After the trauma of St James’ Park it would have been nice to have cruised home to a comfortable win – a boring but comfortable 1-0 would have sufficed.
But no. Not City.
For all of the much discussed faults of this iteration of Norwich City it is anything but boring and when the Alex Neil era finally comes to an end and the journos offer their final summation, ‘dull’ and ‘mundane’ are unlikely to feature.
And at least we came out on the right side yesterday. While Wolves don’t possess the same quality as Newcastle – and weren’t good enough to exploit the jangling nerves and the wavering belief – there was, this time round, some good old fashioned guts on display.
That Timm Klose was there to steward and head and block in those nervous closing minutes was probably the decisive factor, but it was a rousing collective effort; one that was much needed after the trauma of midweek.
To have thrown away another lead in a game that should have been long dead and buried would have been mortifying ahead of another international break, and the impact of said hammer blow on the psyche of management and players would have had a potentially long-term effect.
But, against the backdrop of a half-empty (but still angry) Molineux, City prevailed and have returned to second-place in the Championship table while still trundling along in second gear.
It was a performance that, as is typical of a side that’s yet to really ‘click’, was not without errors and indecision but equally was one that had a couple of first-half chances been taken – and there was a positive glut of them – would have taken the game out of the reach of the Old Gold.
And it was telling that, in a less than ideal scenario, the best Wolves had to offer wasn’t enough; even when faced with, as Sky’s commentary team hinted endlessly, a City defence riddled with self-doubt.
In the Premier League the chances that came and went unconverted would have been sufficient to consign us to defeat – but the Championship is a very different beast. Another opportunity invariably comes along.
Messrs Hoolahan, Jerome, Dorrans, Brady, Dorrans and Murphy (Ja) all passed up presentable opportunities to add to their season’s tally, the latter’s in sitter territory, but with City having roared out of the blocks in unfamiliar fashion there was an element of comfort as they went about their business before half-time.
And after a tricky few weeks, during which his belief in front of goal appeared to dip, Cameron Jerome’s swagger has returned.
Buoyed by that fine effort at St James’ Park, the character that bullied Daniel Ayala so beautifully at Wembley appears to be back and with a goal ratio of only just under one in two looks again capable of plundering the 20 goals he did in 2014/15.
And to think how we agonised all summer over signing a ’20-goal’ striker.
Interestingly, an unseen side of Jerome revealed itself in the pre-Molineux presser at Colney when he spoke in glowing terms of Jacob Murphy’s hot scoring streak and the small role he’s played in it by encouraging the youngster. For all the talk of leaders or lack of them in City ranks, it seems Jerome plays his own part in literally leading the side from the front.
And there was certainly do doubting his dominance in the air as he brushed aside a powder-puff challenge to head powerfully past Carl Ikeme; Wes’s beautifully driven, first-time cross offering him the ideal opportunity to give City the early lead.
That we had to wait 71 minutes for number two was a disappointment, particularly as Wolves finally found some momentum in the second period but when it finally arrived Robbie Brady’s exquisite left-foot curler – after some fine hold-up play from Jerome – looked to be have secured the points.
By his manager’s admission, Brady has struggled to hit the heights this season – possibly borne of a Euro 2016 hangover – but the signs are good and to see him using that left foot again to such good effect bodes well.
There’s been much talk of City operating at only 70-75 per cent right now – if/when Brady joins the party for good, it will add another 10+ and could be the difference between the top two or otherwise.
That Dave Edwards was given the freedom of the City penalty area to give the hosts a sniff was horribly inevitable – and for all Ivo Pinto’s impressive forward forays, he does need to offer better support to his centre-backs – but when crunch time arrived Nouha Dicko thankfully, on this occasion, fluffed his lines.
To have then seen it out in such dogged fashion will have allayed a few fears about bottle and brittleness, and it’s good for once to enter an international break off the back of a win.
The final word is my dad’s: “Don’t let them tell you otherwise boy, at this level we’re a good side“.
And that’ll do for me.
That wee bump on the head doesn’t seem to have done the old boy any damage, Gaz?
Wolves were my pre-season suggestion for a surprise top six finish next May. Starting with three wingers up front obviously didn’t help their cause, but, on that showing, they seem highly unlikely to be in the mix after 46 games.
As for City, another game ticked off, another three points in the bag. Not much else to add really.
Getting reports via smart phone of the score during my daughter’s wedding, i was full of foreboding as the ref played so much injury time. But we hung on and will have all to play for after the international break. I was surprised to see the manager leaving out Howson who, with Brady and Hoolahan, is a midfielder of genuine class. But the most important thing yesterday was to get a result. And City did.
Next up Rotherham Fulham and Preston. Three decent results and City will be well placed to keep our best players in the January sales and maybe do some judicious recruitment
The power & influence of Sky TV was there to see in all the empty gold seats – approx. 2000 down on their previous (untelevised) Sat. 3 pm game (Brentford). Damning indictment of the Murdoch evil empire on the beautiful game.
That spine of Klose-Hoolahan-Jerome is pivotal to the way we play. Miss 1 or 2 of them (Birmingham/Newcastle) and we’re struggling. We might not have won at Newcastle with Klose, but we wouldn’t have conceded four. Without underplaying the contributions of others, their continued fitness will be key to how the season goes.
Did Jez Moxey make it out of Wolverhampton alive? That was an extra bit of grit in the Wolves wheel as was a former Brummie striker scoring.
Great stuff.
Yes we are in a good position in the league and no we are not playing to our potential but I would caution against getting ahead of ourselves. Our defense is porous still even with the excellent Timm Klose and we don’t seem to be able to build our attacks in such a way to give time to get men in the box ready for the crosses coming in. Our build up play is a bit SPL and needs to be more EPL. I think we have the talent but at the moment we are not using it. Cameron needs more support in the box if he is to get to 20 goals. Having said that we are where we want to be at the moment so here’s hoping.
Fair assessment that, Cyprus Canary (4). We did, even in that dominant first-half, look a little shaky when Wolves’ nippy strikers were either running at us or looking to get in behind.
There is indeed still work to be done in order for the team to defend more solidly – and not all of it pertains to the centre-backs.
Credit due to Jerome, looking like the player from the promotion run in. Would have li,ed to have seen Pritchard start for Jacob, who was u surprisingly jaded after his recent hard run of games. The extra days rest helped wolves too after our long trip north this was a cruel fixture. That’s why this is the best result so far this season, a lot of factors pointing to a home win.
Bob at nnumber 3.
Being now completely housebound due to ill health, former season ticket holder for 28 years I am glad to be able to watch my football team on TV thanks to Murdoch.
Adrian(7) – I compared the effect of SKY on Wolves’ previous Saturday match attendance – which you weren’t at either!
2000 of your fellow supporters who did go to the Brentford game presumably were put off by the cameras?