This is turning into the weirdest of seasons.
With so many off-pitch distractions, Norwich City FC has become a soap opera all of its own, yet, somehow, with unquestionably our worst team since Glenn Roeder’s rotten Class of 2009, we remain in touch with the playoffs via some of the unlikeliest of wins.
None more so than last night’s, which I don’t believe anyone saw coming, not least Sky Sports who had decided the outcome and the hero before a ball had been kicked.
The MOTM trophy had already been etched with the name ‘Fabio Carvalho’ and the red carpet already prepared for Liam Rosenior’s post-match coo, but somehow, through sheer guts, determination, and some Angus Gunn brilliance, our Canaries scuppered the love in.
I’m pretty sure Jonathan Rowe will see having another player’s name on his trophy as a small price to pay for being the real Man of the Match, although he should probably agree to share it with Angus.
But the real winners were the 1300 mentalists who decided that on a Friday night, with the game on live TV, they would still make the trek to Humberside. The win was for them. Heroes all.
In addition to Messrs Gunn and Rowe, a couple of the oldies dug deeper than they have done at any time this season and produced heroics of their own, but not even Ashley Barnes and Shane Duffy were able to usurp the efforts of the magnificent 1300.
We salute you, just as the players and head coach did at the end.
Rosenior took defeat with all the grace of Kieran McKenna but clearly had a point about Dimi Giannoulis being lucky to stay on the pitch following his stray elbow into the side of Lewis Coyle’s head. But at least, in addition to giving Rosenior something else to whine about, it gave Sky’s pundits – Michael Dawson and Clinton Morrison – something to focus on at halftime other than Jonny Rowe’s brilliant goal.
For Dawson, ex-Hull City, it was almost too much to bear. Injustice was etched all over his face. Morrison just kept it real … at least I think that’s what he aiming for.
It was a lead that City had done little to deserve, in truth, and that piece of Rowe brilliance had no place on that potato patch of a pitch, with neither side able to produce anything resembling quality on the ball.
Hull had most of the possession of course – that was David Wagner’s intention – so for Hull to ‘dominate the ball’ was nothing for Rosenior to get all fluffed up about (even though he did), although as a City fan, it is tiring seeing us set up in such a dour, defensive way.
This isn’t a great City team by any stretch – we’ve long established that – but there are still enough talented players in that group to produce quality. Yet, only if given the platform to do so, can that quality come to the fore. Rowe’s moment in that first half arrived despite the system, not because of it.
But it afforded City a lead and something to cling to.
The second half was more of the same, albeit was performed without the services of Giannoulis who was again hooked at halftime. Seldom has a player ever played so many half-games.
Hull dominated possession, as Rosenior reminded us and as Wagner intended, and Gunn, when called upon was quite brilliant.
The defending was as dogged as dogged could be and after a nightmarish start to the game that, thankfully didn’t yield a goal from one of his errors, Duffy turned into Superman. At the heart of that City defence, he was quite magnificent when a head or a boot or a block was required.
This was the Irishman at his best. Defending. Battling. With no necessity to pick passes and get things moving with the ball. Give him a ball to header and he’ll header it all day long.
Ashley Barnes too, despite not having a single shot on target and barely (if at all) touching the ball in the Hull penalty box, defended from the front in exemplary fashion, and produced what must surely be his best shift in a City shirt.
And it was a couple more of our Dad’s Army who combined for what turned out to be the winner.
Onel Hernandez, from somewhere, produced a peach of a cross when normally it would be either over or under-hit, and Christian Fassnacht made one of those far post runs that he’d been famous for until he arrived at Norwich.
An even bigger surprise than Onel’s quality cross was that, as that ball hit the net, Rosenior didn’t spontaneously combust. Diddums.
There were a few nervous moments to endure having conceded a 91st-minute consolation but hung on they did.
Bizarre. But good bizarre.
It was a win that, for most City supporters, did little to re-endear them to Wagner-ball, which is now based solely on the premise of parking the bus and hoping against hope that Sara, Sargent, Sainz, Nunez, or Sargent can somehow produce a moment of magic.
No system. No method. No smooth passing patterns. Just a desire to dig in and hope for the best.
But it was also a win, which will be more than enough for Delia and Michael and their little cabal of suits to strengthen that protective ring around Wagner and each other.
But it was a win.
***
Note to all: Am currently in the midst of an email outage (don’t ask), so for those trying to contact me or send me articles, please use gary.gowers0606@gmail.com. Thanks.
Spot on recounting as always Gary.
While you are correct, as is anyone, who questions the tactics and set-up etc. I have to say I found last night really pleasing, almost heart-warming, in terms of effort, desire, application etc.
The pitch and things combined, as you said, to make this the perfect battle for Duffy and Barnes, they were immense. Yes its plucky, yes we do rely on moments not superiority, but they do seem to really try for this manager. We have had technicians in smooth systems that didn’t.
Still confused as ever, but thoroughly enjoyed that display last night
No one likes us, we don’t care….
Not even us!
TBF it’s quite funny to see Rosenior losing the plot after falling to realise he’s fallen into the Wagner trap twice this season, and despite his bleating, the league table is actually a meritocracy meaning his brilliant team are a whole point better than the worst Norwich side in a decade and a half.
Even if Wagner believes in his head we’re set up to play like Liverpool or Spurs, the fact he’s turned us into peak Wimbledon is hilarious.
Morning Gary
Thanks for calling me a hero 🤣💪🙏👍
After a few customary errors from Duffy in the first 10 mins we settled and put in a resolute and dogged defensive display. I’m on the fence with Dimi’s swinging arm….i think the Hull player’s ‘making a total and utter meal of it’ probably saved the red card and the fact the arm was straight and he had eyes on the ball at all times helped Dimi’s cause. He is a liability though IMHO and was rightly hooked at half time and we looked a lot more stronger defensively down that left hand side once McCallum had been introduced. Despite all the calls for a red card for Dimi, it should’ve been their no 7 who had an early bath for a clear dive in the first half and one in the second when he did receive a yellow for simulation. Also calls by Gunn to be sent off were ridiculous but having said that can’t believe Duffy wasn’t booked for the initial challenge on Connolly before Gunn’s intervention. Refereeing standards in this division are still cause for concern.
I’m glad we went strong in the tackle and put ourselves about a bit. Don’t care if people say we were dirty. Needs must and all that……And as you point out Barnes did put in a shift last night 💪
It’s not quite still what I want to see from a Norwich side, but it made the journey home more palatable 👍
OTBC
NWTD
Giannoulis knew what he was doing, and there was absolutely no need for him to swing his arm like that. However, it was more of a brush across the top of his opponent’s head, so I can see why it was given as a yellow, rather than a red. The player’s OTT reaction was a mitigation for our left back, too.
Well who would have thought it. The roller coaster continues. Despite another masterclass in head scratching substitutions, we persevered. A new manager now seems less likely and the invisible man can stay invisible. Whatever next in this saga ?
Happy Saturday Gary!
What a bizarre evening. However it seemed almost inevitable that somehow, as with Bristol City, Cardiff, Ipswich beforehand, that we would upset the applecart.
With Hull dominating the early exchanges but lacking the quality to break us down it fell to one of the few players with true class to open up the game. Rowes goal was sensational, even the tumble as he caressed the ball around the keepers outstretched hand was balletic. Sell him before the month is out Delia/knapper. I dare you.
Too much was made of a bit of strong arming, particularly the Gianoulis incident. 3 weeks ago the same player was in receipt of a far worse foul which broke his cheekbone and nothing was done. It’s called the championship, grow a pair.
Far worse was the ridiculous diving. I have never witnessed so much blatant simulation outside of the top flight. Shameful. Tufa should have been dismissed long before striking the post,
The role Hernandez played in the winner can’t be underplayed. Too often he’s been completely ineffective in the final third but the way he won the ball, played a triangle with Barney’s and mccallum before delivering a peach to the back stick made my night. Fassnacht, who has been poor for weeks rediscovered his predatory instinct to score.
Cue injury time and the return of terrible habits. Simply watching and inviting the hull man to walk forward and smack the ball unopposed into the roof of the net from way out. It’s as if closing down was never invented.
Still time for Idah to make a pigs arse out of a sitter and invite more pressure but we held on and claimed an unlikely win.
Credit where it is due, Barnes, Duffy were excellent for the most part, combative. Sara and Nunez however appear to have been neutered. Both are at least the equal of Carvalho yet barely troubled the hull back line,
Who cares what Dawson or the other idiots think, we won, hull lost. Carvalho was meh, as were his teammates, whose aforementioned cheating was pathetic. The less said about the whiny tool they call a manager the better, if that’s the way he sends a team out he’s vastly overrated.
The biggest talking point from the game should be just how the hell have we allowed ourselves to be looking at a side like hull from beneath them in the table? This is not a good Norwich City side but the quality of all the sides around us has deteriorated in step. The standard of the championship is terrible,
Well Gary a norwich team mixing it up who’d have thought it ?.that’s been missing all season even Barnes decided to join in . We look much better for it although Duffy McLean mcullam should go to Well known opticians tha amount of times they gave ball away around our area only down point for me . Gunn was excellent and Rowe goal was sublime let’s see more of the aggression and cut out the silly passing it’s a great 3pts wagner hangs on again .
I was so interested, I decided to watch streaming of criminal minds, with an odd listen to Chris Goreham. as you say a win is a win, another manager we have upset, o dear cannot be having that can we. I decided against watching Sky and their own bias against us whoever we play. Heaven forbid we go to Anfield, another one I will not watch. for same reasons.
A dogged show perhaps on the bigger picture one we dodn’t fully deserve to win, but it is about putting the round thing in the net and we did that, one superb and one with the thigh. reminds me of Pukki’s chest at QPR.
Results at all costs, is the order for Wagner, but last night was in spite of him. some fine displays all over. Some posts on Twitter X say Sara has said he doesn’t enjoy playing so deep, not read or heard it. Will be looking for it, If this carries on I can see him forgetting what he said earlier and departing at the first bid that meets with Delia’s sherry/wine order.
There is much better that can come out of these players if only they would have the chains removed, perhaps leave it to them to sort of tactics once on the field. It cannot be any worse.
The playoffs playing so restrictive seems impossible, yet here we are drawing closer.. But we have been here before, a couple of defeats and we are back, off we all go again.
I was undecided whether I wanted a win or a defeat just to shake the specs off of those in power, and bring the invisible man out of the cupboard. I have not felt like that since Roeder/Hughton days. I don’t like that feeling, so I tried to ignore what we were playing.
Now nothing to do on a Saturday afternoon , well there is Criminal Minds to occupy myself
I don’t agree that it’s the worst team since Roeder, but the way we play makes it look that way. It’s like a training exercise for the defence- “couldn’t score? here, have another go”
We have some very talented players who can get the manager out of trouble but the system of play is killing us. If we had Pele playing for us we’d call him a defensive midfielder, if we had Maradonna or Cruyff, we’d call them wingers-Rowe is ineffective out wide. Why have a left footed centre back on the left? It exposes the centre.
Duffy did well and it was good to see Hernandez win the ball back and put in the cross that found the Martin Peters-like run of Fassnacht.
What was the Hull player doing with his head at the height of Dimi’s elbow? The irony being that Dimi was wearing a mask because he was elbowed, a far worse injury that put him out of the game, for which the offender only received a yellow card. Hull obviously have a manager who encourages cheating and cries when it goes wrong.
The worst thing about the result is that it will make the management think the system works and we don’t need a new manager or new players.
Can anyone explain Xg to me? According to the stats Sky put up at the end of the game, Hull had twice our possession, around three times our attempts on goal (though admittedly, only one more than us on target), and yet we had an Xg (expected goals) stat of 1.3, while Hull’s was only about 0.7, if I remember correctly. It’s the most useless stat there is, as far as I can see. My own pre match Xg (using my unscientific method of looking at league positions, and recent performances) was Hull 4.0, Norwich 0.0. But Hull 1 Norwich 2 was what mattered in the end, and I’m really pleased!
This might not (it’s not, before anyone chips in to tell me) be the best City team in years, but for sheer effort and determination, aligned with some individual brilliance from Rowe and Gunn, last night’s performance deserves our appreciation.
I still think the play offs are unlikely, but while there’s life there’s hope.
Hi Gary, I don’t give a monkey’s chuff how they did it or whether Liam Rosenior thinks they’ve been robbed. A win’s a win on that ploughed field and from a purely selfish point of view it’s brightened my weekend for sure. Of course we all want to play like Barca but it’s just not going to happen with this group of players (whoever is at the helm).
Limited they might be but it’s good to see that they’re still playing for Wagner, nothing grinds my gears more than watching a Blackburn (h) type of game where I honestly thought they’d thrown in the towel.
Yes, Dimi should have gone and it was absolutely the correct decision to replace him at half time before the ref had a chance to correct his mistake having no doubt watched it back in the interval. For that decision and the use of the other subs surely Wagner has to be afforded a little bit of credit for his game management, I’m not for one minute suggesting he’s the long term solution but constant sniping ala some of the canary callers is becoming tedious. Just enjoy the win for goodness sake.
I find myself concurring with much of what Chris has said in his comments regarding the actual match summed up by the words ‘it’s called the championship grow a pair’. Crazy football at times, poor decisions by officials, defender’s who can’t defend, striker’s who can’t hit a cow’s arse with a shovel etc etc.
Offer me more of the same at Elland Road and I’ll snatch your hand off.
With Colin now retired (at least until someone needs rescuing with only about 10 games left) it looks like Rosenior is auditioning for the role of most annoying referee whinger.
Having watched the Dimi incident several times his arm goes across the top of the Hull lad’s head; the victim though went down clutching his face, as they always do. I assume it was the linesman who advised the yellow as he was very close. As Gil says above it was certainly no worse a challenge than the one that he was on the end of a few weeks back. After half time Rosenior had clearly advised his players to try to get second bookings so credit to the referee for booking two blatant dives in quick succession.
Let’s hop winning away games in ports becomes a habit – do that again on Wednesady and we’ll get another go in a couple of weeks’ time.
Wonderful skill from Rowe and world-class keeping from Gunn. And that’s about it, with hard-working, average Championship journeymen as support acts..
If we somehow fluke promotion, I shudder to think of this squad’s prospects in the Premier League, whoever is in charge next season.
I really don’t know whether the glass is half full or half empty.
But since everyone bags Wagner every time we lose, let’s just savour an away win against a side above us on the table.
Hi Gary
An excellent read after a very strange and unexpected result last.
So many Yellow cards dished out to city players and maybe the Hull City Tigers had a plan to get one or two changed to Red Slater dived I between two players both on a card already as had Tufan done previously and both got carded for their dirty deeds.
The Hull manager Liam R was gobsmacked about his players being booked for simulation(Bloody Diving) but weren’t they lucky with so much more s▪︎▪︎th▪︎▪︎▪︎e tackles not to have a few and Norwich weren’t adverse to using similar methods so let’s call it even.
Has Wagner got a fairy godmother(Delia) or has he got a lucky blackcat with nine lives, I’ve never seen a manager keep his job after so many poor results while plating such in tempid football, He must be a follower Hamingja was a type of Fmale guardian spirit in Norse/Germanic mythology. It was believed that she accompanied a person and decided their luck and happiness.
Onwards and upwards can we have any luck if we reach the playoffs only time will tell but with two weeks of the transfer window and Rowe putting on a show last night let’s see if Attanasio and Knappers utterance that we don’t need to sell holds true.
Good report as always Gaz, actually felt we deserved the 3 PTS apart from the sharp miss did we let them within 18 of yards Gunns goal? Anything from distance unless it’s a worldy I’d expect the keeper to save.
As for Dimi he deserved Red but how many times have we been on the end of poor desitions this season? They even themselves out over 46 games.
I like Rosenior would love him here don’t think he really said to much wrong, no more then what Wagner would have said if boot was on other foot was just the losers on sky and the anti Norwich bias as always. Took them 10 mins before there even realised who Hull were playing all about the no 45 who in all honesty was poor to almost invisible!
Are Norwich going to scrape into the playoffs despite Warner’s tactics ,not because of the . Most of City’s wins recently have been as a result of moments of brilliance from individuals, Gunn showing why he’s Scotlands number One or lapses by the opposition. .Certainly not because we have out played, out passed or out thought the opponents. . IF Norwich do make it to the playoffs where does that leave Knapper in regards Wagner . Would be hard to justify getting rid of him but in the long term it’s probably right to do so .
I’ve got to stop saying it’s time for Wagner to go , cos every time I do he gets a result in the next game..
On Giannoulis and his outstretched arm, the TV coverage did show a fresh bump on the Hull players noggin.
Best move Wagner did was subbing Dimi at half time.
😀 if that’s the case Bernard please keep saying it
Our lack of pace in defence is still embarrasing and crying out for younger legs but the lack of mid-field defence in front of the back4 will be our undoing this season.I cannot understand why Sorensen is not given a proper opportunity in that position.He needs a new contract and here’s the chance to prove himself.
OTBC