This time next week a small contingent of Norwich players of a certain heritage will be looking forward to Burns Night in order to celebrate the life of what many consider to be Scotland’s greatest-ever poet, Robert Burns.
Known as Rabbie to those from north of the border, Burns is honoured with his own valedictory night every January 25th and you can be sure that Grant Hanley, Kenny McLean, and young goalkeeper Archie Mair will be well aware of the significance of the evening. So will Angus Gunn of course, even if he has yet to decide whether to declare his allegiance to the land of his father Bryan or the land of St George football-wise – he was born in Norwich.
Burns was verging on the unique in that he wrote in the Scottish vernacular, or rather a watered-down version of it that was understood all over the UK and also in Europe. His works seemed to fit in with a mild communist ideology [if you didn’t look too closely] and were extraordinarily popular in Russia when he was alive and continue to be so to this very day. He has many aficionados in the USA and Canada too; mainly the revolutionary types of course.
His best-known works that even Sassenachs are familiar with would be Auld Lang Syne of Hogmanay fame and the poem To a Mouse, which features an introductory line that we all at least subconsciously know and that many of us can comprehend without the gift of Google:
Wee, sleekit, cowrin’, tim’rous beastie, O, what a panic’s in thy breastie!
This mouse had every reason to panic as a clumsy farmer [very probably Burns himself] had just accidentally ruined its nest with a ploughshare.
Rabbie Burns knew nothing of football and never visited the City of Norwich, but had he been one of our grand in the stand at Deepdale on Saturday [yes, 1,000 supporters made the gruelling journey] he would have discovered that his mouse was nowhere to be seen and nor were any of its characteristics.
Take a couple of dodgy pass-outs from the restored Tim Krul and there was not an element of panic in sight. There were no gifts from the defence for at least one afternoon this season and the shop was well and truly shut.
Cowering, timorous? Us? You’re having a laugh mate. I’m still not sure quite how David Wagner did it but we fielded a total of 16 lads out there who were full of confidence and full of themselves too if you like.
This is the same squad [plus Gabriel Sara and Marcelino Nunez] that Dean Smith had at his disposal for 14 months and he was never remotely able to get a tune out of them like this.
We were sleekit all right, as in the Georgian era Scottish meaning of smooth, sleek and endearingly crafty too. This century we could use the word to mean graceful and savvy, which is a fine combination for a football team to sport in shedloads.
We were knocking the ball around with joie de vivre, and for once that clinical edge was well and truly there with a brace of razor-sharp finishes from both Teemu Pukki and Kieran Dowell***.
The third goal was arguably the best of the lot, with Pukki making buffoons of two Preston defenders and keeper Freddie Woodman in one fell swoop before rolling the ball across to Dowell to nonchalantly roll into an empty net from near the penalty spot.
Manager Ryan Lowe did the equivalent of admitting he had got his starting set-up wrong seconds after this goal by hooking Ben Woodburn and Ali McCann for Liam Delap and Alvaro Fernandez after just 29 minutes.
After the break, an end-to-end contest was the order of the day and featured good chances for both sides, with the recalled Krul making a couple of good saves after the break before Fernandez might well have ended up wishing he had stayed on the bench as he was seriously embarrassed by Pukki for his second and City’s fourth. Smith’s Norwich would doubtless have conceded at least one *to give Preston a chance*.
I know it was never like that in reality but it sure did feel like it sometimes. We won’t face a side quite as poor as Preston were on the day in every match and I would exhort each and every one of us to enjoy each ebullient performance as it comes.
Enjoy the win, enjoy the fluidity of the football and enjoy the way nobody appeared to have a bad game. And, of course, hope for more of the same at Coventry on Saturday.
Other things on view to appreciate, in no particular order, included Kenny McLean’s best performance of the season in a position that obviously suits him.
The delight exhibited through the body language of Dimi Giannoulis and particularly Max Aarons as the Smith-era shackles were taken off them.
Onel Hernandez enjoying some defending as much as bursting forward in the usual Onel way, as in: “you go ball, I’ll follow you” and seeing every single one of the substitutions being made with a clear purpose that you could observe from the verandah of Mrs Miggins’ tea shop.
Last week I wrote of an upcoming sea change. The first waves of this quite literally appeared when the squad went over to thank the travelling Yellows while Wagner remained slightly in the background and let everybody enjoy their collective moment.
Who knows, the players might all arrive together at Carrow Road on a team coach before the Birmingham game and give the youngsters a few precious moments to grab a precious autograph. Oh hang on, we did that against Blackburn in the Cup last Sunday and I forgot to mention it at the time. 😀
*** It was a close call whether to dedicate this to the whole playing staff or one individual but shock and awe wins the day.
This is all yours, Kieran mate:
Morning Martin. I made reference to Burns’ poem after Smith’s “different animal” statement on this board. Wagner is certainly getting a different tune out of the same instruments!
Hi Jim
I would have read your comment at the time and I am a bit of a magpie so it could have been involuntary plagiarism but I’m giving myself the benefit of the doubt 🙂
So far Wagner is as pleasing on the ear as his rejuvenated charges are to the eye.
Cheers
What a refreshing change. They couldn’t , could they . No , not with ,19 games left , no way .
But a little voice straight off the devils highway is chirping they could you know, know what ? Be bound for glory.
Hi Bernie
They’re playing with belief again and that’s a cracking start.
You can never rule anything in or our with Norwich but I’m setting my sights on next season rather than this one although what might come down from the PL is frightening.
Cheers
I’m writing this from Charles de Gaulle airport en route to a visit to my brother in Panama, during what I hope proves to be a short period of unemployment. Between Tim being announced as no1 on Saturday afternoon (not much between Angus and Tim as keepers, but the team was crying out for character and personality) and DW leading his troops to salute the adoring masses at 5pm, an impulsive decision to travel was made and tickets booked and paid for..
I now question my timing as Saturday’s performance was superb. The Canary had been of the lesser spotted variety in opposition penalty areas recently but David Wagner’s flock created havoc in Preston’s. Who would have guessed that if a team gets players and the ball into the opposition’s defence area on a regular basis they would stand the chance of scoring a few? Not Messers Smith and Shakespeare, that’s for sure.
My brother usually finds a way of watching City live in Panama, so I’m confident of seeing the games against Coventry and Birmingham. Let’s hope the good times are well and truly rolling by the time I get back.
Hi Don
*Who would have guessed that if a team gets players and the ball into the opposition’s defence area on a regular basis they would stand the chance of scoring a few? Not Messers Smith and Shakespeare, that’s for sure.*
Yep, I like it!
Panama is a country I know nothing about so that would add to the fascination of actually going there for me, although Mundesley is pushing my limits right now.
Enjoy!
What out for the wild Mini Hippos
They were a favorite animal of there last dictator who released them into the wild just before his capture.
They have a nasty bite just like Pukki
Only on MFW… 🙂
If only that was the worst that Noriega did. He was definitely more Lafferty than Pukki.
Just had an hours drive and the name of that guy kept haunting me trying to remember it. Now I know |I wish it had stayed forgotten!
Morning Mr P ..what a change to greet a Monday with no moans and dissection of a game. Trying to recall when that last was. Long may it continue . They say don’t get carried away, bugger it I did for a while. I feasted as we had been starved for so long.
An old boy on Canary Call called it ” Farkeball on Viagra”. I thought our movement was free & fast not rigid and stiff (wink)
Aarons shackle free proved again what a threat he can be , the back heel was clever. Pukki looking more like himself. A few games ago he would not have risked over stretching for a ball he lost a little control over. Can go through the lot that got on the grass and could not find a fault with any.
If that’s what can be achieved in a week, what a month. I do think Angus can feel a lot hard done by, apart from a couple of bad clearance he kept us in front. Think it could be an experienced man at the back.
I can remember thinking over the years of What If’s again another one. what if they had given Smudger his marching orders on the last day before World Cup break? Wagner would have had a month with them. the points total could have looked a lot healthier
I was wanting a mid-week game not wanting to wait a week
Hi Lad
The one thing I did appreciate this season under Smith was the lack of midweek matches as we could reserve weekend days for our collective disappointment.
Now, like you, I have suddenly developed this long-forgotten desire to *bring it on*!
Pukki did indeed take a very heavy touch but after the theatrical showing up of Fernandez we can happily cut him a bit of slack – he still scored after all!
Football is full of *what if’s* but you are quite right in the case of Wagner.
Cheers
Good Morning Martin.
Indeed, The Resurrection of Norwich City 🟡🟢
I was cautiously optimistic. Whatever the result at home to Blackburn in the FA Cup there was an improvement. 26 shots 10 on target.
My worry for Saturday was whether the reintroduction of double training sessions would find them out after 70 or so minutes. Mind you that was the case under Smith anyway !
I take the positive reporting of David Wagner bringing a smile to everyone’s face at Colney with a pinch of salt, let’s be honest appoint Peter Kay or Billy Connolly as Manager and they would certainly do that, no it was going to be on the pitch that mattered.
And this a brilliant start, but only that. I doubt Coventry will give us that kind of spaces on Saturday.
I have always thought there is a player in Kieran Dowell he just needs consistency and perhaps a little bit fitter?
And our own Tam o’ Shanter the Iron-bru King himself Kenneth McClean was outstanding by all accounts.
Finally continuing you literary theme Martin, a quote from an old English poet, Geoffrey Chaucer….Great oaks from little acorns grow…. lets hope so.
Hi Tim
I had no idea *Little Acorns* was Chaucer as I always thought it was much later than that but no, you are quite right.
Half a dozen childrens’ nurseries come before it in the google listings!
You’re right about Coventry too – they certainly gave Burnley a battle anyway.
The closest thing we’ve probably got to Billy Connolly as an EFL manager is Steve Evans at Stevenage, current temporary home of Jon Tomkinson!
Cheers
This was a deserved victory over a poor opponent. We will need to find out how well our boys can fight against a tough team and/or come back from being behind to know if the play-offs is an achievable or realistic way back to the Premier League, The two automatic places look out of reach unless Sheffield United or Burnley stumble into a bad patch. But it is great to see our team playing with a purpose from back to front and looking like they have fully taken on board what the manager is saying. Great to see Sorensen back he is a classy player. If Aarons does get sold this window (which might not happen if Brandon Williams – of all people – comes back into the reckoning at Man United) then with Lungi and possibly Bali Mumba returning from loan (now he has p*ssed off the Tractor Boys) we should be ok. I like McLean playing further back he is another possible temporary defender. OTBC
Hi Roger
With the best will in the world we are 18 points off the top two and neither show any signs of a dip in form, although that will surely come at some stage.
I don’t really think that’s doable, but the play-offs remain a possibility.
That little Man U triangle with Williams, Aarons and Wan-Bissaka is an interesting one and I for one wouldn’t like to guess how it will all pan out.
Half the reason Kenny gets stick from some people is a direct result of his willingness to play absolutely anywhere, which seems very unfair to me.
Cheers
I’m not sure I had realised just how much the past season and a half had taken out of me until Saturday but it felt like a huge weight had been lifted, and all that negativity just evaporated. I know it was one game and there will be disappointments and frustration along the way but I have hope again.
Thanks for the article Martin.
Hi Bruce
I couldn’t agree with you more – my hope has returned too and you only have to look at the comments on Gary’s article yesterday and this today to see that everybody is feeling it.
Thanks for reading!
Cheers
I must admit Martin when I looked at the team sheet with Dowell and Krul in and no Gibbs my heart sank.
Two hours later I realised we’d managed to replace fourteen months of chaos with a proper manager.
Listening to Wagner’s after match interviews it was a great relief to realise we had an intelligent, coherent coach in charge of the first team.
Back to two training sessions a day and looking forward to the rest of the season with a team that doesn’t run out of puff after sixty minutes.
Now I hope my ambitions for City are completed by our owners realising the time is also ready for them to make way for somebody with the financial clout to back the new man with the funds required to overcome a £50 million deficit and replace the many out of contract players this summer.
Hi John
*Now I hope my ambitions for City are completed by our owners realising the time is also ready for them to make way for somebody with the financial clout to back the new man with the funds required to overcome a £50 million deficit and replace the many out of contract players this summer.*
Fear not, that remains very much in my mindset too. It’s not beneficial for the playing staff to work against such a backdrop, whatever spin might be put on the flawed concept of self funding, or *fan funding* as it’s known in certain quarters.
Cheers
Joy, oh joy Martin. Following on from Bernard’s comment, what an absolute delight to have read a couple of articles on MFW after Saturday’s game giving us some renewed hope for the future.
We’ve endured the bad times under the man from the Midlands so now it’s time to climb on board the Wagner bus and restore the feel good factor that we all experienced under Daniel Farke.
What a pleasure it is to watch press conferences as well where the man in the chair isn’t itching to depart at the first opportunity and spouting what amounts to psycho babble (but there are other words I could use) in the shape of number 8’s, 6’s, XG’s blah blah blah zzz…
I delight in seeing someone sitting there talking from the heart and clearly laying out what’s required from his staff in respect of their work ethic, you have to think that if he adopts the same approach to coaching on the grass it’s no wonder the players can grasp it.
I’m going to have to make a conscious effort to never speak about the previous coaching regime again although it will require me to remove the remaining feathers from my mouth, what a waste of 13 months and I hated every minute of it – there that’s done!
Thanks DW, I’m fully back on board the bus.
Okay everyone, let’s all get behind Bob on this one:
*I’m going to have to make a conscious effort to never speak about the previous coaching regime again although it will require me to remove the remaining feathers from my mouth, what a waste of 13 months and I hated every minute of it – there that’s done!*
It’ll be bl00dy difficult to stick to it but I for one am going to try my level best!
Cheers Bob
Hi Martin
Had a picnic with the family on the Brig a Doon not far from a full restored Burns house and museum Ayrshire is a beautiful part of Scotland,
Over the year like many I’ve e joyed a Burns night without the Haggis.
Hindsight is great and like we’ve all said how would this team have faired if Webber had give his newish sidekick the time in Tampa.
If and like your good self hope that the same turns up at Coventry this weekend a few nervous managers will be looking at their fixtures and thinking that there’s a new danger lurking in those games.
A new tune on an old fiddle or the new manager thrust only time will tell, sadly Smith and Shakespeare couldn’t or didn’t get either.
Let’s hope those players not in Wagner plans can find a new home in the coming days to help his own recruitment and those with long to medium term injuries get to play some part in what looks like a rejuvenated team.
One swallow doesn’t make a summer but brings hope of What’s possibly coming.
Hi Alex
I think we should be a bit wary of swallows appearing in January too but it’s lifted the mood everywhere and that’s just fine by me.
I’m not sure fearing us is the right expression but we’d reached a point where we didn’t receive enough respect from the oppo and to be fair, did we deserve anything else?
Early days sure but it’s good to be back on track.
Isn’t there a book called Brigadoon?
Cheers
A book and a musical film about an Ayrshire town that appears once every 100 years or so by the River Doon.
Crazy stuff 🙂
Hi Martin, we have both commented in the past how well Dowell combined with Aarons and Sinani down the right but of course we had to play the loanee from the Villa! I really hope that he now becomes a regular starter as his transformation was probably the most noticeable. The mayor was superb throughout.
We had visitors up here in hull so had to sneakily listen to the commentary on Canary tv. Once the visitors were gone on Sunday we watched the full 90 minute replay.
Why oh why did we stick with Smith for so long?
My only criticism would be over Krul as he ably demonstrated that despite good saves he is an accident waiting to happen.
Onwards and upwards now hopefully.
Hi Cyprus
Yes the goalkeeping issue is a fairly nice problem to have. Personally I prefer Agus if only because I very much see him as the medium term future.
Why oh why did we stick with Smith for so long?
I really believe the compensation money was at the root of it as much as anything as that’s what happens when you run a club the way we do.
Good to see more love for the Mayor, who rarely lets us down wherever he plays.
Cheers
Exuberant and uplifting stuff Martin, written with verve in keeping with the performance.
Given the extent of the change in the players efforts and body language and the way they went about the jobs they had been assigned, Ames one wonder what would be the result had Wagner been afforded a solid week during the World Cup in sunnier climes to work his charms. Perhaps we would have seen the real meaning of the phrase “different animal”.
McLean excelled in his deep lying role, both full backs played in a manner completely unseen since before smiths tenure. Dowell? From the start he was dictating the game, spraying the ball accurately switching play from one side to the other, and the goals! Pukki was sublime, clearly enjoying himself and setting a realistic target of his canary ton. Now that would be worth a statue.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, I fully expect a setback or two but the direction of travel has dramatically shifted from the steep decline of smithdom.
Danke schon Herr Wagner.
Hi Chris
The significant thing for me that this has given everybody a lift and yet we all seem to remain with our feet firmly on the ground in terms of expectation.
It rankles with me too that Wagner wasn’t brought on board earlier as it would have spared so many people so much misery.
I can’t believe even Webber enjoyed very much of the Smith era and many will remain unforgiving because he span it out for far too long well after he must have known it was a lost cause.
Is Teemu on for the ton? If Saturday is anything to go by I would say so.
Cheers
Teemu has now 10+6 stats. If he gets to 20+ goals and 10+ assists, it should ok season for him even to Norwich fans who have hated him all those seasons and kept cutting their wrists. His best and most important seasons are just coming and now he wants to show to other clubs why they should want him. Sometimes there are just extremely talented sportsmen or sportswomen and thanks to their laziness and unprofessionalism in the past, they have not been able to show their real level. Cases like that are of course extremely rare. Norwich fans should be grateful that he has been like that, if he would have understood what professional sports means lets say in Sevilla, Norwich would have never ever got that chance to get him in their club. To our national team his story has not been so great, last seasons yes but before that his laziness made us believe that he was never going to wake up and change his attitude.
His mindset for this season proves incredible mental growth. He was forced to stay against his own will. He has personal goals as a footballer which surely is behind his continuous success. Basically his next club will get a player who is 28-30 years old even though he might be on paper 33.
Marcus Forss last 8 games stats are 4 goals 3 assists. He plays now as a right midfielder/ winger. Chris Wilder almost destroyed his career, Carrick has seen him very differently. Boro looks very much as 1 opponent in the playoffs. Forss has scored Brentford to the premier league and surely playing against Pukki would motivate him a lot. There is no better feeling than beating your team mate.
Hi 1×2
We at Norwich have never seen the lazy, unprofessional side of Pukki in a Yellow shirt.
Sure he has had bad games with no service whatsoever and his head has dropped a bit but if he is involved he does his very best even if sometimes it does not quite work for him. Nearly all strikers are like that to one extent or another.
However we have seen Forss go through an obvious decline under Wilder but you’d have to be a Boro fan to know all the ins and outs of it. He scored a good goal on Saturday and we must consider how Michael Carrick has rejuvenated the entire team who were just awful under Wilder.
Play offs for them? Yes, I think so.
Beating an international team-mate is known here as *friendly rivalry* which would only intensify when both are strikers! If the USMNT play Finland that would be a great example of it for Norwich 🙂
Kiitos
The ‘knowing nod’ that the two Norwich supporting kids in my school gave me yesterday, sums up how we all felt.
Rock n Roll football was how Klopp referenced his Gegenpress…. I’m about to embrace my inner rock god!
Hi Martin
I’ve always been a bit of a hard rock demigod – in my own eyes and particularly my own ears anyway.
Herr Klopp is certainly rocking a bit right now – I can’t remember the last time that Liverpool went on a run as bad as this current one!
Cheers
Anyone reading your article and comments having just woken from a 10 day sleep would not believe this could be about NCFC. I don’t believe in curses but it does feel like whatever it was has been lifted. Looking forward to the next match is a weird feeling but a b****y good one.
Hi Colin
Very well put.
It was the first on-topic article I have enjoyed writing in a very long time!
Cheers