At the very end of the season there’s always an excuse to meet up with some NCFC mates in “off-duty” circumstances.
So, being a person who can extract a quote from an angry dragon I thought I’d meet some friends in the Ribs of Beef on Saturday to see what their personal highlights were from our terrific promotion season.
The atmosphere at the Ribs was excellent but slightly loud (probably us lot causing most of the noise) so I’ll do my best in terms of recall. I only had two pints so I’m pretty sure this is accurate.
Roops: Oooh-aah! Beating Millwall at home and getting that last-gasper against Sheffield Wednesday. I was so chuffed when Derby beat Leeds in the play-offs. Nobody would have lost that one but Leeds!
Cutty: Beating Leeds away. It seems like I watched Sky Sports just for that. I’m really happy. (Cutty and I then devolved into another discussion which certainly involved strategy but not in the footballing sense).
Tony, son of Cutty: Remember the season – Dad can’t even remember last week! (he sure can – Martin).
When we smashed Leeds away, I knew we’d go up and I got a Sky contract too. Mario Vrancic’s goals against Wednesday and Blackburn were beautiful. Utterly beautiful.
Bernie: The tone of the season was set for me when Onel Hernandez scored in the 2-2 at Birmingham. That set the pattern for the season. It was an impact moment and I knew the Kids were Alright.
The pub was so noisy that I asked Scott to write this himself, which he did, so this quote is verbatim: “Boxing Day. Notts Forest. 3-0 down and we came back to finish 3-3. The turning point of the season.”
We then moved on to other topics but not before we had discussed the Stuart Webber situation.
The last word goes to Tony: why would Stuart Webber want to leave Norwich?
Tony mate, I hope you’re right, I really do.
And thanks so much to the excellent bartender at the Ribs who took the pic for us.
Marty, the only downside of our get together was Roops being mean with his chips ? and I had to buy my own. But we all agreed it had been a brilliant season and we don’t expect too many changes to the squad for City’s start to next season.
Yeah we did agree that it was a wonderful season and that the squad doesn’t need too much in terms of additions.
Lack of RB cover bothers me a little and an incoming GK is essential, even if only to cover for Krul if he has more lapses than we would like. And somebody to seriously push Pukki. That would be my lot – I reckon there’s one more season in Tettey. Vrancic and particularly Trybull are perfectly adequate as defensive midfielders/screeners.
Your chips were great – I secretly robbed a couple while your eyes were averted.
Cheers.
I hope you mate is right Mr P. Utd know no bounds of getting what they want, Webber & Godfrey are in their sights. who can stand that. Afraid I cannot see City totally with holding. Hope I am wrong perhaps after a season of premiership working, Webber may feel different; there are a lot of if and buts
I would have at one time let that sort of paper crap worry me, but nothing is going to dampen my spirits as I look ahead. There could be two ways of looking at it. That Utd have let the news slip in order to unsettle both player and SD, so their agents start whispering in ears of big money super cars and working for a big club along with heaven knows what else. Ferdinand has already earmarked young Ben in the papers, for his part of ex players scouting. committee .
Or some journo is fishing without much bait, in the hope of seeing a reaction, and of course selling some more paper.
I’ll go for the 2nd option as cannot see Utd letting that sort of news out, just in case others wanted them too.
The highlights of the season are just too many to really pinpoint, but I will go for a perhaps a none too brilliant game at Pulis-ball Middlesbro; if you can stand up to those air balls plus them playing a bit of football too. But hang on and grind out a victory there, then you can anywhere. As we went on to prove.
Also, of note; was putting a certain bleating lot from Yorks, firmly in their place at their place too Perhaps that’s when the engravers first to started getting the name ready to go on the trophy. Leeds had looked very much a safe bet to go up, but getting that, a great slapping must have unsettled the group more than we know.
We seemed to make hard work of it a little towards the end, but when you tally up and look at the table, it looked comfortable, who said the table doesn’t lie … it really wasn’t until the last day of the season , yea , that is just for being champions we had promotion sewn up already
Hi Lad
I’ll (attempt to) deal with your Man Ure points first.
Yes, they are licking their wounds just now – in fact they imploded a la Leeds at the end of the PL season and that’s for sure. And their kite (theoretically) does imply they can get what they want.
We’ve previous with them after all. Bruce and Phelan going one way, Mark Robins coming to us. But that was then and this is now.
What really concerns me is the way Stuart Webber did his stuff at Huddersfield but then was really happy to join us. Probably for the challenge, and to potentially enhance his reputation whilst earning a few extra bob, which he’s thoroughly deserved.
I bet it wasn’t just the players who were on a promotion bonus!
But SW didn’t annexe any Terrier for our benefit when he arrived so I’d slightly relax about Ben Godfrey.
Webber is ace in his job but of course he’d go if the deal was right for him – all of us would do the same, surely.
We were talking about his wife/partner Zoe having a very senior job at NCFC also, but don’t think Man U couldn’t emulate that. They’d find something for her if it was a deal clincher.
As for the Boro game I totally agree with you.
Leeds? We’re into the realms of theorism here. Bielsa sides always blow up? Spygate unsettled them? Did they simply bottle it as they seem to always do?
Or did our emphatic victory at Elland Road spark their decline?
I dunno. I just dunno.
Although as supporters the old nerves appeared after four consecutive draws that pre-ordained win over Blackburn got us over the line in style. And then there was Villa.
It’s gonna be a long old summer:-)
Thanks a lot.
Cheers and thanks Martin,
Can’t think why you didn’t mention the half naked waterboarding person who paddled past at about four . But that’s another story as was our uniform glee at the Binner’s local derby being Souffend.
I probably missed the “waterboarder” because I went home at half three Bernie.
The Binmen certainly have an eclectic list of fixtures next season!
Webbo chairing a committee of explayers ? Nightmare job, an ambitious man wouldn’t touch it.
The potential trouble is that money talks.
I truly think you’re right (I’m certainly hoping so) but only that Woodward bloke at Man U knows what he wants.
He’s not done that well so far, so let’s hope SW has picked up the smoke signals.
Hi Martin
Yeah it has been a great season all round for city.
Yesterday I was at my son’s wedding and as you would expect the liquids flowed very nicely, One of the guests was a died hard Leeds supporter and had no bad feelings towards city getting promoted just hacked off it was Sheff U that went up with us.
He also expects Leeds after the terrible second leg display v Derby to lose a few of their players and thinks Kelvin Philips would be a good addition to our squad.
Overall it has been an unexpected journey this season hopefully the next will continue in the same vein with a prolonged sojourn in the Premiership
Onwards and upwards
OTBC
Hi Alex
Apart from 1p5wich and a small but significant number of Leeds fans I doubt there are very many people who begrudge us our achievements.
I’m not sure if Kalvin Phillips played against us at our place – if he did I don’t remember him!
He’s touted at around £15 million in some of the media, which would lead me to think this one’s yet another non-starter.
Glad you enjoyed the wedding.
Thank you.
Hi Martin, Kalvin Phillips definitely played against us at Carrow Road and celebrated their second goal by standing in front of the Barclay holding out one hand, fingers spread, and pointing to it with the other. I’ll leave you to decide what his message was. Thoroughly despicable club, thoroughly despicable player. Karma indeed.
OTBC
Thanks Mike.
I subsequently looked it up and yes, he certainly did play that day.
Weirdly as I’m in the Barclay myself I don’t remember that celebration – the whole event that day left me rather uncomfortably numb as I recall. In fact I don’t really want to recall the occasion at all if I’m honest!
Karma indeed and we WON’T be signing him.
Thanks a lot.
Hi Martin
Webber said ,compared to Huddersfield, what took him aback when he came to Norwich was the fans’ expectatation levels. which put him under unexpected pressure.
If he goes to Man U “He ain’t seen nothin’ yet” as BTO succinctly put it. If he’s sensible he will give us another year or two to see his policies mature in a stable environment ,rather than be “blown out of the water “if he does’nt get instant success at Man U. He strikes me as someone who believes implicitly in his own methods and could react adversely if he gets what is perceived (by him) as unjust criticism amongst the “prawn sandwich” brigade (sic Roy Keane)
Mind you he may have made enough dosh by then to put two fingers up and leaving Old Trafford in a huff but I think there’s more to him than that.
By the way thanks for the lovely photo of my house in the background to the Ribs. picture. If I’d known you were there I would have put my Canaries’ flag out!
Hi MFtS.
That’s a very interesting appraisal of Stuart Webber – and indeed Man Utd – and you’re absolutely right in your take on it imo.
Webber appears to revel in the seemingly complete freedom he gets to “run the show” at Norwich and he wouldn’t get that level of leeway at many other clubs, let alone United.
Like you I hope he hangs around for at least a couple of seasons to come.
You are very fortunate to live where you do – what a beautiful location.
Our lot came from outposts such as Wivenhoe, Mundesley, Horsford and Brundall to enjoy that view!
Sorry to do an unwitting “Bielsa” on you:-)
Thanks a lot.
Interesting piece Martin. For me, the home victory against Middlesbrough ranks highly. Expecting little against a pre season favourite and a tough nut to crack the 1-0 win that followed was for me the first indication that we had a team to be reckoned with, that might just do a lot better than we originally expected.
Clinching the league title on the last day with a win at Villa Park isn’t to shabby either in my book.
In regard to the Manchester United links to Webber and Godfrey, let’s hope there is nothing in it. If Webber is approached it is highly likely he will find the opportunity too tempting to turn down. Godfrey on the other hand is our player, contracted for the foreseeable future and we are under no pressure financially to sell. Given that 15 million pounds is the going rate for a decent 20 year old from the championship now I expect that figure would have to increase two fold before we were to consider selling this summer.
Hi Chris
Yes, as I replied to canarylad above: “SW didn’t annexe any Terrier for our benefit when he arrived so I’d slightly relax about Ben Godfrey”.
As you so rightly say there could very well be nothing in it. Paper talk is so often wide of the mark during the season, but we’ve now got nine weeks of the “silly season” to put up with!
The funniest link was Joe Hart. Closely followed by the Mignolet one.
As you know it’s generally agents talking up a player or reporters filling column inches with invented speculation that causes all this carp in the first place:-)
My favourite memory of the season?
It has to be that flick from Buendia to Pukki against Hull!
Thanks as always.