It feels more than a little hollow to be penning thoughts on a football match after the events of yesterday.
With Glenn Hoddle fighting for his life, a Brighton fan passing away after falling ill just before their game with Wolves and then the helicopter crash outside the King Power, getting either elated or deflated over 22 men kicking a ball seems futile.
I’ll try though, but not before offering thoughts and best wishes to all those involved.
From a Norwich City perspective, it’s hard to know where to start. 1000 words can’t do anything like justice to the current topics of conversation, but when it’s boiled down there is only one that really matters… and that’s City 1, Brentford 0.
This one wasn’t beautiful – for long spells, it was the antithesis of those online clips of Todd Cantwell’s dancing feet and tiki-taka goals involving 18 players – but, in many ways, was no less impressive than the wins against Forest and Villa. In fact, this one was more ‘Championship’ than the Championship itself, with on this occasion grit, grind and attrition pushing silk and swagger to a very poor second.
But [cliché klaxon] still they found a way. And over a marathon 46-game season, especially one that now comes with aspirations of a top-six finish, that’s how it has to be.
Sometimes it won’t flow, sometimes we’ll struggle to get Mo Leitner on the ball enough in those pockets of space in which he thrives, sometimes our teenage full-backs will have off days, sometimes the movement off the ball will be forced rather than fluid, and sometimes we’ll give the ball away more than the River End approves of.
It happens. In the inexact science of football, this is normal – even occasionally for the Man Citys, Chelseas and Liverpools – and when it does it’s a question of defending resolutely, staying organised and being sufficiently clear-headed to still carry a goal threat when you get the ball back.
And on that score City ticked every box yesterday, all made that little bit easier because through a nicely flighted through ball from Timm Klose and a moment of sheer genius from Emi Buendia they had a slender lead to defend.
For their part, Brentford were tough opponents who play in not dissimilar style to City but who, on the day, did it to greater effect. They have not won since Dean Smith departed for Villa but that win will arrive sooner rather than later with performances like yesterday. And, to be honest, but for that horror miss by Neal Maupay would have earned themselves a point.
It’s all ifs and buts, of course, and if Jordan Rhodes hadn’t been quite so keen on replicating his West Brom penalty, it could have been a very different second-half for City. But one lame side-foot to the keeper’s left later and it was the same result. Expect the penalty taking stripes to have been formally removed from him at Colney this morning.
But it matters not. In a week in which City played three goods sides – all with top-six aspirations – they emerged with maximum points and have set down a marker to those who previously perceived them as mid-table fodder.
The players obviously deserve the credit and have delivered when the pressure has been cranked up, but behind it all is a modest, understated head coach who has handled a really difficult 18 months with huge dignity. Only now is he reaping rewards of sticking to his footballing beliefs, while being intelligent enough to acknowledge they needed tweaking to adapt to their new surroundings.
Last season, said style of football was clearly a poor fit for the Championship in its original form but we managed to just about get away with it because it was propped up by one outstanding individual. This season, minus the exceptional James Maddison, everything happens a little quicker, is done with a little more oopmh and is a little more fluid. Not massive sweeping changes, but tweaks that collectively have made one massive difference.
Also, the Farke/Webber players have had a season of acclimatising to both the Championship and their chosen style of play, and some new players have arrived who have enhanced what we already had. And there’s now a bench that goes beyond ‘trying something different’ and which offers genuine alternatives within the same structure.
All of which adds up to something that right now has captured the imagination. Even in the fallow periods, there is a desire and honesty about this group that makes them impossible not to love, and so even when the down time arrives, which it inevitably will, there now should be credits on the bank for Team Farke.
The buy-in appears absolute from all four corners. I just hope it stays that way.
So, two points from top, nine points in a week, Emi off the mark and a clean sheet. What’s not to like?
***
I can’t finish without at least mentioning you know who going to you know where.
Plenty of folk have been telling us it’s nothing to concern ourselves over and why it shouldn’t even be the faintest blip on our radar, but to me that smacks of almost airbrushing three of the greatest seasons in this club’s history.
What Paul Lambert did in those three seasons here was extraordinary. Exceptional. And every other superlative going. But he didn’t do it alone.
He had Ian Culverhouse as a fine second lieutenant, he had Holty and Wes in their pomp, he had some formidable characters in the boardroom and he had a squad of players who hung on his every word.
Lambert was undoubtedly young, fearless and inspired but it was the alignment of the stars, rather than Lambert alone, that gave us just the best 36-months. And when he went it was with a scowl and two fingers rather than cheery goodbye – let’s not forget that.
So, while it’s only human to look back and get a little misty-eyed when one who achieved so much here decides to try his luck there, let’s also ask ourselves who’d be rather have in our dugout right now? Farke or Lambert?
No contest.
Amended version.
Nothing to add Gary. You are right on target and especially do about Farke….and
Lambert.
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Happy to acknowledge Lambert’s achievements in his three years here, while recognising the part that others played. However, I’m not concerned with his current whereabouts. After all, we keep mocking a certain other club for always harping on about their “history”, and Lambert is history for us. It was six years ago, after all.
I was concerned when I heard that Culverhouse had left Grantham, thought maybe he was going to team up with Lambert again, but apparently not. We, however, now have a vacancy for the U23 job – I can think of an ideal candidate!
Condolences to all at Leicester – the owner seems to have been a very decent man, and totally committed to the club and community. Best wishes also to Glen Hoddle, a man with some odd personal views, but a great player and decent pundit.
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There’s plenty to be positive about at the moment. – perhaps the only thing that’s really missing is the signs that we can really take someone to task, scoring three or four goals with relative ease. The team, while looking good, rarely looks full of goals.
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Hi Gary
A very good read under difficult times at other clubs and yes I hope all readers send there deepest and heart felt condolences to the clubs and Families.
Spurs being my second team and having watched the regularly in the mid 70’s while living in Bushey I got to see Hoddle at his best and it was magic how he pulled the strings in that team so lets hope he makes a full recovery.
I wrote in Connors article that we have had good managers prior to Lambert that have left under difficult times and most didn’t succeed at their new clubs and city has always survived, Lambert is just another on the list yes we had 3 good years but would you swap them for the 2 years Walker had and the Munich game, horses for course’s.
Lambert only sees what he wants to see and make himself look good if it happen with a modicum of success at some club all the better but he had a good coach who was a city legend pulling the strings for him.
All the reports I have read and what I watched on Quest it looked a dire game and as you say these games will happen during a long season, this is were Team Farke will earn their money lifting tired players up for the next game at least the injury list didn’t get any longer during the game.
The penalty was terrible after Rhones missed the WBA one someone should have had a word or two in his shell like, but I haven’t seem what his previous stats are for taking penalties and conversion rate.
This game as we expected was a tough nut to crack and city are still proving this season they can hang on in when it is difficult and long may it last.
Forest are rightly upset with the draw against dirty dirty Leeds I hope Roofe gets a banning for deliberately handing the ball in to the net, he looked so guilty when the Ref gave it, the assistance was unsighted so they say but he wasn’t up with the game, this will be a quiz question before long.
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just a follow up at present with have 3 players from the academy how many did walker use in Munich
Fox
Sutton
Gross
Bellamy
was there more???
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I think Eadie was around but not sure he was used in the first leg – think it may have just been at Carrow Road.
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I’m enjoying City doing well, and it really does feel like more than a temporary run of good form. Let me add a bit more good news from South London: Dulwich Hamlet going home! There’s a long article in the Guardian about it, but the dispute between the owner’s and the council seems to have been resolved. To cap a fine week the Hamlet took a point off dodgy moneybags Billericay!
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Yes, I read that Guardian article Andy, it’s a brilliant article, and after doing so, I have a lot of time for Dulwich Hamlet now!
And thanks for the article Gary. A difficult evening, but good that we could still put the points to bed. I can only believe Rhodes suffered a brain fade. How could he possibly have hit the same weak penalty to the same place twice? Has he not been practicing penalties with the injunction, any weak kick (and especially THAT one) is not allowed??!!
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Sorry but the game wasn’t that bad! It was two teams cancelling each other out with nice football, and our goal set up an electrifying 15 mins from NCFC which culminated in a deserved penalty that, had we have scored it, probably would have seen us win by 3 or 4. Tactically it was an interesting watch as we’ve now gone toe-to-toe with a lot of ‘footballing’ sides (Boro aside) and come out on top. Now comes a run of games against teams who simply won’t wont to lose – & will frustrate us. Hopefully we have the nous to mix it up where we need.
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Thanks Cityfan … having re-read the piece, you’re probably right actually. Was two good passing sides who for spells cancelled each other out but which was decided by the one move of quality in the game. Point I was trying to make (and didn’t succeed) was that we didn’t flow as well as we did either against Forest or Villa, but still found a way. 🙂
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Fair enough, I didn’t see either of those games so clearly a) I am a curse & b) my judgment is limited!
c) you sit in the river end, which will always offer a murky shadow to your view of the game (!)
I work with a Brentford fan & when I see her tomorrow, I will have to say that the last 15 mins of that first half is what made us the better team. I won’t say we battered them (but we did) but I genuinely saw a city side that can be really very good when the chips are up.
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Agree with all of that.
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We are in strong position and look to be at least serious contenders. We are winning matches that would have been drawn last season and much of that is down to the slight increase in tempo. Daniel Farke did say this at the last AGM that he wanted players to do this. We will hit a grey patch at some point, that is the nature of things but lets give it a go. I’ve said my bit about Lambert before, he achieved a lot when he was with us by working the transfer market when it was a different beast in the same way that we will not be able to use our current approach in a few years (months?). What are Ipswich to us? They are rivals for business, Comparing to the pub trade you can have two that complement each other and mutually bring attention to an area or you can have two that spread potential custom thinly. I think we have the latter situation, we need them to fall back so that we are the club of choice. In the 20s my Theberton born Grandfather supported Norwich as THE East Anglian pro team and we all support Norwich nowadays despite the rise of Ipswich since then. Much of the local population is non-East Anglian but looking for football. This is how we grow our fanbase and Ipswich compete. So much as I respect Lambert for his achievements here I hope and expect him to have limited success at Portman Road (continuing survival a la Villa). The shock about hearing about Hoddle as we got back to the car and the later events at Leicester put things into perspective. Although Hoddle still has hope we have lost so many of that generation this year with Regis, Beattie and Wilkins all being 70s teenagers as was I
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How can city break down a Stoke-esque side that only want to block defend and frustrate?
Solution 1)
Hernandez and Marshal as wingers, Pukki and most importantly Rhodes as the beneficiaries to some proper wing play and crosses.
Solution 2)
Rhodes and Stieperdude out and Pukki and Hernandez in. Cantwell and Buendia play through balls to the on running aforementioned forwards.
Solution 2a) No Tettey (yes this is brave) and play Stieperdude as a target man and have the other 4 running off him. Leitner just continues to be rediculously awesome.
Solution 3) Play Dennis instead of Rhodes and get him game time. Plenty of folk say he is not good enough. He still needs the game time and experience to show what he can do. The cup games tell me this guy has it and just needs a little faith shown in him.
What is your solution?
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Erm dont why but city’s last 2 games the passes completed column has gone a bit downhill 👀…whether thats because villa and brentford played similar style to us i hope so .
But the fact we can grind out results and at home very positive 👍 farke life .
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Daniel loves his stats Jim, so he’ll be all over this 🙂
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A good if a little fortunate 3. a game of a couple of big if only’s But for was over shadowed by Glen Hoddle. can only wish him the very best wishes and he keeps responding.
The poor folk at Leicester City, a terrible unthinkable thing to have happened . no small wonder staff were crying. the loss of an owner who all appeared to have a great fondness for Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha .
What can mere words do for those family and friends who have lost someone. May they find comfort and strength from where they can. Thoughts are with them
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Great write up Gary – and it’s amazing the turnaround since the Leeds game at Carrow Road…Canaries are flying high, a great run of form…it’s all turning out to be a nail-biting season and we are only a third of the way through
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On Lambert,he’s no longer the lean and hungry young man who inspired belief amongst other lean and hungry young men he had playing for him at NCFC.He’s made his money now and the inspiration has dissipated as a result.
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