So, things are finally moving.
The friendlies are starting to come thicker and faster, the mood of the faithful is starting to oscillate more wildly than a bedroom fan, there’s a tangible increase in intensity in training and matchplay, and we already have our first casualty of the new season.
So, the week that was, starting on…
Monday, 11 July
A quietish day in Canary land if the truth be told, but there were two loan departures to report – both academy players in the early years of their City careers who now tread the well-worn path of gaining experience of first-team football away from Norwich as opposed to playing development football here for the U23s.
For attacking midfielder Flynn Clarke, home next season will be Walsall – the club where Dean Smith earned his managerial stripes – while for left-back Saxon Earley, the delights of Stevenage await.
Ironically, the pair could face each other early on in the campaign, with the two teams scheduled to meet in League Two on August 13.
I also did my subtle best to try and eke out some clues on the Attanasio situation but being the least well-connected City writer on the block does have many drawbacks. Sorry, I tried.
Tuesday, 11 July
Matchday 3. A short trip to The Walks was the order of the day, with Dean Smith’s pre-season prep taking in a game against Tommy Widdrington’s King’s Lynn.
Similar to last season’s 3-0 City win, it was a relatively low-key affair in which Lynn showed themselves to be obdurate and well-organised in defence, and combative throughout.
This time around, City won 2-0 – goals from Teemu Pukki and Christos Tzolis – but it was very much an exercise in getting minutes in the legs of the players who are still in the midst of double sessions etc.
Some fans took to Twitter to bemoan the quality of City’s performance; others took the common sense approach and saw it for what it was – just the third friendly of the season and an exercise in match fitness.
One negative to emerge was Dean Smith telling the waiting press that Isaac Hayden’s troublesome knee has been so troublesome, he’s undergone a minor op to try and cure the problem. As a result, in true Norwich City tradition, he will miss the start of the new season.
I’m saying nothing… I’ll leave that to our Martin ๐
Wednesday, 12 July
Nothing of note occurred other than the continuation of the Sara saga, which was said to be close but still to reach its conclusion.
Thursday, 13 July
Ditto.
Friday, 14 July
Gabriel Sara day! Finally, after weeks of speculation and a Paddy Davitt #nocircus, the Brazilian midfielder was introduced in the yellow and green shirt amid, to be fair, a relatively modest fanfare. Unless I missed it, he was even spared the excruciating, but almost obligatory, shot of holding aloft the yellow and green scarf.
Instead, there were just some nice words from the player himself and some even nicer words from Dean Smith, who described the club’s first-ever bona fide Brazilian thus:
“He has an abundance of skills. He can create and score goals, but also cover a tremendous amount of distance on a football pitch. He wants to get on the ball and look forward, he makes really unselfish runs and is full of energy.”
Welcome aboard, Gabriel.
Also on Friday, the U23s played an MK Dons XI and lost 6-0. We’ll move swiftly on.
Saturday, 15 July
Matchday 4. But first the small matter of the unveiling of the away kit which, like its home cousin, was surprisingly well received. The photoshoot was a work of art in itself with our city’s magnificent cathedral providing a perfect backdrop to the launch of one of our classiest kits in ages.
To me, it looks like our version of Roma’s kit; to the fashionistas, it’s ‘ruby with gold trim’. Either way, it looks bloody nice and that’s coming from a grumpy old curmudgeon who usually scoffs at those who get titillated by a new kit.
The main business of the day, of course, was the game in Fos-sur-Mer against Marseille – a game the club deemed worthy of a ยฃ10 fee if you wanted the live stream through the official website. Maybe when this decision was made, they didn’t realise Marseille would be streaming it for a fiver and there was also a free live TV stream.
Oh well.
Let’s hope the remaining three are free-to-view. A tenner for a friendly seems a bit much.
Anyway… it all went rather well.
Marseilles, if you didn’t know, came runners-up to PSG in last season’s Ligue 1 and so have qualified for this season’s Champions League – and we went and beat them 3-0! Even our opponents were impressed.
It is, of course, important not to get too carried away, just as it was right to not be overly critical of the lukewarm performance at The Walks, but nothing bad can come from a 3-0 win in which you play well against good opposition and your enfant terrible looks like he’s back in the game and up for the challenge.
I speak of course of Todd Cantwell who, from the outside looking in, appears to be committed to the cause and in a good place. It wasn’t just Todd though, there were plenty of good performances and successful tactical tweaks to keep Dean Smith and Craig Shakespeare happy.
For the record, the scorers were Jacob Sorensen, with a curling strike early on, and Jordan Hugill, with two close-range headers in the second half.
As an aside, it was also jolly decent of Marseille to arrange the game to be played predominantly in the gap betwixt the end of the T20 second semi-final and the start of the final. Merci beaucoup.
So, a good end to the week but not one to get too carried away over – unlike some of our brethren, one fan site in particular, who have already declared us champions-elect.
Will they ever learn?
OTBC.
Can we form a breakaway Not-so-SuperLeague? European football seems much more to our liking than the domestic game.
I watched an extended highlights on YouTube, and in addition to Sorensenโs superb curling strike, both Hugillโs goals showed good technique and an appreciation of being in the right position for the cross. It also showed some good efforts by Marseille, with good saves by both Krul and Gunn. All in all, a good preseason and confidence booster.
Watched the French connection game on a free French stream, and turned the commentary very low as didn’t want a French lesson – too hot.
Cantwell looks to back to his old self, wanting the ball at every opportunity, plenty of fuel in the tank, linked up well with several of the squad. Had a hard job picking out who was who as the cameraman decided to keep the zoom button unemployed for much of the game.
Lungi strike was top draw stuff, Hugill’s brace was typical of a slightly old-school striker, but still he had to be in the right place, both crosses into him were on the button.
Good to see Onel back in the team – supplied the cross for Hugill’s second. As for Rachica, the jury is still out but I admit to not seeing enough from him. Approach play is good but his finishing is poor. If the offer comes in I would take it.
Couple of good saves from both Krul and Gunn. They looked to be playing as a team again, adhering to what they are drilled. A good work out, not a typical friendly – a few meaty challanges here and there. Did feel for one of their players, his knee went, as he prepared to kick – hard to take in pre-season for any player.
On to Cambridge, slightly worried as to what happened there a few seasons ago to with Klose and Pritchard.
A neighbour gave me what he said was a fan, it turned out to be a type of Air Con with plastic tub for ice and water. flow bars oscilate – can get too cold at times but an absolute gem of a thing.
Iโm so pleased that Todd seems to be doing the business-I just hope itโs because he wants to do it for us and not just to put himself in the shop window.
I canโt wait to go to Parkhead on Saturday to see City play the worldโs second greatest club, and for some Sunday sunshine on Leith.
Itโs great to have some football to look forward to, just a bit of a shame Iโll be away for the first couple of weeks of the season.
Oh… had forgotten about “Sunshine on Leith”, Don. Shame a pre-season friendly won’t be sufficient to generate enough fervour to hear it in its pomp.
For me, when Hibs fans are in full voice, it trumps YNWA (and OTBC for that matter) every day of the week.
I think the best rendition of any song, by any fans at any occasion (other than any rendition of OTBC, obviously) was Hibs fans after beating Sevco in the 2016 Scottish Cup Final. I get goosebumps just thinking of it.
100%!
Have watched this so many times. As you say, spine-tingling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeHkQYDoVJ0
Hi Gary
The T20 Blast Semi and final were a great watch u like this mornings start to the last ODI both the Yorkshire lads out for a DUCK.
Followed the game like many others with the Paddy/Connor Pink-un in match report and there was not bad Preformances in their uttering maybe trying g to get back in cities good books.
Hopefully Sara will have his work permit in time to attend the Cambridge game so a few supporters can grab a selfie or two for the scrap book.
ISAAC H could turn out to be another Normann went in for minor op and was out for a couple of months my question would be why wasn’t he returned to Newcastle for running repairs city have left themselves open to all sorts of blame if things go wrong.
Any not a bad start to the pre-season long may it last and we see Tzolis, Rashica and Sargent proving they are good enough for city to keep
Hi Gary,
Early days but delighted to see Danel Sinani is getting some good reviews – including from Max Aarons which is also perhaps a good sign from an NCFC point of view? The Marseilles highlights showed several others had good performances too. Three decent goals!
A bit worrying that Hayden has a knee injury – although we have a good record of doing repair work on at least one other former Magpie as in Tim Krul, so perhaps less worrying than it sounds.
Look forward to seeing our Brazilian!
Cheers – OTBC!