To see the relief-tinged celebrations at Anfield spoke volumes of City’s efforts yesterday afternoon. It was a performance to be proud of – something that’s not always been the case this season.
But, regardless of any heroic failures, the fact remains it was an afternoon that ended with us being back at the bottom of the pile with the worst goal difference in the league by miles and with the five teams above us having played fewer games.
In a fit of pique, I tweeted post-match that if, as the saying goes, Carlsberg did Saturday afternoons, yesterday’s would have the complete antithesis. It was one of those, in which we seem to specialise, where everything that possibly could go wrong did. Even despite playing well.
When the contract with Lotus for shirt sponsorship expires, I suggest we go the whole hog and replace it with Murphy’s Law.
Feeling sorry for ourselves won’t help of course, and I’m sure Dean Smith won’t allow that to become a thing in the dressing room, but there was something so Norwich City about producing a thoroughly decent performance against a quality side and yet ending the day even further in the mire than when we started it.
But if the worst happens (if indeed relegation is the worst – many disagree), it won’t be losing consecutive games against Man City and Liverpool in February that finally sealed it – it’ll be those opening 15 games when we were the boys to the men of the other 19 teams.
Now we look competitive. Now we look as though we have a structure that provides, against most opposition, a solid platform from which to play. Even if it is too little too late.
That Dean Smith has managed to achieve this while armed with a squad that is nothing like Premier League ready and is worth, in PL money, a pittance is some achievement.
Work has clearly been ongoing at Colney to find a defensive shape that permits us the ability to soak up pressure rather than cave in when the flak is flying, and the improvement is there for all to see.
There’s no rocket science involved. It just means the back four have to stay as a tight compact four when the opposition has the ball – which over the last three games has been almost all of the time – and means we have to concede space out wide on the premise it’s more important to defend the goal rather than those areas.
And it’s worked to a degree, and I’d expect it to to even greater effect against teams who are not Man City and Liverpool. It makes for a massive workload for Max Aarons and Brandon Williams but both have responded to the challenge, especially the Man Uts loanee who just get better with every game.
We’re also of course a better side when Mathias Normann is in it, and in Milot Rashica we have found a player who, after a tricky few months, looks every inch a Premier League player. My big fear with him is he’ll be one of those players who’ll outgrow us very quickly, as our self-funding model demands.
It’s all about the £££s.
Looking further ahead, it’ll also be a squad without Williams, Normann and Gilmour and, most probably, Aarons, but I guess that’s a piece for another day.
In the here and now the biggest challenge is to find some goals in this squad. With Adam Adah’s knee picking the very worst possible time to require surgery and with Teemu Pukki hitting a Project Restart type run of form, it’s difficult to see where they’re coming from when we need them most.
But, we plough on, and go to Southampton on Friday with some belief even off the back of two defeats, such is the skewed playing field on which the Premier League is played.
How ridiculous is it that we lose 7-1 on aggregate over two weekends and yet come away with renewed hope because we did quite well to concede only seven.
Again… another column for another day.
But there’s something unedifying about any Liverpool (a) fixture. There’s always something that grates even when on the receiving end of the traditional humping – and I’m not just talking about the media Liver-love-in, You’ll Never Walk Alone, the endless mirth or the little insignificant ol’ Norwich tone that clouds the whole day.
Yesterday it was good old Mike Dean who took the stripes.
The Merseysider had a decent enough afternoon until he realised who he was dealing with and permitted Alisson Becker the gift of using his hands outside his penalty area to throw the ball into touch.
In the greater scheme of things I guess it was no biggie – it would only have been a yellow and we’d probably have screwed up the resultant free-kick anyway – but it was a reminder of how being Norwich City in the PL means being treated differently.
Do we think it’d have been dismissed with a swish of Mr Dean’s hand if the suspect was Angus and the scene of the crime was in front of the ‘world-famous Kop’? Of course it wouldn’t.
But hey ho… it’s good that we’re reminded of our place occasionally in case we start feeling at home.
The Premier League, eh…
You’re certainly right about the media love-in Gary. The Five-Live commentators were distraught until the Scousers equalised but were straight back to their usual eulogising selves after Salah put them ahead.
The big villain yesterday was Sky putting Tim Sherwood on the City game as a pundit, manager and player he hasn’t prove good money.
In the first 20mins he said city should have had a penalty but I can’t remember the last team to get a penalty on that ground, Spurs got 2 in 2018 not sure who that Ref was but I don’t think he has been back.
Yesterday must have been the Ref day for trying to help the top 2 at the ManC V Spurs game 4 Spurs players got booked, a penalty decision was rewound 3mins after the incident so ManC drew level then after Spurs scored the winner an extra 3 mins was played for City to draw level again and the Ref was a city favorite in Antony Taylor.
Is it just a conspiracy theory but at each game there are independent accessors surely they must see what the general public see with this celeb loving officials, bad or completely missed decisions ignored appeals, and surely his assistants and the 4th officials should tell him he has missed something and what does the VAR team do.
I read the VAR remit was to inform the Ref of clear and obvious missed decisions so are they doing this or are the onfield official disregarding those calls.
No supporter likes their team to continually lose games to Refereeing poor decisions or a Ref that can’t see past the so called Celeb status but these accessors must start reporting these poor officials but they will not as they are officials themselves so its self preservation and about time the accessors were an independent body with no attachment to the Refereeing body.
Alex, I think your Spurs supporter colours are showing! The reason for the delay in awarding the penalty was because play was continuing, and they only took it back to the “dubious” decision once play stopped when the ball went out for a throw in. The “extra” extra time at the end was because of the treatment to the Spurs keeper. Having said that, there is definitely bias towards the big six (including Spurs) when playing “lesser” teams, as the keeper carrying the ball outside the box in our game shows.
Spurs have and always will be my second team.
I just happen to think that when the richer clubs play each other then the Ref’s still has a bias towards the team higher in that order as well
Apparently the Allisson incident wasnt even shown on match of the day!So even the bbc are biased!Anyway a good performance,would have been better if the goat had put his chance away though..What annoys me the most is that we are only a decent defensive midfielder and another attacker away from being good enough to avoid relegation.Obviously the board didnt see it that way so we have to get on with it.Makes you wonder what would of happened if the Sargent and Tzolis money was put together on a striker instead of buying those two.
Hi Tony
Trouble is we could not have attracted a £20 million striker here, due both to wage demands and the willingness of any such player to join us.
Economics aside I completely agree with you!
Dont agree Martin,there must be a striker somewhere in the
world who would love the chance to play in the epl for peanuts!
Despite us showing heart, when Liverpool decided to turn the screw we didn’t stand a chance.
When you look back at the season so far the bulk of our points are from relegation fodder in crisis. Unfortunately I see few of those now and we’re being left behind. Southampton is a critical game. We can’t have an 8pt gap, plus goal difference, and teams with numerous games in hand.
Looking at our games played vs others, it surely shows how we should have had games cancelled earlier this season.
What a sad, bitter little man you are!
Am guessing you’re a Liverpool fan, John?
But you nailed it … am all of those things 🙂
Hi Gary
I think all us city supporters could be classed as that as we aren’t glory supporters like the top clubs have
Hi John
If you consider we are sad little men here on MFW Norwich City might I suggest you take a look at the preview I wrote with one of your own, Tony Evans of *The Anfield Wrap* fame which was published on Thursday and still on our homepage?
It is full of mutual respect between real football people and exhibits none of the traits you describe in your comment.
My regular Monday match recap will be live early tomorrow morning and I wrote it fully three hours before I read your comment.
Have a read and you are more than welcome to make a reply – please do and decide if the term *sad little man* is appropriate.
If you think it is then fair enough but I always love to hear from supporters of other clubs so please tell me what you think 🙂
Just like Gary and the rest of
I suspect you’re a scouser, so wouldn’t understand the basic fact that the BBC pundits, and the vast majority of referees do show incredible bias in the PL.
It’s not just against LiVARpool, but both Manchester clubs; Chelski; and to a lesser extent Spurs and Arsenal.
Against both Citeh and ManUre, penalties were given against NCFC, which had the offences been committed against us on their respective home grounds would have been waved away. Yesterday Williams was booked after he stumbled into Diaz, but Diaz gets away scot-free following his much worse challenge immediately after.
Why was no action taken against Allison for deliberate hand-ball outside his penalty area?
Had Gunn perpetrated that, it would have been a definite yellow card, and with your players quality, a decent scoring opportunity. But of course, the BBC didn’t show this!
Earlier in the season, teams were getting matches called off when they had fewer injuries/covid cases than us, but we had to play on…..which is why the other teams at the bottom have games in hand.
Yes; we agree that we’re not as good as Man Citeh; Loserpool and the others of the so called big six. And given our poor start to the season, probably deserve to be where we are.
But sad and bitter?? Definitely not……but we would love a more level playing field being granted by those in charge!!
O T B C
(I’m the Norwich John; not the Liverpool one!!)
Good performance, but honestly people we have been round the block a few times now, to know the minnows in the prem do not get much of a look in. That is in coming up against big boys, the class gap is miles, then there is the favouritism shown by those are meant to be impartial.
Yea we can be called nasty little men, but when you are following the big boys , you do not see it or want to see. Yet always appear to claim the right to have everything in your favour.
Pretty clear yesterday that Allisson was outside his area, with hands on the ball, how on earth did the ball fly away from him, not his legs or feet, not his head, and if he can do that with his chest or dick, well then he will be in the guiness book of records. A official had a clear view from the touch line, plus the camera angles of VAR would have shown it too. Now is not that a bias ?
Would like to see across the line for Mane’s goal. he looked a tad offside when the ball was headed in. but that is only one view of it I saw.
With games like this, I expect results like that, for me the performance was everything and we showed a darn good one. Games against those considered top teams are not the ones which will take us down but those against those around us. Burnley now starting to find something, Toon also plus Watford getting all 3 at Villa. Doesn’t look too good, but in truth, I expected us to fall through the trap door again, not passively, but with some fight which is a far cry from our last little visit to this league.
If Aarons is sold some of that money should be used to try and keep Normann here, if all parties are willing
I like your thinking, Lad – although I fear Normann will have his sights now set on a PL move.
I sincerely hope that you’re right and I’m (as usual) wrong 🙂
For Normann to get a PL slot, he’d have a) keep fit and b) play well regularly for the rest of the season. If he does that, we might be in with a slim chance of survival (though I’m not holding my breath).
Well summed up Gary – nice to see us still fighting and giving it a go. I’ve seen on this site people slamming Webber for bad recruitment – for me, it’s bad management. Farke couldn’t manage a booze up in a brewery in the PL – 2 wins in 40. Great championship teams, yes. My critism of Webber is he didn’t sack him earlier – only Tzolis has disappointed me but then Vranjic took a season to get going. Norman probably will be gone at the end of season but Sorrenson can do just as good in that position – be good to have both in the team. Au revoir McLean.
Every single club in football believes they are ‘chested’ by referees, and that there is a bias favouring someone else. Arsenal fans believe the bias against them was proved beyond doubt by the two-yellows-make-a-red for Gabriel Martinelli. That’s just the most recent example.
Yes, each game is watched by an assessor. And every single decision is reviewed by the PGMOL.
Yes those assessing and reviewing see what we see — but not through the prism of our partisan passion.
When decisions go our way, we just think “Yeah, that’s right” and can’t even remember the incident a week later.
The ones that go against us? Folk bang on about individual moments for decades.
That’s how football and human psychology works.
All noted, Mick. But you think Dean would have made the same mistake if it was Salah/Angus instead of Allison/Pukki?
It wasn’t Dean’s mistake. It was a decision for the assistant, but I doubt he could be certain.
Yep, 100%, in identical circumstances the sane outcome would have unfolded at the other end.
But it wouldn’t have been so galling to Liverpool, who were comfortably ahead.
That’s the bit that can’t be the same for us and ‘bigger clubs’: the impact of marginal (honesty, neutral) decisions which go against us.
But one season a few years ago, weary of the universal assumption of unfairness, I began keeping a record of all the marginal calls that went our way and which attracted howls of disbelief and outrage from opposing fans. After about five games I had too many to keep up the log.
…. and I knew not a single City fan would take the point I was trying to make anyway.
When I mentor young refs, I hear Sunday morning Warnocks telling 14 y o refs: “You gave them a fk for that..” And so on. And so on.
It used to bewilder me that rational people, whom I like, and who wouldn’t dream of falling for any other conspiracy theory, take the biased refs one as absolute fact.
Now I just try, forlornly, to counter those who bolster their bias about bias with misunderstanding the Laws.
Otherwise, hey ho!
Best regards. I’m 4000 miles away in the sun. I really, really shouldn’t care.
What about the celebrity appeal of many of the players of top teams? I feel this is where refs possibly have unconscious bias. After you Mo. Cristiano, how’s it going? Turn round., oh you’re McLean…clumsy tackle,
yellow card.
Mick, the thing is, I can see big club bias when I watch games in which I have no partisan interest, and don’t care one way or the other who wins, but I still see referees given some strange decisions, which in the past might have been straightforward errors, but which are now compounded by VAR. (I am a qualified referee, albeit from a while ago).
It was, as you say, a decent effort Gary.
The team put their backs into the game, the defence was solid for a large part of the game, when the midfield and attack got the chance they took the game to Liverpool’s end of the pitch – what’s not to be ‘up’ about?
Liverpool’s substitutions elevated their game and the inevitable happened. We’ve gone toe to toe with two of the best teams in the world, and come out 2nd, but so will others and we don’t have to play them again this Premiership season..
Super-Teemu’s reactions have deserted him for a few games but they’ll return. Rashica and Sargent looked sharp, will get sharper. McLean, Gilmour, Normann and Lees-Melou seem a well-knit midfield who inter-change admirably well, I think they’ll disrupt several opposing midfields from now till the end of the season. Hanley and Gibson look strong together, we have Kabak and Zimbo as well. I love what Williams and Aarons bring to our attacking wing-play and we have have Giannoulis too. No real problems in goal, three good keepers when Krul’s fit.
We’ll always see the kind of issues referred to about this match, and it doesn’t seem to matter how many officials we have plus tech, there always seem to be talking points arise game by game, for us, and for others.
Newcastle Watford and Burnley each have 6 games against the top eight – as do we.
Everton have to play the top eight, 8 times.
We have to keep up the pressure on every team we play against, let them deal with their own problems. The Norwich team has been fighting hard to stay up this year, they are worthy of our support right to the end. Southampton next!
Cheers,
COYYs !!