On the surface that seemed to be the most unremarkable match in many ways – a fairly routine 2-0 win over a Coventry City side who were certainly up for it but were never able to offer much of a cutting edge after an early double from Kenny McLean and Jordan Hugill.
Sure we were a little disjointed and didn’t show that much ambition after the break, but with seven changes that was to be expected.
However, the game nonetheless offered up a few things that are actually quite worthy of remark.
Let’s start with some praise to Stuart Webber and Daniel Farke for the depth of the squad, never better illustrated by the quality of the five subs we were able to introduce in the second half, namely Grant Hanley, Max Aarons, Ollie Skipp, Emi Buendia and Teemu Pukki.
Then we can be pleased that certain players selected to start got some much-needed minutes under their belts as in Pepe Placheta, Bali Mumba, Xavi Quintilla and Hugill.
I’ll briefly add that was Emi’s 100th appearance in a yellow shirt and Hugill’s first goal for City from open play. This topic throws up an interesting observation that has probably been made elsewhere by now but at the final whistle Todd Cantwell, Max and Emi were all cup-tied.
That would not concern the likes of Valencia in the case of Emi but as Arsenal have a penchant for the FA Cup it might serve to put them off a touch. I know, the Gooners never win anything else 
Continuing on the Arsenal theme I had never really seen that much of alleged Emi *trade-ins* Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson until watching the Gunners-Toon tie on Saturday evening and from what I saw of them I would say words to the effect of: Oi, Edu, NOOOO.
It was also good to see Jacob Sorensen in his preferred [and natural] position in midfield although he was running on empty towards the end and replaced by Skipp.
To conclude my round-up of our individuals, what a wonderful pirouette in a Maradona style that was from Alex Tettey in the first half, and Zimbo’s early withdrawal seems precautionary although he still had time to give Ben Gibson a fright with a badly-judged pass. I think that’s everybody namechecked for now, so…
Oh hold up, hang about, I think I might just have forgotten to mention our man of the match, which would have been very remiss of me.
Young Daniel Barden had the type of game that a 19-year-old goalkeeper wasn’t really expected to have. Assured, seemingly nerveless and with some fine stops chucked in for good measure from the few highlights I have been able to see. If any MFW reader has the gift of BT Sport don’t be shy in telling us your observations.
Farke said of the rookie afterwards: “Daniel made some really good saves in the second half and that will only be good for his confidence and will improve his standing in the group.”The only way you can prove yourself is to play well in a proper game and he has done that. It is no surprise because we have all seen his potential in training.”
And now it gets interesting.
Should Tim Krul still be feeling too poorly for Cardiff, will Farke see fit to allow Barden to face the challenge of the aerial bombardment that will be posed by Cardiff’s Sean Morrison and his colleagues or will a new recruit be hastily ushered through the Colney door in the coming days?
We shall soon find out.
Anyway, we’re in the ludicrous *double draw* tonight. It would be ironic if it were Millwall away which would have been the original matchday fixture in the Championship on January 23.
In other news, we all know it’s cold but did Gillingham manager Steve Evans really have to wear seven puffer jackets to stand on the touchline against Burton Albion?
Also agent Jaiyesimi did some nice work at Portaloo Road on Saturday. The look on what could be seen of Paul Lambert’s face was, erm, remarkable.
And finally… if Donald Trump ever came to Carrow Road, he’d quickly get his own song: *You’re not Tweeting any more, you’re not Tweeting any more*…
Morning Martin, nice to talk about a routine cup won instead of looking for excuses after a poor display. Young Barden had an excellent game, no worries for me if he plays Saturday. Indeed we have strength in depth now, looking rosy at moment – hope it continues. I think Mr. Trump might be fighting for his freedom in the next few months. Anyway mate, keep well, looks at least be next season now before we meet. 😊
Hi Kev
DF himself said he thought it was almost the *perfect game* and who am I to disagree with him?
I’ve no worries about Barden either; it’s just that Cardiff is the type of game where Krul’s sheer presence would be very advantageous. I reckon a season’s end loan or free agent would be best if we can pin one down – there’s a few knocking about.
Let’s hope we’re all back for 21-22.
You stay good too.
Good morning Mr P on this ‘less cold’ Monday morning – with more and more rumours that we could suffer a repeat of ‘the Beast from the East’ in the coming weeks.
It certainly sounded like a fairly comfortable win at CR on Saturday and full credit to Barden in goal and keeping a clean sheet. I see Mark Robins is quoted as saying that ‘all the shots were straight at him – perhaps he needs to go to ‘Barnard Castle!!’
Definitely a case of ‘hat’s off’ to DF for his changes and giving the players returning from injury some much needed competitive game time. From your excellent article this morning and reading the various reports over the weekend, they all played their part in the win and now give DF the type of problem that most managers/head coaches would love to have – who is in the starting 11/on the bench on Saturday??
A VERY interesting comment from someone on ‘Canary Call’ after the game and as you rightly say – all our star players are now ‘cup tied!!’
I read an interesting comment yesterday in that despite the 7 changes in the starting 11, you could immediately that you were watching ‘Farkeball’ – brilliant and how all the squad can slot seamlessly into it!!
Quite a turn round in a little over a month, when DF couldn’t even name a full set of subs and then yesterday he had a group of players on the bench who if they move in the summer could realistically sell for a combined £100M. Yikes. Not too dissimilar as when we went to the Etihad at the end of last season.
We now need to wait until tonight’s draw and I’d rather not have an away draw at a PL club and have the thought of the dreaded VAR, but at least it corrected the decision based on Longstaff ‘screaming like a girl’ when Smith-Rowe had in fact barely touched him. IMO, a yellow card to Longstaff would not have been amiss. 😀
Hi Ed
I’m not surprised the Cup-tied lads line isn’t original by now [if it ever was] but I swear I didn’t get it from Canary Call – I never, ever listen to it.
The most interesting decision DF will have to make, for me, revolves around Sorensen. Will he revert to LB, stay at pivot alongside Skipp or be left out altogether if McLean is deployed alongside Skipp and Quintilla plays?
I thoroughly enjoyed the terrestrial TV games yesterday as in Leeds pi$$ poor effort against a very good Crawley team followed by a great bit of football theatre with Marine v Spurs.
Emile Smith Rowe looks a very useful player – unlike the two who were linked with us in some areas of the media anyway.
It’s cold enough in the City!
Cheers
PS – I forgot to add a round of applause for Marine and their idea to issue ‘virtual tickets’ for their game V Spurs. At the last count, I saw that they had ‘sold’ over 21,000, which equates to around £210K to help the club stay afloat!! 😀
Yes that’s quite right and lots of Spurs fans were very generous in their take-up of the virtual tickets by all accounts.
Maybe there’s still a little bit of magic left in the Cup after all.
Martin’s Monday Mardle has covered just about everything there is to say about the game. Like you, Martin, I’ve had to rely on the highlights, but even with the changes it looked like business as usual. I’ve noticed in recent games we’re getting off to faster starts than we used to, and that can only be good. Nice to have the game sewn up by half time, and to let the returning players get a bit of a rest before the end. Big shout out to Daniel Barden, he has looked the proper deal.
Morning Jim
I’ve seen a whole five minutes worth of highlights since I wrote the article and it did seem very much like Farkeball as usual.
My only concern with Barden is the Cardiff barrage – we know they’ll stick a big lad on Max for set pieces like they did last time. But I was equally worried about McGovern in the previous fixture and we won it with a clean sheet.
If nobody comes in then young Daniel it is.
Cheers
It was an almost as perfect a football weekend (in England anyway) it could be without fans. We won comfortably, fielding a team that gives us confidence for both the short and longer terms-with that young Tettey fella improving season on season he looks as though he is one for the future!
Little 1p5wich did the usual. Leeds got hammered and showed that Bielsa (who seems like a thoroughly decent bloke), is no messiah. And Big Sam’s charm seems to be waning quickly.
I guess we’ll all be glad when January is over (for so many reasons) and we can have a much clearer view of what the future might hold-on and off the pitch.
Hi Don
I would LOVE to see Alex Tettey get a season’s extension here but would he accept it?
He’s more than entitled to his swansong in Norway if that’s his choice although I can see an NCFC coach of the future in him – if he’s interested, of course.
We’ve still got three weeks left of January, unfortunately.
Cheers mate
‘A routine win for the Canaries’, it’s been a while since we’ve heard those words after a cup game. And it was against decent opposition, added to which we had a bench full of stars waiting to come on. We’re top of the shop with half the season gone so our cup runneth over if you’ll pardon the pun. The pessimistic part of me says there’s always something ready to bite you in the rear, but we are where we are and we’ve overcome some major problems along the way. So a big thanks to Danny, his lads and all at Carra Rud for bringing us some cheer in these dark times.
Morning Cutty
Yes City are indeed giving us a light in the black as Ronnie James Dio once said/sung.
The end is not clearly in sight yet but we’re well advanced along the path and like Don H says [above] we’ll all be individually and collectively pleased to see the back of January for both footballing and non-footballing reasons.
Keep a-troshin’
Hi Martin
Horrible day here on Blackpool with heavy drizzle.
I mentioned somewhere else that a good ending to this season would be a 1 year extension for Tettey so he could retire as a Premiership player and then a possible testimonial once the crowds are back.
If city are going to get a loan keeper in they just might have missed a trick not getting Longeran from LIVARPOOL who has gone to another championship club.
Some hack in the Daily Mail reported that MoTD had upped its program and now is a perfect highlights show,
An ex Arse-nal and Everton player namely Campbell has suggested that if Arse-nal puts in an offer for Emi then he should tell city he wants out, the agents cause enough problems trying to get their clients to move to another clubs why have these so called expert pundits got to get in on the act along with every newspaper 📰 in the UK.
Leeds under estimated Crawley yesterday it was a Colchester moment long over due for them, and an ex city player rubbing Ipshite nose in it just made it a great weekend.
Enjoy the Celtic game tonight.
Onwards and upwards
OTBC
Stay Safe and Stay Healthy 🙏
A good read as usual
Hi Alex
Yeah I read the Kevin Campbell comments but they’re just rehashing old ground really. I always liked Campbell as a player but that picture of him in a dickie bow on one of the articles is a bit, erm, well you know what I mean.
Even discarding my dislike of Leeds if that had been ANY Premier League team there can be no denying Crawley deserved it.
I really laughed when Crawley manager John Yems told his squad to go out and get bladdered to celebrate. Maybe *government guidance* wasn’t on his mind at the time!
Celtic’s race is run for this season but I will still enjoy the game.
Cheers mate
I read the following last night it just goes to show not all big clubs for get the non league
As the teams couldn’t change shirts due to covid-19 rules by the FA Spurs supplied fully signed shirts of all the team and gave them to Marine a great gesture by the club, and a friendly will be arranged once supporters can go back into grounds
A great gesture indeed.
I hope the friendly will be at the *New Lane* to give the Marine players and fans a great day out but I would think it’s far more likely to be the other way round of course..
Respect to Tottenham and their supporters. Also great PR for a Premier League club after all those Covid rule breakers around Christmas.
As Martin said above, just PERHAPS, there is a little bit of magic left in the FA Cup after all. 😀
A four day fa cup festival, Norwich going a competent job on Coventry, and ticking most of the boxes on getting returning players pitch time.
I would have no problem with Barden in goal for our third European game this season .
Shout out to Crawley , especially as my daughters boyfriend supports Leeds, and a special mention for the team bottom of league 1 – no away wins all season- going to Huddersfield and winning. Well done Plymouth .
That’s a couple of banana skins to avoid in the draw, or not !
Hi Bernie
Yes I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend sportsfest too apart from Quins being pegged back by London Irish – but that’s a mere bagatelle in the greater scheme of things.
While Plymouth actually aren’t near the bottom of League One [you’d be forgiven for thinking so as they lost so many on the bounce] they did get a good result but a banana skin for us? I don’t think so.
Crawley maybe but I’d love to be drawn against them as we owe them one if you can remember events of a few years back.
Knowing our luck it will be Everton away. It has been before.
Cheers me ole Walrus
Enjoyable read Martin. The sun is shining on Norwich( as I type this so let’s hope for a decent draw tonight.
The sun must be shining on Daniel Farke too as a lot of injuries are now clearing up. Stuart Webber has assembled a strong squad for this Championship campaign. As you mentioned we had a very valuable bench on Saturday.
It will be interesting to see if another experienced goalkeeper is brought in this week. Even if one is brought in they may not be ready for the game against Cardiff. I would have confidence in Barden if he is needed. He looks a good prospect. The Academy is probably in the best shape it has ever been with a fair few more youngsters looking like they may well develop into first team players.
Daniel is very loyal to players who have done well so I think he will keep Sorensen at left back and McLean alongside Skipp in midfield for Cardiff. I don’t think he will put McLean in the 10 role behind Pukki as he has tried that before and I don’t think it works too well. So my surmise is that Quintilla will miss out this time.
Keep safe.
Hi Colin
Yes it is sunny in the City but as I write it’s closing in for the afternoon.
I simply cannot predict if we’ll get another keeper in or when but Cardiff are naughty boys with that aerial assault of theirs so personally I’m hoping TK is fit for that one. A strong referee would help us but oh well, you know.
You are right about DF’s loyalty to players and the excellent job the Academy is doing – and indeed has been doing for quite a while now.
Personally I too would be tempted to put Sorensen back to LB on Saturday as Cardiff would be just his type of game – he doesn’t see to stand any nonsense.
Thanks a lot.
I had possibility to watch Norwich game also, but decided to watch Chorley-Derby because of its unique circumstances. In highlights Coventry should have took 0-1 lead, but like all the time in championship Norwich is way more clinical than other teams.
So, level 6 team vs english highest level u19 team. Those confederation teams are surprisingly good in their obvious strengths. Physical difference was surprisingly big and Chorley forced Derby boys to play in style which suited Chorley. That game and Marine game led to several discussions and mainly we tried to figure out what was the level of those teams compared to other leagues. Its difficult, because like I have said you play in Britain so different type of football. My conclusion is that teams like Chorley and Marine could surprise even the highest level team from finnish league, but could also loose to team which plays way lower level. Level 2-4 seems most realistic depending of who are referees.
Hi 1×2
It’s funny really because quite a few Norwich fans think we are not clinical enough!
We call clubs such as Chorley & Marine *semi professional* because that’s exactly what they are as in the players earn money from their normal job which can be anything like a schoolteacher, a factory guy or like our Grant Holt an auto fitter. What do they get on top? I’d guess around £500 a week but it really varies at that level.
Ian Wright and Jamie Vardy both come from that background and went on to seriously great achievements without even turning fully professional until they were about 24.
You are very right when you say teams like Chorley & Marine could upset a high-level Finnish side but lack of full training time would mean that they could not sustain that level over a season.
Kiitos encore
Average wage in Finland highest division Veikkausliiga is 20 000. All teams are full professional, so they train daily or twice per day. Highest salaries have been around 400 000 euro. There plays several foreign players and actually some years ago they made limitations, because there was teams which bought so many players from Africa. Finnish 1st league offers of course players window to bigger market, best clubs plays regularly in Europe. For example Rangers striker Morelos moved to Scotland from HJK after he won golden boot. Top teams like HJK are surely championship level, salaries tells only about public interest. Public football interest is based on national team, this is tough work to get more public interest to local league too. Overall I can promise that finnish clubs will do better in Europe, we are now in level where we dominate games, but make childish mistakes and are bad at set pieces. Technical level is higher than leagues which are ranked higher, of course its frustrating. Its same process what national team had, but instead of using energy to set pieces and some other tactical stuff, plan is to make technically high level players. Hard work have started to prove that we are in right direction. Its also how players want to play and what suits to finnish players personalities best. So we are not able to play like Iceland, icelandic are different characters and have different strengths.
Thanks for a very good explanation of the background to the game in Finland – few of us in the UK really understand that much about football in the Nordic lands but we all know how many wonderful players from Scandinavia have enhanced the Premier League and, sometimes, the EFL Championship.
Speaking purely about Norwich City we’ve had very little luck with our African signings although Alexander Tettey has been brilliant for us for nearly ten years now, but despite being originally from Ghana he played most of his early professional career in Norway!
We’ve got a squad involving players from – at random – Finland, the Netherlands, Spain, Argentina, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Cuba, the USA, Germany, Denmark, Poland, Norway and even England.
Onel Hernandez is the only Cuban ever to have scored in the Premier League, believe it or not.
I have no idea how many foreign nationals play in Finland but their presence in the UK has very much made our football much more diverse and exciting.
And lots of ours like Krul, Tettey, Pukki and Buendia are wonderful characters too for which we’re very grateful.