I can’t help but find a common theme between City head coach David Wagner and the breath of fresh air that has been free transfer signing Ashley Barnes as they expressed their views after the 3-1 mauling*** of the Lions of Millwall at Carrow Road on Sunday.
Their attitude, which I’m pretty darn sure wasn’t choreographed, can be boiled down to “a great win but we need to start getting clean sheets as well.”
That’s the sort of thing I just love to hear as the minds of the man who is in charge of tactics and one of the many players who is busting a gut to make it happen on the pitch both want better.
You can imagine what a team talk in the inner temple of the dressing room might sound like just now.
As easy a victory as I’ve seen in a long time but what is the topic of conversation? Doubtless, the celebrations will have come first but then up comes the subject of clean sheets and we are hungry for them as collectively as we are individually.
In all of his seasons in charge, I can’t remember Daniel Farke ever once saying he wanted a clean sheet as he realised that one of the side-effects of Farkeball was that it made them notoriously difficult to acquire.
Or with his occasional individual twist on the English vocabulary he wasn’t recorded as being “greedy” to post a zero in the Goals Against column either.
I like a squad that is ambitious enough to want to get it right in every area of the pitch – and so does Wagner.
WAGNER – It was a great connection between the team and the supporters
“It was a top performance, a super performance from the first second to nearly the last. Defensively, very solid. Offensively, we created chances and opportunities and scored three goals. We even got a set-piece goal, and our striker scored. Our counter-press in the first half was top class, we never gave them any chance, and I think it was a totally deserved win.”
That goal of course came from a precise dead-ball delivery from Gaby Sara, which found Josh Sargent‘s copper-coloured curls, hit the post, and ran along the goal-line before having the decency to pop in for our second as a fine header got the justice it deserved.
The opener had been that man Jonny Rowe again finishing off a team move involving Dimi Giannoulis, Sara, and Barnes that ended with a cool right-footer into the corner. The game was effectively put to bed when a clever backheel from Christian Fassnacht allowed Jack Stacey to cross for Barnes to pivot and fire home with his left foot and score what I can only describe as a typical striker’s goal.
“It was a great connection between the team and the supporters, we felt their energy in the stands and on the grass as well,” continued Wagner.
“Since day one I had the feeling this group would gel and have the understanding and commitment together. They set their standards and demands very high as well, and it’s starting to grow and continues to grow.
“It’s still early days, but it’s been a good start so far. We have space for improvement, no clean sheet in the league so far.
“We will work on it.”
BARNES – I’m loving every single moment so far and long may it continue
Barnes said he and his new colleagues were buzzing after he netted his first goal for the club and his 100th league goal.
“We’re a bit gutted that we couldn’t quite keep the clean sheet, that’s disappointing from our point of view. But it was a great performance from us, and another three points.
“It was amazing to score in front of that end, it’s incredible. The lads have all told me about the Barclay End, so it’s definitely nice to score in front of that end.
“I’m loving every single moment so far, and long may it continue. It’s going to be a long season, and everyone has to be ready. But if we play like that, I can’t see us having any problems.
“Obviously keeping that clean sheet would’ve topped everything off, but it was still a good day and three points are more important.”
Meanwhile, our Don Harold was one of many who left Carrow Road on Sunday with the proverbial spring in his step and a couple of catty remarks for this column:
“Well, aren’t we having fun in NR1?
“The football we played in the first hour of the game was up there with much of the best of the Farke era. In Jonny Rowe we have a real gem – possibly our first £50m player. The signings have bedded in beautifully and they, along with training that has hugely improved fitness levels, have improved the standards of those around them.
“Everyone reading this will have seen the goals and, I’m sure, enjoyed the quality of them. Rowe’s brilliance for the first and Fassnacht’s exquisite involvement in the third were highlights for me.
“The gut-busting running forward and back eased off somewhat after an hour and it’s a shame we didn’t come away with a clean sheet. However, the Lions were vanquished, The Lionesses were disappointed but the vast majority leaving Carrow Road at 2pm were feline good!”
Millwall boss Gary Rowett was naturally disappointed, particularly and understandably so because of some near-the-knuckle chanting he was on the receiving end of from some of his own supporters. His analysis was short, sweet, and very much to the point:
“I think Norwich are a much better side than they were last season, they’ll be up and around the top areas of the league. They’ve got some top players and they played really well, but we have to make them play a lot harder than that.
“They outran us, they were quicker to the ball and had a little bit more desire and we conceded three pretty poor goals.”
*** This really was a mauling dished out by Norwich, at least until a combination of tired legs sapped by the humidity, late substitutions that never really gelled together, and an understandable attitude of “the game’s in the bag, let’s ease off with the gut-busting” came to the fore.
Or in the words of one half of the Sky commentary team, “it’s a rout.“
Next up is a trip to a Huddersfield Town outfit that currently occupies one of the relegation places and there are cynics abroad who think it might remain that way for them all the way to season’s end.
Mind you with so many connections between the two clubs and even more of these created comparatively recently it’s sure to prove an interesting game but I’m sure there are very few Norwich fans at the moment who don’t believe we possess enough wherewithal to turn the Terriers over on their own turf and enter the season’s first international break with our points total already in double figures.
And that is a prospect none of us could have foreseen just three short months ago.
——
I said at the start of this piece that if two voices independently agree on something and that makes you feel good, then great.
Today’s musical outro is rather different: a song with a totally straightforward title to everybody else but “Can’t Stop This Thing We Started” takes on a slight double-entendre for Norwich fans as the early days of the 2023-24 season unfold.
It’s not a case here that we are incapable of stopping this thing we’ve started but more the idea that we must not contrive to stop it cos it’s so damn good!
So here he is, the ersatz Springsteen aka the Groover from Vancouver, Mr Bryan Adams, who makes up for the saccharine live. The dude can rock:
Morning Martin it’s nice to have some positives around the club it’s been a long time coming . Buy hook or by crook on this seasons so far wagner has blended a team that looks like it might well have a happy ending..wonder what might have happened if Rowe had been fit last season he was our best player at the end of last Premier stink out . was ĺooking forward to seeing him last season he’s a beast got a chance if we can keep front three fit .
Hi Kev
Great points once more about Jon Rowe!
I remember us saying last week that to me has always been a bit of an unknown quantity but I sure do know about him now!
Six days on and that’s four in as many games and the beauty is that everything seems to come so instinctively and naturally to the young fella.
With all those Lions and Lionesses about on Sunday it’s good to know that we have a *beast * of our own!
Cheers
I’ll happily eat my hat at the transformation over the transformation that has taken place over the summer at NR1 and Colney. Like most fans I was quite pleased to see us bringing in players with experience of playing in England as opposed to players who were stars in their native country – with the exception of Sara. The way they have gelled is quite unbelievable and my mate who was at the game said that Barnes was occasionally heard offering Rowe ‘advice’!! 👍
To hear CR not resembling a library in just 2 home games is almost unbelievable and as long as the players deliver, it follows that the fans will show their appreciation – it’s not rocket science!!
So, we’re top scorers and with 6 different players finding the back of the net!!
Who needs Pukki/Aaron’s??
Hi Ed
Somebody on I think Gary’s asticle yesterday made the point that for the last four or so seasons we have been set up for Pukki and now he has gone we are seeing other players chipping in with the goals – six in just four games so far.
I much prefer the goals – and indeed the assists – to be passed around the squad and this finally seems to be happening.
Another benefit is that Sarge gets to play his natural game and while I am the first to say Max could do no wrong, Stacey has already registered two assists and that right side appears to be more productive. No way would Kieran Dowell get in this side,
I think we’ve all had – and sometimes given – the type of advice you’re on about 🙂
Say it as you see it cos there’s no time for a structured debate when you’re *on the grass* as they delight in saying these days!
Cheers
Morning Martin! Another brick in the wall, since you like musical analogies. A great performance all round, but with special mentions for Sargent, Barnes, Giannoulis and Duffy, who were all outstanding.
Someone who I haven’t seen mentioned anywhere is Tony Harrington, who had a superb game, the best I’ve seen this season in either the Premier League or Championship. “Who?” I hear you ask. He was the unnoticed man on the pitch, who let the game flow, allowed advantage when appropriate, and generally refereed without fuss. Credit where credit is due. I don’t often give it to the man in black, (no, not Johnny Cash), but it this case it’s fully justified.
It was also very generous of our drummer to beat out the rhythm for the Millwall fans when they were describing their brand of football!
HI Jim
Yes you make a very fair point about he referee. It’s interesting that absolutey nobody else has mentioned Mr Harrington before you did so you have to be right.
Free from fuss and also free from small-screen ego, his was a job well done. Actually a friend who went to QPR said the official that evening was pretty good as well, but I can’t remember his name – although it definitely wasn’t Darren and his surname wasn’t England!
I heard about the drummer – apparently the little crew that provide the in-match percussion got a future conduct warning for some undisclosed misdemeanour but away from social media info is limited as to what it was all about!
Cheers
I haven’t seen much of the QPR game, so I can’t comment on the ref, but when they don’t get noticed, it’s usually because they’re good, unlike a certain Mr Hooper recently, who definitely gets noticed, and always because he’s always s***.
Hooper and I got off to a poor start to ou relationship during the first game of a PL season where he disallowed a perfectly goo goal from Cameron Jerome and proceeded to peacock around the Carra like he was looking for a gig as the fifth Teletubby.
Things haven’t improved since.
Hi Martin
In some was watching young Mr Rowe reminds me of an Ipswich lad who played for city called Ruel Fox, who departed for KK’s Newcastle and his career stalled then picked up a bit when he turned up at Spurs but was one that Chase deemed surplus to a winning team.
10 days and counting before the window shuts and let’s just hope that the London premiership Clubs don’t come calling.
Soon it will be the Clash of the Grrmanic Angles V English Saxons and so far no enforced TV change will it be a late pick up by sky or TNT.
Upwards and on Onwards for city while Farke is trying to still build his team at Leeds, Martin having Southampton slowly sold of fir big money and Leicester getting their MOJO back.
Ipswich doing fine Plymouth having mixed results as is Wednesday.
3 games in and hoping for a quiet end of transfer window and still no Lima Beans on the Carrow Rd menu
Hi Alex
The trouble is the second the window closes certain websites will start up about January and we’ll have another four or five months featuring some old names, new names and most will be so far off target they could be controlled from a concrete bunker in North Korea.
I’d say Plymouth have achieved far more than Wednesday so far although both have been eclipsed by the Binners.
Let’s see how they’re fixed after 23 games when they will know how sustainable their challenge might end up being.
Cheers
Not long ago, a month until the next game at CR would have been a welcome respite. now it’s a real pi$$er.
… and shows how far we have come in such a short period of time.
Probably the most productive pre-season we’ve had in yonks as well!
Cheers Don
That was the first time since Covid that I’ve really felt the round trip was worth it.
A few observations about Rowe:
3 league goals in 3 games; left foot, header, right foot. It’s a long time since we’ve had a creative midfielder that is genuinely comfortable with both feet, AND is able/willing to leap in with the head when required.
A couple of times he broke free on the counter but with a direct route to goal covered wasn’t sure what to do. It will come.
Discipline – I think it was in the Greek game it looked as though he may have elbowed one of their guys off the ball. It was almost out of shot and of course the “victim” probably went down very easily, but a subsequent close up did show him being treated for some kind of facial injury. There were one or two other niggly moments in the pre-season games where it looked as though he feels he has to prove he’s “tough”, and the Milwall lads were clearly targeting him from the start. Someone is going to have to work on that with him because laudible as it is to stick up for your mates, his reaction to Barnes being pushed into the camera was stupid. And if he’s got that in him on the field, imagine if he’s out for a few drinks and someone upsets one of his friends….
Moving on, I agree with the above about Harrington. The one thing he failed in was not booking Esse, who left something on a player after the ball had gone more than once, and was a general pain in the butt, achilles, ankles, etc. Like Rowe he’s another young talent who’ll need to be careful.
Finally, the way Sergeant and Barnes take it in turns to drop back and help out is so effective. But with Josh off and Barnes inevitably knackered Idah just doesn’t seem able to do the same. That didn’t lead to their goal – Omo losing an aerial duel that Duffy or Hanley would have won every time did – but it did give the Lions that bit more time on the ball. There will be games against sides with more puff and better subs than Milwall when it could be more of a problem.
Hi Keith
I like your description of Esse’s activities 🙂
They used to call it a *Latin temperament* although I’m not sure if that phrase is in common use any more. It was always a catch-all way of saying *as mad as a hatter* and the best manifestaion of it in recent times in a yellow shirt has to go to Emi Buendia!
I’d suggest Ashley Barnes is the perfect character to help out Rowe in the way you suggest and this is surely one of the reasons he was acquired in the first place.
There’s no better place to learn than on the pitch and young Rowe has so far shown that the advice offered to him has not been ignored.
Cheers
Good stuff, Martin.
Actually, some of us did say we saw a possibility of this happening, if David Wagner and Stuart Webber could recreate their double-act from Huddersfield. Our view was greeted with … let’s say, scepticism.
I can’t go full “told you so”, though. I only offered that it was a possibility – and even with my optimism I didn’t see us playing with such fluency, and creating as many chances, as we have.
Long may it continue.
Hi Stew
I think that’s spot on.
There was a lot of scepticism to that view at that time and nobody would deny that.
But the old axis does seem to have come together again very nicely and I’m all for crediting Wagner for what must have been a gruelling pre-season but it has turned out to have been so productive – this side neither hangs its head on going behind or starts to flag towards the end as we did so often just a few short months ago.
Webber too deserves plaudits for acquiring what is fast becoming the key trio of Duffy, Stacey and Barnes. By making the right hoices he has given the club the new heart it so deperately needed.We must also remember that we have Hanley, Tomkinson and Onel to come back, and there’s more – Borga Sainz will be like exactly what he is soon: a brand new signing we very much hope will prove another feather in the Webber cap.
So yeah, and I’m thoroughly delighted to admit it as well, you were on the money with your thoughts on this occasion.
Cheers
Great exchange of comments and credit to all who are helping produce the entertainment we all crave. I do wonder what influence Narcis Pelach has had on the tactics and style. I recall Lambert getting a lot of credit for the style of play a few years ago, deservedly. But it emerged over time that Culverhouse was the brains behind the scenes.
Lots of talk about Sargent and McLean linked with Farke at Leeds. Hopefully just journalists (I use the term loosely) filling column space. However, with Webber also linked with Leeds I wonder what the reaction will be if he sells both the players to Leeds in the next few days. I hope we have an enhanced due diligence process in place.
Hi Graham
I said exactly the same yesterday in Gary’s article and was accused of spreading fake news, but I whole heartedly agree with your comments.
Webber looks to have got Wagner the rebuild he asked for. We will never know if those recruited are his choices or Webber having to get what he could afford but – and a big but – its working to all of our surprise and long may it last.
We just need now for the best players to stay put and not be sold off to cover a big blackhole in the finances.
Just read your comments from yesterday and the responses you got. I agree that Webber and whoever else is involved has made good acquisitions for the start of this season. I have no problem with players like Cantrell, Dowell and Aarons moving on to bigger and better things. I just hope we don’t sell our better players to other championship sides. I’m not questioning Webbers integrity but strange things can happen.
The Leeds connection will continue unabated till they either recruit Webber as the speculation says or someone else takes the job permanently.
I like yourself wouldn’t question his integrity or his commitment to cities cause while being employed at the club.
My question would be once he resigned why was he left in such a position thatcan effect the coming and going’s by those above him and any flak should be addressed by them.
Players are a commodity as much as we want them to stay there is a shelf life at a club Cantwell, Aarons had both reached theirs and needed to move on, as for Dowell I just don’t understand why he wasn’t offered a new deal prior to the January transfer window and before Rangers made their move.
Anyway thanks for your reply
Sorry to say and I’m slightly surprised that I AM saying it, but Kieran Dowell wouldn’t get in this side.
Hi Graham
Yes the story about Lambert viz a vis Culverhouse gathered so much momentum that in the end somebody had to make some kind of official confirmation comment [can’t remember who or even the circumstances right now].
All I know about the *everybody in a yellow shirt to Leeds* rumours is that the sources are terrible, on a par with *my mate down the snooker club says* at best.
I could be wrong (he’s his own man, after all) but I don’t think even Stuart Webber will be selling anybody to Leeds United in the next 10 days because everybody knows he’ll be priming a nuclear warhead if he does 🙂
Cheers
Absolutely – you never sell your best assets to your closest rivals.
Looking around Bournemouth are kind of rivals but that was Max’s choice and quite rightly we respected it. Similar situation to Luton and Tim Krul in its way.
I certainly don’t see Glasgow Rangers or even Plymouth to be close rivals [and not just because of the geography], Teemu has gone to the States.
So Webber hasn’t put a foot out of line so far in that respect and let’s hope he sticks to that in the event it might become an issue.
There are bound to be niggling doubts surrounding Omobamidele, Gaby Sara and Angus between now and window’s end – it’s human nature after all 🙂
Hi Martin,
Only seeing the 10 minutes or so highlights on YT, but its plain to see this season has seen a top reboot – credit to those involved, and long may NCFC continue to play football this way, its invigorating!
All good goals, agree with the remarks on goals against which we do need to rein in a bit you never know what help or devilment the goals for/against can bring at the end of the season.
Relieved we are seeing great football results this season, delighted that the squad is enjoying providing that great football, too!
Cheers,
COYYs !
Hi Kev
Yes if everybody’s having a good time and are SEEN to be having that good time it can only be for the good.
It’s a long old haul but we’ve made a very satisfying start.
Webber & Co will be pleased too [and deservedly so] because it has made other issues suddenly go away as we’re mostly enjoying the football too much to care about them right now 🙂
Cheers
The key was always a decent preseason. That was obvious based on previous years.
As much as I loved Farke’s team in full flow, I think Wagner’s looks far more solid.
Long may it continue 👍
Hi Daniel
Many of us in the comments section agree with you about pre-season as you will see.
It must have been so much more useful than Dean Smith’s warm weather training next door to an American golf course!
Fitness levels seem to be back to where they should be again, and a bit more!
Cheers
Four games into this season and a quiet storm is building over East Anglia . Norwich left Millwall nowhere to run on Sunday, every avenue was closed off to them by a very committed and fit group of players. Ok , if I’m going to nit pick the substitutes didn’t fit into the system as smoothly as I would have liked.
Get ready for a season of thrills , if the start is anything to go by, and maybe, just maybe we will be dancing in the streets come April may.
Hi Bernie
A quiet storm, hey?
Not if you’re near Ashley Barnes at one end of the pitch or Shane Duffy at the other!
A good point about the subs and as you’ll see you’re by no means alone in highlighting that as a bit of an issue – you’d like to think it might be something they’ll work on in training during this full week at Colney and the following interational break,
If we wanted an excuse, the *it’s early days* one would be quite valid here but I like the way Wagner doesn’t seem to have a *Roger the Dodger* style book of excuses, ruses, etc. Or if he does he seems to keep it in-house, which again I like to see.
Thrils maybe, but the return of a bit of good od fashioned entertainment will do me at this stage of the season – and we’ve already got that in abundence 🙂
Cheers
DF coming in for Kenny McLean is with my blessing. Sorensen can then play in his natural position. To lose Josh Sargent to DF would be more of a problem unless we can recall Kamara, for I fear that Idah has too much to learn and we don’t seem very good at teaching forwards. Chris Martin? Carlton Morris? Both had to leave Norwich to develop their skills. Hey but then again maybe Barnes can school Idah – and maybe learn a few choice German words such as dummkopf or kohlkopf. Or even dick-kopf. But as I have said before, Idah himself badly needs to develop his first touch control skills.
Hi Roger
Sometimes I think I’m in an MFW minority of one when it comes to Kenny McLean!
I think he’s man enough for the job at this level, although I’ll admit he scares the veritable living wotsits out of me at PL level where ANY version of the press catches him out time and again.
You’re right about both the strikers from the past you mention and also Idah right now. He’s yet to prove himsef a viable alternative to Sarge or Barnes and as much as I want to see him do well he is blocking the path for [a big] maybe Kamara bt certainly for a purchase or a loan.
It has continued not to happen for him for far too long now ad I suspect Wagner oly hangs on to him because his wages are rumured to be as *low* as £5k a week.
Forgot to add that I too would not be unhappy to see Sorensen in the McLean role and I think such a switch would prove popular amongst the fellow supporters I regularly speak with,
Cheers
I’ll preface this with the comment that I’ve only seen highlights (though my cousin who attended at the weekend said it was the best performance by some distance.) I’ll comment to part of the meaning of the word “solid”. I was struck last year by the physical differences between NC and most of the opposition, particularly through the middle of the park. 6’5″ centrebacks seemed to be the order of the day and we had no answer. This year, fitness is at another level, our players look bigger (Josh and Jon Rowe as examples), and the signings in the back and Barnes up front have provided a bit of physicality to the side that was missing last year and while bringing in players last year, I’m not sure they had the requisite profile to succeed in the Championship. I am quietly optimistic that these changes will lead to a far more competitive side this season. Yes, far more solid!
Hi Ennis
Nail on head there, unquestionably.We’ve been moths against mammoths for far too long now – can you remember League One forwards clocking Nelse or Tiny Ward and thinking better of it?
I sure can 🙂
Back in the late 80s it was very difficult to judge a player’s height from a newspaper photograph and I didn’t get up from London until the third or fourth match of, say, 88-89 ad I was absolutely stunned to see the difference from the season before as we walked out against Newcaste, who had Mirandinho playing that day.
Gunny was regulation keeper height of 6’3″, Bowen and Culvo my height of 5’9″, as was Flecky and the others all kind of indeterminate.
But then I looked at the middle of the group and saw Andy Linighan, Ian Butterworth and Robert Rosario. I cannot remember us fielding a side with players like that before or since, apart from Crouchy’s cameo of course.
We’re at last accumulating a bit of the physicality that has become seemingly essential to success in the modern game. Athleticism embodied if you like.
It’ll serve us well over the coming months and that’s for sure.
Cheers
Interesting comments here, I believe Bryan Adams mother was from Huddersfield and married a guy out of the Canadian Air force. David is held in high regard in the town , not withstanding the negative goal difference that got the team up. Mr Warnock will have them fired up so a point wouldn’t be a disaster.
Hi Rob
Yes, it’ time to consider the Colin factor yet again I guess – sometimes it seems like he really has been around forever!
This one has banana skin stamped on it because the Terriers in blue and white [I can imagine how Mr Warnock enjoys managing a tem sporting those particular colours!] will be just as fired up as our real-life Patterdale and Russell at walkies time.
We should be able to cope though as Wagner 2.0 does not seem to tolerate anything less than 110% effort from our players either.
As for Bryan Adams I’m not sure, but it sounds totally plausible.
Cheers