I was tempted to do a cut and paste job from my Thursday morning piece; the one that told of City again overcoming adversity to squeeze out a narrow 2-1 over Forest, sealed by a deflected Emi Buendia shot from outside the box.
Okay, so I’d have had to smooth out the bit about Hughton setting Forest up with a 10-man defence in the first half and replace it with a paragragh around the fluency and attacking intent of Tony Mowbray’s Rovers team, but I reckon I could have just about got away with it.
If nothing else it would have saved me from having to find a fresh set of superlatives to describe City’s latest victory from the jaws of defeat escapade, all while coping with injury crisis from hell.
Because what’s happening is remarkable.
To the rest of the football world (and the uninitiated), there is nothing especially unreal about a team that last season was part of the richest league in the world now sitting top of the Championship by three points.
After all, teams who benefit from Premier League parachute payments have a distinct advantage over those who don’t, and having sold only two players in the summer, City’s squad should be better equipped than most to have another crack at promotion.
There is even a danger that we, the supporters, take for granted the churning out of wins in the manner they are currently occurring.
We’re almost too close to fully appreciate the scale of the achievement and only by taking a step back can we really see what an outstanding effort it’s been by all of those who call Colney home.
An injury list that started all the way back in February, when Sam Byram suffered that hamstring injury against Liverpool, was literally added to on a weekly basis as summer gave way to autumn.
Since the start of the season, *deep breath* … Onel Hernandez (hip), Kenny McLean (knee), Kieran Dowell (ankle), Sam Byram (hamstring), Xavi Quintilla (hip), Adam Idah (knee), Jordan Hugill (shoulder), Bali Mumba (knee), Todd Cantwell (hip), Teemu Pukki (hamstring), Tim Krul (thigh) and Lukas Rupp (hamstring) have all joined Byram in the Colney treatment room.
Throw into that mix, Max Aarons, who gave us one almighty scare when he ended up in that crumpled heap against Coventry, and you have 13 players; all realistic options for a start in Daniel Farke’s starting XI (I include Mumba because, after his Swansea cameo he’d have been the most likely replacement for Quintilla).
I make no apologies for listing the bloody obvious.
To put it into perspective, Liverpool’s injury list – the most brutal known to Man – maxed out at ten, although I’m not sure they were all absent at the same time.
That Stuart Webber had provided Farke with a squad that was plentiful was, of course, a godsend, but while he may now question why he allowed left-back Sam McCallum to depart on loan, there was no way he could have mitigated against having three front-line strikers all absent at the same.
It was at that point we stepped through the looking glass and into the realm of you-couldn’t-make-it-up.
But still the juggernaut rolled on. Still captain of HMS Pi$$ the League (@matty_leww in case you were wondering) kept on issuing the boarding passes.
On their knees in terms of numbers and key absentees, but just one single defeat in ten games amidst it all.
The players who have kept the bandwagon rolling of course deserve massive credit, but so too Farke and his team for patching up those who have had to play through varying levels of pain barrier and for keeping the minds and bodies refreshed.
The mental resilience – that very thing that looked so fragile and weak during Project Restart – has been of a level hitherto unseen in these parts. We have become far too accustomed to watching us buckle when the pressure gauge hits 11 – now the opposite is true.
This level of resilience even usurps that which we saw in 2018-19 when we earned the reputation for the late late shows. Resilience and heart that has seen 10 of their 11 wins achieved by a single goal.
And every week, new heroes pop up.
In midweek, it was Jacob Sørensen who emerged from his spell as makeshift left-back with a vital goal. This weekend it was the turn of the much-maligned Michael McGovern to take the plaudits for not only a solid all-round display but one particularly outstanding first-half save from Sam Gallagher’s header.
He may not have the grace of Tim Krul or possess the Dutchman’s ability to pass the ball but, as some predicted, with more game time under his belt he has started to resemble that keeper who won 32 international caps. And, in doing so, the confidence of those around him has been enhanced.
It may get a little hairy at times but in the same way we’re finding ways to score at the other end, so too are we able to dig in when digging in is needed.
Teemu Pukki is another whose played his way through a tricky spell into some form reminiscent of him in his 2018-19 pomp. A lesser man would have been destroyed by his Premier League experience but this was prime Teemu; a performance befitting a day on which he made it 50 goals in 100 games for City.
We’re watching one of the NCFC greats.
Finally… my dad – who wasn’t part of Farke’s starting (or finishing) XI yesterday, as much as he’d love to have been.
I spoke to him yesterday morning and we did our usual thing of predicting the outcome (both plumping for the I’d-take-a-draw platitude), but he was unusually downbeat. The continued covid-related restrictions that apply to a COPD-ridded 86-year-old had got him down, along with other health concerns that are not for this column.
But wind the clock forward to 16:55 and, thanks to Norwich City, it was a different person I spoke to on the other end of the phone as we followed the pre-match predictions up with the traditional post-match debrief.
It was literally with joy in his heart that Dad spoke, bursting with pride, of the “heroics” of Farke and the squad. Gone completely was the angst and worries of a few hours earlier; instead the virtues of Pukki et al were being extolled as if through the eyes of a wide-eyed-teenager.
What a man he is. What a club this is.
(I’m so glad I decided against the cut and paste).
Never Mind the Danger
Great summing up Gary. I thought this was going to be a tough one, and it was. I’ve only seen the brief highlights on the Sky Sports web site, but McGovern’s save from the header was outstanding. I’ve always thought he was a good shot-stopper, it’s his kicking and general distribution, combined with his somewhat shorter stature that keeps him behind Krul in the pecking order. Forest’s goal was a freak, intended as a cross that somehow missed its real target, and found its way into the net.
As for Tony Mowbray, I think our neighbours down the road have missed a trick there. As an ex-Blue, he would probably have been welcomed, but thanks to secret agent Evans, their managerial selections have been abysmal. Mowbray has been a good manager at his other clubs, and he’s certainly not defensively minded.
It’s brilliant seeing how Pukki has recovered his form. He’s a man enjoying his football, and is apparently happy to keep on doing it in the Yellow and Green.
Mowbray turned the Job down on 2 occasions under the present ownership
Thanks Alex. Just goes to show what an intelligent guy he is!
Your comment on McGovern being of smaller stature than Krul is interesting as I also thought the same thing but just looked it up and McGovern is an inch taller than Krul!! Would never have guesed that from the way they respectively fill up the goal (no disrespect to either)
Thanks LC. He’s always looked shorter to me, shows how much presence Krul has.
Great read again on a Sunday Gary, as you say what a club this is but the football’s all incidental really and it’s about people like your dad. Best wishes to him and in true Norfolk style “hang in there ole partner”.
Cheers for those kind words Bob… and I shall pass that on to dad.
Best
Gary
Well written Gary. We should all be proud of our club and those representing it.
Maybe Gibson and Placheta need to be added to your list of injured. Difficult to keep up with the numbers.
Thanks mate … and yes, they should have!
Best
Gary
Great stuff Gary – and a nice personal touch too. Best wishes all.
Hi Gary
Nice read on a miserable Sunday morning in Blackpool.
At least the after match comments from Mowbray wasn’t the usual we deserved better from the game he just moaned at his forwards not putting their chances away and don’t we know that feeling so welcome to that problem.
As many have said over the last couple of weeks we have been too reliant on Krul and with McGovern now getting time between the sticks we can see what good cover he provides.
Tettey with an assist on his 250 appearance for Pukki 100 appearance also city could have gone in at half time 2 or 3 infront.
Not sure what our defense was thinking in the build up to their equaliser if at all they were thinking but McGovern was to far out for me.
As for the winner 🏆 well Pukki redirect it to deceive their keeper I really don’t think he knew much about it, then we had a couple more chances to seal a bigger win but another 3 points on the score board.
Bournemouth are outscoring everyone in this league and getting the odd lucky win/draw and have not been hit by injuries and like city have players that premiership clubs are looking at so both teams need to close the for sale doors asap.
Wednesday should be another tough away game and then Cardiff just no let up so any of the injured players returning aren’t really going to get time to adjust to game time they will be needed to give others a rest if that can happen.
Onwards and upwards
OTBC
Stay Safe and Stay Healthy 🙏
Yesterday’s game was, for me, probably the most enjoyable of the season so far. Both teams showed a real desire to ‘have a go’ and there was ample attacking intent throughout. None of the 6–3-1 formations from the Pulisball school of anti-football. Tony Mowbray deserves huge credit for the team he’s put together and it wouldn’t surprise me if they reached the playoffs this season.
Al of which makes yesterday’s result and performance all the more satisfying.
Bring on Reading.
Thank you Gary, and from all MFW contributors, best wishes to your Dad.
Surely if we’re considered a prized scalp having been in the Prem last season, then Bournemouth and Watford should be more so…….after all, they were closer to staying up than we were! But, we’re out-doing both of them although Colin Murray apart, the silence from MSM is deafening.
The injury situation has definitely been a problem, but if Bali Mumba had not been injured we would not have witnessed the blossoming of Jacob Sorensen……considering he’s not yet played for us in his preferred position, I for one am well impressed with him.
O T B C
For me Tettey deserves another season after this to mentor both Sorensen and Thompson if he gets over his injuries that will also be his ten years at the club and a well deserved game to reward his efforts in the Yellow and Green.
For me he would win a player of the decade if city had such a thing
There have been several games this season in which we deserved more points than we got; this is the first where I think the opposition could make that claim. However, we found a way to win and, for the umpteenth consecutive game, not one City player under performed. Tough games again on Wednesday and Saturday and then the players have the luxury of a week off, which their massive effort recently deserves.
Lovely words about your dad, thanks for the goose bumps!
Great read Gary as I am watching Sheffield United get tonked 3-0 by Southampton. Wilder was being lauded last season for his team’s performances. They were lucky in many ways. Every successful team needs some luck. We had little last season, even VAR, which is supposed to be neutral was not on our side. Remember Pukki’s toenail being offside against Tottenham. We are getting a bit of luck this season but on the whole we are getting the results our play deserves.
I think Wilder has been over-rated whilst Farke has been under-rated. I think we will look back on the Webber and Farke tenure with a great deal of fondness. They will be hard to replace whenever they leave, which I hope will be a long time in the future.
We are also watching some Hall of Famers in Pukki and Buendia in particular.
These are great days to be NCFC fans. It is such a shame that we cannot witness this in person.
Stay safe and well everyone.
OTBC
I feel that its important to post scoring stats about Pukki, because there is so much nonsense about his career. His stats by how many minutes per goal;
Finland 1st league 171 min
Bundesliga 133 min
Scotland premiership 177 min
Championship 134 min
Denmark 1st league 193 min
Premier League 263 min
There has been common opinion in Norwich and England that Pukki failed in bundesliga and Scotland premiership. What makes it even more sad is that football journalists who get paid are so lazy to not even check stats instead of making wrong generalisations. When Celtic fans feels that Pukki failed completely, by that stat then clear majority of strikers have failed completely and only few have been ever ok. Also we can also say by using scottish logic that Pukki failed completely also in Finland. Stats are very similar. In Germany germans dont feel he failed at all, but during his time in Schalke, Schalke had Raul and Hunterlaar as strikers and they had massive salaries. In Denmark they feel that Pukki was huge success, even his 4 seasons stats are worse than he had in Finland and Scotland, his last 2 seasons were 140 min per 1 goal. In Spain you can say that he failed if you feel like, but he was only 17 then and played less than 10 games without scoring any. His Premier league stats shows also that he did not fail there either, its surely toughest league to score in world and he was able to score in every third game in a bottom team.
Pukki has been very consistent scorer all his career as you can all see and surely will keep on doing the same this season and next season with Norwich in premier league too.
Krul is a little over 6ft 3 and McGovern is a little over 6ft 2
https://www.transfermarkt.us/michael-mcgovern/profil/spieler/29391
https://www.transfermarkt.us/tim-krul/profil/spieler/33027