Two late winners in the space of four days. We could get used to this.
This one had a clean sheet chucked in for good measure.
Yet for long spells this had Derby written all over it as Aitor Karanka did what Aitor Karanka does, which is set up a team with the intended aim of squeezing the life out of a game of football.
Luckily there was no Wayne Rooney in blue and white to twist the knife and instead, it was our turn to break a few hearts.
To have emerged with just a point, or less, from an evening of such dominance would have been a proper blow to the gonads, so thank goodness we have a suave Bosnian we can call on in times of crisis who, in the Championship at least, has a happy knack of scoring important goals.
The calls for Mario Vrancic to start rather than occupy the bench will clearly intensify – and it did appear that the player himself was making a forceful point to Daniel Farke after the final whistle – but such was the team’s dominance last night it’d be a big call to leave anyone out.
Of course, part of the Karanka plan was to let City have the ball but even our least-favourite Spaniard didn’t plan on City having 73 percent of possession, and there was plenty to admire on a night that showed Farkeball: the original to still be a thing.
With a fit-again Todd Cantwell restored to the starting XI and Emi Buendia showing us more than a few flashes of him at his best, there was a soothing familiarity to the way the ball was intricately popped around in those small pockets.
Even with Jordan Hugill up top and even with Xavi Quintilla more than happy to whip crosses into the box at every given opportunity, the pass-and-move ethos still remains our go-to, with Cantwell and Buendia at its heart.
Gary O’Neil, who oddly got slightly grumpier as the evening progressed, spoke at halftime of Cantwell being “loose” in possession, and he’s right, just as folk online were bemoaning Buendia’s tendency to give the ball away cheaply occasionally, but, for me, both are by-products of the creative edge needed to make Farkeball work.
Without Todd trying a flick that doesn’t come off or Emi trying a daft drag-back that may concede possession, we risk being sterile and non-progressive. The alternative is an extra sideways or backward pass that comfortably retains the ball but makes not the slightest dent in the banks of four and five in front of us.
Without that touch of maverick those two (literally) bad boys bring, it all becomes a little formulaic and without punch, and is far better and more unpredictable when the pair are working in tandem.
We need that. The defeat at Bournemouth was a classic case of what can (and did) happen minus that creative edge that’s so needed in Farkeball.
Another encouraging sign is that the new, and newer, players are adapting to the style and tempo of play that Farke demands, and after bemoaning the lack of physicality in the pairing of Oli Skipp and Lukas Rupp at the weekend, last night there were no such issues.
Rupp, in particular, was excellent and put in a fine shift that married bite in the tackle with some good passing and forward thrust. For someone who has had more than his fair share of brickbats but has never flinched, we’re now seeing the best of a player Farke trusts implicitly to keep things ticking over in the middle of the pitch.
On a night when it would have been easy for City to run out of ideas, it was Rupp whose energy and desire never faltered, even when a goalless draw seemed inevitable, and it was he who robbed Scott Hogan of possession prior to the goal.
While there may be days ahead when the Skipp/Rupp combo needs some form of bolstering – and Saturday may be one of those – both are clearly now attuned to the new Norwich way.
So, a good one. A late show it may have been but few could argue City didn’t deserve the three points. And up next, Wycombe.
Let’s not even mention the fact they’re currently point-less 😱
Nice sum up Mr G, I thought Cantwell was involved in just about everything, so much so he took what seemed an unusal amount of stick from crunchers. (yet I read Bluenoses putting him on par with Grealish, sure they don’t mean just diving and rolling about. But they would love to have either) can’t say there was much diving in a lot of what he was on the end of. He could have had a goal or two, could have set Pukki up, but still he was in the right place.
Rupp was my man of the match, I have started tro change my views of him, he is clearly in his level as are others in the squad. It was a match where we could have all 11 as MOTM. that sort of team display.
I feel sorry for fans of teams where Karanka strangles, some of the worst football to witness week after week. Another team he can soon add to his CV. He stays because there is always some chairmen who are desperate enough to hire, just as they were with others, names don’t need mentioning.
I heard can’t remember if radio or streaming tv, that Idah passed to Mario, sadly not quite to the case, he was tapping it to his left for a shot and hit it a tad too much, it could have easily broken down, but for our Super Mario
I remember how we have felt frustrated at times with Wessi running into blind alley’s, losing the ball in not so good places. yet he won us more points than he lost, I say the same about our two lads. Keep doing what you did last night
I feel we just need to get sort of the rustiness in front of goal and we could be away.
Hi Lad
Good points all. If you’ve not read it yet it the Football League World article sums up the Blues fans’ views on Todd C perfectly. It’s available via NewsNow.
A much more reassuring performance and result. OK, the ‘Goals For’ column needs tweaking, but NCFC are conceding less than a goal a game so far and sitting in a perfect place in the league at this stage. Happy not to be top until February!
FYI, this is how this season so far compares with the first six games of the Championship winning season in 2018/19:
2018/19 – P6 W1 D2 L3 F9 A12 Pts 5
2020/21 – P6 W3 D1 L2 F6 A5 Pts 10
Double the points so far. (Although from this point on in 2018/19 we won the next four on the bounce and ten out of the next twelve, losing and drawing once.) But overall things looking quite rosy.
Farke was pleased too. Looked like he felt he needed that one last night – and earned it too.
OTBC
The clean sheet means more than anything to me , now godfrey has gone lets hope hanley and gibson can forge a solid partnership as well as rupp and skipp also pukki and hughill . Just need farke to be more adaptable and keep the squad injury free .
By all accounts Skipp was more or less redundant last night and may well be on Saturday. He will, without doubt, be needed at Brentford and Bristol so it wouldn’t surprise me if Vrancic gets a start at the weekend. Might be an opportunity for McLean and Placheta to get game time too.
When we so nearly did a job on Liverpool at Carrow Rd earlier in the year I guess their fans spent much of the game worried that they would never get the break through. In the end they did, and so did we.
It sounds as though Clayton’s first booking was a bit harsh, but I’ve not seen it. The second’s a clear yellow. Nothing malicious or seriously dangerous in either of them as far as I know. Personally I’m in favour of a sin bin type system in those circumstances, which means the outcome last night would be the same. That QPR now also benefit from his absence on Saturday seems perverse though. I’ll be surprised if something similar doesn’t happen to Skipp in the course of the season.
Hi Keith;
Have to agree with the sin bin (or similar) proposal…..
Idah got a yellow towards the end for (apparently) preventing the goalie from clearing the ball (Idah was standing on the side of the kicking foot). A few minutes later Friend took Cantwell out from the waist down with a crunching challenge (only slightly less severe than that on Skipp on Saturday), and also only received a yellow.
Vastly different “crimes” although both received the same punishment.
O T B C
A good summing up Gary.
I was also pleased to see that Rupp was beginning to demonstrate what a good player he is. I’ve noted in the past that it usually takes a good part of their first season before many of our continental signings start to flourish. I think Rupp will turn out to be an intelligent footballer who will dictate the pattern of play.
Cantwell was my choice as MOTM. He was truly outstanding and confirmed why a few premiership clubs are interested in him. Let’s hope we get a full season out of him.
The partnership of Hanley and Gibson also looked better than many of our recent pairings. We look far more secure at dead all situations, our Achilles heel, as they both attack the incoming ball.
Hi Gary
An excellent summary on last nights game.
The Newsnow article below is interesting to say the least.
http://c.newsnow.co.uk/A/1051586666?-11057:808
Rupp is getting lots of praise I read a cross between Lietner and Trybull now that would be a good player all he needs is a bit more time to prove himself to be consistent at this level.
Cantwell might have got MOTM but could well have got sent of for simulation in the box and if he had scored when he jumped up would it have counted???
Overall a great game to watch and I am sure Gary O’Neill will look at his comments and think why did I say City had no place in this team.
Maybe I was wrong the Brummies were so slow they made city look like a team of Usain Bolts.
We seem to have a bludgeoning CB heart to the defence and long may it last poor Zimmbo just might find it difficult to get back in to this defencive set up unless we ho with a 3 CB???
Onwards and upwards
OTBC
Stay safe and stay healthy
Alex, of course it would have counted if Cantwell had scored after laying down in the box. Pukki cut the ball back to him, and there were Birmingham players closer to the goal, so he was onside.
Mario Vrancic has given us so many great moments over the past three seasons. In many ways he is the perfect player to have on the bench because he has the ability to change things more than most. Mario is a perfect fit to wear the yellow & green and I love watching him play.
Ben Gibson & Grant Hanley look to be a great Championship pairing as centre backs and with Xavi Quintilla and Max it looks as though the £millions secured from Lewis and Godfrey sales was fantastic business by S W, we have Zimbo waiting in the wings once fit again too.
With the talk of breakaways and European League on Saturday we host Wycombe Wanderers. I watched them many times in the 60’s & 70’s playing against St Albans City in the Isthmian League, well down the ‘pyramid’. What a fantastic achievement to come from such humble amateur roots not so long ago. A banana skin perhaps, just a shame for them they cant experience a bouncing Carrow Road.
Keep safe one and all.
What a great league system we have, just hope it can survive.
My cousin, Charlie Gale, was their captain in that time period. Was a full back for them. Len Fuscillo is another name I remember from that time.
Don’t want to pour cold water on a barely lit fire, but I thought we were pedestrian last night. Yes we dominated possession, but only because Birmingham were happy to let us. the movement from back to front was far too slow and predictable and every time we got in a dangerous looking position, we turned backwards and lost momentum. I want us to keep possession, but not at the expense of any forward thrust.
I agree that Cantwell and Buendia were trying to be positive but Todd kept making the wrong decisions (and should have scored twice) and Emi lost the ball in dangerous areas. Pukki looks a burnt out shell of the player he was. I think he needs a proper rest and Hanley (although impressive last night) is clearly not match fit.
On the positive side, Krul had nothing to do, Gibson looked solid, Hugill is a workhorse and Rupp is developing into a quality defensive midfielder. Thank goodness though for Super Mario. he exudes class and is always looking forward rather than sideways or backwards. We need his creativity. Please Mr Farke, find a place in your starting eleven for him.
I know it’s early days and our points tally is not too bad. Let’s hope we can take advantage of the good fortune we have had in the last two fixtures and start to really motor.
OTBC.
Good job we didn’t lose Gordon.
I must admit, the tension in my shoulders was building as the game went on, and they blocked everything coming in to their area. If anyone was passing the front of my house when we scored, it must have frightened the life out of them when I shouted.
I was pleased to see the first substitution made a little earlier than Farke usually does, and the subsequent substitutions worked out rather well, too. Buendia still causes little ripples of panic in me, like when he got caught in possession just inside our half, and they suddenly had a four against three situation, but we survived it, as we did a couple of late in the game panics in defence.
Interesting to see that we completed 767 passes in the game – Guardiola would be impressed! And a lot of them were progressive, not just sideways and backwards.
I’m glad to see the praise for Lukas Rupp as I think that he has offered increasing amounts of energy and authority over recent games. For me the biggest plus from last night was the return of that keynote NCFC skill from 2 seasons ago i.e.. the ability to receive the ball on the half turn, and immediately slip the ball between defenders for a runner who expects that to happen.
It was exemplified by Marco Stiepperman and Emi Buendia in that promotion season and Teemu regularly benefitted. It cannot work without pace in the pass to the turning player, and it was a relief to see that back against Brum.
Todd Cantwell has the touch and, when fully alert, the awareness to be any of the parts of that team routine – the pacey forward pass, the half turn, or the anticipatory run. It was good to see him using those abilities, and encouraging that newer recruits are starting to get the timings and co-ordination correct.
However, it was overall still incredibly frustrating until we scored, despite the healthy signs of progress.