It was my birthday on Saturday. I am proud to say that I share the date of November 27 with Jimi Hendrix, although that is about all we have in common as he was one of the most innovative and exciting guitarists of all time, whereas me?
Well at least all you MFW types know who I am, which will have to be more than good enough for me.
I got the usual raft of presents, as in none whatsoever. After all, it was my 64th and although I got the usual mildly offensive and ageist cards from the kids it was up to me to provide myself with an actual gift, which turned out to be a pair of Poundland gloves.
I rarely wear gloves as I tend to lose them [the old girl had to put mine on an elastic loop when I was at primary school] but it was so cold on my way to the Carra that I thought it was a sound purchase. The skies tipped it down on and off and Norfolk’s welders are surely fully booked between now and Christmas by members of the brass monkey fraternity.
But 0-0 or not, the entertaining nature of the game proffered a kind of extra reward for birthday fortitude as I thoroughly enjoyed the Wolves match in the usual good company I meet up with in the Barclay on a matchday.
We were structured, offered a threat and more than held our own against a Wolves side who must be pretty decent as they’re hovering around a Europa League spot – I’d previously seen very little of them under Bruno Lage.
The loss of Mathias Normann early on through what seems to be a recurring pelvic muscle problem was completely mitigated by a fine performance from the often-maligned Lukas Rupp, who certainly had a very good hour when he came on as an early replacement. Except for shooting weakly at keeper Jose Sa when he could have done better, but I’ll forgive him for that simply because he “got stuck in” as Dad would have said.
Yes, we missed our chances and there was an “along come Norwich” moment between Grant Hanley and Tim Krul which would have been punished by Joao Moutinho on a different day. But the positives were there for all to see, not least the burgeoning partnership between Milot Rashica and Brandon Williams on the left, the tireless running of Josh Sargent and another solid performance from Ben Gibson.
Krul’s cajoling and encouragement of his defenders for the few Wolves set pieces was a joy to watch – and to listen to when the Barclay choir fell silent, which they rarely did. He’s quite vocal and very tactile, is our Tim.
When Wolves made an unenforced 92nd-minute substitution, it confirmed just how grateful Lage was for the point they just about merited.
Dean Smith was spot on when he said afterwards: “I thought the performance was better than against Southampton. We were probably fortunate to gain an extra two points last week and were unfortunate that we probably lost a couple of points this week”.
As always I had a few messages waiting for me from friends when I got home and I’ll pick one out from MFW regular Bernie Owen who succinctly said: ‘Marty, this [Simon] Hooper’s got no better as a ref over the years!‘
I’m forced to agree. Hooper made two terrible decisions within a minute. Both Barclay and Snakepit signalled their displeasure with *Hooper, Hooper you’re a c***, *you don’t know what you’re doing* and of course the referee’s song as well. Every time Hooper is allocated we know what’s likely to happen. This time it didn’t of course but our collective dislike of this particular official remains.
So all in all it was an enjoyable birthday and a performance that surely gives us all some hope of survival. On a sliding scale depending on our individual psyche of course. For me, I feel more optimistic than I did at Halloween.
There were to be two final twists in my birthday tale. Joining most of the rest of us with a big old ovation for Dean Smith and the players on the final whistle I stayed on for a short while. The couple who sit next to me had left a shopping bag under their seat and, of course, my bad weather Mammut boots got entangled in the handles and I had to slow the progress of those exiting from D Block row L as I extricated myself from said mantrap.
I set off to hand the bag into Richard the Steward on the exit gate when the male half of the couple struggled up the stairs against the heaving tide of exiteers to claim his wife’s bag. He was so relieved that I asked him what was on it – I hadn’t been bothered to look.
He said it contained his lightweight rain jacket and quite possibly the remnants of a packet of wine gums as well. Given the weather conditions, I’m not surprised about his joy at the reunion. Maybe Kendal mint cake might have been more appropriate than wine gums.
As the rain poured down and the wind howled like a pack of angry wolves** I emerged onto Prince of Wales to find total gridlock, not a taxi in sight so had to walk three miles home in the inclement weather. But it was worth it to see a good performance from the Canaries in a very entertaining game.
**The Wolvers fans themselves were not angry either before or after the game, so I’m not alluding to them.
Given the traffic chaos on Saturday I can think of nothing more suitable than this from my fellow birthday man, the maestro that was Jimi:
Hi Martin
Glad you had a great Birthday and an adventurist one and at least the game got played unlike the Spurs game 24hrs later.
The Ref mentioned that the ball had snow on it and I was of the opinion that when teams played Burnley that was par for the game as it spends so much time in the clouds.
Another helping this Tuesday and along round trip for those Hardy souls when are the FA going to sort out these mud week schedules so that faces are played within a reasonable travelling distance.
4 points in two games and hopefully another point or three at the end of a long night and more pressure on Howe, the new owners will already be compiling a list of potential replacements just leave DS where he is but then money and ambitions talk on this game.
Hi Alex
Good litttle dig at Burnley there!
For reasons I won’t go into but I’m sure you’ll understand I would really like to beat Newcastle tomorrow, but the footballing reason remains the main one.
Early signs are that we might be facing Messrs Lewis & Murphy, both late of this parish of course. I applaud the dedicated supporters who are making the journey, I really do.
Cheers
Looks like Normann
could be out for tomorrow and possibly Saturday they need to find out what the pelvic problem is before he is out for a longer period.
Newcastle gave some good players that can hurt most teams on their day as long as it’s not tomorrow
I think Normann is off to see a specialist – I’m pretty sure Webber & Farke were aware of the pelvic issue when we signed him.
Let’s hope he is sorted soon.
Good morning Martin on this cold but dry morning and hope you didn’t suffer too much from Storm Arwen and the walk back at the weekend. Sounds you had the usual ‘older person’s birthday and a far better display from the team in yellow and green to make the afternoon more enjoyable. If we can keep playing with that same intensity and desire (with slightly better finishing!!) …..
My journey into the city took 30 minutes longer than usual, due to a minor accident near the bottom of Grapes Hill and ignorant drivers blocking the newly ‘improved’ roundabout at the top of the hill.
What can we say about Saturday’s result, other than it should have been all 3 points. If only Pukki had got some height on his shot, it would have evaded Josa Sa’s outstretched boot and nestled in the back of the net!!
I like Sargent for his work rate, but he needs to at least be testing the opposition GK!!
Overall, a great team performance and if McLean can maintain or improve on his showing on Saturday, I hope that the Canary Nation will be saying Ollie who in another few months.
Rashica now has his own chant and I know we tend not to have a chant for loan players, but I wonder if someone can create one for Gilmour, to the tune of ‘Billy Don’t Be a Hero?”
Hopefully, now that he is playing regularly and has 2 MotM awards, the clamour for him to move to Leeds will fade.
For those readers who are a fan of statistics – if you look at our form over the last 3 games, we are in the top 3, but even when you expand it to looking at our form over 6 games, we are 12th!! 😀
Morning Ed
Yes I should have mentioned the Mayor – he was great in the second half.
As for chants for loan players you are right although Darren Huckerby had one before he signed on a permanent and I’m sure Kyle Naughton did too, although I cannot remember what it was – it certainly involved the word Grasshopper!
Roads? Try getting form the City to Mundesley this past few months without rat running.
Cllr Wilby has a lot to answer for 🙁
Cheers
A belated happy birthday Mr. P- mine was a few days before yours. Jimmi Hendrix, I was lucky enough to have known a guy on the entrance to the Orford Cellar back in 1967. Only just over 14 in that January, he let me slide in at the back to see the Master of the strings. A day I have never forgotten. Also saw Eric Clapton there and with Cream at the old Lads Club.
Enough of my memories. I managed to get a good stream to see the game, apart from the Hanley-Krul pantomime, we looked more like a premiership team since the early days of our first foray under Mr Farke.
Sharpening up in front of the goal is needed, if we were not creating chances there would be a lot more to worry about as we have already seen this season. Mr. Rupp put in a very good shift, I almost groaned when he was shown to be coming on, he has not been the best performer in this league, but like others, he has found a new lease of life in a short while. The interception/tackle he made on the edge of our box was absolutely brilliant. Shame he didn’t find the gunpowder to have a stinging shot.
I am sure many of us would have taken the result at 1 minute to three, but by 5 pm we all had a tinge of disappointment at not having a full house of points. Still, a draw against a team pushing the top 6 is a ruddy decent result. Above that, we looked like a team with great link-up play all over the park. Sure we all hope Normann will be OK to play, he has been the stand-out of the new guys, although Williams is coming up on the outside very fast.
Onto Tuesday and the long trip up North, Krul will be given a great reception I hope he plays out of his skin. My other hope is the Along Came Norwich tag is dropped, seeing as the Toon have not won let’s keep that way just for one night ..please.
I hope Krul doesn’t need to play out of his skin. In fact, I’d like him to be able to read a book if the floodlights are bright enough!
I wonder what Tim would choose to read – I can remember some terrific Dutch painters but cannot think of a prominent author.
So, Sports Illustrated I’ll guess!
Hi Lad
I’ve heard many a tale of the Orford Cellar and the Jacquard but I was far too young to go to either. The fact I lived in London at the time wouldn’t have helped, although I did get to see Thin Lizzy in the last days of West Runton Pavillion.
I’m pleased you agree with me about Rupp, and young Williams continues to impress more and more with every game. Him and Rashica are keeping the Greek national team’s left sided pairing of Giannoulis and Tzolis out of the side and that is quite something whichever way we choose to look at it.
Cheers
Happy belated birthday, Martin! 🍺🍺🍺
When you get to my age, you’ll find that the odd heavy hint that a wee drop of the Scottish wine would be acceptable usually produces results!
I enjoyed the game too, and for a change wasn’t sweating on hanging on to the point, just hoping we could have got all three. I did have a moment of concern when’re I saw Traore coming on, but between the Mayor, Williams and Gibson we contained him pretty well. How much does that guy spend on baby oil?
Hi Jim
Yes Traore is a threat but a couple of Wolvers I spoke with before the game reckon his heart isn’t in it as he wants away. Never mind, we’ve got Saint-Maximin tomorrow.
As for the baby oil I always thought that was the preserve of CR7?
Excellent team performance and we’re finally looking like a team that can compete in the EPL. On a day when many impressed, one of the stand outs was Brandon Williams who showed the value of getting stuck in-one tackle from him was all it took to make Traore anonymous when he came on.
After the Watford and Leeds games I genuinely thought we had no chance of staying up and that we may go through the season without winning a game. 7 points from 3 games are just the tonic. Who knows, the lazy national press may have to give us some credit this season.
Happy birthday for Saturday.
Hi Don
You’ll have a pretty decent week in the West Midlands for sure – the Wolvers must surely be fearful of three out of their next four fixtures.
Lazy national press – I thought the public perception is that ALL us journalists are lazy 🙂
Cheers
Hi Martin,
Happy belated birthday. It is always nice when a Norwich game coincides with something you remember well in life. One of my favourite weekends was the 9th April 2005, Norwich beat Man Utd 2-0 and the day before I passed my driving test, which seemed the most important thing in the world at 17! Big game tomorrow…
Hi Pjct87
I remember that Man U game pretty well myself, even if only in the sense of being there!
My Dad was a copper and taught me to drive on the roads when he probably shouldn’t have done – but it was 1974 and things were very different then. I passed a fortnight after my 17th birthday in mother’s old Austin 1100, which they kindly gave me – not generous as it was probably only worth about £20 quid, 10 years old and full of tinworm.
Pretty cool to turn up at school sixth form in though!
Thanks – nice comment.
What a difference we’re seeing Martin.
It’s almost as if we have a completely new team, who really believe that they should be in the PL.
I have to admit that I loved the Farke era in the Championship, but for some reason in the PL under him we always seemed to have an inferiority complex (Man C at home excepted!!).
I thought we made Wolves look pretty average, but of course, according to the pundits, it was their worst performance since they reached the PL. If we’d had our shooting boots then another couple of points would have been added to the total. At least we are creating chances now,AND getting numbers into the opposition box.
Like many I was fearful when Normann had to be replaced, but (other than his late miss), Rupp was outstanding, and McLean had a really good second half. And how much better does Williams look nowadays?
How great would 3 points tomorrow be – just make sure we get at least one!
O T B C
Hi John
Dean Smith said this morning that we are starting to play like we have realised we are in the PL on merit and we could all see that on Saturday.
It certainly great to see numbers in the oppo box as well, agreed.
As for tomorrow, I’d take a point too.
Cheers
Marty, old boys like you shouldn’t be walking miles in the rain, find a nice comfy bar, (if you can) and have a glass or two whilst waiting for a taxi, time to take life easy. Anyway a late congrats on surviving another year, just a few day before my 78th, where does the time go? We might just live long enough to see City as an established Prem Club, or am I getting too optimistic again?
Hi Cutty
Yeah, tempus fugit and all that. A long walk home for me is always sustained by a can of SJ from any available offy as I don’t hang about, as attractive as the boozers are on my trip back from the Carra.
You and I did see us establshed in the old Division One and the first couple of PL seasons but it would be great if we could witness it again.
Cheers ole pard.
Happy birthday sat Martin only two years older than me🥳? see you enjoyed the game as I did three points tomorrow would be the icing on your cake see you man u ⚽
Hi Kev
Yep tomorrow is important so let’s hope for the best – as we always do.
See you for Man U.
Cheers
THANKS TO ALL FOR YOUR KIND BIRTHDAY REGARDS.
Much appreciated – Martin.