I didn’t attend last night’s game and so hadn’t planned on penning a thought piece on events at the Carra.
The fact there were no alternative ways of watching the action other than being there tends to render any comment I have on events even more futile than normal… and then Marcelino Ńuñez, in the penalty shoot-out, goes and scores with a bloody Panenka!
How am I supposed not to comment on that?
And it wasn’t just any old Panenka. It was the best version of said penalty I’ve seen since Antonín Panenka scored the original in the final of the 1976 European Championships.
If you haven’t, it’s here (at 1:44).
Nothing, for obvious reasons, will beat the original but this was as close as you can get.
For those of you who have played the game and who’ve taken a pen under pressure, you’ll know what I mean when I say it takes one with gargantuan cojones to be able to dink that ball down the middle of the goal a la Ńuñez and Panenka.
You’re relying on the keeper gambling on diving way or the other and you making the right contact with the ball. There’s so much more that can go wrong when compared to picking your spot and putting your laces through it.
When it happens it’s a thing of beauty…
And when it goes wrong…
Wes Hoolahan tried and failed with one too as I recall… but Wes is excused because he’s Wes.
Even if we haven’t been brave enough to try one in a match situation or penalty shoot-out, most of us will have tried them in training or when playing ‘jumpers for goalposts’ footie.
Not easy, right?
That Master Ńuñez decided to hit it quite so deftly and, in fact, gave Neil Etheridge two bites of the cherry maybe suggests it was a closer call than he intended, but the pièce de résistance was the way he turned and headed for the halfway line and his teammates before the ball had even nestled in the net.
Beautiful.
Of course, it wasn’t all about Ńuñez’s penalty and, putting aside some very Norwich City defending in the second half that allowed Birmingham back into the game, there were reportedly some very promising performances from Danel Sinani and Liam Gibbs – both of whom were successful in the shoot-out.
Some are suggesting that Gibbs is ready for a start in the Championship. If you were there, please let us know your thoughts.
Sinani too… should he be knocking on Dean Smith’s door?
That not too much has been said of Gabriel Sara tells me he, maybe, had a quiet night on his full debut, which is to be expected given he’s in a new country, is playing in a level of football that’s far more harum-scarum than he’s used to and is still some way off full match fitness.
The downside of the evening was obviously what sounded like a worrying injury to Sam McCallum – ironic given he looked set for a prolonged run – and that does present a problem to Smith that may only be solved by using Lungi Sørensen as an emergency left-back.
Then again, if from left-back Sørensen continues to curl them in from 25-yards, there are worse stop gaps out there. But let’s just hope McCallum’s injury is not as serious as it at first appeared.
Ultimately, injuries and dodgy defending aside, these games are all about getting in the hat for the next round and, however close the call, it was mission accomplished.
Kenny McLean’s miscue aside, they were a really good set of City pens and Angus made two really good saves – so job done.
Let us know your thoughts…
Two up at half time and I’m thinking at last it’s coming together. Full time and I’m wondering what the hell’s going on. I can’t be bothered to have a moan I’ll just sit and wait and hope.
Gunn’s penalty saves were very good.
Sam M was decent again before injury. We have a good player there, will get us a few £m in the future. Hopefully he stays for a while at least. A really fine attacking fullback in the making.
Aaron’s’ arrival meant our attacking play was more fluid.. He is our best player by far, at the moment!
Thompkinson gave a good account of himself and with more experience will become a very good, footballing centre back.
Hanley did what he does very well but Sara was frustrated by him refusing to make a progressive pass forward into the pockets he was finding.
Sorensen was great (after a wobbly first few encounters- a bit laid back to start with perhaps) but was super at right and left back. His goal left the entire stadium frozen for a second or too before everyone (players included) realised what he had done.
Gibbs – immense. Must start Saturday and every week from here on in.
Sara – some nice touches. Great movement, I think he was instrumental in releasing Hugoals for the 1st goal. I am confident he will come good – his vision and awareness is there to see, even if he is not able to execute it all currently.
Sinani replacing Rachica at the weekend? Big call for Smith but I wouldn’t mind if he did. Pressed very well, has real energy and lots of movement – got himself into the box to score, we need this!
Hernandez – displayed why he is a great impact sub and not a starter. Mercurial, terrible, sublime and frustrating all in one half.
Hugoals – did a good job as the single striker – was okay at linking with midfield players running through – great cross for the goal (not sure we want him out wide as much as he was mind you) ran his socks off for the team.
Dowell – Smith said he was really good. I don’t see it/ get what he brings. I don’t like to be harsh but someone once told me that, when running It looked like someone had tied my knees together with string and made me run in welly boots! Well this is what I see when Dowell runs around CR. He is slow, light weight and made little positive impact on the game. Very happy to be proved wrong.
Nunez – he is going to be the next big thing in the championship – energy, vision, tenacity and (along with a Panenka) attempted a halfway line lob too. A mighty fine find by Webber.
Josh USA S – looked more inclined than when he came on at the weekend – finished off the Shootout which will do him good hopefully. He has been terrible but I like the guy and want him to do well .
McLean – Lots of energy but got on the ball too much – slowed play down and moved sideways most of the time.
Ramsey – not sure he did anything that made me think he will be better than Rowe or Springett when they return from injury..
This was a tougher test than the Championship games so far but we gifted one goal (again) and didn’t look overly confident at corners. We will frustrate in our defending for some time yet!
The atmosphere was brilliant – far better than a league match – it’s the kids I suspect.
OTBC
Morning Mr G, I sat with my son right behind the goal Upper Barclay, bemoaning our luck that all four goals scored at the other end, but what a view for the shootout. The mayor strides down towards the spot only to miss badly. Left wondering why a young lad, Gibbs was given the job, hell needn’t have worried, far better than his experienced teammate. My son said to me as Nunez came towards us, he is going to chip him, which he did, being a young keeper my son called every penalty except McLeans, on the nail.
The almost worst part was the last kick as it turned out, Up walks our American, I groaned people, all around us groaned and verbally moaned. He dispatched no problem much to our delight, pleased for the lad, had he missed it would have needed more heroics from Gunny, plus anyone not convinced by him would have had more ammo.
Sara was as rusty as expected to be honest, he struggled a little at times with the pace, not sure if he was given the wandering brief but he popped up all over, he showed some very nice touches and passes, enough to say there is a real player in there.
Gibbs I thought is more than ready to hold a berth, he is good in the tackle, passing good, his vision was really up there., in my opinion, no need to have brought in a Villian, who looked eager to impress but had a real rawness about him (expected) but Gibbs was way ahead of him.
Nunez came on my goodness the man was everywhere involved in as much as he could get there, a real all-action midfielder, already like him a lot. Onel had a good go, but knowing all about him he had 2-3 players around him, one light-hearted moment from our Argos lad, not sure what he was trying to do but it as hell didn’t work, looked like he achieved to smack himself in the head with the ball
Heard people moan about the brick that is Hanley, he had an excellent game won everything he went for, helped his young partner and won many free kicks, he has a way of looking to be fouled when he perhaps hasn’t. Think it was Holty who said as much on Radio once. Dowell given another chance that he in truth didn’t grasp, there is a silky player in there but doesn’t seem to want to come out, tried a lot of flicks and passes that failed.
Hugill put in quite a bustling display, no goals, laid on Sinai’s opener and generally did not let their backline rest, I would not want to play against him. One moment he sort of saw a red mist, clearly fouled, Ref (who was poor again) gave nothing, Hugill took after his opponent and got him quite well, for his trouble he received a hallmark yellow rightly so.
McCullum’s injury made me question letting Mumba out on loan, (as has been said) An incident revolving around this, McCullam bent down, Ref was checking a Bluenose laying in his own half. McCullum got up limping, no trainer on didn’t leave the pitch, but the idiot (ref) made him go off and come back on, which I cannot say I saw the Bluenose do.
It worked for Lungi, who had put in a half-decent display on the other side, Aarons came on Lungi switched, all leading to his looping effort, we lost the flight of the ball, but watching Etheridge, look at the ball as it sailed over him was worth the ticket.
I rated Sinai highly after watching him in games last season, I do wonder what would have happened if Farke was still here. I am glad Smith wanted to cast an eye over him, he ran the show, an almost complete midfield performance involved in just about everything, passing was very good, and tackling robust vision very good. He has done himself no harm at all. Rightly picked for MOTM. Which may have been closer than I thought, with Lungi, Hanley and Gibbs, could have been chosen and I would have had no complaints.
Really should not have given away a 2 goal lead, felt sorry for Tomkinson, who had handled himself reasonably, well marshalled by Hanley, he is learning fast, not quite ready for a run out, unless forced. Still the odd slopiness around our own area that needs to be really stamped out, more wayward passing than I would like to see.
sorry I may have babbled a bit
Cheers for the comments and analysis, guys. Really useful.
Nunez also tried one from the halfway line? Too early for any 5’7′ Argentinian comparisons of course, but if the first battle is to win over hearts and minds, he’s made a cracking start.
The OG aside, Tompkinson looks capable of stepping in if required?
It was a good night all round with a Dereham lad and Carrow Road ST scoring for Colchester to dump out Ipswich and our loanee at Stevenage, young Earley, getting on the score sheet to put Reading out.
Has Webber dropped on a Chilean to replace an Argentinian – only time will tell 2 games and in both Nunez has looked good but let’s wait till a dark, cold and wet November night to see if he can perform.
Sara will need game time to get his feet under the table, so to say but let’s see how he settles. Again November could make or break his time in Norwich.
Good night all round for most of our players. Can’t help thinking we need another left footed centre back who can also play at left back. Rob Atkinson? Has always looked good since arriving at Bristol City. Just an idea!
Good shout that, Hugh. A left-footed centre-back definitely balances things up and we miss Gibson in that regard when he’s not in the side.