I’m not going to go down Gary’s path of yesterday by having a go at the ITV sports team. Mainly because I would not be as polite and relatively restrained as he was. OK I admired Lee Dixon as a footballer but as a pundit – yuck!
Anyway the result the majority of the world apparently wanted duly arrived, but at least we made a bit of a fist of it in the second half. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as Lukas Rupp briefly looked up, saw there was nothing on for him and let fly. We could have done with a bit more of that attitude earlier this season of course.
The prospect of extra time appealed to nobody so 2-1 to the Reds was accepted by both sides with 20 minutes to go. The very impressive Jonathan Rowe didn’t read that script and stung Alisson’s fingertips towards the end but we were never seriously in the box seat throughout the match.
No gain but equally no shame, this match is consigned to the dustbin of Norwich City history.
Dean Smith diplomatically said afterwards: “It’s frustrating. We knew it would be a tough task as Liverpool are rarely beaten here.
“We gave a real soft goal away for the first, although the second was a good strike and there wasn’t an awful lot we could have done about that. We have had four or five really good chances against an unbelievable football team and you can rarely say that”.
The returning Christoph Zimmermann, switched-on gentleman that he is, added this valediction for the 1,000+ travelling Canaries:
“Eleven days ago when we travelled here and there was a storm we couldn’t fly so we travelled on the coach. It’s a long journey. I’m pleased we just had to do it one way and not both ways, so I can only half imagine what they’re going through just to see us play here.
“I’m happy we gave them a good fight to see and I hope they’ll be pleased with the performance, not with the outcome. I thank them for their support and I hope we can keep that going throughout the end of the season. We need it and that’s what will carry us. It can be one of the decisive factors to make us stay in this league.”
Slightly less diplomatic people than Zimbo thought slightly differently as this little interchange supplied to my Inbox from Posse colleagues Bernie Owen and Alex Bain during the game amply illustrates.
BO: Only a complete wombat substitutes a goalscorer with 15 minutes to go when the score is 2-1. Discuss.
AB: He possibly had it all ready to do prior to him scoring and was trying not to concede any more. Lots of effort in the second half was let down by the first-half display.
BO: Yeah but, he put on that well-known goalscorer McLean.
Make of that what you will, dear readers.
Oh well, we have no further interest in the FA Cup this season. Just like last season, the one before that and the one preceding that and I guess you know what I mean.
Elsewhere Daniel Farke continues to show the great sensibility and dignity he always possessed while he was with us when he discussed his departure from FK Krasnodar along with the coaching team that will be familiar to us all when he said:
“The current political development and the associated requests from our children, wives, families and friends to come home and the loss of all sporting perspectives have now led to this well-considered decision.
“It was very difficult for us because we were received very warmly from day one. We formed a great community with different nationalities in a very short time, who wanted to pursue sporting goals together. With joy and fun. Unfortunately, the serious side of life has now caught up with us.”
He’s a good old boy, is our Daniel. I kinda miss him.
Finally, Delia Smith has spoken with the media to say that she never really wanted biological children for whatever reasons but has 26,000 of us to look after as kind of stand-ins at Carrow Road on a matchday.
Probably sweetly meant but please revise your number down to 25,999 Ms Smith. I have no wish to become one of your *children*.
Oh well, on to the biggest Saturday of the season against the Brentford Bees.
I can’t think of a grammatically superlative term for $hit or bust so please let me know if you can. It’s that serious, this one.
The first-ever widely acknowledged Punk 45, dates from 1971. And oh boy do we need to Do It tomorrow.
Up the Pinks!
Hello Martin. Delia Smith has been very vocal this week and has been putting both feet in her mouth as per usual with embarrassing regularity.
I didn’t see the comment regarding her “children” but find it particularly unpleasant and sickly.
Hi Chris
I found this in The Sun of all places.
I worked there as a casual sports sub editor for a while in the early 1980s and really enjoyed my time on the desk but as my day job involved an NUJ card I was forced to quit just before they moved to Wapping. Their coverage of Hillsborough was extremely poor and a couple of the guys left as a direct result of that. That caused me to leave about three weeks earlier than I’d planned as I recall.
To me that’s Delia’s hat-trick: let’s be ‘aving you, we don’t listen to offers and we are all her children. We don’t stand a chance with her in charge.
Cheers
Apparently Delia made a bit of a twit of herself on Lorraine Kelly’s show as well. She’s making me cringe to levels that I haven’t felt since Ed Balls did Gangnam on Strictly. If nephew Tom is to be the future of Norwich, I really hope he’s a bit more bearable to watch in the media spotlight.
Daniel, classy as ever. Much as I’m impressed with Dean so far, I wish it had worked out for him.
Hi Jason
One of my MFW colleagues has met Tom Smith and speaks very highly of him which gives him the upper hand on me in this context.
However while Delia still draws breath [and on a personal level long may she continue to do so] the Prince Regent will be just that.
Maybe things at the Club will only change when the sword of time does its thing. It depends on how much nephew Tom wishes to deviate from auntie’s beliefs, if at all, and I don’t know the answer to that.
Actually I thought Ed Balls was quite funny and very self-effacing on Strictly, but each to their own as they say 🙂
Cheers
Nah, not for me. I’m just not into the whole Strictly thing, although I don’t actually mind Ed Balls too much as a person (but that appearance irked me at the time).
Interesting what you say about Tom as I’m sure I’ve heard similar echoes elsewhere. Still all feels a bit of a mystery though.
My other half used to love Strictly so it was a bit of a fait accompli for me. I think the absence of Bruno Tonioli hit her hard as I’ve not been dragged into watching it for around 18 months now!
Tom Smith says very little in public which for now is a good sign.
I’ve never met him as I said so I’ve no idea what his NCFC credentials are but they will more than likely be stronger than Delia’s – I remember the pic of her wearing an 1p5wich scarf!
Morning Mr P, did not expect much all else from the game, pleasantly surprised by 2nd half showing. As for TV (easy money) pundits. Too many of them have been out of the game a long time. to warrant my interest.
As to the ruddy cook saying she forgot Sky cameras were there for her )(sherry induced) cringing half time pep talk. I think a bloke carrying a freaking camera might be a clue as the guy running around with a Microphone like a big furry lolly also.
As for being one of her children, sorry Delia, I left home many years ago, even undertook a divorce from surrogate mothers. In other words, pee off.
Big Un coming up, if we don’t get the 3 points, I take it that this game has been targeted for possible result ? Southampton certainly wasn’t. It is as good as confirmed we are down, the inevitable will happen. Not being a downer but bloody good job. Nothing alive can make me love the Premier League, Too much money going to those at the top, Referees in the pockets of those big clubs, and so on. See tackle on Normann and Milner (dirty git) taking Rachica’s head off for evidence.
We can each add our own view.
I have already cancelled my BT football subscription hoping to pick up the odd game courtesy of some distant TV channel on the internet.
In some ways, I hope we do not go all out for promotion (don’t shoot) until the owners are prepared to allow some spending with someone who truly and actually wants the club to do well, not because the wages dictate they have to say the right things.
A lot more of the 2nd half showing in all remaining games please, if we are to go down let’s at least have a bleeding go.
Hats off to Mr Farke, and Markus Gisdol, who said “”I can’t stand on the training ground in Moscow, train the players, demand professionalism and a few kilometers away orders are given that bring great suffering to an entire people”
Decency and honourable actions
Hi Lad
First up I think Daniel’s comments have slipped under the radar a little bit but I thought what he said was admirable. I hadn’t heard the Gisdol one before – thank you.
Somebody I have met who knows her reckons Delia is more into red wine than gin or sherry, which given her cookery background is quite believable!
I’m sure she does mean well deep down in her own intransigent way but when it comes to *open mouth, insert foot* she is pretty much in a class of her own.
Tomorrow really is our last stand – and we’re in the first week of March ffs!
Cheers
I didnt see that Liverpool-Norwich game, after brilliant carabao cup final it was obvious that this game is going to be off game for Liverpool. Minaminos 2 goals were surely highlights of the game and its amazing how patient he has been, his game time is been so limited.
Norwich-Brentford is 1 of the direct relegation battles. Brentford form has dropped, their attacking system is way too much dependent of Toney. Their other attackers are awful goalscorers, Forss is very good but he wanted playing time and did not suit to their system so he is loaned. It shows that Frank as manager cant adapt to different tactics enough well. When you use data a lot when making player recruitment decisions, your squad becomes easily too one dimensional. Their midfield is basically danish league midfield, all central defenders are very tall. Together with Toney he plays only runner type of attacker like Mbeumo and Wissa are, they are not strikers and like I said scoring is not their strength. Toney as a target is usually quite far from goal, his job is to win high balls and he is very good on that. Set pieces is something they have trained a lot, its usually typical in italian football to train plenty of set pieces.
Norwich, Brentford, Watford, Leeds, Burnley, Newcastle are all in relegation battle. Of course also Everton might be, difficult to see that even Lampard is bad he could be so bad that Everton would play next season in championship. Leeds have played basically whole season without Bamford, im surprised that Rodrigo has not been able to play any better. Leeds made football culturally decision which you should not do when they sacked Bielsa. Bad luck might follow them.
Hi 1×2
That’s an excellent analysis of Brentford – take a look at my MFW colleague Andy Head’s match preview and you will see that he agrees with you!
I don’t think Newcastle will go down. I’m not sure that they have bought particularly well and the injury to Allan Saint-Maximin will not have helped them, but even so they’ve got a fair bit about them now, although I do not exactly approve of their new ownership.
There is a huge dislike between Norwich and Leeds. Man Utd and Liverpool supporters do not like them very much either.
Norwich City are in big trouble as we have no alternative to an exhausted Pukki.
Kiitos
Yes Martin; it really is $hit or bust……
I cannot recall at this stage of a season, and bigger game for NCFC.
Oh; how we need a Pukki back firing on all cylinders.
O T B C
Hi John
As I said to 1×2 above Pukki looks tired, knackered, or even f*cked if you’d prefer.
Yeah, March 5 is a pretty early schedule for D-Day but I fear this the case.
Thanks as always.
Hi Martin
Slight error Daniel wasn’t at Rostov some team further north Krasnadov or similar.
A famous quote was made for Margaret Thatcher “The Lady wasn’t for Turning” and Delia has taken that stance but MT came to a sticky end when her backers realised she was too stuck in her ways and they were no longer working.
Was DS substitution of Rupp due to tiredness or to keep him for the Brentford game similar with Normann and Pukki, at least no more injuries and Zimbo still has a job to do a little rust but could be an asset which ever league we are in next season.
I read this morning that Russian clubs can’t sell their overseas players on the open market due to restrictions and that clubs are saving money by giving free transfers for those that want out maybe Normann could tell them he will not return.
Well Brentford up next it starts a run of possible garnering a few points and Canos will be trying to prove a point again I still haven’t worked out why he didn’t get a chance at city.
Not sure our loans manager is being as successful as the last all the lads don’t seem to be getting game time but Adams had European clubs helping out, Mumba is a bench warm at Peterborough, only time will tell who these lads will progress at least Rowe is showing possibilities
Hi Alex
Good call – my knowledge of Russian geography is pretty pi$$ poor and I got confused between Daniel Farke [Krasnador] and Matias Normann [Rostov].
No the loans out haven’t really worked too well this time around but I think they were mostly sanctioned by Neil Adams before Andy Hughes took over.
Incoming, Brandon Williams has been good but I don’t think much of the others. I suspect clubs would be less keen to loan players to Smith than they have been to Farke, but that’s just a bit of personal speculation.
Cheers mate
On the basis that I try not to let the football spoil a good day (or night) at the football, I quite enjoyed my first visit to Anfield. Massive clubs have an aura around the stadium; clubs such as Man Utd, Celtic, Barcelona have it and Liverpool have it too; clubs such as Newcastle and Spurs don’t. It’s not based just on crowd size or current success.
I was struck by how many Liverpool fans had half and half scarfs, perhaps they collect them in their cup runs. The concourse under the away end shows why the new stand (which is already under construction) is needed. It is badly appointed and very cramped but, thankfully our PM has heroically defeated Covid, so there are no health worries.
It seems that one of the advantages of being at the game is that I didn’t have to suffer the TV commentary of Sam Pratterface and Lee Thickson. I can imagine that I would have been as wound up as everyone else.
If I am one of Delia’s children I’d like her to find a way of giving the whole family more money! I don’t know what time of day she said it-perhaps there was too much sherry on her cornflakes.
Hi Don
Glad you enjoyed Anfield – the atmosphere is special indeed.
The 50/50 scarves are normally bought by the day trippers or parents of very young kids at maybe their first game – a guy on Riverside does quite well with flogging poor quality gear like that which no real supporter of either club would go anywhere near. He only does it for the top six clubs; if you wanted one for Norwich v Burnley you’d be disappointed.
If I were one of Delia’s children I’d hand myself in to Social Services pronto.
Cheers mate