it. Inside the ground their response to going 1-0 down was appalling – did they even make a murmur? And on the message-boards it was arguably even worse.

Clearly not good at taking defeat, no-one was spared their wrath. Sir Alex; Ryan Giggs; Ashley Young; Michael Carrick and Antonio Valencia were all singled out for special mentions and – sadly – most contributors played directly into the hands of those who view them as arrogant and insular.

There was little acceptance that City actually played well, instead comments such as, ‘… literally all Norwich did was try quite hard. Most of their players are basically devoid of any ability yet they still managed to cause us trouble.’

Or the equally considered, ‘… a midfield of Anderson and Cleverley would have torn Norwich apart.’

How dare we, eh?

I’ll leave almost the final word to my dad, a Carrow Road veteran of circa 70 seasons. As we walked out of the River End he summed it up in one sentence…

‘This is the reason we come Boy’.

And he’s right… as always.


Please share

Filed Under: Column, Gary Gowers

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jonesy says

    18th November 2012 at 2:05 pm

    This is indeed the reason we go… Spot on your dad!

    Reply
  2. Ted says

    22nd November 2012 at 11:27 am

    Exactly why we go-sadly, you wonder why some of the fans of the bigger clubs bother: do they even know why they go anymore? Nail on head Gary.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

FIND MY FOOTBALL WRITER ON

As featured on NewsNow: Norwich City news” style=

Norwich City News 24/7

#NCFC LATEST

fan_banter Fan Banter @fan_banter ·
47m

Everton pick a new manager; Frank Lampard breaks silence on being sacked - https://fanbanter.co.uk/everton-finally-pick-a-new-manager-frank-lampard-breaks-silence-on-being-sacked/

#watfordfc #ncfc #twitterclarets #safc #rufc #wafc #bcfc #rovers #utmp #bristolcity #ccfc #pusb #htafc #hcafc #coyh #boro #millwall #qpr #readingfc #twitterblades #scfc #sufc

Reply on Twitter 1618924402145464325 Retweet on Twitter 1618924402145464325 Like on Twitter 1618924402145464325 Twitter 1618924402145464325
ncfc_cam cam @ncfc_cam ·
48m

#NCFC

Reply on Twitter 1618924292212948992 Retweet on Twitter 1618924292212948992 Like on Twitter 1618924292212948992 Twitter 1618924292212948992
charliesum34 Charlie @charliesum34 ·
48m

So are they just giving away the club to the Attanasios? 200k for 20% of introduced shares? #ncfc

Reply on Twitter 1618924185669230593 Retweet on Twitter 1618924185669230593 Like on Twitter 1618924185669230593 Twitter 1618924185669230593
youthnorwich NorwichYouth @youthnorwich ·
49m

🚨MATCHDAY🚨
Norwich U21s V Leeds U21s
📍Lotus Training Centre
PL2 Div 2
1400hrs

This is the U21s biggest game of the season today. Win and there two points off top spot, lose and they will be clinging onto a play-off spot. Huge opportunity.

#NCFC #PL2 #PL2DIV2

Reply on Twitter 1618923891854020608 Retweet on Twitter 1618923891854020608 Like on Twitter 1618923891854020608 2 Twitter 1618923891854020608
iangabelli Gabelli🔰 @iangabelli ·
54m

O’Brien on loan #ncfc #itk

Reply on Twitter 1618922720057769986 Retweet on Twitter 1618922720057769986 Like on Twitter 1618922720057769986 3 Twitter 1618922720057769986
Load More...

Copyright © 2023 21VC Ltd | All rights reserved | Not to be reproduced without prior permission.

Disclaimer: The information on this website consists of personal opinions. Whilst we have taken all reasonable steps to ensure that the information contained on these Web pages is accurate and correct at the time of writing we do not accept any liability whatsover for any loss or damage caused by reliance on this information.

We do not accept any responsibility for information contained in other websites to which this site links. We strongly advise users to check any information before acting or relying on it.

Developed and Hosted by