Three home wins in a row! Who saw that coming?
Again we flitted, in the space of 93 minutes, between the beauty and the beast, but amid it all there was sufficient good stuff to score two good goals and enough of the ugly side to grind out a clean sheet.
Job done.
The range between our upper and lower levels of performance is still much wider than David Wagner would like but when you’re winning no one cares.
Talking of low levels of performance, yesterday’s opening 20 minutes took some beating but, as Wagner said afterwards, key to the win was that during that period of struggle, they held firm. For once, despite passes aplenty going astray, no big chances were coughed up.
While Cardiff looked bright and breezy in that opening 20, aided by the freshness that comes with having had no midweek game, they lacked the quality to capitalise on that spell of dominance.
Thankfully.
Having ridden out that difficult opening spell, the game gradually swung in City’s favour. At its core was the midfield partnership of Kenny McLean and Gabriel Sara, who, game-by-game, are both becoming more comfortable in the tweaked roles in which Wagner is playing them.
Both have been asked to do things that fit nicely within their skillset – McLean as the deep-lying quarterback and Sara as more of the box-to-box man but with licence to drop off and pick a pass when the opportunity is there.
And when it works, it works nicely.
What is clear is that both are now acutely aware of their roles within this system and with that comes the aforementioned comfort. While the Scot provides the ballast, the Brazilian offers the full gamut of skills required for a central midfielder.
And it was the latter, with McLean’s support, who pulled us up by our bootstraps and led us out of that troubling opening spell.
All of a sudden there were more touches of the ball, simpler passes, switches of play, and from it emerged a rhythm which is invariably there when things start to click. The ball gets zipped rather than deliberately rolled from A to B and everything happens a couple of beats quicker.
It was probably no coincidence that Marquinhos, on debut, grew into the game as Sara gradually exerted his influence on it. He’s just 19, it was all a bit frantic and twitchy, and for those 20 minutes, he must have been questioning this particular, temporary, career choice.
To see his fellow Brazilian take charge and offer a few comforting words of Portuguese won’t have done any harm. Neither will watching said fellow Brazilian fizz one in the corner of the Birmingham net from 20 yards.
In Connor’s post-match piece to camera for the Pink’Un, he described Sara’s strike as “Stiepermann-like”. There is no greater compliment.
The second goal, just four minutes later, effectively wrapped up the points for City.
It was from Marquinhos’ pass that Sara scored the first, but this time it was the Arsenal loanee who prospered from a clever assist when he swept home Onel Hernandez’s clever cut-back after the Cuban had done some of his trademark bobbing and weaving.
Goal-shy Cardiff were never coming back from 2-0 down and while City’s performance level dropped off in the second half, it wasn’t one of those days when it felt almost inevitable that we’d find a way to allow our opponents back into the game.
Even amid a stuttering and staccato second period, several more-than-presentable chances came and went, with Adam Idah finding the Barclay rather than the back of the net after rounding the keeper, Hernandez hitting a post, Christos Tzolis sliding one wide and Teemu Pukki gently landing a chip on the roof of Ryan Allsop’s net.
A third would have been nice but it mattered not. It was overall, as described by Kenny McLean, “a professional performance, not a good performance”. But it did the job.
We’re now four unbeaten and have picked up ten points from the last 12 available, and all while being unable to find anything like top gear. Perspective is needed though. Those four teams were Hull, Wigan, Birmingham and Cardiff or, to put it another way, 16th, 24th, 19th, and 21st.
The last time we said to ourselves, ‘our next game will be a good barometer of where we’re now at’ Burnley played us off the park and beat us 3-0.
But… our next game will be a good barometer of where we’re now at.
Millwall (a) is a proper tester on any day, but when the fifth-placed Lions are on a promotion charge and have the scent of blood in their nostrils…
The Den will be no place for the faint-hearted. And certainly no place for the lily-livered.
I’ve questioned the mental toughness of this group several times over the course of the season (and been told off for it) but would love nothing more than to have egg on my face at 5pm next Saturday.
If City can emerge successfully from the type of examination only Zampa Road can provide, then fair play. And our own promotion charge will then officially be in full swing.
I didn’t see this coming after Bristol City away. I’m not sure many of us did.
But things are starting to get interesting.
****
Oh, meant to say, is there anything more Norwich City than having a day when our two goals are scored by two Brazilians but there’s no PA to play Samba De Janeiro. 😀
In case you missed it…
Nicely put Gary, did you think Idah missed a trick when he rounded the keeper and received contact from Allsop as he was in the process of rounding him. It would have been a free kick to City and as the last man the keeper could well have seen red. i can think of a lot of opposing forwards who would have gone down like a shot buffalo.
Agreed, Bernie. Most would have done a full triple salchow and demanded a red card. Kudos to him for trying to score.
Hi Gary
The old Lions Den was not a place for the faint hearted and the New Den in the heart of the Docklands had a similar feel on my only visit just after it opened.
Never mind the danger so the song says yet at Millwall it’s everywhere not only on the pitch so I wish all those hardy travelling supporters the best of luck.
Could yesterday have got any better a city win agaist Cardiff and an England Rugby win in Cardiff so a good day all round.
McLean says we are timing our playoff run to perfection let’s not hold our breath on that too many twists and turns to come.
Think Wagner has done really well and improved several players
Nunez and Sara look a real prospects unfortunately it’s taken 6 months and a change of management.
McClean and Sara look a strong and possibly outstanding partnership
Onel deserves a new contract Wagnerian coaching has improved his fitness his decision making and his tracking back into position
Sorensen looked good defensively too and with Gibson and Aaron’s returning to form the defence looks more solid
Marquinhos and Tzolis show real potential with Rowe returning to fitness their are plenty of options wide
Just need Pukki, Sargent and Idah to be fit and taking chances and the next 12 possibly 15 games look exciting
Real pity Hayden never recovered from his injury
I’ve got this awful feeling about us replicating Wagner’s feat with Huddersfield of being brave, brilliant, awkward, and rubbish in varying degrees to find ourselves promoted by mistake!
A welcome win indeed but for the first 30 mins I thought smith was back in charge until a cracking strike from sara put us on the way he really is looking the part now and the much maligned Webber has found us a gem there and nacho is coming good in his best position .he was described on national radio as being the best player to come out of Chile in the last five years and we’re our beginning to see where that quote is coming from and there’s alot more to come from him . disappointed with the atmosphere in the first half no drummer didn’t help it was that quiet could hear pukki passing wind on his warm up need to get behind them more .
A good read Gary. While we did appear very sluggish and sloppy for the first 20 minutes, for once I felt quite confident that the malaise wouldn’t last for the entire contest.
As you point out, Sara was beginning to exert a strong influence on proceedings and it was fitting that as he struck the first blow his name was being sung by the hone support – a testament to some previous good play.
Hernandez little shuffle in the box and low centre was reminiscent of his set up for Sara against Hull. Calmly waiting for the right run into the box and serving tge ball on a plate for his target.
Good finish too.
4 fantastic chances came and went during a rather sterile second half, all of which really should have yielded a goal. Why on earth idah didn’t go down early after being clearly baulked by the keeper is beyond me. He was off balance from the foul and his poor effort was as a result. 40 minutes against 10 men might have livened proceedings up somewhat.
Wagners imprint is clearly visible and its obvious his wide players, the full backs and wingers are important to his set up. Its very rare for a full back or wide man to compete the full 90 minutes given the energy they expend in his system.
With that in mind the resurrection of sorensen in his left back role is an interesting talking point.
A season which was dieing on its arse a couple of months ago has has spme life breathed into it and is providing spme moments and some talking points of note.
I still feel we will fall short of the play off mix but the forgotten pleasure of strolling up Thorpe Road at 5pm on a Saturday afternoon discussing a hone win is not to be underestimated
Good account Gary of a game of at least three halves.
Kenny gets a lot of stick on some sites but it was his energy and competitive spirit that ended Cardiff’s early dominance.
Sara is starting to look a serious player, I just hope we retain him for next season.
A pity Idah didn’t turn a golden chance into 3-0 but I’m sure it’ll come.
A much fitter side is starting to look capable of getting into the top six.
3 pts in the bag, saw the game out very un Norwich like!
Like how no one has daid much about big Grant and Gibbo we look a much better side with balance when they play together instead of omabawhatshisface(if reported correctly let Forest have him another Godfrey or Lewis)
Just a quicknone about Kenny been our best player last 6 mths was his biggest critic but stepped up faur play
Morning Gary
Indeed Millwall will be the big test.
None of our last 4 opponents have been what you might call upwardly mobile.
But credit where credit is due.
No sonner had I questioned the South American experiment than Nunez and Sara rammed those words down my throat with some excellent performances.
I hadn’t given up on them, just felt this season could be a bedding in period that they needed like so many of players getting used to the rigorours of English football.
We have interesting fixtures ahead and what we need now is consistency.
That has been our biggest downfall this season.
I wasn’t among those who thought the playoffs were done, but unless DW can harness this new feeling on the pitch on a more regular basis then we may yet come up just short.
But let’s be optimistic. There is a decent team in there, that’s for sure but we need more Dr Jekyll and less Mr Hyde.
Also I give the recruitment department a lot of stick so well done to them on the way they watched Gabby Sara for years before getting him here.
On the downside I was disappointed to see yet another recruitment department member leave.
But it was lovely not having the tannoy interference
We could, and probably should, have had at least two more in the second half, but overall it was satisfactory, though maybe not overly stimulating.
I for one didn’t miss the over-loud, rubbish, played over the PA before the start, allowing me to have a proper conversation with my match day friends. I’ve emailed the club about it in the past, and not even had a reply. (It took four years of complaining to get hot water in the gents under the River End, so not surprised at the lack of response). Lots of responses on the Pink’un forum about the lack of PA, and most were very happy to have it quieter. Not all of them were old fogies like me either. It was a welcome return to “proper” football – 3pm kickoff, and no artificial attempts to create an “atmosphere”.
Very well put Gary!
Two more great goals from a team which revels in attacking their opponents and seems to have an endless supply in ways to do it.
It took us a little while to get going against Cardiff and there was the odd error but the end result was very good and it keeps us on the edge of the play-offs. The Brazilians put in a very good shift for us, Sara’s goal was real quality and that’s a great debut for Marquinhos, who fits in well with the way the team like to play.
On another day Idah, Hernandez and Pukki would’ve scored too. I’m particularly loving this Latin look NCFC, it offers flair which the squad enjoy blending with, lets hope the guys can keep it going for the rest of the season. McLean’s positive attitude is very refreshing to hear.
I get what you say about perspective but three of the four teams you refer to were apparently ‘on the up’, and the fourth, Birmingham, better copy them or their Championship future is gone. Other than Wigan, the clubs displayed the ineffectual qualities we displayed before the Wagner reboot – a lot of credit belongs to our coaching team for that.
Millwall will be a tough game, they display gritty determination and want their place in the top six.
The New Den is a smaller ground than all the others in the Championship, its easy to over-weight passes and forget to take into account the lack of width and length we have to play with, that can create problems and disrupt our playing style.
Alternatively, when we break fast, we have less distance to cover to their goal, and if we defend hard, they can be stopped.
Looking forward to the game!
COYYs !