• 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

With Newcastle on the horizon it's two members of the 'Old Guard' who could be at the forefront of Chris Hughton's mind

10th January 2013 By Gary Gowers Leave a Comment

Please share

With Chris Hughton confirming in today’s Press Conference that Grant Holt trained this morning, and is in the squad for Saturday’s Newcastle game, he gave us all a timely boost. For as well as  Simeon Jackson did at Peterborough – and he did VERY well – and as game and willing as the young legs of Harry Kane are, there’s no doubting which City striker Alan Pardew fears the most.

Holt’s qualities are well known – the last thing you need is me harping on about them again – but you can imagine the additional spring it adds to the step of Premier League defenders when ‘9. Grant Holt’ is missing from the team sheet. You can be sure that the Gareth McAuley and the James Tompkins, to name just two, breathed a very discreet and quiet sigh of relief when handed the Norwich sheet prior to the recent West Brom and West Ham games.

I’m sure he’d be loath to admit it, but I’m willing to bet that even the likes of Vincent Kompany afford themselves a wry smile when there’s no prospect of one Grant Holt charging over the horizon.

As Jonesy would say, those delicate souls ‘don’t like it up ‘em’… and our Holty is just the man for that role. The joint-demolition job done on Newcastle’s makeshift backline by Holt and Steve Morrison in December 2011 – when City beat the Toon 4-2 at Carrow Road – was a classic case, and what we’d give for a repeat on Saturday.

Sadly there’ll be no Morison at the weekend – Saturday coming too soon for him – but with City now playing the one ‘up top’, the challenge for the Newcastle defence will differ from last season. If the ‘one’ is numbered ‘9’ then that challenge is cranked up a notch – and Coloccini and co will fidget that little bit more uncomfortably in their dressing room seat.

Holt is that important to us; simple as.

If the skipper doesn’t make it – either through Hughton’s wish for caution or a late reaction to the injury – then the nod looks likely to head in Jackson’s direction. His efforts against Peterborough were well worthy of a Premier League start – but will necessitate a change in approach. While the skipper is a willing workhorse – too willing some say – his great strength comes when back to goal with his ability to hold the ball up, and bring others into play.

Jacko on the other hand prefers to face the opposite way; using his electric pace by lurking on the shoulder of the last defender. His goal on Saturday – courtesy of that exquisite David Fox through ball – was a perfect example of what he is all about.

What’s important is that if the skipper doesn’t make it – and Jackson is indeed given the gig – the style is tweaked accordingly. All too often in the past – and I’m talking three plus years ago – we’ve been content to hit long balls into the striker(s) and expect them, regardless of their strengths/weaknesses, to make the ball ‘stick’. Not an easy task – even on a good day – and even more difficult if your strength is in frightening defenders with your pace; especially if you’re playing as a lone striker.

Having said all of that, I trust Hughton implicitly and am sure his penchant for meticulous planning will ensure that, whatever the makeup of City’s front line, we’ll cause Newcastle problems.

Of the many good performances at London Road – albeit against hapless opposition – the masterclass in the art of passing, provided by the aforementioned Mr Fox, was the one that I suspect resonated most deeply with Team Hughton. The effortless way in which he stroked the ball around – short and long – was a timely reminder to us all of what he can do when given the platform.

Clearly the defensive midfield duo of Bradley Johnson and Alex Tettey will take some shifting; they were – after all – the cornerstone upon which the ten game unbeaten run was built. But with his passing game in such fine fettle, the option of adding Fox’s artistry into the mix from the bench must surely figure high in Hughton’s thoughts.

I wrote a few weeks back about a dearth of creativity in the side if/when Wes Hoolahan is absent, but in Fox we do have someone who can invent. Not in the same way as Wes – obviously – but when sitting deep in the midfield he does have that ability to unlock doors with a ‘killer’ pass.

So, amidst all the talk of prospective new signings – and those successfully acquired in the summer – it’s a couple of members of the ‘Old Guard’ who may yet have key roles to play in the next few games.

Jonesy would be proud.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @norwichcityMFW


Please share

Filed Under: Column, Gary Gowers

Reader Interactions

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

ryanpearce5 Ryan Pearce @ryanpearce5 ·
3 Apr

If usual tricks = being kicked in the penalty area and not getting a penalty then yeah 😂 #ncfc

Reply on Twitter 1642899144267243522 Retweet on Twitter 1642899144267243522 Like on Twitter 1642899144267243522 1 Twitter 1642899144267243522
norwichcityes Norwich City FC en español @norwichcityes ·
3 Apr

Partidazo el que nos espera este viernes 🔥🔥🔥.

Vamos con todo por esos tres puntos #NCFC 💛💚

Reply on Twitter 1642897241835798529 Retweet on Twitter 1642897241835798529 Like on Twitter 1642897241835798529 2 Twitter 1642897241835798529
fan_banter Fan Banter @fan_banter ·
3 Apr

Boreham Wood mocked over bizarre announcement parting with stadium caterers - https://fanbanter.co.uk/boreham-wood-mocked-over-bizarre-announcement-parting-with-stadium-caterers/

#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 1642893716791894019 Retweet on Twitter 1642893716791894019 Like on Twitter 1642893716791894019 Twitter 1642893716791894019
norwichcityfc Norwich City FC @norwichcityfc ·
3 Apr

🤝 Connection with the club
📈 Growth of women's team
🏟 Carrow Road fixture

@NorwichCityWFC general manager Flo Allen answers your questions in the latest episode of 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 ⬇️

#NCFC

Reply on Twitter 1642889121868783616 Retweet on Twitter 1642889121868783616 2 Like on Twitter 1642889121868783616 18 Twitter 1642889121868783616
norwichcityacad Norwich City Academy @norwichcityacad ·
3 Apr

🏟️ The Under-21s make their return to Carrow Road later this month in a #PL2 clash against Southampton 👊

Secure your FREE ticket for our final game of the 2022/23 campaign ⬇️

#NCFC

Reply on Twitter 1642886378743537666 Retweet on Twitter 1642886378743537666 Like on Twitter 1642886378743537666 1 Twitter 1642886378743537666
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