So that’s what it feels like!
By it, I mean, of course, a win but equally that could just as easily refer to the oddity of a goal or, rarer still, a Carrow Road last-second winner.
As it transpired, all of those things came together to produce a noise and a buzz not seen at Carrow Road for a very long time. And much needed it was too.
In a perverse way, I was one of the lucky ones in that ill health denied me the opportunity to attend Carrow Road in the second half of last season (yesterday was my first game in 2023).
As such, I was inadvertently spared an awful lot of dross, but there must have been a hardcore of seventeen or eighteen thousand who weren’t.
Yesterday was for them.
It wasn’t perfect. Even with a new-look defence, they still managed to find time for a defensive cock-up of sizeable proportions and for long spells of the second half looked a little too comfortable to defend against, but throughout there was a freshness and determination that will hopefully, going forward, set this group apart from the rotten Class of 2023.
For the opening 45, after seven months of waiting, we finally got to see Wagnerball in its purest form. And it’s good. With the ball, the tempo is high, the ball is zipped, and the movement is sharp; without it, the high press is exhaustive but structured and the hunting is done in packs.
The concern around there being no individual in the group capable of producing a piece of magic persists – and will hopefully still be addressed – but if yesterday’s first 45 turns out to be a reasonable guide, then the system itself, if executed properly, will ensure that chances are created.
City had 28 efforts on goal yesterday, so even if based on the law of averages, future performances of a similar ilk will produce goals, with or without a magician.
The key is obviously continuing in the vein we saw yesterday and improving upon it, especially against teams who are better than Hull City, albeit I have a feeling, based on yesterday, that Liam Rosenior’s team will not be scratching around the relegation zone this season.
Certainly, if the Tigers can provide a decent supply to Liam Delap and he continues to torment and bully defenders in the way he did Ben Gibson yesterday, then it’s not just Norwich City who they’re going to rattle.
But, early days and all that.
What matters to us is, of course, Norwich, not Hull, City and it won’t have gone unnoticed by other teams that our defence still has a mistake in it when the centre-backs are pressurised when in possession.
What happened in the 17th minute was horrible by any metric and can’t just be another cock-up to add to the long and ongoing list. Make it a one-off borne of a bit of early-season rustiness and we’ll all be happy.
But it was a rare blip on an otherwise buoyant performance that didn’t take long to translate into a buoyant and lively crowd. Certain individuals within our club may continue to despise us but ultimately they matter not when there is something tangible to get behind on the pitch, and yesterday we had that.
The second half was less fluent and penetrative than the first, aided by some tiring City limbs and, probably, some imperceptible tactical tweaks from Rosenior that prevented the pleasing ebb and flow of the first, but there were no flailing arms and dropped heads – only a belief that a goal would eventually come if they kept plugging away.
When it did, its source was – based on what we’d seen for 95 minutes – most unlikely: a raking 40-yarder from Shane Duffy.
But it was his long pass that sent Jack Stacey clear to win what was the corner that ultimately led to Adam Idah’s goal. Hull claimed the ball went out before Stacey managed to hook it across and based on photographic evidence they may be right. But hey…
Hull also claimed the clock had ticked beyond 95 minutes – which it had – but Hull also ignored the ‘minimum of…’ part of the added-on time equation and the fact their keeper was taking an eternity to take goal kicks for most of the second half. So too the time-wasting that Keith Stroud picked up on from minute 17 onwards.
The invaders from East Riding also had a bee in their bonnet about Idah being in an offside position as he gloriously toe-poked the ball home and, again, they may have a point, but we’ve been on the receiving end of so many of those we’re hardly likely to decline the kind offer of a late winner on the basis our visitors thinking it’s just not fair.
We’ll tuck this one away and bring it out the next time we start feeling sorry for ourselves over a refereeing injustice 😀
The noise and celebrations that followed said goal were more than just us celebrating an injury-time winner and were borne of far more than just undiluted joy. Far more. And far more than the fact we’d seen a goal and a win.
As melodramatic as it may sound, there’s been a lot of angst, frustration, and pain over the last two seasons, and this was a glorious little glimpse into what it can be like when we unite behind a team that we can see giving its all and which appears to appreciate us.
Let’s hope it turns into something more than just a glimpse.
But it was a good day… and that’s not something I’ve written for a while.
Other random observations of a soggy, uplifting, and rather splendid day…
- Shane Duffy is a big ‘un who’ll come into his own on days when we come under lots of pressure and he can defend rather than have the ball at his feet.
- Jon Rowe has a swagger about him that only certain players can carry off. And a left foot that can open a tin of peas.
- Jack Stacey likes a tackle (which I didn’t know) and will do the Max Aarons role differently to Max Aarons.
- Ashley Barnes is one of those player/referees that have annoyed the hell out of us over the years. We’ve badly lacked a player/referee.
- We should make the most of Gabi Sara while we still can.
- Sarge will learn from Barnes, especially around making that ball stick when back to goal.
- Idah needed that goal. Hopefully, his confidence will have been buoyed by it. He too will learn from Barnes.
- Despite Stuart Webber refusing to believe it, Carrow Road can be a noisy place.
So… a good one at the Carra. One that meant something. We don’t really do opening-day wins so to buck that trend off the back of such a period of grimness was a fillip we all desperately needed.
Please can this not be a one-off?
OTBC
Morning Gaz – hope your feeling better m8. Miss not seeing you before the game bud – hopefully catch you soon!
Good summary of yesterday – was nice to see a City side who kicked people. Some bloody good signings in my view. Hopefully we’ll offload one of the three touted and get a left sided centre half in or, at least, one who can swing his leg at the ball( would be an upgrade on whathisface).
I guess Wagner will play the loan market in next 3 weeks to address this problem and a young hungry no 9 to play off Barnes.
Solid start yesterday though – just need a little bit of luck and come May I think we will be there or thereabouts
PS We are all Sunderland today 😀
A grand day out Gary, and glad you’re on the mend. At least the plan is now clear – although there are plenty of jitters ahead with our defence shape of Kenny and the two centre halves needing to be on it at all times with the fullbacks pushed so high. Gibson not to blame yesterday, because it was a Duffy backpass to Gunn fired at him with no chance to get out of the way. It’ll be interesting next week when we can’t get the ball for 60 minutes!
Well summed up Gary – it was a huge improvement on last season’s efforts. In Rowe, I can see shades of Huckerby – this lad has a huge future. We should’ve been out of sight by half time but everybody was talking about Gibson not sticking the ball in row z after Duffy’s slip. I was expecting more of the same yesterday – I got something completely different. There was a zip about the team, pinging the ball about and a much better press.
I saved the best for last – can Idah get the kick on for his career he badly needs after his goal? As good as yesterday was, we need to take more of our chances. Hull’s keeper was good but wasted a few in great positions. At least we were getting in those position – a big positive after last seasons shite. Wagner-ball may have rolled in.
Sara and Nunez can both be magicians and Rowe has a lot of flair too
We look fit and well organised and the style of play unlike Smudger is there and could be very effective
Really not sure about Gibson and Duffy, want to be proved wrong, and playing the ball around the back is not their strength. Omabamidele looked far better when he came on if we can flog Rashica and Aarons to placate the finances I think Omabamidele’s value might surge this season after a poor season devalued everyone apart from Sara
If we have to sell all 3 then need a young classy cb on loan from the prem
Hi Gary
Yes a good win and for once I even predicted the right score.
I had a poor streaming service yesterday but I did notice there was a lot of passing across the defence and Hull were quick to pick up on this but hey a wins a win and as for the No Ideah second goal I was informed as the ball rebounded of a Hull player he wasn’t offside.
Hull played the percentage booking game knowingly pulling city players back when they were faster to the ball and never the same player fouling in quick succession hoping that Stroud was forgetful, as for there thinking they are allowed 2 warnings before a booking any foul is a bookable offence not two attempts to get it right.
A HOME win is a good start and there were some strange results early days and nerves for some teams and some managers could already be looking over their shoulders.
Keep well
Really enjoyable game yesterday. The new boys fitted in well and Rowe finally produced a performance to back up our hopes.
I just hope we retain Andy as he looked a Rolls Royce of a player when he came on.
A £7.5 million offer is a joke and if it goes ahead it will demonstrate the desperate plight of our financial situation.
I’m afraid that once again Gibson looked well short of Championship standard and needs to be replaced, hence retaining Andy.
Hopefully, onwards and upwards.
Hear hear… to all of that.
Morning all, makes a change to write something so positive, the win as you say was needed big time. A stroke of luck and an Irish smile cannot be sniffed at.
My only concern, I said this before kick-off, time will tell if I and a few others are right, True both our out and out strikers, will gain very valuable lessons from Barnes the Bully, yes I say that very pleasingly to have him. I do have a concern about where the goals are coming from, I would love to see another striker brought in. Yes, early days I know. Anslin said on the wireless that we could and perhaps should have been 4 or 5 up. We will need to take chances as we progress, or we will soon find ourselves on the reverse too many times.
I am sorry I could not get behind the hype that was spewing out of the radio, Bob Rutler doing his best to put words into everyone’s mouths. “We love that Don’t we?”
You would think we had played more games than we had, it is just one but a much-needed and darn good win.
A word of caution, we have a ruddy long way to go and have to play some ruddy good teams, I cannot get carried away. At the end it is the scoreboard that counts, not chances, missed, Not the % of having the ball.
Hull’s keeper did pull of a couple of good saves especially to deny a Sargent header, but Rowe’s goal a top-draw strike, More of that please, I wonder if that little toe poke will do for Idah? He needs some more confidence building.
On to meet the Russel Farke team next, he looks more like Farke than ever
Good comment, Lad. Agree with that. Early days indeed – nowt can be gleamed long-term based on a single win. But encouraging.
need to get rid of Gibson never been good enough, panics like hell in and gives the ball away far too often
Could not agree more
Gibson simply cannot think quickly enough and had no pace
The number of times last season he failed to make a simple pass to Giannoulis was incredible and he is repeating the same failure
Has to go
Nice to hear you enjoyed yourself Gary – last gasp winner against Hull. Not awe inspiring but it’s a start. Onwards and upwards.
A few thoughts
We looked a lot easier to contain once Sara was taken off, I hope there is a back up plan, Nunez is not at his level or type
Speaking of Nunez typical performance, inconsistent with flashes of potential eg the 30 yard strike and the final cross for the goal, mixed with poor care of the ball and bad deliveries from corners
Gibson is most definitely championship standard no worse no better, championship standard defenders always have a mistake a game in them, can be bullied (delap looks like he is going to do that to a lot of defenders) but on the whole they are a 5 or 6 out of 10 each week.
Obamadele had a few minor scares, I think he often looks better than he actually is, not to say he is worse than Gibson but I don’t think he is a 25m defender yet
I really hope Sargent gets an early goal this season and also improves his first touch
What I liked most about Stacey was his play with both Rowe and Fassnacht who himself looked competent but quiet
The player I’m most worried about losing this season is Gunn
Hi Belgrade
It’s pretty safe to say that I agree with everything you have said
there.
I too am worried about keeping Gunny, maybe because of the pull of Farke and Ed Wootton.
Being me I could be worrying for nothing and let’s hope that I am!
Good morning Martin, I read in The Times this morning that’ while DF is in need of several players at Leeds, the one position he is happy with is goalkeeper so hopefully we can relax on that score at least!
Certainly a refreshing first half and on another day we would be two up. As pointed out Gibson a bit shaky and/or rust. Thought Stacy and Dimi G gave us a threat on both sides. Last year we built up slowly nearly always to the same side.
The tweaks like multi ball, immediate yellows for spoiler foils and time wasting, plus the added on time recording will all help the general flow and game experience.
As I said many times on these pages, I didn’t think it was fair to judge David Wagner before he’d had an active transfer window and a proper preseason.
I expected to see visible improvement in our mental strength and physical fitness compared to last year – and I think we did. The bonus was some scintillating football in the first half; the disappointment that we couldn’t sustain it in the second.
But an encouraging start, I’d say. Roll on Southampton.