For most teams going up against a side spearheaded by Son Heung-Min and Harry Kane the threat would be clear, but City fans know that a strong performance tomorrow from a less-heralded Spurs player could render their attack impotent. When Oliver Skipp arrived at Carrow Road the City fanbase had no idea what an impact […]
Archives Index
TOTTENHAM PREVIEW… with Martin & Alex
Through the purest coincidence, MFW regular Alex Bain and I have both had a long-standing *second team* and are aware that many purists would disagree with the entire concept. Fair play to you I say, but sometimes circumstances take over and you have to make the most of the live football you can physically attend. […]
Four games unbeaten, eight points from four and in touch with those above us…
And in the master’s chambers, they gathered for the feast. They stab it with their steely knives, but they just can’t kill the beast** That line from an old song most us will know really well sums up a frustrating night on Tyneside for Dean Smith, his squad and the 1,200 brave souls who went to St […]
A point when it should have been three but City unbeaten in the whole of November
Most of us would have taken a point before a ball had been kicked – goes without saying. It also goes without saying (even though I am) that in end it was two dropped. Ciaran Clark’s ninth-minute brain fade ended up impacting both teams negatively. Newcastle for obvious reasons but City too because, armed with […]
MATCH REPORT: First-team full-backs in focus for impressive City Under-23s
If Dean Smith’s Monday morning reminder of Ozan Kabak, Jacob Sorensen and Pierre Lees-Melou wasn’t enough to highlight the strength in depth at Carrow Road, Bali Mumba’s excellent goal for Norwich City’s under-23s certainly was. As if giving his new boss a less-than-subtle nudge, the City number 26 ignited a contest that ended up being […]
NEWCASTLE V CITY PREVIEW
Just 14 games into Norwich City’s season, the Canaries’ first six-pointer has come, and few would have predicted that they’d be the favourites. It’s been a rocky start for both City and Newcastle United, but the difference between them is that Dean Smith’s side are on the way out of their rough patch, while the […]
A Corner Turned? Armed with Tequila?
This is probably one of the shortest muses I’ll write about my beloved Norwich City, and I’m aware I’ve had precious little positive to write about in the weeks since summer drifted into autumn. Saturday saw winter beginning to firmly rattle the gate. The latest upturn in our fortunes might have been seeded in the […]
A birthday with a difference… Norwich City style
It was my birthday on Saturday. I am proud to say that I share the date of November 27 with Jimi Hendrix, although that is about all we have in common as he was one of the most innovative and exciting guitarists of all time, whereas me? Well at least all you MFW types know […]
Only a point when it could have been three but City now appear Premier League ready
First of all, they came after us because we were “uncompetitive”, “woeful” and apparently weren’t even having a go at staying in the Premier League. Now that we are competitive, are not woeful and are clearly giving it a proper go, we’re “boring” and “drab”. Anyone would think that a club that espouses careful financial […]
MATCH REPORT: City 0, Wolves 0
Ten days into the Dean Smith regime, for me, his second team selection was always going to be more telling than his first. Would the likes of Todd Cantwell have suitably impressed the new man in a week on the pitches of Colney? Does Hanley keep his place in defence? The questions were answered and […]
What are Webber’s top priorities as he agrees to stay at City?
Stuart Webber has announced his signing of a new rolling contract with City, ensuring he’ll stay at the club beyond his original 2022 exit point. This means that, although the Canaries are currently in the midst of a fierce relegation battle, Webber’s in-tray continues to pile up and his mid-term planning for the club’s future […]
WOLVES PREVIEW – Lage and Smith both hoping for more of the same
The last match preview I wrote was pre-Chelsea so apologies if I’m jinxing us. If we get hit for seven on Saturday feel free to blame me. If the task facing us at Stamford Bridge was gargantuan, Wolves at home is still sizeable. They’re not sixth in the table for no reason. Away from Molineux, […]
The new Norwich City badge debate: Do you love it, hate it, or not give a flying…?
Anybody from a services background treasures their regimental badge – and so do football supporters across the nation, because after all, every one of us feels like we are part of a regiment of sorts as well. And so we should. Welsh regiments tend to have goats as mascots, with a senior NCO dedicated to […]
From Man City mishap to “iconic” solution: The full story behind the club’s new badge
When Norwich City scrapped their simple canary on a branch for a design incorporating a ball for the bird to sit on, a lion and a representation of Norwich Castle, very few imagined quite how many highs and lows the club would go through while represented by their new badge. While researching ahead of their […]
Will the extra flexibility make the difference for Dean Smith’s Canaries?
After years of stubbornness and unrelenting trust in the process under Daniel Farke, Dean Smith’s tactical flexibility gives the Canaries a new edge. There were few Norwich City fans who could calculate the required solution as Josh Sargent went through his introductory warm-up on Saturday afternoon. The American was preparing for a crucial second half, […]
Unsung heroes, a Plan B, some rustiness and the Saints only having one song
I’ve got some good news for you MFW folks – as if you didn’t know already – that we have finally found a manager with a plan B who isn’t afraid to implement it. I’m making no bones about it, we were as battered as a loin of Lowestoft cod on Saturday during the first […]
City delay new badge announcement
City have postponed the announcement of their updated crest, after on-field results meant that the Canaries’ search for a new head coach stole the headlines. The badge, which is understood to be more of a subtle evolution of the current emblem than a total redesign, was originally scheduled to be revealed in November 2021, ahead […]
A new Carrow Road dawn begins with a stirring, nerve-shredder and three points!
It didn’t take long for Dean Smith to be afforded a demonstration of why City’s goal difference was -21 going into the game. Hesitancy, missed tackles, missed opportunities to clear, ball-watching, you name it… the full gamut of defensive cock-ups Norwich City-style were on show as Che Adams bundled his way through the Keystone Cops […]
MATCH REPORT: City make it two wins on the bounce as Smith kicks off with a win
So much seemed to have changed since I sat down to pen my words on the City victory at Brentford. Daniel Farke gone. Dean Smith in. Todd Cantwell and Billy Gilmour in from the wilderness and a feeling of cautious, careful optimism around Carrow Road. The feeling lasted precisely three minutes. Other than a brief moment where […]
The new gaffer speaks ahead of taking his Carrow Road bow
“Analysing everything” will be the key to picking Dean Smith’s first City team, according to the Canaries’ new head coach. Smith’s first Colney training session came on Thursday, and with a crucial match against Southampton coming up tomorrow he’s been left with little time to draft a starting XI. He is comfortable in this scenario, […]
SAINTS PREVIEW: A new era dawns in NR1 and a chance for Smith to get off to a flyer
It’s going to take a bit of getting used to. No more Parklife. No more celebratory olés. No more ‘topics’. No more being ‘greedy’. No more trendy parkas. Life is about to change in NR1 and for some, that’s going to be a toughie. And I get it. Despite being the club’s first continental manager, […]
Smith brings much-needed positivity to the City head coach role
The ambition debate is not an unfamiliar one to Norwich City fans. From Premier League season to Premier League season, especially since Stuart Webber’s arrival at Carrow Road, the Canaries have been ridiculed nationally for failing to ‘have a go’. Little effort has been made to understand the nuances of City’s model, and it’s a […]
Deano represents a sign of intent and, perhaps, an end to ‘little ol’ Norwich’
After City had won their first game of the season at Brentford – Normann and Pukki both scoring to give the Canaries an unlikely victory – it looked as if Daniel Farke would survive another day. Yet, nothing in football is guaranteed. The German was permitted a swan-song before being relieved of his duties. The […]
The Upper Barclay will be home on Saturday to a dedicated follower of fashion
I have to venture into the City around once a fortnight for business and I’m sure I’m not alone in that amongst the MFW fraternity – a few of you poor devils will have to go in every day for work, of course. There’s something to be said for what is more or less retirement […]
VIDEO: ‘DEAN SMITH’S YELLOW ARMY!’ NT Podcast #64 | Norwich Talk
Dean Smith has been appointed as the new Head Coach of our beloved Norwich City. We recently did a podcast without knowing who the next man was, with certainty, as we expressed views on both sides of the fence about Dean Smith. Yesterday we revisited them and look ahead with the man dubbed ‘DEAAAANO’ now […]
Dean Smith is in the house! Will Craig Shakespeare be Iago to his Othello?
So our choice as new head coach has finally put pen to paper and it’s Dean Smith from Aston Villa, who was out of work for exactly one week, almost to the hour. The initial debate surrounds ‘was he our first choice to replace Daniel Farke?’ No, he probably wasn’t as after Farke’s dismissal last […]
After a funny old week, is a new era about to begin in Norwich? The Dean Smith era?
The ups and downs of being a City supporter are supposed to pertain to events that occur on the pitch – not when we’re ‘between managers’. Yet rarely has there been a week when a ball has not been kicked when the emotions have so fluctuated. First, it was Knutsen, definitely Kjetil Knutsen, the number […]
And the new Norwich City manager is… (we still don’t know)
Managerial speculation, gossip and counter gossip. It’s all a bit wearying. Especially that which is spouted by some of the more lowbrow media outlets with their endless references to their ‘sources’. In other words, if they stick their grubby paws into the guessing game lucky dip and get it right, they can blag and boast […]
City may be seen as the unglamorous underdog, but is that all about to change?
Judging by the fact that three of the names linked with becoming City’s head coach are former Chelsea, Aston Villa and RB Leipzig managers, the club may not be quite as unfashionable as some would have us believe. That list omits Kjetil Knutsen, a relative hipster’s choice among the big names predictably attracting the most […]
The case for Dean Smith…
Frank Lampard did well at Derby but was heavily reliant on bringing in players, like Mason Mount, who were well above the standard necessary for the Championship. I recall the game where the floodlights failed, where City looked well set for the win but where Derby destroyed us after the restart. Credit that to Lampard. […]
The underdog vs the nice guy vs the overprivileged son of the establishment
The last few days of post-Daniel Norwich City have been a whirlwind of very little information. A tweet from a renowned in-the-know City aficionado at the start of the week suggested that Norwegian coach Kjetil Knutsen from Bodo/Glimt was going to be the replacement for Farke. Shortly afterwards the usually reliable John Percy of the […]
VIDEO: ‘THANK YOU DANIEL FARKE!’ NT Podcast #62 | Norwich Talk
So Daniel Farke’s time as Norwich City head coach has come to an end. This podcast is not based around our views on whether it was the right or wrong decision, there’s plenty of other content on this channel that discusses that. Instead, it’s a trip down (recent) memory lane to explore and relive some […]
Daniel Farke, the man who brought pride to Norwich City fans
“I stand for football, and hopefully for beautiful football.” Daniel Farke may not have delivered Premier League survival, but there’s no doubting the fact that Norwich City’s first ever foreign manager delivered on his promise of beautiful football. Perhaps it’s fitting that Farke’s decline was measured not solely by its results but by the style […]
Webber to stay at Norwich on rolling basis
Stuart Webber will remain Norwich City’s sporting director beyond the end of his current deal, with the announcement of a new contract expected during the upcoming international break. MyFootballWriter understands that the Welshman has agreed to stay at the club beyond the summer of 2022 on a rolling basis, after signing a three-year contract with the […]
No Lampard talks over Norwich job
Frank Lampard has not opened talks with Norwich City over their vacant head coach role, MyFootballWriter understands, contrary to some reports. The former Chelsea boss has been linked with a move to Carrow Road after previous head coach Daniel Farke was sacked on Saturday night, but reports claiming that Lampard has already engaged in discussions with […]
We’ll not half miss that ‘philosophy’, us being ‘greedy and those lovely ‘topics’
*A week is a long time in politics* – UK Prime Minister Harold Wilson, 1964.** Well, it’s a bloody long time in football too as we discovered last week. As I write the dust has yet to settle on what has been a very emotional week in my life, which I’ll quickly break down without […]
So then, the big question. Who’s next?
So, Daniel Farke has gone. I can understand the decision. Prior to Brentford our record was abysmal. Having a measly two points and the worst goal difference in the Premier League era (-22) after 10 games is dire by any standard. As Farke himself alluded to, the bus driver could have done better. But at […]
An ode to Daniel Farke
Oh Stuart Webber. What have you done. Of course, only time will tell, if this cruelest of decisions, bears fruit. And I guess that just proves hindsight can, and cannot, be a wonderful thing. I do hope Webber hasn’t rolled the dice before he too departs. Mike Walker aside, I’ve been served up an offering […]
A sad but victorious end for a humble man who took us on one of the great journeys
There’s something very Norwich City about going 20 games without a Premier League win and then when it finally arrives, after immeasurable amounts of heartache, we sack the head coach and his assistants within an hour of the final whistle. That’s not to say it was the wrong decision but it was certainly brutal in […]
MATCH REPORT: Events aplenty since but on the green stuff, a first win for City!
[James wrote this piece prior to last night’s news – Ed] The players formed up in the centre circle. The crowd fell silent and as the trumpeter sounded the last post, I cannot have been the only Canary fan wondering if this would indeed be the last post for Daniel Farke. Fear not. Perhaps buoyed by […]
Canos’ post-City career, a reminder that sometimes they slip through your fingers
When Alex Neil sanctioned the sale of Sergi Canos just six months after the Spaniard had arrived at City, he wasn’t expecting him to become a Premier League creative force. As the Canaries head to the Brentford Community Stadium today to face the club Canos was sold to, it’s tough to argue that the Scot […]
BRENTFORD PREVIEW: What next for the faltering Canaries?
I have a dilemma. There are several things I ought to be doing this Saturday. I also have a ticket for Brentford. There’s a strident voice in my head – which I suspect will be echoed by comments on this article – telling me it would be madness to expect anything other than another miserable […]
Two exhilarating Championship wins but a failed Premier League survival strategy
My affection for the US political drama The West Wing is limitless. It is impeccably written, highly intelligent, and often prophetic. It also introduced to me the term “The Lame Duck Senate”. These are Senators that have been voted out but remain in power until the new senate is sworn in. It is customary that […]
Crossed Purposes: City a million miles away from having anything cohesive to build on
The myriad issues of why City have imploded so spectacularly this season have been debated by fans and pundits alike over recent weeks. One area I don’t think has seen much focus though is the growing disconnect, if not personally, at least philosophically, between the work of Stuart Webber and Daniel Farke. Until this season […]
It’s the loss of identity that stings the most for City fans
City’s pass completion rate during the 2-1 home loss to Leeds United was 67.1%, their lowest since February 2019, 119 games ago. What is perhaps most relevant is that the game in question was a 3-0 defeat of Ipswich. Football fans can accept losing, and they can handle unstylish performances, but not the two together. […]
RIP Farkeball. Remember those good ol’ days? They were fun
Friends, Norfolkians and Canary fans, lend me your ears. I come to bury Farkeball, no longer to praise it. The evil that a new system does lives after it; The good is oft interred with its bones. Thus Marc Antony might have spoken at around 4pm on Sunday if he had been a Norwich City […]
No rollercoaster ride this season. In 2021-22 Norwich City trades only in downs
You know when you sign up to be a City fan that the gig is generally a tough one. There’ll be some highs but to really feel the joy they bring you have to have experienced the heart-wrenching lows. And there are more of the latter. That’s a given. If we weren’t prepared for all […]
MATCH REPORT: Another day, another defeat, this time by an ordinary Leeds
After the dismal performance last week, everyone connected with Norwich was expecting both a reaction from the players and changes to the team. They got both but ultimately City were left with exactly the same. Nil points. When the team broke, there was something resembling incredulity from many City fans, with what looked like a back […]
Out of the frying pan…
Struggling to replace the dour but solid Mick McCarthy in advance of the 2018/19 season, Ipswich Town appointed Paul Hurst (erstwhile of Shrewsbury Town) as their new manager. Hurst was young, bright and heralded as one of the potential management diamonds in the game. Sadly, he had a dismal time at Portman Road. The season […]
LEEDS PREVIEW: A make or break(ish) game for City, but not for Daniel Farke
When asked by the PinkUn whether Daniel Farke’s job was under threat, Stuart Webber’s answer was simple: “no.” That a head coach who would likely be unemployed had he overseen any other Premier League team heads into a match this weekend under seemingly no corporate pressure is an unusual one, even if most could’ve predicted that this […]
Webbers speaks: Farke’s job safe but improvement needed on pitch & in stands
I’m not sure the ‘board’s dreaded vote of confidence’ is even a thing anymore but even if it was I don’t think Stuart Webber would do them. Not in the sense of it being indicative the manager getting the tin tack. That’s why when Webber told the gathered media yestreday that Daniel Farke’s position is […]
The Premier League waits for nobody and City’s sliding doors moment is approaching
The last time Norwich City won a Premier League away game was in November 2019. Jeremy Corbyn was preparing to lead the Labour Party into a general election, FIFA 20 was the football game of choice and Covid-19 hadn’t even entered the English vocabulary. As the light dimmed in Merseyside and optimism started to re-enter […]
It’s not Norwich City that’s broken…
I’ve barely watched us this season. It’s not that I don’t care. I just don’t care about where we are plying our trade. I’m currently embroiled in a wonderful debate with the South West Canaries supporters group, whereby I am one of only two, who want to maintain the status quo within our club. And […]
From praise and accolades to widespread disapproval and ridicule in just five months
A friend of mine recently boasted about completing a job application and when asked for his religion, he’d put down ‘football’. He didn’t get an interview. But in the same way that people choose to label themselves according to their religious beliefs, when we tell people we are Norwich supporters, it becomes less about what […]
Outclassed and embarrassed, but also an overwhelming sense of not belonging
I’ve sometimes felt that I don’t belong. Not in a self-deprecating sense, but I’ve been through that situation a few times in my life. From being a scholarship kid at a public school through being coerced into meeting an early girlfriend’s Tory councillor parents when I was a rebellious youngster to having to attend a […]
A Stamford Bridge humiliation for City, with added scorn, embarrassment and woe
I need to be careful how I word this. Over the last few weeks, I’ve had a few messages bemoaning the negativity on MFW this season, with a few people telling me they are departing these pages for good. I deliberately, on request, turned to Mick Dennis and Stewart Lewis to offer a more positive […]
MATCH REPORT: Things turn ugly for City as they get hit for seven at Stamford Bridge
As football matches go, this was a tough a watch as you will ever get as a City fan. Few expected Norwich to get anything from this game, but equally few could have predicted such abject misery. City were unchanged, the game plan was clear. Keep it tight. Be tough to break down. Don’t concede […]
CHELSEA PREVIEW…
I often enjoy writing the previews. It can be an interesting exercise to analyse the opposition and try and work out how they’re likely to set up and suggest weaknesses that City may be able to exploit. In the Championship it was fun. Then I started thinking about this game and the word “fun” didn’t […]
VIDEO: ‘HELP US PICK NORWICH CITY’S BEST XI’ NT Podcast #61 | Norwich Talk
In this week’s pod, the lads take their turn in predicting Daniel Farke’s starting XI for the trip to Stamford Bridge. Do you agree with a back five/three? Who partners Normann in the engine room? Give their Twitter a follow! 📲 https://twitter.com/NorwichTalk1902 They’re also on Spotify/iTunes! 🎧 Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/3TtW5PP… iTunes – https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast… Musicbed licence […]
Is there room for a self-financing football club in the Premier League of the 2020s?
Over the last few years, Norwich City FC have proudly, if quietly, waved the banner of self-financing. All the noise has come from critics, many from within of course. I’m not a fan of the concept myself, but I obviously know that some of you lovely MFW folks and others elsewhere are quite happy with […]
How does Farke solve the Gilmour conundrum?
When Billy Gilmour signed on loan in July 2021, there was an almost unanimous cry of positivity and optimism from Norwich fans across social media. A Champions League winner had just signed for the club in what seemed to be a serious statement of intent for challenging in the Premier League. However, his impact on […]
A Class Apart – Stormin’ Normann
There have been three occasions in recent years when a supernova exploded over Carrow Road. *** The first was Nathan Redmond. City were a Championship side and played a Premier League team in a friendly. As the sides trotted onto the pitch there was an immediate difference between the two squads. The Premier League players looked like […]
VIDEO: ‘AN OPPORTUNITY MISSED’ Norwich City 0-0 Brighton | Norwich Talk
City were left frustrated at the weekend after missing a slew of chances in the draw with Brighton. Josh Sargent missed the pick of the City chances, while Daniel Farke’s new back three held firm for the second consecutive game. Here are the lads’ post-match thoughts… Give their Twitter a follow! 📲 https://twitter.com/NorwichTalk1902 They’re also […]
Wolves and Aston Villa collaborators consulted as part of Norwich City rebrand
London-based branding consultants SomeOne have been involved in Norwich City’s review of marketing, it is understood. As revealed by MyFootballWriter in May, the Canaries have been looking at various marketing and branding issues recently, discussing topics including fonts, Carrow Road’s television image and the design of the club’s badge. SomeOne have been a big part of this […]
The Seagulls sniffed blood but this time our slowly improving Canaries held the line
A few years after I was born in late 1957, there were two well-known USA sitcoms shown on black and white TV in the UK that were beloved of ex-servicemen everywhere. The first was Sgt Bilko, aka You’ll Never Get Rich or simply the Phil Silvers Show. As a kid growing up I loved it in all of […]
Premier League survival one point at a time? Or is the tide turning too slowly?
Oh, Josh 🙁 For all the whys and wherefores of team selections, formations and substitutions that did or didn’t happen, the main reason we’re not dissecting our first win of the season this morning is that poor ol’ Josh, when faced with an open goal from 25 yards, horribly under-hit it. Really horribly. He’ll not […]
MATCH REPORT: A point and another clean sheet for City but a chance missed for three
There was a sense of cautious hope, some may even say optimism going into this game. Farke resisted the clamour for the darling of the national media, Billy Gilmour, to be included and elected to play an unchanged side, apparently citing the lack of time that the squad had had together since the last game. The […]
BRIGHTON PREVIEW: Floyd… the Harlow Gazette… and that likeable Graham Potter
I am a great fan of Pink Floyd up until Wish You Were Here and my favourite Roger Waters couplet has always been: The memories of a man in his old age are the deeds of a man in his prime.** So much so in fact that I have the phrase tattooed on my right forearm. In this […]
Quiz time… from the Fine City… so…
And now, from Norwich… it’s Quiz of the Week! Can you name the current City players from these snippets harvested from Wikipedia? 1. Which City player was nicknamed ‘Baker’s Hands’ during his time at ADO Den Haag due to his hands being the size of bread loaves? 2. Which of these players has the middle name ‘James’ […]
Forget decency and human rights… the Prem looks no further than the filthy lucre
The second international break of the season is usually a chance to take stock and evaluate how the first couple of months have gone for City. On this occasion, it was best not to look too closely – a bonnet that didn’t really need opening. Unfortunately, said international break is also the trigger for Observer […]
Mathias Normann is a jack of all trades. But can he be master of one?
There certainly should have been more surprise when the nominated defensive midfielder for the Premier League’s bottom side pirouetted between defenders and kissed the Burnley bar from a tight angle. But because that player was Mathias Normann, there was very little. City’s latest Norwegian destroyer may have been brought in to fill the Oliver Skipp-shaped […]
Since when did it become cool to punch down on the little guy?
Those of you who don’t frequent social media and are able to resist the dubious delights of talkSPORT may be unaware that said radio station has been less than complimentary about our beloved Norwich City over the last couple of months. Not just the once, but consistently… on what feels like a weekly basis. Some […]
Where do you stand on the Krul/Vydra debate? Team Wright or Team Gallagher?
When it comes to famous writers, many are entombed within the confines of Poets Corner Westminster Abbey, as in Geoffrey Chaucer, Lord Byron and Philip Larkin amongst shedloads of others. These writers generally got their inspiration from sitting down at places like Tintern Abbey, skulking with understandable fear and dread in the horrific trenches of […]
Our first little acorn of the season has fallen… in Turf Moor. Thanks Sean
From little acorns mighty oaks do grow, proclaims a proverb that originated in England during the 14th century**. If they fall far enough away from the tree not to be suffocated by the arboreal donor, passing squirrels do not hoard them over the winter so that they shrivel and die and the weather remains generous […]
A point! A whole, beautiful, hard-earned Premier League point (and a clean sheet)
To paraphrase Jarvis Cocker, we had to start it somewhere, so it started there… in Burnley. It wasn’t a rip-snorter of a performance by any stretch of the imagination, but it was resolute and gutsy; two words that have been absent from literally every Norwich City match report or thought piece so far this season. As […]
MATCH REPORT: Finally a point on the board for City with a Turf Moor clean sheet
Ignore the noise is the Farke mantra. It is fortunate that he is able to heed his own advice. The noise this week told him that so far this season he had made too many changes, or that he needed to make sweeping changes, switch to 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 or even 4-4-2. In the end, Farke […]
BURNLEY PREVIEW: Can our ailing Canaries stop Dyche’s Clarets putting it up ’em?
In Martin’s Monday piece, he spoke of his relief at not being on the rota to pen the Burnley preview. That particular honour is mine. Whoopee! I pondered whether it was time to dip back into the cesspit of celebrity fan previews but the best I could come up with in terms of A, B […]
It’s the hope…
What if, improbable as it seems, we claw our way to safety in the brutally unforgiving Premier League? Without quibble or fudge I agree with those who say that, currently, we look a long way off being able to compete, let alone linger, in the top tier. I’ve been there to see every ball we’ve […]
Some hits and misses of the Norwich City production line…
A while ago now I was speaking with MFW regular Alex Bain and somewhere in the conversation there emerged the concept that when it comes to buying low and selling high, it doesn’t always work out that way. And nor does it for many home-grown Academy lads either. For every Emi there’s an Aidan Fitzpatrick, […]
“We’re doomed – doomed, I tell ye!” But are we?
I’m not here to rubbish the pessimists about Norwich City’s prospects. How could I be? The facts are stark: six played, six lost. Yes, we had the toughest starting fixtures imaginable – but we’ve also been beaten, convincingly, at home by Watford. Whatever the strengths of our squad, they haven’t thus far played with a […]
MATCH REPORT: West Brom take advantage of City’s error-prone Under-23s
City’s Under-23s were beaten 5-2 by West Bromwich Albion at The Walks on Monday night, a series of defensive errors cancelling out goals by Jon Rowe and Tom Dickson-Peters for the home side. The young Canaries started well and had their visitors on the back foot from the off, Rowe forcing a good stop from […]
City new boys must cut out mistakes to be effective in a relegation battle
‘He was good apart from the…’ This is fast becoming a popular phrase among Norwich City fans. ‘Mathias Norman was good apart from his lax tracking for the second goal’; ‘Christos Tzolis was good apart from the penalty miss’; ‘Ozan Kabak was good apart from the rash challenge on Allan’. Even in a terrible season […]
Too early for the white flag? Or are we not long for this plush Premier League world?
Almost to this very day two years ago I had to go to the NNUH for a full dental extraction. The guy in the next bed to me was a Polish fella called Marek who was in for some kind of preventative DVT operation. Neither of us could stand the noise from the other patients […]
Amid all the doom and gloom, please can we at least have our Farkeball back?
This Premier League lark isn’t much fun is it. Not when you support Norwich City. Not at the moment. In fact, it’s hard to recall a time when City have been in the top flight and things have felt quite so grim. The stats back it up. Played 6. Lost 6. Goal difference -14. Things […]
With Derby and Reading on the brink, it’s time for a reset. Step forward *Fair Game*
With FIFA desperately trying to force through two-yearly World Cup’s with all the lucrative money-making opportunities they would bring and £100m transfer fees now barely raising an eyebrow, the game seems to be intent on hurtling towards a point where will see more and more clubs crash and burn as they try to stay aboard […]
EVERTON PREVIEW: The final Goodison hurrah for the travelling Yellow Army?
We play Everton at Goodison Park tomorrow, which is almost certainly the last chance our loyal group of away supporters, both regular and casual, will have the opportunity to visit that grand old stadium before, with a little financial help from Liverpool City Council, a new stadium is built not too far away from the […]
More of the same and the tide could turn; the very last thing Daniel Farke deserves
It’s August 2013. Saturday, the 24th of August, 2013, to be precise. I’m not going to flog it any further by giving you the time (but it would have been five-ish in the afternoon). Norwich City had just played out a flat, uninspiring, 0-1 Premier League defeat at the KC Stadium against a Hull City side […]
Press high, pick off an early City mistake, score from it and it’s all but game over…
How often have us Norwich City types come across the phrase *Boys against Men*? Quite a lot if you’ve seen its use as many times as I have recently – I’ve lost count in all honesty. But on Tuesday night against Liverpool at Carrow Road there was a novel twist on the oft-used cliché. The […]
Another match, another loss. The same old story as City enter Project Restart Mark II
Another match, another loss for City as they were unceremoniously dumped from the Carabao Cup last night, but after the repetition of a familiar result, at least the script felt slightly altered. After weeks of the same old naivety, defensive errors and lack of creativity, it was courteous of the Canaries to throw in some […]
MATCH REPORT: Too easy for Liverpool. “Porous at the back. Blunt up front”
Given that Daniel Farke had barely a day to work with his players since the capitulation to Watford, it should come as no surprise to any Canary fan that, once again, there was a familiar theme to this defeat. The Sky commentator summed it up in eight words. Too porous at the back. Too blunt up front. […]
Hope. The Currency of the modern football fan
Norwich fans are no strangers to challenging times. We have a small and inglorious hall of fame of moments where being a Norwich fan seemed more an unwanted life sentence than the joy and pleasure we feel for the majority of the time. That hall of fame includes a penalty shootout at the Millennium Stadium, […]
LIVERPOOL PREVIEW – a repeat of opening day but with 22(?) different faces
We’ve got a repeat of the opening Premier League fixture on Wednesday night with the return of the mighty Liverpool to Carrow Road in the Carabao Cup third round. I’ve discovered via another chat with the excellent Tony Evans, who is a columnist for The Independent, a former Football Editor of The Times, a contributor to […]
Reasons to be cheerful…
Twas a grim weekend, so in the spirit of looking for positivity… Positive, positive, positive… Right, here goes. 1. The squad Good cover in nearly every position. Two very good goalkeepers; four quick full-backs; two centre-backs with proven ability and two more with exciting potential; a plethora of dynamic wingers; three forwards with goals in […]
Something better change. More of the same and this season only ends one way
I was scheduled to pass my season ticket to a mate on Saturday. It had been an agreement for over a month as he lives in the West Midlands and rarely gets to Carrow Road at the moment. You don’t renege on a deal like that. But on Friday dinner time I was feeling the […]
Five games in and the going is tough. Very tough. Oh for a single point on the board
You know things are not going well when you’ve had to give Match of the Day the swerve for five consecutive Saturdays. Some of you are no doubt braver than I, but Lineker’s half-hearted ‘and Norwich?’ that invariably follows the collective gushing over the qualities of our opponents is too much to take when the […]
MATCH REPORT: No City heroes as Hornets make it five on the spin against Canaries
‘You got me monologuing. The words are from the villain ‘Syndrome’ in the Disney Pixar Film ‘The Incredibles’, but could equally be applied to Daniel Farke after his pre-match press conference this week. Regrettably, there were no superheroes at Carrow Road today, nor anything Incredible. Despite his passionate defence of his players, Farke made changes […]
“The key is to stay positive”: Farke’s rallying cry to keep the faith
Norwich City head coach Daniel Farke has passionately reiterated the importance of positivity as the Canaries head into their crucial match against Watford, claiming that 100% of supporters must remain upbeat to earn Premier League establishment. The German denied that the game was ‘must-win’ for his side, but called on supporters to “make Carrow Road […]
WATFORD PREVIEW – The season starts here
The real test of whether Norwich City can survive in the top flight begins at Carrow Road tomorrow. Before we come back and expand on that, a brief detour to Watford – the club closest to where I live, though not to my heart. My Watford-supporting friends assure me I’m safe to write this column. […]
Will game number 5 be the one? And has Webber addressed the bullying issue?
The joy of watching Emma Radacanu winning the US Open last Saturday evening may have temporarily eased the pain of another City defeat but was only a short-term fix. I’m not sure what specifically it is about an away defeat at the Emirates that encaptures everything about Norwich City in the Premier League (we tend […]
Should Farke persevere with 4-3-3? Or will we see the much-discussed back three?
For all the frustrations we currently feel, I remain optimistic that City will survive. But I also think it is dangerous to downplay the last two games and hide behind reputations. Leicester’s defence was as makeshift as City’s against Manchester City in 2019, which included Ibrahim Amadou at centre-back, and they appeared there for the […]
The salutary tale of Graham Poll – a fallible human, alone in the centre of a storm
When he realised his career had imploded in a moment of global humiliation, referee Graham Poll needed to be alone. But solitude is hard to find when you are at a World Cup match. Eventually, he managed to shrug off solicitous colleagues, forced his head up and walked out into the bowl of the Stuttgart […]
Advantage Omobamidele in the battle for centre-back starting berths
After a frantic contest had drawn to a close and various officials from both Arsenal and Norwich City gathered around to complete their post-match duties, one man still stood out as the calmest in the Emirates Stadium. Surprisingly that man was a 19-year-old, who months ago was known to very few but suddenly has been […]
The pursuit of truth: can a self-funding club ever survive in the Premier League?
Urban myths. You know, stories that filter down to you second and third hand that you’d really like to believe in and happily share with your friends but with a sensible head on you’re not sure if you can believe they are true. Two of my three favourite examples concern the rock music industry of […]
Same old story as City play well for spells but still come up short at the Emirates
City played well, stood up to the battle, were easy on the eye and looked solid for long periods, but narrowly lost thanks to a bit of bad luck and some questionable defending. Sound familiar? The venue was different, the personnel slightly adjusted (Daniel Farke made four changes to his starting eleven from the 2-1 […]
Another Emirates disappointment as City succumb to the inevitable messy goal
So that’s it. The extended pre-season is over. It’s down to the real games next week against Watford. Daniel Farke has a history of transformation in the post-international break period. Perhaps it was expecting a bit much for him to pull off the same trick this time, particularly with several players away on extended international duty […]
ARSENAL PREVIEW: A classic ‘along come Norwich’ moment? Or an opportunity?
The last time Norwich City went to the Emirates they were soundly beaten by a superior Arsenal team backed up by a superior Arsenal squad and the London club had an exciting young coach in Mikel Arteta. The Gunners were trending upwards and City clearly downwards as they meekly surrendered their Premier League status. Taking […]
Consider yourself a City aficionado? Then test yourself…
Answers below . . . . . . . . . . .
Winning big games: back in the day when City went toe-to-toe with the champions
I pity the podcast generation, all-knowing and fresh-faced, blinking blindly in the Premier League glare. I do. Sadly they seem to regard the world prior to 2014 as empty of integrity, truth and joy, and of no possible use to anyone with a phone surgically attached to their person. A black mirror indeed, and certainly […]
The healthy competition of Sargent and Idah can only be a good thing for Pukki
After a slow start and the arrival of £9million competition, Teemu Pukki had suffered a good deal of criticism, but scoring Norwich City’s first Premier League goal of the season has reminded fans of the Finn’s sensational record at the club. In Iwan Roberts’ column for the Eastern Daily Press, the Norwich City legend stated that […]
Seat belts on folks, it’s a bumpy ride as we revisit the Canary Nation of September 1999
I was rooting through the oubliette of my desk draws [the bottom one with heavy stuff like property deeds and old coins in it] the other day and discovered something I thought I had disposed of ages ago when I eBayed all my old programmes and sold them to a newsagent in Costessey, together with the egg […]
Webber… his finest hand of poker… Normann & Kabak… and some Emirates hope
International breaks eh. Don’t you just love them? They never come at a good time, but those that come immediately after your club has signed what you hope will be two key players are especially annoying. Particularly when said players have literally a few hours at the club before they have to jet off and […]
Norwich to finish 11th… if, as some believe, the only metric worth its salt is net spend
Upon the closure of the transfer windows, every pundit, media outlet and shock-jock talk-radio station took it upon themselves to try and establish who ‘won’ the transfer window. As ever, despite City spending more than they have ever done in any transfer window in history and having ticked every box going (at least in Norwich […]
The window that was. Martin’s posse take a look at the wonderful work of Webber
So that transfer window has finally closed and I think we must surely agree that it has been the finest one in terms of achievement by Norwich City yet. I reckon it is and the best of fair play to Stuart Webber and the recruitment team. But do the posse agree? The only way to […]
Grading Norwich City’s transfer window: Future heroes or … not?
It’s safe to say that this summer was a crucial one for Norwich City. Armed with comfortably his largest-ever budget, sporting director Stuart Webber set about transforming a Championship winning squad missing its most important player into a group capable of Premier League survival. So, how successful as he been? We set about deciding with […]
VIDEO: Welcome aboard Mathias Normann and Ozan Kabak | Norwich Talk
The lads have been busy over the last couple of days, thanks to a certain Stuart Webber. City’s sporting director stayed true to his word and delivered Daniel Farke with what we all hope will be the final two pieces of the survival jigsaw and so gave the NT boys plenty to chew over. As […]
Norwich closing in on Kabak signing
City are closing on the signing of Schalke centre-back Ozan Kabak on an initial loan, MyFootballWriter understands. They will have an option to turn the deal permanent in the summer of 2022 if the deal goes through, which the Canaries are confident of. Kabak spent the second half of the 2020/21 season on loan at Liverpool […]
City worth a draw but muck happens. The season now starts for real at the Emirates
Who’d have thought it? As we go into the international break we are above Arsenal in the Premier League table. Oh joy, you might think, until you actually take a quick shufti at said, sad table. And who do we face after the break? Arsenal at the Emirates of course. But with all thoughts of […]
The Canaries finally tick their top priority transfer box – Mathias Normann is the man
Heading into the 2021 summer transfer window Norwich City had one top priority: find a defensive midfielder to replace Oliver Skipp. After a long and arduous process, they have their man. In Mathias Normann, brought in from Russian side FC Rostov for a loan fee that could turn into a club record permanent deal if […]
Sloppy defending (again)… Skipp-shaped holes… VAR agony… and a returning hero?
As Todd Cantwell said afterwards, it would have been disappointing to have come away with a point but, of course, we would definitely have taken it. To have ended up with nothing was a proper blow to the nether regions. The longer we go without those first points, or point, on the board the more […]
MATCH REPORT: Pukki off the mark but two defensive ricks and City lose again
So finally a chance to watch a match ‘live’. I was working on opening day, was half comatose with jet lag for the Man City game although, given the result, that seems to have been an advantage. That loss will be no more relevant to the Canaries’ final position than the subsequent cup win against Bournemouth. […]
Could Farke return to a 4-2-3-1 for Leicester visit?
The Foxes’ weaknesses could combine with the Canaries’ stellar midweek to induce a return of the tried and tested Farke formula. While new faces, kit suppliers and sponsors have given Carrow Road a changed look this season, Daniel Farke’s switch from a 4-2-3-1 to a flat 4-3-3 has been the most noticeable tactical change. After […]
VIDEO: ‘CARVALHO & THE CDM DEBATE!’ NT Podcast #57 | Norwich Talk
The lads are back for some more transfer rumour goodness. With the window closing and City still in the market for two very important positions (centre-back and defensive midfield) the transfer speculation is rife. William Carvalho (on the day of recording – 26/8/21) was the latest name to be tipped with a move to Norwich […]
LEICESTER PREVIEW: Our pre-season is over, let’s start collecting some points.
Saturday 5.00 pm: “Jesus, that defending… and still no defensive midfielder in sight… it’s eerily reminiscent of the last ten games of 19/20… I’m getting nervous”. Monday 12:00 pm: “Brandon Williams has been confirmed. He might be more needed than we thought after Saturday. Good signing that”. Monday 10:00 pm: “Leicester took a pasting and […]
Carvalho linked as Norwich chase for Normann continues
Norwich City have considered William Carvalho as an option, but the Real Betis midfielder is unlikely to join the Canaries. Sky Sports reported that City were interested in Carvalho, who has 68 caps for Portugal and made 27 appearances for Betis last season, but MyFootballWriter understands that FC Rostov midfielder Mathias Normann remains a more realistic alternative. Talks […]
Less Greek tragedy, more Greek Fire as Tzolis lights up Carrow Road on debut
That display on Tuesday against Bournemouth was as far from a Greek tragedy as it is possible to get and much more a case of Greek Fire** courtesy of a young man we’ll be seeing a lot more of – Christos Tzolis. Let’s be honest Scott Parker opened his book of excuses early doors by […]
The good mood returns to Carrow Road as it soaks up the mother of all City debuts
Well, that was a little unexpected. Many were forecasting a Crawley (a) type performance but instead a City team made up largely of those who have yet to feature did a number on a Bournemouth team similarly made up of those who Scott Parker deemed in of need of game time. In that regard, the […]
Farke pleased but “not dancing on the table” after Bournemouth hammering
City head coach Daniel Farke was pleased with his side’s 6-0 defeat of Bournemouth but remained cautious in his praise, saying that he was not “over the moon” after the Carabao Cup second-round win. £9million signing Christos Tzolis registered two goals and two assists on the night but Farke was not drawn into individual praise […]
Ignore the noise they said… and then this bloke no-one had ever heard of chirped up
I fully expected the fallout from Saturday’s very disappointing defeat at the Etihad to rattle through way beyond tonight’s Carabao Cup game with Bournemouth; probably right up to kick-off time on Saturday if I’m honest. Such was the dearth of positives, the Canary nation was a fractured old place as we all attempted to unravel, […]
The Etihad foul count highlights a missing element for the Canaries
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City may be known for their movement, patience and technical quality, but they’re also the Premier League’s most precise and calculated foulers. It’s an approach Norwich would do well to learn from. There were plenty of predictable statistics to illustrate quite how dominant Manchester City were over Norwich on Saturday afternoon. Possession […]
No fun whatsoever in being shellacked by the Premier League’s rich kids
I had a strange education during my formative years. I was as happy as the proverbial sandboy at Barley Lane Junior in Chadwell Heath and sat my eleven plus there. No word of a lie, my pass level was so high that an IQ tester came along to see me and the result couldn’t have […]
More Etihad misery for the Canaries as Pep’s superstars dish out a harsh lesson
I wasn’t really sure where to start when tasked with previewing yesterday’s game. We all knew what was just around the Etihad corner, so to try and paint a rosy-ish picture before a ball had even been kicked wasn’t the easiest of tasks. I concluded the piece by suggesting the scoreline wouldn’t be as gloomy […]
MATCH REPORT: Tough afternoon at the Etihad as Pep’s men cruise to an easy win
Norwich City were comfortably beaten by Manchester City, the English champions thrashing the Canaries 5-0 on a miserable afternoon for Daniel Farke’s side. Jack Grealish, Aymeric Laporte, Rajeev Sterling and Riyad Mahrez found the net for the Citizens, adding to Tim Krul’s early on goal to comfortably see off their visitors. On a day when […]
MATCH REPORT: Promising, but City’s Under-23s beaten by a single Stoke goal
Eddy Jones’ strike stole the three points for the visitors, while Norwich fans were treated to their first glimpse of new signing Liam Gibbs in competitive action and striker Shae Hutchinson made a return from his second kidney transplant surgery to complete 45 minutes of Premier League 2 action. Alan Neilson’s development side started the […]
Mutual admiration, but all about three points for Farke and Guardiola tomorrow
Friends Pep Guardiola and Daniel Farke were keen to praise each other’s work in their pre-match press conferences but asserted that it’s business as usual come 3pm tomorrow. “Daniel is an exceptional manager,” said Guardiola of his Norfolk counterpart. “I enjoy a lot watching his teams play. They have the quality and this is a […]
MAN CITY PREVIEW: A smarting Pep is not ideal as the Canaries head off to the Etihad
Hhmm… not sure where to start. Even on a good day, it’s a fixture that makes the sphincter twitch. Even if Norwich were at full strength, with a squad bulging full of new signings, all fully fit and embedded after a full, testing pre-season behind them, we would still be more than a little apprehensive […]
Another one nearly done – two to go in Webber’s summer transfer mission
There may not be any signing that excites less than a backup full-back. Perhaps that particular accolade is commonly taken by a second choice goalkeeper but Stuart Webber has managed to bring excitement even to that signing to City fans this summer. In fact, there’s generally been a great deal of anticipation around every signing […]
VIDEO: ‘POST-LIVERPOOL POSITIVITY!’ NT Podcast #56 | Norwich Talk
City may have kicked off their Premier League campaign with a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool but, as expected, it was overshadowed by the spectacle of a roaring Carrow Road. The lads (including Billy) went live to break down the game but, more importantly, talk about their experiences of being back at the place they all […]
Canary Corners, silly substitutions, midfield mix… and, maybe, Mark Noble?
First off, what a fabulous effort from the lads against Liverpool. The result is irrelevant, it was wonderful to see all the old faces around us and to see so many new faces too. Generally, City were in the game in the first half but they obviously faltered in the second against one of the best […]
Good to be back in the old routine; those familiar faces; the banter; the fancy cigars
A journey of 10,000 miles starts with a single step according to Mao Tse-Tung. My trip to Carrow Road on Saturday was about 9,998 miles short of that but nonetheless memorable. At 63 years of age, I’m surely far too old to get butterflies in the abdomen region – or so I thought. Mrs P […]
An emotional return to the Carra for the masses; one even Liverpool couldn’t spoil
Well, it wasn’t the homecoming we’d all dreamt of, but it was the one most expected. A City squad whose pre-season had been ruined by the infiltration of Covid leading to cancelled friendlies and eleven members of the squad undergoing periods of isolation versus the might of Liverpool whose preparations had been almost perfect. What […]
MATCH REPORT: City succumb to Liverpool’s quality but still some positives
City’s Premier League campaign got off to a disappointing, if not unexpected, start, losing 3-0 to Liverpool at Carrow Road. Goals from Diogo Jota, Roberto Firmino and Mohammed Salah earned the Reds three points at a packed Carrow Road, as City fans piled into a full-capacity stadium for the first time in nearly 18 months. […]
That moment is almost upon us…
Farke’s new, quicker, counter-attacking Canaries more capable than ever before
Norwich City’s 2021/22 season already has a sense of theatre about it, the feeling of an era-defining battle in the final of a series of blockbuster films. The following ten months will define whether the Webber and Farke era is remembered as the greatest in the club’s history or a tale of what could’ve been. […]
The same opposition as in 2019-20, but things feel different this time around
The opposition may have the same coloured shirts, we may go in as big underdogs once again, the game may be the same, but the atmosphere will be totally different. While last time around City faced the pressure of the largest crowd they’d played in front of as a team, in 2021 it’s the weight […]
LIVERPOOL PREVIEW: Van Dijk returns to face the”Man City of the Championship”…
Concocting the first MFW preview of yet another [ha!] season in the Premier League for Norwich City has fallen to me and I must admit that the prospect of our facing the mighty Liverpool at Carrow Road on Saturday would normally fill me with awe, dread and no small portion of trepidation. But for all of us, […]
What will Christos Tzolis bring to Norwich City?
It’s safe to say that Christos Tzolis’ arrival at Carrow Road has been eagerly anticipated, and there must be a reason for all the fanfare. So, what convinced Stuart Webber to spend €11million on a 19-year-old, and what will he bring now he’s in the Fine City? Tzolis style is not dissimilar to that of one […]
GUEST BLOG: What makes a true fan?
It’s guest blog time again and today is the turn of Glasgow-based City fan Robin Ireland, who takes us on a UK-wide journey in an attempt to answer the question above… *** I moved to Scotland in 2018 (and met up again with my pal and another Norwich supporter, David, who I first met at […]
VIDEO: ‘CANTWELL, SARGENT, TZOLIS & LIVERPOOL!’ NT Pod #55 | Norwich Talk
After the shortest of summer breaks, the lads are back and, as ever, there are no shortage of talking points! They chat about the incomings of Josh Sargent and Christos Tzolis as well as the quashing of the Todd Cantwell to Aston Villa rumours before looking ahead to Citys opening day of the season clash […]
Keep the powder dry and the Private Frazers to keep schtum ’til September
Us wordsmiths have favourite words or phrases that we like to occasionally incorporate into our articles, whether on MFW or elsewhere. Mine have included *Bruce was incandescent with rage*, *Leitner adopted a masterly policy of inactivity* and *Colin wasn’t a happy bunny* – the latter of which won’t be required this season unless we meet […]
A little undercooked maybe, but just six days before Carrow Road can roar again
Let’s not kid ourselves. That wasn’t the ideal pre-season. In truth, it’s probably up there with the infamous pre-season of 2014. which included that tour of Italy that was well and truly and in the realms of piss ups and breweries. But this one was nothing to do with poor organisation. In terms of leaving […]
Villa CEO hints at the cooling of Cantwell interest
Aston Villa Chief Executive Christian Purslow has seemingly ruled out a move for Norwich City’s Todd Cantwell, claiming that the players required to replace Jack Grealish have already been signed by the Villains. The 25-year-old secured his move to Manchester City on Thursday night, prompting an explanation from Purslow as the Villa faithful mourned the […]
Intriguing rather than obvious signings so far, and still serious business to be done…
City have been more active in this transfer window than most clubs. In this article, I will look at how things are evolving as the season fast approaches. Daniel Farke will have known, for months, his preferred system for the Premier League. He will either want a back three or he won’t, but which will it be? […]
Photo diary: The evening when a degree of normality returned for the Canary faithful
Tuesday night was an emotional one at Carrow Road as, for many, it was their first visit to our second ‘living room’ since February 2020. MFW columnist Chris Sadler captured the evening perfectly in a photo diary…
Reaction to Covid outbreak impressive for Farke, as Gilmour revels in Carrow Road
Norwich City Head Coach Daniel Farke praised his players for coming through a “tough 14 days” to thrash Gillingham 5-0 on Wednesday night, joining new signing Billy Gilmour in talking up the atmosphere on a big night at Carrow Road. “I’m quite pleased, the circumstances of the last two weeks haven’t been easy for the […]
Classy midfield display helps City sweep Gills aside
City’s penultimate friendly of 2021 became a walk in the park, the Canaries’ midfield oozing class as they waltzed to a 5-0 victory over League One Gillingham. Pierre Lees-Melou’s long-distance opener was the highlight of the night, Lukas Rupp’s tap-in sandwiched by an Adam Idah double before Jacob Sorensen completed the rout. It had been […]
Tzolis deal getting closer for City, but any announcement is weeks away
Norwich City are progressing towards a deal to sign Greek international Christos Tzolis but no announcement is imminent, MyFootballWriter understands. Discussions are ongoing between Norwich and Tzolis’ current club PAOK Thessaloniki, who have a good relationship after negotiating the transfer of Dimitris Giannoulis in January. The left-back moved to Carrow Road for around £6.5million while his compatriot […]
The story of On the Stall City and how it’s so much more than the average market stall
Some of you may well be familiar with our venture “On the Stall City” (OTSC) by now. For those of you who don’t know us, we run a stall with our son Jacob on Norwich Market where we sell NCFC replica kit, training wear, leisure wear and memorabilia, and donate all profits we make to […]
No panic stations yet, but let’s not kid ourselves the prep has gone as planned
If you’re reading this you’re already enough of a part of the online #NCFC community to have found the MFW site, and so more than likely you’ll be at least regularly aware of the ongoing message boards and Twitter hashtags around #NCFC. While there is good fun, humour and comradeship to be found amongst City […]
Martin’s posse come together to give their thoughts on the good ship HMS Canary…
Two weeks until kick-off folks so for the final time during the close season the posse have been summoned for their thoughts on the ins and outs at Carrow Road and what might happen to HMS Canary** as it prepares to negotiate some strange tides and choppy waters aka VAR, Match of the Day and […]
Thirteen days and counting but the virus and unhelpful rumours hinder City’s prep
While I’m sure the majority of City fans are excited at the prospect of yet another crack at staying in the Premier League, this one comes loaded with rather more anxiety than those in years gone by. While it’s been generally regarded as a pretty good window for City so far – in terms of […]
VIDEO: ‘SHOULD WE BE WORRIED ABOUT TRANSFERS?’ NT Podcast #54
It’s been an interesting week. NCFC Twitter has been its usual charismatic self with a few panicking about our transfer methodology following an interesting tweet from an account that is often making claims we are expected to believe. The lads dissect the arguments from both corners about whether City are actually prepared to face Liverpool […]
17 days to go before Liverpool swagger into town … and work still to be done
Those who insist on telling us to stay patient and await the closure of the transfer window before judging Stuart Webber’s dealings a success, or otherwise, may have a point. But they’re ignoring the basic tenets of the football supporter: to speculate and dream. It’s therefore inconceivable that social media, websites like this one and […]
GUEST BLOG: Can Norwich Stay Up? – An Outsider’s Perspective on Farke’s Canaries
Guest blog time again and today it’s Kelan Sarson – a Norfolk-residing Peterborough fan who writes about the game and who has offered us an outsider’s perspective on City’s chances. All yours Kelan… *** Living in Norfolk my entire life, Norwich City is the football club on most people’s lips. Vivid memories of Paul Lambert’s […]
New contracts & Twitter storms: the highs and lows of a week in the life of NCFC
Considering we’re still nearly three weeks away from the big KO, we’re already well and truly in the throes of the highs and lows of the footballing roller-coaster. The obvious high of the week was news of Daniel Farke’s contract extension to 2025 – a fine outcome after a few weeks of speculation – but […]
More minutes under the belt and a handy little 2-0 win for City over Huddersfield
Lacking in rhythm and without their full complement, City got the job done against Huddersfield. There were shades of their clash with the Terriers in September 2019, when the Canaries dragged themselves over the line as they slowly shook off their relegation hangover. On that day, when Adam Idah’s first league goal won it late, […]
VIDEO – Daniel Farke Extends Contract To 2025! | Norwich Talk
Daniel Farke has signed a new contract, keeping him at City until 2025. He joined the club in the summer of 2017 with the ambition of promoting us to the Premier League within a five-year period, he’s now done that twice! The lads deliver their instant reaction to the news. Musicbed licence – MB01OKWPT4OLKNZ Also […]
“Four more years!” … for the man who has instilled a genuine ‘Norwich City Way’
“I stand for football, and hopefully for beautiful football.” When he arrived at Norwich City four years ago, Daniel Farke walked into a club that was without inspiration or a footballing identity. In an ever-evolving process, starting with a year of inconsistency and impotence, his second season was used to perfect what we now recognise […]
Defensive reinforcements are still required. Let’s not allow history to repeat itself…
Amid the cooling of City’s interest in Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer, I’ve taken a look at the defensive options Daniel Farke has at his disposal ahead of their return to the Premier League. It’s worth beginning with the Norwegian centre-half Ajer, in whom City have held a consistent interest throughout the summer, having had a […]
So, how does so-called “Freedom Day” impact those of a Norwich City disposition?
As we wake up this morning to *Freedom Day* as it’s dubbed by certain sections of the media, I bet many of our thoughts turn to getting back to the Carra and seeing how the Premier League, NCFC and the 19 other clubs are planning for August 14. Or indeed how the endlessly changing, sometimes […]
27 days to the big KO, and Webber’s Class of 2022 is already starting to take shape
And so we’re off! Well, sort of. At least the phoney war is underway, even if we have to wait a little bit longer for the real thing. Around this time, 28 days from now, we’ll be mulling over the whatabouteries and what-ifs of City’s opener against Liverpool. Hopefully in an exultant, jubilant way, but […]
New boys show what they’re about but City’s ‘surprise package’ steals the show
The ball never fell kindly for Milot Rashica or Billy Gilmour, despite their endeavour. Kieran Dowell, on the other hand, looked a smooth operator at The Walks. Understandably, all eyes were on Milot Rashica, Billy Gilmour and Angus Gunn as Norwich City kicked off their pre-season campaign at National League Kings Lynn. They represent 75 […]
Gentle workout for City at The Walks with City debuts for Messrs Gilmour and Rashica
It was the gentlest of preseason workouts, but for the many City fans who had turned up at The Walks, it was much more than the chance to see some new heroes for the first time. Having been starved of live football and the sense of community that the lockdown restrictions have taken from us […]
And off we go again… Lynn likely to give the Canaries a useful test as 2021-22 begins
Today is the day it all starts to feel real… again. The Walks’ grass is freshly cut and green, the goalmouths are well-rested, the Joma kit newly printed and the players raring to go. Norwich City may not have a full complement as they take the short trip up the A47, but every player on […]
VIDEO: ‘NEW CONTRACTS, RUMOURS & A BACK THREE?’ Podcast #53 | Norwich Talk
The lads are back to dive into some Norwich City news as all attentions turn back to club football. Jordan Hugill is reportedly ready to be shipped off in pursuit of regular game time with Nottingham Forest interested in acquiring his services. Max Aarons has once again (for the first time in a while) been […]
A tale of Hoddle, Graham Taylor, El Tel, a psychic and a former Page Three ‘lovely’
I read MFW’s Mick Dennis’ brace of They’ll Never Stop Us Dreaming articles earlier this week and thoroughly enjoyed them as quite a few of us did too judging by the comments. It took a while but eventually my memory jogged into gear and reminded me I’d met three England managers myself, although before any of them […]
For us children of the Webberlution, it’s fascinating to see how this squad evolves
With the Championship trophy sitting pride of place on the Carrow Road mantelpiece, Stuart Webber has embarked upon another challenging offseason, reshaping Daniel Farke’s squad once more. Unlike previous years, he actually has something of a “war chest” this time, mainly thanks to the club-record sale of Emi Buendia, albeit some of this has already […]
Expectation, not hope, the keyword as City secure top-level recruits
“We never get what we want. We get what we expect. Winners are never surprised by the victory. They saw it in their minds’ eye every day while preparing for it. What are you expecting?” – Matt Grotewold. These words adorn the walls of Colney, and they’ve never been more pertinent for Norwich City. As […]
VIDEO: City looking to sign Pierre Lees-Melou | Norwich Talk
City are in for OGC Nice’s Pierre Lees-Melou, as per Connor Southwell’s piece in yesterday’s Pink Un. There is genuine interest. The lads provide a little player profile which suggests he might be a better option than primary target Phillip Billing. And then… Ben’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/ben_ambrose23 Alfie’s Twitters: https://twitter.com/Alfiebritcher06 Sam’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamSeaman8 We’re also on […]
They’ll Never Stop Us Dreaming – Part Two
Trust the process, ignore the noise. The Norwich City mantra, invented and applied by sporting director Stuart Webber, should be the England motto now. After previous disappointments by and for the national team, the upset has sometimes been so great and the failure so abject that managers have fallen on their swords and pundits and […]
EUROS: A bit of pride, a bit of pleasure and some fond memories of the tournament
‘Ultimately, I’m a City fan first and foremost and that will never change. Nothing England do will ever compare with the sheer visceral excitement of watching my team score, or see out a landmark win, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care what happens on Sunday, just that whatever the result, the effects will be less dramatic!‘ Thus wrote […]
‘They never stopped us dreaming’ – Part One
Cliched appraisals of Sir Alf Ramsey say he looked like a bank manager, sounded as if he’d had poor elocution lessons (a myth) and was cold and unapproachable. But I had the joyful privilege to meet most of the men who won the 1966 World Cup under Ramsey’s management and they loved him. Truly loved […]
EURO FINAL: Why England should play a 5-3-2 vs Italy tonight…
Gareth Southgate is well known for switching to a back five for big games, but a tweak to a narrow front two instead of a wide front three could provide his side with a wealth of benefits, including solidity in midfield, danger in behind and increased involvement for Harry Kane. There was no surprise when […]
EURO FINAL: England vs Italy preview with a voice familiar to many Norwich City fans
I hadn’t anticipated giving the Euros anything more than a light touch on the pages of MyFootballWriter, but then again I hadn’t anticipated England getting to the final. So, given that England appearing in the final of a major tournament is a once-in-a-lifetime moment, I couldn’t let the moment pass. With Italy being England’s opponents […]
Should City cash in on Jordan Hugill?
Reports linking Jordan Hugill with Chris Hughton’s Nottingham Forest recently emerged, so, after an interesting first campaign at Carrow Road, should City sell their number 9 or bring him along for the Premier League ride? It was a curious 2020/21 for the 29-year-old, whose dressing room presence was the defining feature of his season. Stuart […]
GUEST BLOG – Does Gilmour’s arrival change the dynamic of how City set up?
It’s blog time again, and this time the turn of one of the young ‘uns, sixth-form student Jack Lincoln, who looks at how Billy Gilmour’s arrival may trigger a change in City’s approach… *** Billy Gilmour’s season-long loan deal to City from the current European Champions, Chelsea, followed hot on the heels of the 20-year-old’s […]
A likeable, decent man leading a likeable bunch of young men, and a Euro final awaits
Gary Neville called it right, and not for the first time. Gareth Southgate is the perfect leader, or at least is the perfect leader right now. All of the things that we love in Daniel Farke are present in Southgate. The calm measured responses to even the daftest of questions; the ability to remain calm […]
Norwich prepare £12million Ajer bid
Norwich City are preparing a bid worth around £12million for Celtic centre-back Kristoffer Ajer, according to the Daily Record. The 23-year-old has a year left on his Hoops contract and has been open about his desire to leave Celtic Park, telling TV2: “I was promised I could leave last summer but then we agreed I would stay […]
The SPFL may be the school of hard knocks but for City it offers invaluable experience
It’s been a very ‘Scottish’ week or so to be a Norwich City fan. Following Chelsea central midfielder and Scotland international, Billy Gilmour, joining the club on loan for the 2021/22 season, last Friday saw another Norwich City link arise in Scotland – although possibly a little less in the limelight. Young goalkeeper Daniel Barden […]
VIDEO: A BUSY WEEK FOR NORWICH CITY!’ NT Podcast #51 | Norwich Talk
City have certainly picked up the pace in this summer transfer window with plenty more rumours swirling around as well as the confirmation of both recruitments and departures. Milot Rashica, Angus Gunn & Billy Gilmour have all joined the club with Dimitris Giannoulis and Ben Gibson making their loan moves permanent, as Marco Stiepermann and […]
Gibbo & Dimi confirmed… Farewell Stieperdude… Welcome Billy & Joma!
That was the week that was for Norwich City in terms of them there comings and goings, wasn’t it? Gibbo and Dimi confirmed as permanent additions to the squad was no big surprise to anybody and their comments on NCFC official afterwards were very pleasing on the ear. And it also looks like this will […]
England on the brink… of a semi with Denmark. Who knows where this ends!
I mean, technically I’m here to talk bout Norwich City, but it’s not often that England win a knockout game at a major tournament, let alone produce a 4-0 whooping to qualify for a semi-final that just happens to be at Wembley. So, sorry if you’re here to hear about any potential signings as the […]
Little Norwich? The arrival of Billy Gilmour is a signal of intent from Webber and Farke
City fans have been debating, discussing and investigating just what Bill Gilmour will offer them from a very limited body of work, a bit like when one Oliver Skipp arrived here from Tottenham last summer. Gilmour may have burst onto the scene labelled “a terrific little footballer” by Graeme Souness and “fantastic” by Jose Mourinho […]
Farewell Stiepi ol’ friend. It’s been a blast
Players come and go at football clubs at a rate unseen in most other walks of life. I read somewhere a couple of years ago that the average stay was something like 2.7 seasons, so it’s never a good idea for fans to get too attached to their heroes because before very long they’ll be […]
VIDEO: ‘THE ULTIMATE DANIEL FARKE XI!’ NT Podcast #50 | Norwich Talk
In episode 50 of the Norwich Talk podcast, the lads have taken a look back on Daniel Farke’s four years as City head coach, and decided the most creative way to talk about the man and the amazing job he has done would be to discuss an ‘Ultimate XI’ of all the talent he’s had […]
Rangers’ pull is obvious, but Gilmour must choose City to further his career
Footballers’ personal lives should always be considered, but it’s vital for Billy Gilmour that he chooses head over heart as he weighs up whether to join Norwich or Rangers for the 2021/22 season. There’s no denying what Rangers can offer a young Scottish midfielder desperate for game time. Billy Gilmour grew up 30 miles from […]
The phoney war continues apace. Martin P gets the latest thoughts of his gang of four
It’s time for us to remember the words to the Angus Gunn songs [yes there are two] and welcome Kosovan international Milot Rashica from the green-and-whites of Werder Bremen, who is likely to become our record signing at a rumoured £9.4 million before add-ons. Then there’s 18-year-old Flynn Clarke from Peterborough, who has frightening potential […]
Gilmour’s arm-wrestle… Ajer ‘cooling’… Lotus in the house… and some very English VAR
The highs and lows of pre-season, eh? There was a time this week – I think around 4 pm on Tuesday – when it felt nailed on that not only would we be signing Milot Rashica, but also Angus Gunn, Celtic’s Kristoffer Ajer and Chelsea’s Billy Gilmour on loan. The most reliable ITK Norwich City […]
“The proudest man in Norfolk”: Bryan Gunn on Angus’ return to Norwich City
City legend Bryan Gunn joins MyFootballWriter to discuss his son’s delight at becoming a Canary, the battle for the number 1 shirt and why Angus has a lot of catching up to do on the golf course. “Obviously he’s delighted with it, it means he can come back and have a few more golf days […]
GUEST BLOG: Things finally starting to click for City? Or, we far too easily pleased?
It’s guest blog time again, and while most of the Canary Nation has been lifted as a result of the announcement of the last couple of days, John Green has removed his yellow and green-tinted specs and sees events in a rather more sobering light. All yours Victor Meldrew… *** The last couple of days […]
Help for Pukki? … formation changes … midfield playmakers … and Alex Pritchard?
As excited as I am about next season, as confident as I am that Stuart Webber and Daniel Farke will get it right, I am still uneasy about some of the decision-making. For example, we don’t appear to be in the market for a striker, so what happens if Teemu Pukki gets injured? I admire […]
GUEST BLOG – The evolution of the laws of football over the ages
It’s guest blog time again and it’s Jim Davies time again. Today, by way of a very pleasant diversion from the Euro and NCFC transfer rumours, he looks at how football has evolved over the years through the eyes of Michael Oliver (well, not just him – other referees are available). All yours Jim… *** […]
Angus rejoins the latest fine crop of City keepers as the Webber magic starts to flow
I spent Wednesday morning with the song Son of a Gun knocking round my head. Yes, the jaunty singalong from 90s keyboard hide-behinder JX. No prizes for guessing why, with the confirmation that Angus ‘Son of Bryan’ Gunn is returning to Carrow Road on a more permanent basis. However, I suspect my lightness of spirit […]
City closing on Gilmour loan signing
Norwich City are close to a deal to sign Chelsea’s Billy Gilmour on loan for the 2021/22 season, MyFootballWriter understands. Reports of the Canaries’ interest in the 20-year-old surfaced yesterday, and a deal is already being worked on, with Chelsea, Gilmour and Norwich keen on making the temporary move happen. The Scotland midfielder’s presence at Euro 2020, […]
VIDEO: City Sign Rashica! + Billy Gilmour on Loan? – Transfer Talk | Norwich Talk
Last night, the lads went live on Norwich Talk, to talk about Billy Gilmour, who yesterday joined the list of millions of ‘potential’ City signings, as the club reportedly showed interest following his immaculate display against England at Euro 2020. The plan was to give the low-down on Gilmour and others and then mid-stream, just […]
Euro heartache for Pukki, but now time for the ankle to rest and batteries to recharge
What makes Teemu Pukki so special is his ability to find a yard when there isn’t one, to create a chance for himself when a packed defence seems unable to concede one. The difference on international duty is that the Finn can’t find that yard, because he already has 50. In a possession-based side, Pukki […]
A blueprint for PL safety? Imagination and innovation are key if City are to succeed
In order for City to progress next season, I believe it is imperative that the unrealised potential of certain current players be fully realised in conjunction with the limited transfer budget. Put plainly, I have always thought that we impose 4-2-3-1 on to our best players when the alternative is to build a formation around the strengths […]
Lotus in talks over City shirt sponsorship
Norfolk car manufacturers Lotus are working on a deal that could see their logos on Norwich City shirts next season, MyFootballWriter understands. The sports car brand, based in Hethel, already sponsor the club’s academy kit and youth replica wear but will extend their commitment to first team shirts should the deal go through, having purchased naming rights […]
Little acorns in Leixlip, saplings in Norwich, and on the way to becoming mighty oaks
With City’s Chief Scout Chris Jones having recently departed to Crystal Palace and current media rumours that Head of Recruitment Kieran Scott is about to leave us for Middlesbrough to become their Sporting Director rather than wait a year to inherit the crown so admirably worn by Stuart Webber over the past few years, I […]
Turgid it may have been, but England’s woes were borne of Norwich City’s finest
I know I wasn’t the only City fan left feeling a little conflicted on Friday night. As an Englishman, of course I want to see my country win – in any sport, not just football – but when one of our own is being tasked from stopping that from happening, it makes it tricky. It’s […]
The Beeb’s top pundit… Scottish pens… invaders… futile bans… & Flower of Scotland
I’d long searched for an excuse to tell one of my more interesting footballing tales (most are mind-numbing) and Kenny McLean, god bless him, finally gave me one last November. It was a faint, tenuous link, but good enough and the wonderful readers of MFW, whether liked it or not, they were going to hear […]
Literally, the toughest start possible for City with Liverpool (h) and then Man City (a)
It might be stretching a point to reference Christmas during what has so far been a flaming June in Norfolk, but the night before our fixtures were released used to be like Christmas Eve to me as in sheer anticipation of what might follow on *Christmas Day* when the announcements were made. Would it be […]
Philip Billing a target, and Angus Gunn nears City return, but not so Ozan Tufan
While the start of EURO 2020 has captured the imaginations of football fans, Norwich City’s transfer machine whirs on. Here are the key developments as Stuart Webber looks to bolster the Canaries’ Premier League squad. Tufan not an option for City One player City fans had been keen on scouting at this summer’s tournament was […]
Tricky Euro 2020 start for the fleet-footed King of Dumfries
There were lots of gasps of shock around the UK as Grant Hanley bolted back at an electric pace to dispossess the Czech Republic’s Jakub Jankto, halting a potentially dangerous counter-attack. The Scot’s speed came as no surprise, however, to City fans, who’ve been aware of the attribute – which stands alongside fearsome bravery and […]
Football provides escapism while uniting us in euphoria. It can also unite us in grief
I had started penning this article a week ago, with the title – a gentle escapism from the harsh reality of life… Events in the Denmark game have swiftly rendered that title meaningless. Permit me to express my thoughts prior to the Denmark game. There was a lad I used to teach back in 2007, when […]
An open relationship with the Euros… a win for Huuhkajat… and one from four to win it
My relationship with the Euros has always been pretty much an open one, as in I can’t get too carried away with England and if I choose to pass on Austria v North Macedonia and a few similar matches, that’s because dogs need walking, cars need washing and gardens need watering. I was reminded the […]
The heroes of Copenhagen, Emi’s departure by a thousand cuts and the ghost of BK8
I’ll get onto the Norwich City stuff in a bit (it’s not as if it’s been an uneventful week) but it wouldn’t be right to start anywhere else but Copenhagen. The scenes witnessed last night were among the most harrowing I can ever recall watching as a football fan. They were among the most harrowing […]
Who could be the next Todd Cantwell? Who will be City’s next breakthrough star?
The full-time whistle blows on a sunny afternoon at Carrow Road. Norwich City have just been comprehensively beaten 4-1 by Italian Serie A side Atalanta in their penultimate pre-season fixture ahead of their return to the Premier League for the 2019/20 season. It was an eye-opening experience and the first in a series of lessons […]
#NCFC fan power triumph over BK8 shows what can be done when the Y’Army unites
In case anyone had missed it, Norwich City have terminated their partnership with BK8. Two days after the deal was announced and outrage ensued over inappropriate imagery on the Asian firm’s social media, the club have cut the partnership short while admitting that “we got it wrong.” Chief Operating Officer Ben Kensell also said, via […]
Hanley fearless ahead of Premier League return
Norwich City captain Grant Hanley has dispelled the suggestion of any fear at the club as the Canaries make their return to the Premier League. Hanley, who will play in his first international tournament at this summer’s European Championships, labelled feelings of inferiority as “worthless,” despite City’s dismal 2019/20 top-flight campaign, when in discussion with […]
Wanted – A new hero at Norwich City F.C.
You could almost imagine the small card on the metaphorical shop window of Norwich City. It was put up at about 5.30 pm last Saturday afternoon. It reads; ‘Wanted – A new hero to fill a recent vacancy, must ooze class, confidence, and culture. Boots not provided’. Okay, so perhaps we can trust the Norwich […]
With no Emi, and with a need to beef up that midfield, is 3-4-2-1 the way ahead?
Emi has gone and nothing is going to change that, but now I would like to see a very clear tactical plan moving forward. If they persevere with the 4-2-3-1, City are stuck with a philosophy they cannot financially afford to perfect. I’d prefer we change the base formation and be optimistic about how we move forward. […]
Goodbye Dafabet; hello… erm… BK8 ?!
Norwich City have distanced themselves from inappropriate social media content by new shirt sponsors BK8, claiming that “these posts do not align with Norwich City values” amid calls for the deal to be cancelled on the day of its inception. There seems, however, to be no plan on the club’s part to take any further […]
GUEST BLOG: Must we accept that our club is just a stepping stone for our best players?
It’s guest blog time again, and it’s the return of Anna Say who takes a look at what the pending Emi transfer says about where we are as a club, and if that needs to change… *** As I sit here reeling from the news that Norwich have sold one of the best players fans have seen […]
Talk about the wind being taken from the sails… the effect of a Paddy D #NoCircus
My Saturday morning of June 5 started as such mornings often do, with a quick walk to the local shop to buy a newspaper and have a chat about football with David behind the counter, a lifelong Arsenal fan and a very knowledgeable guy who has helped MFW with a match preview or two in […]
Adios Sweet Prince…
Given the hue and cry on social media (and MFW) this week around the next move of one Emi Buendia, I intended, for what little it was worth, to offer my two penneth this morning. I even penned a few opening lines yesterday afternoon. And then Paddy Davitt goes and ruins it all. Twitter: 5:23PM: Jun […]
Armstrong on the radar but Krunic no target as City press on with transfer business
With promotion sealed and pre-season weeks away, the focus has well and truly turned to transfers for Stuart Webber. Here are the key stories as Norwich City’s transfer operations start to hot up. Armstrong on the radar One of Webber’s potential options is Blackburn attacker Adam Armstrong, who MyFootballWriter understands, following reports from The Telegraph, to be on […]
The ‘super league’ crisis hasn’t been averted, it’s just been postponed for now
If you fancied a nice feelgood article today then please stop reading now, because this is my take on why a variation on the European Super League is inevitable and may happen sooner rather than later. To set the scene, let me refer to two things that appeared on social media this week. The first […]
Now is our time. Build from our best and enhance rather than lose the two lynchpins
City could buy Ollie Skipp and keep Emi Buendia. It might need some juggling, but they could achieve it. But will they? On the flip side, losing Emi and Skippy would affect 90% of our output. By contrast, I bet that if Brentford buy two players they could improve 90% of their output. Keep their […]
Atleti – Please don’t take our Emi away, but if you must, go and make him a superstar
The Oxford dictionary description for the word ‘priceless’ is ‘something extremely valuable or important’. A good example would be… ‘Priceless – Emi Buendia’s ability and importance to Norwich City’. The Championship’s player of the season elevated himself to new levels this season as City accelerated to a record points haul and league title. His creative […]
No matches, pure speculation and a dearth of hard facts – welcome to the silly season
Boredom is the beginning of all destruction and everything that is negative** Well, last week I had my fill of boredom, rumour, speculation and what might [and, more importantly, might not] happen during the current but yet to open transfer window. Every fansite, from Arsenal’s Daily Cannon to 100% Villa aka Vital Villa, were banging on about Emi […]
Wins for West London’s finest and so a 2021-22 audience with Carrow Road awaits
As European finals go, last night’s was a good one and regardless of what any of us think about the way Man City and Chelsea have acquired their footballing might, there was a pleasing to and fro to the game that’s not always the case in major finals. As a spectacle, it trumped the ‘richest […]
VIDEO: The season that was 2020-21, with Ben A and some friends | Norwich Talk
For those who haven’t seen it, the lads at Norwich Talk have put together an excellent five-part review of the season, where Ben chews the cud over every aspect of City’s promotion campaign with some very familiar voices. Enjoy. The Review #1, with Chris Goreham and Connor Southall… The Review #2 with Michael Bailey and […]
VIDEO: Norwich City ‘Linked’ With Tosin Adarabioyo | Norwich Talk
Manchester City graduate Tosin Adarabioyo has been linked with a potential move to Norwich City with the Pink Un’s Paddy Davitt writing a piece based on comments from Sky Sports. We give the usual player profile about the man who was part of the squad that saw Fulham relegated from the Premier League last season. […]
What’s on the Norwich City shopping list this summer?
As City enter their most important summer in recent times, strong recruitment is at the top of the success criteria. So where do the club see their priorities in the transfer market, and are they correct in their assessment? Strength and physicality in midfield When Stuart Webber conducted his assessment of where things had gone […]
The Buendia saga has only just begun, but any outcome will be to the Club’s benefit
The close season has barely begun and already we are being bombarded with stories about the future of Emi Buendia, some clearly clickbait nonsense but some from sources that are generally fairly reliable. It is hardly a surprise that a player who bestrode the Championship like a colossus this season and has just been picked […]
Carrow Road: A constant presence and rock in a fast-running stream of time. Our home
I feel lucky. Despite not being able to see Norwich play at Carrow Road since February 2020, I’ve had the chance to go into the stadium, walk on the pitch, take a good, long look around and contemplate the events of the last year. Like someone rescued from a desert grabbing a first drink of […]
GUEST BLOG: You can take the boy out of the city, but can’t take City out of the boy
The honour of first-guest-blog-of-the-close-season goes to Madrid-based City supporter, Charlie Birchall. All yours, Charlie… *** It’s been a season of pure paradox. Sheer brilliance on the pitch, yet off it possibly one of the hardest many have ever had to navigate. Our champions creating the magic, the storylines and everything that goes with a title-winning […]
How City could benefit from Gareth Southgate’s squad selection…
Norwich City will receive six-figure sums if James Maddison or Ben Godfrey appear at this summer’s European Championships. Clauses were included in the pair’s moves to Leicester and Everton respectively, the Eastern Daily Press reporting that the Foxes would be obliged to pay City should Maddison make it on to the pitch at Euro 2020. MyFootballWriter can confirm […]
A ghost season unlike any other but one that brought the best out of Norwich City
As the *silly season* gets fully underway with anybody from Arsenal, Leeds, Villa and even Slagheap Rovers apparently after our Emi Buendia, I thought I’d cast a brief personal eye over our *ghost season* – you know, the one where we weren’t individually or collectively allowed into Carrow Road, let alone the stadia of other […]
Playoff brutality… schadenfreude… crocodile tears… and Emi to *insert here*
“The Play-Offs are gloriously British. If your team isn’t involved it’s all about choosing which team you hate more and screaming for them to lose. Lots of opportunities for visceral catharsis.” The words of a wise man. Henry Winter? Paddy Barclay? Brian Glanville? Nope. Instead, from the keyboard of our own Andy Head – him […]
A day in the life at Colney: rondos, relay races and, to come, a SoccerBot360
While Carrow Road is seen as the home of Norwich City Football Club, the centre of yellow and green activity, the reality is that this hub is actually City’s Lotus Training Centre in Colney, where players report for duty nearly every day, their number of total appearances there dwarfing that of those in NR1, workplace […]
VIDEO: Emi Buendia & Arsenal… the saga continues | Norwich Talk
This will be the only video we make on Emi until next season, we promise… Ben.
A busy summer awaits the Canaries Trust as recent events see their numbers surge
Just like the rest of humanity the Canaries Trust has had to evolve to cope with the lockdowns. Suddenly we were no longer meeting our board colleagues in the pub before the game and although we could continue to meet via Zoom and converse via WhatsApp, it was strange to lose the human contact that […]
Badgegate: The badge and the Carra on the agenda as City consider rebrand
A branding consultancy could bring change at Carrow Road, with aspects of the club being considered from the fonts on the side of stands to the badge on the shirt. The club and the consultants in question have already got to work on improving City’s image and the experience they provide, devising a recent questionnaire […]
The ethos will stay the same but should we still expect a tweak to Daniel’s 4-2-3-1?
It’s been interesting listening to Stuart Webber this last week. He freely admit that either Todd Cantwell, Max Aarons or Emi Buendia could still be sold if it suits everyone… which begs a question. For me, Emi must be retained at any cost. And if you sell Aarons, you’re immediately looking for a replacement. That […]
VIDEO: Should Norwich City Sign Joshua King On A Free Transfer? | Norwich Talk
Norwich City have recently been linked with former Bournemouth & current Everton player Joshua King. So…
Like it never even happened: The history of Norwich City behind closed doors
Since English football was postponed in March 2020, and fans indefinitely barred from stadium entry, a huge amount has happened at our football club They’ve played 59 games, been relegated, been promoted, received a record transfer fee, and played the whole of the Championship off the park. The end result, though, is that very little […]
We can only marvel at the sheer extent and diversity of City’s youth recruitment policy
My secondary school made us do orienteering, which involved being sent out in pairs with one map, one compass and a mission to find about a dozen *targets* as quickly as possible in a strange land known as Epping Forest. But if I thought orienteering was mind-boggling [I did, I was pretty poor at it] […]
Hope for the little guy… bloody noses… City muscle needed… and some perfect derision
It goes without saying that Chelsea fans will obviously have the hump this morning – VAR et al – but name me another set of fans who will not have been overjoyed to watch Leicester lift the FA Cup yesterday. Supporters of the five other European Super League wannabees will merely mock the Blues for […]
The Curious Tale of Melvin Sitti…
As Melvin Sitti floats across the pitch in Kidderminster, waiting patiently for his next clever touch or classy swerve of the hips, there’s a feeling his chances of breaking into the Norwich City first team are diminishing. He’s been moved from attacking midfield to the wing to defensive midfield and nobody seems to know where […]
From Webber to Omobamidele and Riemer via Dereham – the story of Norwich Talk
To say that Norwich Talk – the YouTube arm of MyFootballWriter – came about by accident is a slight exaggeration, but it was a phone call with the then communications director of Norwich City FC in early 2019 that brought about its creation. Rick Waghorn (owner of MFW) and I had spoken previously of the […]
VIDEO: ‘Expectation vs Reality’ The Review #1 – Ft. Chris Goreham & The Pink Un
Welcome back to the third series of The NT Review! Chris Goreham and Connor Southwell separately join us to discuss the first third of Norwich City’s title-winning season. We talk about the summer transfer window, bouncing back from relegation, and the importance of results over performance as Norwich looked to get the fans back on […]
We’ve loved this football club at its worst and now we’re getting to love it at its best
The end of a footy season is a time ripe for creating memories. There’s the brilliant sort: “CHAAAAANCE! It’s going to go in, it’s going to go in!”. And there’s the rubbish sort: watching Norwich get dismantled by Fulham as Nigel Worthington’s wonderful Championship winning team slithered apologetically out of the Premier League with barely […]
The Phoney War: Part One
Now the three-times-a-party scenario is over, we have to dig into *what are we going to do next season* territory. In the first of a three-part series I have enlisted the help of my regular posse to garner their thoughts on what we can hope for before the transfer window has opened, and there’s a […]
GUEST BLOG: A not so alternative view of Norwich City’s incredible 2020-21 season
It’s guest blog time and the floor is once again Debbie Hewitt’s, who follows up last summer’s debut blog with her own take on the wonderful season that was 2020-21… *** Last summer I was so pleased to get my ‘Alternative view of the season’ published here on MyFootballWriter. This gave me a much-needed boost during […]
Headteacher’s Report: Andy H delivers his 2020-21 end-of-term appraisal
We watched with tremendous pride from afar as Herr Farke’s class represented us with the intelligence, creativity and courage which has become their trademark. Another successful year means we will once again be facing our Oxbridge-level counterparts next term, but we will do so full of confidence and steadfast in our resolve to keep improving […]
VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: The Eddie Riemer interview on Norwich Talk
Norwich City’s assistant head coach Edmund Riemer joins Sam for a chat about life before Norwich City before then reviewing his time at the club and what it’s like working closely with Daniel Farke.
Tougher than the rest… also better, more skilful, more precise and more consistent
*Now the party’s over… I’m so tired*. Good old Bryan Ferry [Avalon in this case] for referencing our magnificent EFL Championship winning squad over 30 years ago. Mystic, seer or sage? No, but it’s quite appropriate really as we saw the celebrations at Oakwell on Saturday, and thanks again to iFollow for extending the coverage […]
A good club, run by good, decent people, who just happen to be champions again!
And so the curtain closes on season 2020-21; one of the most surreal, arguably the most surreal, in the club’s history. That City have been so brilliant yet so few of us have actually seen the team play live will forever stick in the craw. Imagine the pre-match atmosphere for the Bournemouth home game with […]
MATCH REPORT: Another toughie at Oakwell but a point and the Championship trophy!
End of season games tend to have a narrative that is separated from the action on the pitch. When the team sheet dropped, it was clear that this was going to be just such a game. When Alex Tettey first came to Carrow Road nine seasons ago, few could imagine the influence that he would have […]
“It’s a joy to work with Farke”: Eddie Riemer, City’s assistant head coach, talks to MFW”
It’s a day before the final game of the 2020/21 season, and the positive atmosphere is palpable as Eddie Riemer turns a club laptop to face him. I’m on a Zoom call with the assistant head coach, who is calm, happy and relaxed in our discussion despite the rarity of his media obligations. His demeanour […]
BARNSLEY PREVIEW: A final hurrah for 2020-21 as City look to end it in style
A lot has changed since we got duffed up by tomorrow’s hosts in the FA Cup back in January. It certainly wasn’t one of City’s finest afternoons of the season although it was clear from Barnsley’s relentlessness that afternoon that they had enough about them to get themselves into the promotion frame. At the time, […]
The season that was 2020-21, through the eyes of the MyFootballWriter team. [Part 2]
Part One, if you missed it, is here. Here is tranche two of the thoughts of the team… Thom Belk: My moment of the season has to be Mario Vrancic’s late free-kick against Wycombe. After a stuttering start, this wrapped up a third win in a week, ahead of a tough match against Brentford. For […]
It’s been belted out in Munich’s Olympic Stadium, the San Siro, and Wembley…
We all know it off by heart, stand up together with no premeditation involved in order to sing it about 10 seconds before kick off while the butterflies have a party flying around inside our stomachs while we do so. It’s reputedly the oldest football-related song in the world. Chant isn’t the right word – […]
Farewell Sweet Princes: The final yellow curtain falls for Messrs Tettey and Vrancic
Norwich City 1-0 Manchester United; Norwich City 1-0 Arsenal; Norwich City 3-1 Ipswich Town (Play-off semi-final, second leg); Norwich City 2-0 Middlesbrough (Play-off final); Manchester United 1-2 Norwich City; Chris Hughton as Norwich City manager; Neil Adams as Norwich City manager; the number 27 shirt. What at first appears to be an odd assortment of […]
“I’m excited about the football we play”: City & Farke, a perfect match for Giannoulis
Norwich City’s unique style of play is perfect for Greek left-back Dimitris Giannoulis, who also heaped praise on boss Daniel Farke as he spoke of his first four months in NR1 with Greek outlet Gazzetta. “I am excited about the football we play in Norwich and that is the job of a coach,” said Giannoulis. […]
Man Utd, with their yellow & green scarves and hankering for some distant heritage…
They’ll do what they want. They always have. They always will. In the near 50 years since we first got to play Manchester United in my supporting career during the 1972-73 season, we’ve always been programmed to show due deference to The Busby Babes; The Biggest Club In The World. In those days it was […]
A fitting way to clinch the Championship title, missing only the roar of the 27,000
If Saturday’s second-half procession against Reading wasn’t the most fitting way to clinch the EFL Championship title for Norwich City, I’d like to know what might have improved upon it. Unless we could have all been in the ground to celebrate with the team of course. Reading were well up for it and let us […]
Championes! Simply the best, better than all the rest… at least in the Championship
Days like those don’t come along very often. Only nine times in the club’s history have we lifted a trophy – ten if you count the 2015 Play-Off Final – and two of those occurred before I was even a glint in my dad’s eye. Talking of whom… our post-match phone chat last night was […]
Classy and emphatic. The Canaries seal the title in style with a win over the Royals
Not so much of a match report today – at best half a report! The weekend that football chose to have a social media blackout was also the day that iFollow chose to deny access to many Canaries fans, myself included, for much of the first half. When I finally got on with 10 minutes […]
READING PREVIEW: By 5:00 pm tomorrow, will City be ‘Championes’ once more?
Okay, I confess. If Watford hadn’t won on Saturday, this would have been about half a paragraph long because we’d have had the title and Reading are out of playoff contention so both teams would be on the beach. Yarmouth admittedly, but the beach nonetheless. But bloody Sarr had to go and score didn’t he? […]
Never has the Barry Butler been more deserved: “Emi Buendia, from Argentina…”
“Emi Buendia had an unbelievably undisciplined red card, missed three competitive games, he missed the start of the season and missed two weeks because of injury. Emi was involved in every training session this week but I never pick a team because of the name, I just pick a team that is really greedy to […]
Nine seasons a Canary. If this is to be a Tettey farewell, it’ll be an emotional one
As Norwich City supporters, we all have our own favourite players. It’s natural and something we share with fans of each of the other 91 clubs currently playing in the Premier League and EFL***. In the past my personal preferences have included Kevin Keelan, Mark Bowen, Robert Fleck and Darren Huckerby [plus Wes and Holty […]
Missing Carrow Road? Longing for that next pilgrimage to our spiritual home?
MATCH REPORT: City’s Unders-23s slide to defeat against a strong Wolves side
City’s Under-23s were routinely beaten by a strong Wolves side, goals from Luke Cundle, Owen Hasketh and Jack Scott securing a 3-0 win for James Collins’ side. David Wright chose a young City development side, under-18s Sean Stewart, Saxon Early and Sam Blair selected as the much heralded Colney production line continues to produce. After […]
Job done in Shepherd’s Bush and a win against the Royals of Reading for the title
All things come to those who wait. Technically and mathematically we are still waiting to be coronated as EFL Championship trophy winners but not for very much longer now, I feel. I’m not sad enough to deny Watford their right to join us in the Premier League. They had more than a few dodgy moments […]
Another tricky afternoon successfully negotiated as City close in on the title
Nearly there, right? I mean, it is conceivable that Watford could win their final two games and, in doing so, overturn our superior goal difference, but after seeing how City negotiated a tricky away day at one of the Championship’s form teams, it feels all in hand. The wobble, if you could call it that, […]
Farewell to Errea? As City gear up for the Prem, a new badge to adorn the shirt?
Norwich City’s Errea announcement tomorrow will not be a kit for the 2021/22 season, with the club still planning to seek a new kit supplier at the end of 2020/21. The Canaries’ official online shop recently began displaying an advert that simply reads ’25.04.21’ with club badge and Errea branding, hinting at an announcement. It’s […]
MATCH REPORT: Joy in Shepherd’s Bush for City and the title is one point away
The question today in bright sunshine at the stadium formerly know as Loftus Road was whether there would be a hangover from the lets face it, hangover performance against Watford. The game started with a bang – Todd Cantwell, sold short with a pass out of defence, conceded possession and Kakay whipped a ball across […]
QPR PREVIEW: City still fighting for the title – and they’ll certainly need to
It matters, and it won’t be easy. I’ve spent a chunk of the past week pushing back on suggestions that it would be a let-down if we fail to win the title. The first and overriding aim of this season was promotion back to the Premier League. It’s fantastic that we achieved it with five […]
The method behind the madness: Farke’s sudoku-like approach to City’s fluidity
One of the most heralded aspects of Farkeball is its fluidity; the likelihood of a right-back playing as a striker for thirty seconds or a left-winger dropping into a third centre-back position. The reality, however, is slightly less anarchic than you might expect, and requires meticulous work on the training ground. The only fluid element […]
A smidgen of lost focus maybe, but Daniel will have them back on their toes for QPR
Too bad. A two-word phrase that has two interpretations. Firstly, let’s consider that we went into Tuesday night’s face-off with Watford on the back of Saturday’s 1-3 reverse to Bournemouth which saw us play for over 75 minutes with 10 men. Add the fact that Grant Hanley, Teemu Pukki and quite probably Todd Cantwell were […]
Lessons to be learned from those two pesky defeats, and more depth needed
Ouch. 12 points dropped against the teams we were relegated with… No big deal. The wake-up call though is that Watford should have scored four or five last night. Everything I fret about with 4-2-3-1 was exploited by the Cherries and the Hornets; Danjuma is a £13 million player and Max Aarons couldn’t contain him […]
A tough ol’ night at the Carra as Watford join Bournemouth in doubling the City
It’s never a great sign when one of your centre-backs and your goalkeeper are by some distance men of the match. But it was that kind of night. Maybe Grant Hanley and Tim Krul were able to better withstand the effects of alcohol than their younger colleagues, or perhaps they even had the resolve to […]
MATCH REPORT: Watford close the gap to five as City’s rhythm is again ‘hornetted’
After the Boxing Day match against Watford, I remember penning my concerns that City were outdone by exactly the sort of physical, technical, and pacey side that had proven their undoing in the Premier League. Last night’s match at Carrow Road has done nothing to ease my fears. Watford started the game impressively. They pressurized City […]
WATFORD PREVIEW: Can the heads clear enough for City to edge closer to the title?
Norwich City v Watford. It’s being billed as the Championship title shoot-out between ourselves and our friends from Hertfordshire but I don’t really go along with that if I’m honest. Some might suggest we’ll take our foot off the gas now we are promoted but the indicators seem otherwise to me, especially in light of […]
Promotion tinged with sadness but for this City fan, it’s been a season to remember
For many of you, although the main emotion on Saturday would’ve been happiness, there was a regret that you hadn’t been there for all of it. There was no City Centre eruption upon the final whistle of the Swansea game, no Just Can’t Get Enough blasting from the speakers, no embracing family and friends or spotting known […]
Dads and Lads and the Infinite Game: A Norwich City Love Story
The Coventry game hadn’t long kicked off, but instead of settling down to follow the match, I was standing in the doorway to the lounge, on the phone, trying to get through to the ward at the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital, sort of half watching, half concentrating on the seemingly endless ringing at the other […]
Do not be fooled home-based fans of the ‘Big 6’ – the ESL gives not a stuff about you
At least the advent of the much vaunted (and derided) European Super League has done one good thing. It has brought the wider football community (and that’s a word and concept the organisers of said behemoth would happily see wiped from the face of the planet) together in mass condemnation of both the concept itself […]
Whole lotta love for City as, despite defeat, Saturday turned into our Celebration Day
Saturday has to go down in my personal history as one of the strangest, most emotional days I can ever recall. Passing my driving test [first time, natch], securing my first job in journalism, the births of my wonderful children and seeing Led Zeppelin at Earls Court in 1974 run it pretty clos,e but I […]
Welcome to the European Super League, where tradition comes a poor second to ££
It’s been talked about for long enough and now it seems that it’s finally coming to pass. Welcome to the European Super League. Never mind that well over a century of history will be going into the trash; never mind that Covid hit fans of the “elite” clubs will have to stump up for away […]
Ten-man City stumble on their big night but who cares! Job done. Objective achieved
We did it! We only bloody did it! And there’s not a single thing Graham Scott, Jonathan Woodgate or Ben Pearson can do to either change or spoil that. While the plucky™ little Cherries still have the not inconsiderable obstacle of the playoffs to contend with before they can even contemplate life back in the […]
MATCH REPORT: A promotion party spoiled (only briefly) by Woodgate’s Cherries
As promotion parties go, it’s fair to say that it didn’t quite go according to plan at Carrow Road. Swansea and Brentford had played their part earlier in the day by failing to land three points, end even Watford stumbled. City set off at a pace. The speed of movement and the precision were reminiscent of the […]
WE’RE NORWICH CITY AND WE ARE PREMIER LEAGUE!!
Nothing to add … just this. (With huge credit to whoever created this masterpiece)
“The way football changes so quickly is crazy!”: Andrew Omobamidele talks to MFW
15 days ago Andrew Omobamidele hadn’t started a senior game of football. Tonight, he starts in a game that could see him become a Premier League player. “The way football changes so quickly is just crazy,” says the 18-year-old as he sits down with MyFootballWriter. “Two or three weeks before you could just be training with […]
BOURNEMOUTH PREVIEW: A big test awaits the Canaries but is tomorrow P day?
‘We are close, we are so close!’ Those who have watched the Amazon documentary All or Nothing, which follows Man City throughout the course of the 2017-18 season, will recognise Pep Guardiola’s words as his team closed in on their first title under his tenure. Given that Pep is a self-proclaimed watcher of Norwich City […]
With Cherries and Hornets incoming, time to lay down some markers for next season
The next two games will tell us a lot about our beloved Norwich City. The club’s ambition to become established in the top flight pitches us against the likes of Bournemouth, Watford and those perpetually around the Premier League relegation zone. We lost 1-0 away to both the Cherries and Hornets but are about to […]
Ignore the ill-educated who attempt to heap scorn on our club’s huge achievement
The view within the Norwich-supporting bubble is a very different one to that being espoused by fans of other clubs across the country. Forget the rather bizarre and twisted perception that our country cousins down the A140 currently have of the world following the takeover by new American investors. With just five games remaining we […]
GUEST BLOG: Off to ‘The Promised Land’
It’s guest blog time again but it’s a familiar voice you’re about to hear. Colin Michael has been kind enough to help MFW this season with some of the match previews and as a regular commenter, has more than earned his stripes. Here he takes us to the *inverted commas* Promised Land. Take it away […]
The Barry Butler voting is open and the club is confident it will be a fair fight
Norwich City will ensure due diligence is carried out on their player of the season poll, after fears that fans from rival clubs could hijack the vote. After a series of man of the match awards had been dubiously awarded to loanee Oliver Skipp amid calls from fans of parent-club Tottenham to vote for the […]
From the Cobbolds to Uncle Sam, but is there a phoenix on the rise down the A140?
At long last something’s stirring down the A140. After more than a decade in a comatose state, Ipswich Town have been given the kiss of life by Uncle Sam With their local rivals about to rejoin the Premier League, this revival comes not a moment too soon for the Tractor Boys who for several years […]
MATCH REPORT: Burnley Under-23s 2, Norwich City Under-23s 2
Late goals from Burnley’s Lewis Richardson and Dara Costelloe denied Norwich City’s Under-23s a valuable three points, after goals from Abu Kamara and Matt Dennis had given the Canaries a 2-0 lead in Curzon Ashton. The match started in hectic fashion, Burnley striker Richardson smashing a volley over the bar with the Clarets’ first attack. […]
Looking ahead: what needs to change and improve if we are to compete next season?
Identifying areas of improvement isn’t moaning. It is part of a healthy cycle to make the team get better. This piece is about learning from lessons past; especially as we know 4-2-3-1 will persevere. WARNING: It will sound like a moan. There is no substitute to for paying for quality unless it is free or […]
Catch us if you can! City nearly there despite weekend wins for the chasing pack
Norwich City have players from quite literally all over the world, from Cuba to Greece via Poland, Finland, Argentina and several other countries too. But the win we ground out against *the Rams of Rooney* [c. G Gowers] was to a large degree very much courtesy of our brace of Scotsmen. Granite Hanley from Dumfries […]
Hanley excels in the edgiest of City wins, but the prize is now in touching distance
The trouble with 7-0 wins is that they set the bar impossibly high. And it wasn’t just the seven goals. It was the quality of performance; the ebb and flow; the relentlessness; the precision. What followed was only ever going to be a pale imitation in terms of its beauty. While some were expecting another […]
MATCH REPORT: Dowell’s first-half free-kick edges the weary Canaries ever closer
After the midweek mauling of Huddersfield, the question was whether Norwich could avenge the loss to Derby at Carrow Road, which ranked as the biggest picking of pockets since Oliver Twist. The game started in familiar fashion, City confidently stroking the ball at the back, retaining possession and waiting for openings. Derby, predictably, dropped right […]
VIDEO: Giorgos Giakoumakis is the name. Are the Canaries interested? | Norwich Talk
DERBY PREVIEW… with a little help from some of MyFootballWriter’s friends
It was time to get the band back together for this week’s preview. Off the back of the most thrilling Tuesday evening since the dawning of time, Colin Michael, Andy Delf, Don Harrold and John Scent have dusted down their instruments, scraped themselves off the ceiling and given us their considered thoughts ahead of City […]
Wayne Rooney’s pre-Norwich press conference: “We’re not underdogs”
Derby County manager Wayne Rooney is aware of the strong City side his injury-hit squad will come up against tomorrow, praising the Championship leaders but dispelling any suggestion of a ‘free hit’ for his team. “It’s a very tough game,” Rooney said at his pre-match press conference on Thursday afternoon. “Norwich are a very good […]
City strikers hit Farke’s target. Now it’s time to start setting next season’s goals
At the start of the season, Daniel Farke outlined the goals target his strikers had to hit: 30 between them. He didn’t care who, how or when, as long as Teemu Pukki, Jordan Hugill and Adam Idah’s tallies totalled 30 or more. On Tuesday night, they hit that target. Pukki’s hat-trick clinching goal, the sixth […]
A magical evening at the Carra and now it could even be done on Rooney’s watch
I can’t say I’ve ever been a fan of magic or magicians. From the days of David Nixon, through Paul Daniels to Derren Brown, they’ve bored me buttless although I’ll make an exception for Dynamo due to his originality – I like watching his stunts. But on Tuesday evening the gift of iFollow brought me […]
As it happened: A blow-by-blow account of City’s seven-goal demolition of the Terriers
I’ve been away with work for the last few weeks. Seven games have passed – I’ve caught something of most of them but at other times I’ve only the odd text message to go on: ‘Dad, we’re murdering them…’ The snow cascaded down on a wintry Carrow Road but the Canaries really turned on the […]
City deliver a near-fatal blow to Watford’s title hopes while smashing records aplenty
Wow. Where to start, other than to say this really this is the ultimate test of not too high, not too low. So forget that. 99.9 per cent of City fans will need scraping off the ceiling this morning after, arguably, the most exhilarating 93 minutes of NCFC football in all of our lifetimes. As […]
Omobamidele at the forefront of a new generation of City youngsters
The 2019/20 season provided a clearly defined four; the first generation of young City talent hot off the Farke production line. Max Aarons, Todd Cantwell, Ben Godfrey, Jamal Lewis- the boyband. Fast forward two years and while there was disappointment evident at Deepdale, in the background, a second generation was forming. On the pitch were […]
TERRIERS PREVIEW: Plodders… water carriers… and Frazier Campbell worldies
A Tuesday night at home, under the floodlights, with promotion inching closer. How good would it be to have Carrow Road packed to the rafters for this one? Sadly, we’re still a few months away from such lofty ambitions of normality, but as the potential for such activities gets closer and closer, so does the […]
A rare bit of beef with our Daniel, but hopefully the last we’ll see of City in petrol blue!
Only a sad sack like me could have a little moan about Daniel Farke after a truly titanic performance from the lads who were available to turn out against Preston North End at Deepdale in the Good Friday fixture most of us were dreading due to multiple late returns from international duty. Seeing the teamsheet […]
A late blow to the solar plexus at Deepdale but City edge ever closer to the big prize
In anyone’s book, a point away at Deepdale in those most trying of circumstances should be seen as one gained, and it was, but try telling that to the good folk of the Canary Nation. For all the bravado mustered upon the final blast of Dean Whitestone’s whistle (more on where I’d like to shove […]
Tettey? Sorensen? Youth? The potential solutions to the centre-back problem
When news started to leak from Daniel Farke’s pre-Preston press conference, there was desperate hope from Norwich fans that the relevant journalists or the City head coach were complicit in a devastating April Fools’ joke. They were not. Christoph Zimmermann has joined Ben Gibson as an absentee, potentially for the rest of the season, and […]
City miss out on target Beukema
Norwich City have missed out on Dutch centre-back Sam Beukema, whose move to AZ Alkmaar has brought an end to speculation around his future. Beukema, who was described by the Eastern Daily Press as a ‘known name to City’s recruitment team’, was unlikely to join up with the Canaries in the short term due to […]
PRESTON PREVIEW: Curses, howls of protest and a fog of confusion
“The closer he looked, the less he could make out, the deeper everything sank into the gloom” No need to know the literacy reference (though big respect if you do). The quote is from Kafka’s The Castle. It’s indelibly marked on my memory because it was a question in my final university exam. Just the […]
The Five Ages of the Football Fan
Inspired by Bill Wigglestick’s famous ‘seven ages of man’ soliloquy from ‘Do I Not Like That’ (memorably played by Graham Taylor) – here are my Five Ages of the Football Fan… The Debut Everyone remembers their first time. No, not that. The first time you attended a football match at a proper ground, of a […]
Only five teams have achieved it this season, but how do you beat City?
Between 40 and 50 times a season opposition managers, coaches and analysts attempt to plan the best way to beat Norwich City. But in truth, there are two groups of people that know how the Canaries play better than anyone: the club’s technical staff and its fans. I didn’t think Daniel would fancy telling me […]
NCFC Quiz: Players & places
Geography is a curious beast and usually best left well alone. But, sometimes it’s worth poking with a stick – especially if that stick is yellow and green. So, can you name these former Norwich City players with a place name for a surname? (NB. These quiz questions are accessible to all. Should you feel […]
So, where are we now? Eleven points clear of third with eight to play, that’s where
The appointment of Stuart Webber in April 2017 was greeted in a reasonably low key manner by us NCFC fans – maybe a few of us were aware of his Liverpool connections [he worked under both King Kenny and Rafa Benitez] and his subsequent success with Huddersfield Town. Personally I knew the name, but little […]
A traditional target man he isn’t, but Pukki *is* the perfect target man for Farke
There is no place in Daniel Farke’s system for lumping balls long to a six-foot-three number nine to hold up or flick on. But in Teemu Pukki, City have a more nuanced version of the classic lone centre-forward. The Finn, who has conquered the Championship again this season, is of average height, slim build and […]
NCFC international round-up… including Onel’s brush with a volcanic ash cloud
Three days or so into the international break, a few anomalies have already thrown themselves up within our far-flung travelling contingent and a couple of them you couldn’t make up if you tried. Onel Hernandez was demonstrably desperate to make his debut for Cuba, which he eventually did under the very strangest of circumstances by […]
From the Archives: Our Ed advising that, in hindsight, hindsight is best avoided
International breaks are a nightmare for editors of footballing websites that, as a general rule, don’t cover international football. From, sometimes, three pieces of content per day to *Family Fortunes klaxon*. So, to the archives I head and who better to turn to for a piece that was written eight years ago but which still […]
Dear English Football League…
This is a message to those who administer the Championship of the English Football League, thinly disguised as a piece written for MyFootballWriter. As I write, we are currently being forced to fulfil a fixture at Deepdale, home of Preston North End FC at 1500 hours on Good Friday, April 2. We have asked for […]
FA Youth Cup Preview: “It’ll be a tough game”| Weaver wary of Hammers
Norwich City’s under-18s face West Ham this afternoon in the FA Youth Cup fourth round; a tie that is, according to Head of Football Development Steve Weaver, by no means a gimme. More than three months after the third round- a Covid-related pause in the competition postponing the fixture until now- Kevin Keen will bring […]
Fair play to Mogga’s boys but the biggest downer of the day was Gibbo’s rolled ankle
Reality check? Being brought back down to earth? Or simply being faced by a hard-working, typical Tony Mowbray side who had weighed us up before kick off and stuck with their plan to press consistently hard, play to their strengths and ride their luck at times? The choice, dear MFW readers, is yours. Personally, I […]
City fail to make it ten on the spin but with Swans and Bees faltering the PL beckons
All good things… etc, but it’s no less disappointing when those good thing do come to an end. And that nine-game winning run was a good thing. A bloody marvellous thing. That we let slip a couple of points yesterday was not the end of the world, especially after said run has opened up a […]
BLACKBURN PREVIEW: Does Emi return? Can Bradders help end the winning run?
It’s to the gang of four I head for some help with this week’s preview: Andy Delf, Colin Michael, Don Harrold and John Scent. Take it away guys… So, how did you watch/listen to events at the City Ground unfold? iFollow? Sky red button? Radio Norfolk? And where does that opening half-hour rank in your […]
So, who misses out tomorrow? Buendia, Dowell or Rupp?
As the team was revealed on Wednesday night there was one question on every City fan’s lips: how will we survive without Emi Buendia? Three hours later, the question had flipped on its head. Lukas Rupp and Kieran Dowell’s fantastic performances against Nottingham Forest came at the perfect time; with Buendia missing, Farke’s attacking quartet […]
Forest (A) Tactical Breakdown: Hughton’s 4-4-1-1 allows for a Dowell masterclass
Schooled in Hughtonball, many Norwich fans highlighted a visit to the City Ground as a potential banana skin. What transpired was that Chris Hughton’s trademark 4-4-1-1 was his undoing, against a City side in full flow. Although a pair of flat lines of four are easy for players to understand and implement, the rigidity a […]
The Wait of Expectation | Farke v Hughton
The in-match social media output had been a mixture of relaxed assuredness and excitement as City purred their way through yet another winning performance on the banks of the Trent. Amongs the fully invested Canary content, and supported by the watching football media, was a growing opinion from Forest fans that they were watching two […]
Same old Norwich… winning again, and that’s without the world’s most brilliant Che
I have absolutely no faith in the planning department at Norfolk County Council – or very many of their other departments either come to that – but I must for once congratulate them for granting us permission to spirit our training complex at Colney to the banks of the Trent last night. The ease with […]
Nine wins on the spin for our flying Canaries and now it’s a question of when not if
“We can still catch Norwich”. Ivan Toney. Sky Sports. March 12, 2021. Dream on, Ivan. In fairness to Brentford’s finest, he was only saying what every pro is conditioned to say and, besides, said gent has a certain swagger that probably has him believing that anything is possible. But he’s wrong, just as his manager […]
VIDEO: Norwich City Loan Report – February 2021 | Norwich Talk
For the love of Todd! – Norfolk’s very own footballing throwback
“Who needs God when we’ve got Todd!” Those were the words of the fans of Fortuna Sittard during the brief loan spell Todd Cantwell had with them in 2018. With each passing week, it seems that they had an appreciation for the gifts of the boy from Dereham that some (including, it seems, Aidy Boothroyd) […]
Wednesday (A) Tactical Breakdown: The key battleground of the number 20s
City came through a stern test to record an eighth win in a row at Hillsborough. So, how did the Owls provide such a problem and what did Daniel Farke do to combat it? The key aspect in the first half was Wednesday’s aggressive press, a problem the Canaries have regularly faced this season. Darren […]
FOREST PREVIEW: Wasted chances… a jinxed Glenn Murray… and Hughton-ball
MFW is privileged to once again welcome back our favourite Forest fan, loyal supporter and all-round scion of matters concerning activities in and around the City Ground Christian Brown to inform us about how things currently stand on the banks of the Trent before our meeting with the men in Garibaldi red. Christian and I hadn’t spoken for […]
“Every day, it’s a-gettin’ closer, goin’ faster than a roller coaster…”
I woke up early on Saturday morning to put the laptop on and discover: Blackburn 0, Brentford 1. Later in the day my mood didn’t improve as I sucked up Luton 0, Swansea 1. And then a Welsh side I possessed high hopes of on the day conceded late in stoppage time to make it Cardiff […]
Eyes on the prize, as City repel spirited Wednesday & edge closer to the p-word
Ivan Toney is a confident chap. Bullish even. Those who watched his post-match interview on Sky last Friday following Brentford’s 1-0 win over Blackburn will know what I mean. Before presenting himself with the Man of the Match award (he would also have awarded himself the trophy) Ivan got the hump when the Sky Sports […]
OWLS PREVIEW: Simon Thomas talks to MFW ahead of City’s trip to Hillsborough
Ahead of City’s attempt to make it eight in a row in South Yorkshire, I was lucky enough to chat to presenter, podcaster, former Sky Sports and Blue Peter presenter, President of Blood Cancer UK and, of course, City fan, Mr Simon Thomas. *** Thanks for joining us, mate. Appreciated. Has been an impossibly hard […]
If *it* happens, what’s on Webber & Farke’s to-do list to help steer City to PL safety?
I’ve been reluctant to look too far ahead for obvious reasons but even the lads at Archant are dipping their toes into the water, so I may as well put in my two-penneth. I’m talking of course of the club’s chances of making 2021-22 more than another single-season stopover in the Premier League. All caveated […]
How and why City’s midfielders now become ‘full-backs’ in possession
One of the more interesting aspects of Norwich City’s tactical setup this season has been the movement of their central midfielders in possession. Oliver Skipp and Kenny McLean are regularly seen receiving possession and covering in deep full-back positions. So, how does this work and why do they do it? The first thing to note […]
Seven-up for the Canaries as, for once, Jones’ Hatters lack sufficient fizz to hurt City
Norwich City fizzed against Luton Town to go Seven-Up on Saturday with an excellent performance that gained a well-earned win and more than a modicum of revenge for two early defeats at the hands of the Hatters at the dawn of the season. That’s another three points in the can as the ship goes sailing […]
Seven wins in a row; five clean sheets in the last seven; and ten points clear
There was a comment from Ben Gibson in the week, posted on Instagram in the aftermath of the Brentford win, that summed up perfectly the mindset in the City camp right now. “We have to win at the weekend so it isn’t wasted.” That this conversation had been had was confirmed after yesterday’s game by […]
Stiepi – not everyone’s cup of tea but was born to score goals and is on his way back!
He’s not everyone’s cup of tea and, I suspect even by his own admission, his Premier League experience was his season horribilis. Born to score goals he may be, but not so much when the Premier League is home. He wasn’t alone of course but I have often pondered what may have happened last season […]
Farkeball, hoofball, and the misuse of ‘pragmatism’
The classic, polite description of a manager who prefers 4-4-2, long balls and a big man-little man striker combination is ‘more pragmatic’. The assumption is that managers who hope to play attractive football – who prioritise possession and encourage their goalkeepers to pass the ball short – are dreamy idealists who have little care for […]
LUTON PREVIEW: Buoyant Hatters at the Carra, after two big wins on the spin
So once more, I’ve drawn the lucky straw and got the preview for the same team I did earlier in the season. If you want to know how that went, I’m sure Mr Gowers will be kind enough to insert a link here. Having read it back, I wasn’t far off. Luton, coming off a […]
‘How to draw the sting from the Bees’: the latest in Daniel Farke’s masterclass series
I hope the rest of the Championship enjoyed their practical masterclass from Norwich City on Wednesday evening. Entitled How to draw the sting from the Bees, the lesson was constructed by Daniel Farke and carried out to virtual perfection by his senior students. The application all over the pitch was plain to see and although we […]
Another day, another win, another Emi special, with a #ncfc double-pivot to die for
I trust we all woke up this morning feeling fine… Emi will generate the headlines. Of course he will. And why shouldn’t he. It was a brilliant goal. But at the heart of City’s fine win over the best the Championship has to throw at us was a quartet whose influence on all that happens […]
BRENTFORD PREVIEW: Two clubs who deserve success, but no divided loyalties
This is not a six-pointer. This is not a six-pointer. This is not a six-pointer. It’s as well that I’ve come to that conclusion, as our editor Gary made clear he’d disapprove any use of the phrase. There are extreme cases where I might try to persuade him that a match deserved the label, despite […]
So… if it happens. Imagine… would a Hourihane or a Knockaert fit the Farke bill?
Fantasy Football. No, not John Motson purring over Mark Bowen in the Olympiastadion. Fantasy armchair football this summer. In my mind, this team is going to be promoted with a less capable squad than last time. Hear me out. Grant Hanley and Ben Gibson. Yeah, but come on, last time we had a world-class Ben […]
Subtlety and patience: the two main ingredients of City’s success at Adams Park
I’ve never been shy of saying I’m a bit of a pro/am chef so this revelation should come as no surprise to regular readers of MFW. One of the finest things I ever bought for myself is an old-fashioned, traditional pestle and mortar. Make your own garlic mayo? Put together a mix of your favourite […]
VIDEO: ‘NORWICH CITY IS MY CLUB!’ NT Podcast #43 – Ft. Darren Huckerby
A bona fide City legend in the form of Darren Huckerby joins Alfie and Sam for a chat about his Norwich City career as a player, coach, ambassador, and as a Norwich City fan!
Glenn Roeder: elegant player & holder of the City reins at an incredibly difficult time
Common decency has prevented Norwich City fans talking ill of Glenn Roeder, who died this week at just 65. But it is the nature of football that he will be remembered by those supporters for one moment in his 15 months and 65 games as manager. Just over a year after his appointment he faced […]
A crisp efficiency about the Class of 2021 right now as City negotiate another hurdle
And the wins just keep on coming. The myth, not helped by people like me, that City sometimes buckle when opponents put it up ’em should no longer even be a thing. Wycombe did everything, literally everything, to try and do a Jonesy on us but, despite a valiant attempt, came up short. Not only […]
NEW VIDEO: No Cantwell for City today, but can they profit from Swansea’s defeat?
After some positive results yesterday, including Swansea losing, Alfie gives his thoughts on what may be in store at Wycombe in today’s lunchtime kick-off… Alfie’s Twitters: https://twitter.com/Alfiebritcher06 Ben’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/ben_ambrose23 Jordan’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordiend Sam’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamSeaman8 Please also follow our social media pages! 📱 Twitter – https://twitter.com/NorwichTalk1902 Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/norwichtalk… We’re also on Spotify/iTunes! 🎧 […]
Some Saturday afternoon mirth: footballers named after high street outlets…
In the absence of Radio Norfolk commentary on Norwich City with Chris Goreham and Rob Butler the other evening I found myself listening to a game on BBC’s 5 Live. The summariser was the excellent ex-Crystal Palace legend, Clinton Morrison. Despite Clinton’s expert comments, the game was extremely dull, so I took to wondering how […]
Hucks: “If I’m associated with Norwich ‘til the day I die, I’ve done something right”
Darren Huckerby’s relationship with Norwich City was at one time a complex one. Largely responsible for City’s 2004 promotion and player of the season in the Premier League, it appeared that nothing could keep the former Coventry, Leeds and Manchester City forward away from Carrow Road. Glenn Roeder’s vendetta brought an abrupt and confusing end […]
21st place in the Premier League…
Everyone has a comfy chair. You know, that spot in the house where you feel most comfortable; the most relaxed; the most at home. I wonder if 21st in the Premier League is that spot for Norwich City? I enjoy the Championship, I really do. The quality is a couple of notches lower than the Premier […]
BRUM PREVIEW: Parked buses Karanka-style, ultra-defence and the no 10 debate
Two games in close proximity, the first one a (narrow) win for City, so why change a winning team? Therefore it’s again to Andy Delf, Don Harrold, Colin Michael and John Scent I turn for their thoughts on City’s return to St Andrew’s. Lads, you know the drill… How are the nerves after Saturday’s second […]
Gibson out for Birmingham trip: Press conference bulletin 22-02-21
Ben Gibson’s back injury means he’ll miss City’s game at Birmingham City on Tuesday, but Daniel Farke delivered an otherwise clean bill of health at his press conference on Monday afternoon. “All the players who were available for the last game are available for tomorrow,” Farke said, “we will have to play without Ben Gibson, […]
How does City’s current form compare with the last 10 winners of the Championship?
We’re two-thirds of the way through this season and Norwich City lead the pack by seven points. So far, so good. Farke knows how to win this division and has the team with and around him to to achieve that goal again this May. But as you know, the best guide to the future is […]
A Lou Reed type of day in NR1 on Saturday as the nerves take a shellacking
I would ask MFW readers to join me in thinking about the moments in our lives when we have all been nervous. You know what I mean – a first date, taking your driving test, sitting exams you knew you’d done no revision for and, in my particular case, every single adult dental appointment I’ve […]
A gritty, nervy one at the Carra but City edge past the some feisty ol’ Millers
“That was a tough ol’ go, Boy!” The words of Mr Derek Gowers (aka Dad) on the phone to Gower Junior at around 5pm yesterday. As ever, he nailed in one small sentence what I struggle to do in 800 words. It was indeed a tough ol’ go, in every sense, but that City came […]
Strap yourselves in. Twists aplenty to come in the race for automatic promotion
They say ‘a week is a long time in politics’ and the same applies to football, especially in this Championship title race. Following City’s 2-0 defeat at Swansea, Brentford found themselves with a chance to reach the summit last week with a tie against high-flying Reading. Thomas Frank’s side disposed of the inconsistent Royals to […]
MATCH REPORT: Norwich City Under-23s 0, Leeds United Under-23s 2
City’s Under-23s fought valiantly against a strong Leeds United side, losing 2-0 as three players were sent off. Leeds’ Nohan Kenneh’s red card was sandwiched by two for the young Canaries, midfield duo Reece McAlear and Melvin Sitti also the recipients of pairs of yellow cards. The game was won by strikes from Max Dean […]
ROTHERHAM PREVIEW… with a little bit of help from some familiar MFW voices
We’ve tried to mix the MFW match previews up a little this season and so it’s to four friends of MFW that I’ve turned for their thoughts ahead of tomorrow’s visit by Paul Warne’s Rotherham, namely Andy Delf, Don Harold, John Scent and Colin Michael. To keep it simple (for me, not them) I asked […]
QUIZ: Famous football quotes – Cloughie, Mourinho, or Bond?
TV interviews with football professionals these days are beyond dull. Since the fine folk of football discovered the tedious art of not only saying nothing controversial but saying nothing at all, the average post-match TV interview has about as much flair and character as mashed swede. Fortunately, we still have the past to enlighten and […]
If we had to reluctantly say farewell to one of our three starlets…
There were massive sighs of relief from Norwich City management and fans alike at the start of the month, as the transfer window closed with all of our starlets remaining at the club. The Canaries were top of the table and in fine form, with Max Aarons, Emi Buendia and Todd Cantwell the subject of […]
Operation Game Management deployed to perfection by the buoyant Canaries
When I worked a bar back in the day one of the nicest guys I ever met was Bill Mason, who was head groundsman at the Metropolitan Police 3 Area sports & social club at Chigwell in Essex. All god knows how many acres of it, complete with massive stables. Bill and his small team […]
The Emi and Teemu show sets the scene for a pivotal win on the St Andrew’s quag
Okay, so there were a few hairy moments in the second-half and our Tim at least had to get his gloves dirty as Coventry responded well to going 2-0 just before the interval, but the damage had already been done. Buendia-Pukki and Pukki-Buendia had already inflicted the blows that rendered the game over, as long […]
MATCH REPORT: City make light of a St Andrew’s quagmire to collect another three
If Brian Moore had opened tonight’s iFollow coverage from St Andrews, no one would have batted an eyelid, the pitch looking like something rarely seen since the days of Midweek Sport Special. The rain teemed down and the opening minutes of the game were like the first weeks of Dancing on Ice. City’s players began […]
“Come on without, come on within, you’ve not seen nothing like John Manning”
To most Norwich City fans the passing of Norwich City former centre forward would be met with a respectful acknowledgement of another City player from the past leaving us, or perhaps another sad statistic added to the ever-increasing list of ex-players struck down with that dreadful disease Alzheimer’s. To me though, John Manning was a […]
COVENTRY PREVIEW: Ball-playing Scots… lumpy loanees… & that nice Mr Robins
This could have been a very different task on paper had Norwich not done a professional demolition job against Stoke on Saturday. Despite throwing opportunities at the opposition, having a week of uninterrupted preparation allowed the instinctive passing, movement and creativity to flow in the final third in a way that had been absent in […]
The Next Generation: Pace and Power
The belief that a player must be of a certain build or physical capability seems to have been eradicated from the game, with players such as Wes Hoolahan proving that height and stature aren’t the only qualities that make an effective footballer. What became apparent as I watched Norwich City’s Under-23s, however, was that even […]
MATCH REPORT: Soto limps off as City’s Under-23s come unstuck in the Potteries
Norwich City’s Under-23s were left frustrated on Monday night, as a strong Stoke City side came from behind to beat them 2-1. Josh Martin was the most recognizable face in a side that featured three players with first-team experience, Reece McAlear and Andrew Omobamidele also making the starting eleven. Sebastian Soto also made an appearance […]
City serve up something tasty despite a couple of disasters along the way
I know that a few of our MFW readers like to cook now and again when the stars are aligned. Quite possibly many others of us do too but I’m not nosey so I’ve never asked anyone who hasn’t freely offered up such information. But I’ve managed to stuff up all three of my favourite […]
Maybe too early to re-board HMS P*ss the League but the ship has been steadied
This was 2018-19 revisited. Attacking thrust with a Finn and an Argentinian at its heart interspersed with with some heart-stopping defensive scares, mostly of City’s own making. And my god it was fun. That’s not to say it was either part of Daniel Farke’s plan or is something we should yearn for a return to, […]
MATCH REPORT: City hit a 2018-19 vibe with blunders offset by some swashbuckling
The critics have been out in force this week, the full range of doom and gloom which, if to be believed, would convince you Daniel Farke has lost it, Teemu Pukki is passed it and Todd Cantwell just falls over all game. And bring on Seb Soto for good measure. And somehow, despite an emphatic […]
STOKE PREVIEW: Can we get back on track? Reasons to be (cautiously) cheerful
Let’s take a breath. With 18 games remaining, nothing is “must win”. Panic is neither helpful nor justified. We’re second in the league, and we’re what commentators say we are: a very good team at this level, with a formula for success. That said, our mini-blip has of course put added focus and pressure on […]
Time machine time – Which past NCFC players would fit into Farke’s current squad?
Farkeball is quite a narrow doctrine and the demands the manager makes on his squad are pretty specific. Players need to be excellent on the ball, clever, fluid of pass, clever, and extremely fit. Following on from Samuel Seaman’s finely researched article this week I wondered which players from the past would actually fulfill Daniel Farke’s […]
Norwich City’s greatest ever … by the fans … on Twitter
In a naïve poll I put out on Twitter this week, I posed the question as to Norwich City’s greatest ever player. The results of the poll were decisive, but the responses I received as to players I had omitted exposed just how broad a discussion I had started. The truth is that identifying the […]
The Next Generation: Goalkeepers
Norwich City have a history of goalkeepers adored by their fans, from Kevin Keelan to Tim Krul and from Bryan Gunn to John Ruddy. As I started my deep dive into the Canaries’ development squad, it occurred to me that the next of these may already be at the club. The most obvious is Daniel […]
What if… Big Bad Bob had done things just a little bit differently
“And the Freedom of the City, is awarded to Mr Robert Chase.” Humour me. Inspired by the wonderfully evocative (provocative?), Mr Sadler’s article on Robert Chase, I felt driven to write an ‘alternate view’ on what might just have happened, had the purse strings been loosened in those balmy days of January 1994. As historians, […]
What has tactically changed for Daniel Farke’s men? And how can it be remedied?
Daniel Farke and the lads aren’t changing their tried and tested formula… but the opposition are. Teams have stopped pressing us and now simply sit and encourage us to break them down. City rely on breaking a high press, which automatically leaves them with a numerical overload through midfield and spaces to exploit. As opponents […]
Forget notions of the PL if we can’t arrest something that’s turning into more than a blip
Evidence of all sorts of things was put before us on Friday night in that very late kick-off against Swansea City and, while being no Sherlock, some of it proved to me irrefutably that we’re in a dip that might prove quite difficult to emerge from. As for the match itself, two major errors either […]
City remain top but a tough, goal-less week rounded off with a morale-sapping defeat
“I wasn’t pleased with the mistakes today and they were the reasons we lost the game.” Daniel Farke was right. It was two very preventable and careless errors that cost City the game. Of more concern though should be the fact that even taking those two errors out of the equation, at no point did […]
GUEST BLOG: Daniel Farke’s #10 dilemma
Taking on guest blog duties today is season-ticket holder Mike Taylor who looks at what needs to change in order for the promotion push to be sustained… *** We aren’t top by a fluke: The performances against Boro and Millwall are inconsequential; take the two points and clean sheets and look forward. However, don’t be […]
SWANSEA PREVIEW: Maybe not a must-win but still a six-pointer at the Liberty Stadium
And so we make a trip into the valleys for what can only be described as a promotion six-pointer against Swansea City, the club with the best redesigned official logo I have ever seen. The designer that remains within me tells me it’s cucumber cool and I love it. Fear, not I appreciate ours equally […]
Effing and jeffing aplenty at The Den as Rowett and crew drove on their fiery Lions
That was like watching the grass grow and paint drying while Waiting for Godot at the same time. Millwall versus Norwich City on Tuesday, February 2 has to be the most boring game I can remember since we lost 0-1 at home to a last-minute Terry Gibson goal against the original Wimbledon in, I think, 1988. For […]
A point gain or two dropped? Yet City still continue to churn out the clean sheets
The #NCFC timeline last night from 8pm onwards was not for the faint-hearted. In fact, if for any reason you’d been incommunicado from the outside world but had accidentally stumbled across ‘Norwich City’, you’d assume this was a football club in crisis. As it transpired, City’s only crime was to draw a game of football […]
MATCH REPORT: Tricky one at The Den as City fire more blanks but a point gained
The traditional measure of any foreign signing is ‘looks good but can he do it on a cold Tuesday night at Millwall’, or words to that effect. This question was asked of the entire Norwich squad and for the third game running, they were found to be wanting. City started brightly and had several attempts […]
Yellow & Green & Blue – 10 Ipswich players who’d have looked good in a City shirt
‘Heretic!’ came the cries, followed swiftly by this MyFootballWriter contributor hot-footing it out of the city, desperately trying to ignore the insistent crackle of flaming torches and the clank of freshly-sharpened pitchforks in close pursuit… But what could cause such a kerfuffle? This. (If at any point while reading you feel the urge to unlock […]
MILLWALL PREVIEW: Salma Hayek… John Cale… Bart… and a goalscoring frenzy
It’s Millwall time again tomorrow as we make the trip to the Bermondsey-based South London side for the second leg of the season, the first consisting of a monotonous 0-0 at the Carra on November 2 as the last of the autumn leaves were falling. In our latest chat with Nick Hart – creator of the […]
What a load of ol’ Warlocks! City suffer at the hands of the Teesside sorcerers
We were Warlocked against Boro on Saturday. There’s no other way to describe it really as the old maestro of malice brought out every last card from his battered pack of Tarots to tell us our fortune. “We’ll start Yannick Bolasie for the first hour to tie them up and give them something to worry […]
Why City have Chelsea’s new head coach to thank for their ‘beautiful football’
It’s well known that Daniel Farke made his name under Thomas Tuchel at Borussia Dortmund, working as his reserve coach for 18 months. With a club structure that encourages all Dortmund youth sides to play in the same way as the first team, this was where Farke learned to coach his teams to play “beautiful […]
No excuses for City. A bad day at the office not helped by the Colin and Keith show
The thing about Jose Mourinho is that you know his intention is to make it all about him. With Neil Warnock I’m never quite sure. Mourinho does it expertly for all manner of reasons – to take the pressure off his players and to inflate his own ego among them – but Colin… who knows. […]
MATCH REPORT: Off-colour City outsmarted by Colin’s recently wounded Teessiders
After a break for FA Cup action it was back to Carrow Road for the serious business of the league once again. After some gloomy injury forecasts, there was a relatively familiar look to the City line up – a debut for Dimitris Giannoulous the main point for discussion. But the brooding figure of City […]
The Case against Chase – Villain or hero? Part II
I hate Robert Chase. I do. I really do. You may find at this moment your larynx start to spasm as it begins to form some raucous shouts of agreement but, for the time being, put a sock in it and bear with me. Please. Allow me to present the Case against Chase… Robert Chase […]
BORO PREVIEW: Charming Colin… poor fisherfolk… and the magnificent Jonny H
As ever, when a City/Boro game is imminent, it’s former MOTD editor, author, Middlesbrough aficionado and friend of MyFootballWriter Paul Armstrong to whom I turn. Rather than the traditional Q&A, we just chatted… *** GG: Has our Colin finally been able to achieve what quite a few have failed to do, and that’s turn Boro […]
How is management suiting City legends of the recent and not-so-recent past?
Daniel Farke’s contract is up in the summer of 2022. While many of us may want to ignore that fact for as long as possible, the truth is that finding a replacement for one of the club’s greatest managers of the modern era will take time and planning. With so many clubs opting to bring […]
The Case for Chase – Hero or villain?
I love Robert Chase. I do. I really do. You may find at this moment your larynx start to spasm as it begins to form some spiky syllables of disagreement but, for the time being, put a sock in it and bear with me. Please. Allow me to present the Case for Chase… Robert Chase […]
If – a big if – Farke gets to choose from a fully fit squad, which big names miss out?
Norwich City and ‘injury stricken’ have become synonymous with each other. Thankfully this season, City have managed to fight against the injuries that have plagued the first-team and currently sit comfortably at the top of the Championship. But, given the size and depth of the current squad, who will miss out when everyone is fit? […]
Fair play to the Tykes for a deserved win, but an FA Cup exit was no skin off my nose!
We all have enjoyed life’s guilty pleasures over the years so I’ll admit to a few of mine. Finishing many a Scotland Yard nightshift in the early 1980s around 0700 and breaking my journey home at Barbican station to walk to The Hope on the edge of Smithfield market to enjoy a few pints with […]
Not the end of the world as City exit the FA Cup but still okay to be disappointed !
An FA Cup exit away at a useful Championship opponent wasn’t a disaster but was still tinged with disappointment. While we may not have the illustrious history of our nearest and dearest in this competition, we have, along the way, triggered some pretty damn good FA Cup memories. We only have to cast the mind […]
Jamal floundering, Soto arriving and the ongoing threat of a Euro Super League
First came the sight of Jamal Lewis, flailing and failing in Newcastle’s humiliation. Then came the news that Norwich City have brought USA striker Sebastian Soto to England at last. And, finally, there were accounts of the threat of a breakaway European super-league. Three disparate sets of circumstances, they coalesce to provide an understanding of […]
BARNSLEY FA CUP PREVIEW… with a little help from some of MFW’s friends
Based on an idea I pinched directly from our Martin P, today’s match preview has been handed over to three voices that will be familiar to regular readers and commenters on MyFootballWriter. So instead of me droning on and attempting (and failing) with some half-@ar.sed ‘jokes’ intermingled with some indiscernible nonsense, today you have the […]
GUEST BLOG: Absent Minds
Taking up the guest blog mantle today is tweeter extraordinaire Dave Cole, who sums up perfectly the pain of not being there to witness this promotion charge … *** The benefit of an early evening kick-off and win was the chance to relax before bedtime with a cuppa as the waves of social media satisfaction […]
What does the future hold for the coolest, suavest Bosnian on the planet?
With Mario Vrancic’s contract set to run out this summer and the Bosnian midway through an impressive season, some Norwich City fans have been calling for a new contract, worried that his creativity would be a big miss if promotion were achieved. Disappointing performances in the 2019/20 season and Vrancic’s age have left the club […]
A Hugill brace and another three points as the Canary engine begins to purr…
It’s hard to find a new set of words to describe that one, just as it’s difficult to keep a lid on the expectation levels floating around in the wide-open spaces of my head. But I’ll try. In his MFW match report, James Colman used ‘boa constrictor’, ‘an irresistible force’ and ‘remorseless’ in his appraisal […]
MATCH REPORT: Canaries = a boa constrictor… an irresistible force… remorseless
A return to a blustery Carrow Road. For me, completely alien, sitting as I am in Dubai watching the game on beIN Sports with Arabic commentary replacing the usual dulcet tones of Chris Goreham. From the start, it looked like Bristol came to play a game of football, rather than the 10 men behind the […]
BRIZZLE PREVIEW… with a little help from some of our MFW friends
As we sit at the top of the EFL Championship with those feisty Swans flapping their giant wings beneath us in second place we now face another challenge from the Western side of our sceptred isle as in Dean Holden’s Bristol City. Our scalp remains very much a prized one as we can gather when […]
WE MEET AGAIN… BRISTOL CITY
For those who didn’t see Allan’s excellent Bristol City ‘we meet again’ from when we played them back in October … *** It is one of England’s largest cities and home to two professional football clubs but neither Bristol City nor their city neighbours, Rovers have played in the Premier League. The closest Norwich’s next […]
An ode to those whose Canary fervour drifts in from beyond the City Wall…
The Manics… Rob & Jason… turning on a sixpence… and another ‘job done’ for City
There is much to admire about Wales. The superb band that are Manic Street Preachers, the awesome and atmospheric beauty of Lake Bala and the wonderful Treaddur Bay just down the road from Holyhead come instantly to mind as does the warmth and unique humour of the Welsh people I’ve had the good fortune to […]
Only City can stop City from returning to that place that none of us particularly like
To the uninitiated, this may appear another case of Norwich just doing enough, and making tough work of a job that should have been comfortable. And the uninitiated would be right… to a point. But it ignores the fact that Daniel Farke was minus the services of ten players who have legitimate shouts for a […]
Matches & Moments (6): The one where Tim’s famous water bottle won the day
As a relatively new member of the MFW community I felt a piece to introduce myself was in order at some point. I could bore you with the details of my life leading up to my first piece for the site, but that’s not what we’re here for. I decided the best way to introduce […]
Matches & Moments (5): The one where City went to Elland Road and upset the locals
As a relatively new member of the MFW community I felt a piece to introduce myself was in order at some point. I could bore you with the details of my life leading up to my first piece for the site, but that’s not what we’re here for. I decided the best way to introduce […]
CARDIFF PREVIEW: Moore to step into the Bluebirds’ Big Sean Morrison™ breach?
Alright, I can save us all a lot of time on this one. If Mr Gowers would be so kind as to <INSERT LINK HERE> you can see my Cardiff preview from when we played the home fixture less than a month ago. You’re welcome. [nice try, Andy – Ed] What you want more?… Jeez… […]
Matches & Moments (4): The one where a moustachioed Holty hit a derby hat-trick
As a relatively new member of the MFW community I felt a piece to introduce myself was in order at some point. I could bore you with the details of my life leading up to my first piece for the site, but that’s not what we’re here for. I decided the best way to introduce […]
In these surreal times, anything is possible, even Ipswich getting promoted!
That these are weird, surreal times is clear. Things once considered fringe have now filtered into the mainstream, so hopefully it won’t come as too much of a surprise to read a piece about Ipswich Town on a site that is exclusively Norwich City. Please bear with me. I should loathe them of course and, […]
Matches & Moments (3): The one where 40,000 of us went to Wembley and saw us win
As a relatively new member of the MFW community I felt a piece to introduce myself was in order at some point. I could bore you with the details of my life leading up to my first piece for the site, but that’s not what we’re here for. I decided the best way to introduce […]
Matches & Moments (2): The one where that bloke said ‘how awful, oh no! When…’
As a relatively new member of the MFW community I felt a piece to introduce myself was in order at some point. I could bore you with the details of my life leading up to my first piece for the site, but that’s not what we’re here for. I decided the best way to introduce […]
Matches & Moments (1): The one where an injury-crippled City toppled Pep’s giants
As a relatively new member of the MFW community I felt a piece to introduce myself was in order at some point. I could bore you with the details of my life leading up to my first piece for the site, but that’s not what we’re here for. I decided the best way to introduce […]
Routine 2-0s… nerveless Dan… quality benches… Diego Tettey… & a song for Big D
On the surface that seemed to be the most unremarkable match in many ways – a fairly routine 2-0 win over a Coventry City side who were certainly up for it but were never able to offer much of a cutting edge after an early double from Kenny McLean and Jordan Hugill. Sure we were […]
The Canary bandwagon rolls on and offers the faithful far more than a fourth-round tie
At the end of what had been a truly horrific week – just another in a very long line – it was again left to Daniel Farke’s men to put a collective smile on the Canary Nation. And they delivered… again. While to some, games of football appear non-consequential as the world struggles to contain […]
COVENTRY PREVIEW: Fuzzy feelings… Highfield Road… Mr Robins… & Uncle Fred
So Mr Robins… we meet again. Stewart penned the preview for the home game with Cov at the end of November and confessed to having a soft spot for the Sky Blues. I too share that sentiment. Not only do they have the redoubtable Mark Robins at the helm – a name guaranteed to give […]
Passing out from the back? Or “HOOF IT!”?
In City’s 1-0 win over Barnsley, it was levelled at them that their lack of adaptability was to blame for a difficult first half. Pundits on NR1Live lamented the Canaries for their failure to go long and take advantage of the Tykes’ high defensive line. While passing out from the back is regularly criticised by […]
Here we go again! How can professional football possibly retain its integrity?
The last time I penned a blog for MFW, my son Isaac and I had not long been to see City’s thrilling FA Cup 5th Round penalty shoot-out win against Spurs at the magnificent Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in March of last year. Twelve days after that unforgettable match, the country was suddenly plunged into a […]
GUEST BLOG… It’s a numbers game
Today it’s the turn of Jim Davies, a friend of MyFootballWriter and one of our gang of regular commenters, who takes us on a little journey back to 1959. Take it way Jim… *** When I first starting watching Norwich in the mid 1950s, they played in yellow shirts and black shorts and socks, and […]
Headteacher’s Report: Andy H delivers his half-way appraisal of the Class of 2021
As the famous composer B. Jovi. once said, “Wooooooohhhh, we’re halfway there”. Herr Farke’s class were very low on confidence after a difficult last year, but they have done us all proud with a sparkling return to the results we always knew they were capable of. We all hope they can continue in this vein […]
How journalism works in 2021 … #NCFC … #ITK … #yawn
How journalism works in 2021 module 1: On 9 December, a story appeared in The Metro. Its headline was: “Emiliano Buendia’s agency respond to Arsenal fan asking for transfer”. The report included two facts: an Arsenal fan tweeted Emi, urging him to join Arsenal, and the agency who represent Buendia (Twenty Two Management) responded with […]
City on a promotion charge? How does this one compare with other promotion seasons?
Norwich City Football Club have been promoted four times to the top division during the Premier League era. Manager Nigel Worthington’s side were promoted automatically as champions in 2003/04. Paul Lambert also achieved automatic promotion finishing second in 2010/11. Neil Adams generously stood aside halfway through the 2014/15 season allowing Alex Neil to swoop City […]
Kevin Keelan talks exclusively to MFW as the City hall-of-famer celebrates his 80th
To those of us of a certain age, the very mention of Kevin Keelan conjures up images of a figure clad in green who was athleticism, bravery and heroism personified. And the canary on his chest made him our hero. He was unique. An enigmatic figure who, in his own way, managed to epitomise the […]
If (still a big if) City go up, how do they ‘Premier League-proof’ themselves?
If City do reach the ‘promised land’, how do they ensure they are well equipped to survive? In 2019, Daniel Farke’s City secured promotion to the Premier League playing a brand of football that was foreign to many in Norfolk. Expansive, attractive and progressive were the buzzwords used to describe Farkeball at that moment in […]
The return of Tim and Ben added ballast but it’s Emi who’d have had Keats purring
A thing of beauty is a joy forever, we are told by somebody no less eloquent than the famous pre-Victorian Romantic poet John Keats. No, I haven’t read the poem itself but that line has kind of stuck in my mind – and has rarely been better deployed than when considering Emi Buendia’s wonder strike […]
An Emi masterclass as City edge past some lively Tykes, but there’s a storm incoming
As the song goes… 🎵 Please don’t take my Emi away. His latest masterclass may have won us three points and perhaps pushed his price a million or two pounds higher, but it’s hardly going have deterred the recruitment teams of the big boys. Any waverers – and I’m not sure why there would be […]
MATCH REPORT: City overcome a lively Barnsley with Emi the match-winner
A New Year, and an entertaining contest at Carrow Road topped by a wonderful Emi Buendia goal. Long may it continue. Tim Krul made his long-anticipated return from injury after Michael McGovern was effectively ruled out for the rest of the season. Ben Gibson replaced Christoph Zimmermann in defence. Barnsley started in an aggressive and energetic manner. A […]
Do City deserve to be top of the Championship? What do the numbers say?
As City approach the halfway mark in the Championship season, it’s been levelled at them from some quarters that they’re fortunate to be top of the league. I took a look at the stats behind the Canaries’ first 22 games, looking for some tangible proof either way. The first statistic that most refer to when […]
GUEST BLOG: Silly Season Part II… Brexit… Aarons… Emi… and Duncan Whatmore?
A new year and a new guest blog to welcome it in. The floor is handed over to regular commenter and occasional guest blogger Alex Bain, who looks at the changes brought about by Brexit and some of the transfers rumours already emanating… *** Well. we are now officially entering Silly Season, or at least […]
WE MEET AGAIN… BARNSLEY
Next up for City, a team that is always a welcome sight on the fixture list. Some teams, Fulham and Manchester City spring to mind, we just can’t buy a result for love or money. Some, such as Saturday’s opponents Barnsley, we can do no wrong. Irrelevant of form, whatever the league, a game against […]
Nostrafarmus Predicts: Norwich City’s 2021
I caught renowned village seer and grizzled oddball Nostrafarmus leaning over his garden wall as I walked past this week. He was waving his hands about in a mysterious fashion. ‘What you up to, Nosty?’ I asked. ‘Shhh!’ he said, gimlet-eyed, weaving his fingers through the air, ‘I’m trying to put a spell on Delia.’ […]
Enter Referee… Oliver Langford, who was zero from three on the night
History repeats itself. I gave the UEA the privilege of my *studying* the subject there way back when and I’m sure that MFW’s Martin MacBlain, who teaches the subject at a high level in Bristol, would agree with me. No, I haven’t had time to ask him but I’d bet he does. This time last […]
The tale of three officialdom ricks… but all part of the trade-off for being VAR free!
Well, that was disappointing. Not the apocalypse, but certainly disappointing. In the end, in the crazy world of Championship football, City were lucky to escape with a point, but that would have been harsh in the extreme. We may not have been at our fluent best for the full 95 but there was more than […]
MATCH REPORT: Two points dropped as City stumble against Warburton’s battlers
It was almost as if City were trying to distill a whole 12 months of football into a single 90 minutes at Carrow Road tonight. Dominant in possession, an injury to a crucial player, marginal decisions going against them, and a frustrating concession out of nothing. Daniel Farke made just the one change, preferring Mario […]
QPR PREVIEW: Some ‘along come Norwich’ potential with the Hoops on a winless run
Shepherd’s Bush’s finest arrive in the Fine City in not-so-decent fettle having gone eight games without a win. Mark Warburton’s job is under threat and the Hoops tick every box going in a game of ‘along come Norwich’. Whether that comes to fruition or not depends on how Daniel Farke’s finest react to the defeat […]
WE MEET AGAIN… QUEEN’S PARK RANGERS
With 125 matches to date, not including meetings in the old Southern League, QPR is (I believe) our most played opponent. City has faced the blue and white hoops more than any other and, after a break for one season, this Tuesday we do battle yet again. QPR turned professional entering the Southern League at […]
The Only Way Is Rupp: How Lukas has defied the critics
After the shakiest of Norwich City starts, we’re all desperate for the German to return to the starting eleven. So, what’s changed for the no.7, and where does he go from here? The obvious assumption to make is that the main difference is the chasm in quality between the Premier League and the Championship. It […]
Has the Watford defeat done City a back-handed favour? QPR & Barnsley beware
Nothing is certain in life except death and taxes, the old idiom goes. Well despite our rather low-key 0-1 to defeat to Watford on Saturday evening’s *Sky Special* there is something else certain right now: the Canary nation will awake on January 1 to discover that we are still very much top of the league. Sure we might not […]
Boxing Day… ‘blue’ kit… the Hornets’ ‘Holty’… and the curious case of Don Goodman
It wasn’t the Boxing Day we had hope for obviously, but then again we don’t really do Boxing Days. We’ve only just got the hang of opening days of the season, so to expect us to move on to Boxing Day wins so quickly was probably a step too far. Couple that with the wearing […]
MATCH REPORT: Watford’s latest new manager succeeds with the age-old 4-4-2
Christmas is a time of great traditions. The Queen’s speech, turkey and all the trimmings, and a Boxing Day defeat for Norwich City. And this year it never felt as though it was going to be any different. Watford, with another new manager, began the game in the unfashionable 4-4-2 formation, Troy Deeney and Andre […]
WE MEET AGAIN… WATFORD
With November’s manager of the month award nestling on the corner of his (old) desk, it seemed fair to assume Vladimir Ivić would be in the opposing dugout on Boxing Day. But no… this is Watford. So, it’s with Xisco Munoz in charge that City face the Hornets, hoping the Spaniard is unfamiliar with the […]
WATFORD PREVIEW: My most memorable day, and a big big Boxing Day for City
I was proud of myself for preparing most of this column a week early. Bad idea. Like the planned visit to my mum in Norfolk over Christmas, it’s had to go back to the drawing board. Part of my preview was an assessment of why Watford’s manager won Manager of the Month for November, and […]
A time to reminisce… as the MFW team wishes you all a healthy and safe Christmas
It’s hard to recall a time, or specifically a year, when the role of Norwich City Football Club in our lives has been quite so pronounced. The three-month hiatus as Covid did its worst was a reminder to us all of its place in our hearts and minds and even the grimmest of relegations was, […]
Does Michael McGovern have a valid claim for the keeper’s jersey right now?
Hear me out, because what I’m about to say is going to sound pretty drastic – but when Tim Krul returns, it may be the best choice to keep Michael McGovern in goal, temporarily. While we’re all well aware of the quality and leadership the Dutchman possesses, something Daniel Farke should consider is the message […]
Feliz Navidad, Emi. You know you love it here. It would be mad to disembark right now
I’ve enjoyed a very chequered career when it comes to pub games. When it comes to Pool I was pretty decent and played regularly for a couple of pub teams over the years. I was no Maltese Joe but handy enough I’d like to think. My ideal wasted afternoon, after I’d retired, was spent in […]
The Canaries keep on keeping on, still offering hope and joy to the Canary Nation
And the wins keep on coming. At what point is it okay to start dreaming again? Dreaming of what I’m not quite sure – because the journey is infinitely more enjoyable than the prize itself – but I’ve started to anyway. How can you not? Sky’s commentary team did their best to make this one […]
MATCH REPORT: City stay top at Christmas thanks to Cantwell/Buendia masterclass
It gets difficult to write about this current Norwich side. For opposition managers, they present an almost unplayable proposition. That is not to say that they will blow any team away, more that whatever tactics are employed against them, they possess the nous to find a way to win. In the first half, Cardiff stood off […]
City’s depth is finally starting to show and is kicking in at just the right time
The Championship is all about momentum, and having weathered the storm of a drab end to a ten-match unbeaten run to string together four 2-1 victories, it would be safe to assume the Canaries’ momentum is due to dry up any second. An extra boost is needed to keep up the promotion chase, and Messrs […]
WE MEET AGAIN… CARDIFF CITY
Sadly, there will be no away fans at Carrow Road for this Saturday’s game but with a lunchtime kick-off and a dismal record of just three wins in 28 trips, maybe, in this case, it’s one Cardiff fans would be better off watching from the comforts of their living room? We’ll see. Cardiff were elected […]
CARDIFF PREVIEW: Beware the kick up the backside. The Bluebirds are on the rise
Having just watched us reinforce our place at the top of the Championship table by beating a decent Reading side without really getting out of second gear, it’s difficult not to get a little carried away by dreams of promotion and thinking about how great the football will be at Carrow Road on Saturday. So […]
Hucks nails it – ‘easily the most complete performance of the season from City’
If the City legend that is Darren Huckerby says it, then it would be churlish of me to disagree. As, unlike Hucks, I’ve got more than 280 characters at my disposal I will add that there have been far too many of this type of performance this season for there to be any element of […]
The Canaries on a roll as Farke’s double-change pays dividends at a spiky Madejski
And another… City’s third 2-1 victory in the space of a week was the clearest sign yet that this is a bona fide promotion charge. Still over half the season to go, but this felt big. Reading were of course without two of their big names in Lucas Joao and Yakou Meite (Sky Sports were very […]
MATCH REPORT: Farke’s Plan B comes to the rescue as the City juggernaut rolls on
The unrelenting juggernaut that is the Championship continued again last night, and ended with the Canaries firmly in the driving seat. The game began with City pressing extremely high up the pitch; three Norwich attackers in the penalty area at one point. Daniel Farke had obviously seen something in his preparation and three times in quick […]
READING PREVIEW: Lousy forecasts, a memory of good fortune, and… *winningest*
I hesitate to mention this, as it may lead some readers to check my record. There’s no denying it’s a shocking record. And if you’re holding me to account, there are some new offences to be taken into consideration. Yes: each year the MFW writers make their predictions for the eventual top six and bottom […]
WE MEET AGAIN… READING
Wednesday night and the Championship’s relentless march continues to a town where I lived for a decade, Reading. A team recently managed by Norwich City Hall of Famer, and arguable Norwich’s greatest-ever left-back, Mark Bowen. Our first meeting with Reading came in the 1908/09 FA Cup. The two were drawn in the first round and […]
Farke is back on the horse and Norwich really are (still) a great team to support
It’s been a scintillating start to life back in the second tier for Norwich City and Daniel Farke. Despite all the off-field issues – COVID-19, transfer rumours and injuries to name a few – the Canaries find themselves top after 18 games, three points clear of second-placed Bournemouth. In recent weeks, Daniel Farke hasn’t had […]
Farke’s Progress…
Surprisingly we’ve already skipped through more than a third of the 2020/21 season having played 18 out of of the scheduled 46 league games. And despite a legion of injuries Norwich City’s momentum has picked up and (at the time of writing) the Canaries occupy top spot. A brilliant achievement. But, how good is Daniel […]
A red-letter day in darkest Lancashire for two of our finest as the City stay top
I’m pretty sure that not many Norwich City supporters would immediately associate themselves with the customs and history of the Royal Welsh Regiment. Except myself of course who for some inexplicable reason knows the connection between the regiment and the Canaries: the Goat. For any MFW readers interested in regimental mascots. for some incomprehensible reason […]
The heroics keep on coming as City edge past Mogga’s very impressive Blackburn
I was tempted to do a cut and paste job from my Thursday morning piece; the one that told of City again overcoming adversity to squeeze out a narrow 2-1 over Forest, sealed by a deflected Emi Buendia shot from outside the box. Okay, so I’d have had to smooth out the bit about Hughton […]
MATCH REPORT: City survive a stern test at Ewood on the day Pukki makes it 50 in 100
Last week I reported on the efforts of Tony Pulis’ team to suffocate Norwich. This week the free scoring Blackburn tried a different tack, but the result was the same. Daniel Farke elected to bring Alex Tettey into the team that won in midweek and deploy Mario Vrancic further up the pitch, in place of […]
BLACKBURN PREVIEW: A Mogga rant… ‘free-scoring’… and a tricky one for City
Plaudits aplenty have been heaped upon Tony Mowbray’s men this season, so when researching this piece (no, honestly) I was a bit surprised to see them down in 10th. The mind is clearly playing tricks. Every time I’ve seen them on Quest’s EFL highlights they seem to be winning, Colin Murray and his guests are […]
“I was surprised how emotional I felt”: How it feels to be back at the Carra
On Wednesday I went to a football game for the first time in nine months. As I approached the Carrow Road gates I felt a strange mix of nerves and excitement, as if I was going to watch my team in person for the very first time. Living outside Norwich I have little reason to […]
WE MEET AGAIN… BLACKBURN ROVERS
It’s hard to believe now but Norwich’s next opponents can boast of a Premier League title. 1994/95 was a historic season for Blackburn Rovers, while for Norwich it signalled the end of ten consecutive years in the top division. Rovers were themselves relegated, among growing fan/ownership tensions, in 2012, and have never since come close […]
‘Two points per game’ against this injury backdrop = one hell of an achievement
After a match like last night’s against Chris Hughton’s Nottingham Forest, it would be very easy to say that we did just enough for our 2-1 win, with *barely enough* doubtless the phrase of choice for those of a pessimistic disposition. I’ll push the boat out a little bit more than that and air the […]
An Emi winner… grit and guts aplenty… still top of the pile… what’s not to love?
Three points clear at the top of the Championship in the midst of the worst injury crisis most City fans can recall. In terms of Daniel Farke’s achievements since his arrival here in May 2017, I’d argue this particular one tops the lot. To have prepared, cajoled, nurtured and steered this stricken group through the […]
WE MEET AGAIN… NOTTINGHAM FOREST
It’s not often City face a former European Champion, even less so one that has won it twice, but this Wednesday Norwich welcomes a club that has two of those iconic cups in the trophy cabinet. Yet another ‘sleeping giant’ its Nottingham Forest. Forest won those European Cups with back-to-back victories in 1979 and 1980. […]
FOREST PREVIEW: Tiresome Sky… Hootun-ball… dodgy loanees… and ol’ Big Head
MFW is delighted to welcome back our favourite [well, mine anyway] Forest fan, loyal supporter and all-around scion of matters concerning activities in and around the City Ground Christian Brown to inform us about how things stand before tomorrow’s match. Christian and I haven’t spoken for a whole season so it’s about time we did. Here we go. […]
The Canary trailblazers – A First, a Second, and a Last
A quick leaf through the Canary archives never fails to pleasantly surprise. Generously stocked with diverse heroes from every age, Norwich City’s history is always a joy to explore. Permit me a moment to share the tales of three such heroes. This trio all trod the hallowed turf at Carrow Road, were cheered on by […]
A triumph of Farkeball over Pulisball, but with brain leaving it late to overcome brawn
City’s 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday included late goals, a comeback and victory for a possession-based side. It was everything Daniel Farke loves and everything Tony Pulis hates. From day one Farke has dealt with criticism of his ball-playing sides, from frustration and adaptation of the fanbase in the early throws of his tenure to […]
Clichés and buzzwords aplenty as City leave ol’ Tony P as sick as the proverbial…
Football is infamous for its cliches and buzzwords both ancient and modern, from *over the moon* and *sick as a parrot* through to *expressing yourself* and *taking one for the team*. Saturday’s game against Sheffield Wednesday concentrated the Canary nation on one of the more modern terms: *quality*. The first piece of quality was provided […]
2000 voices drive City on to an unlikely win as Maxio conjure up a moment of genius
That little glimpse of normality for the 2000 must have felt good. Even for those of us unable to make the pilgrimage, there was something comforting and ‘normal’ about On the Ball City echoing around Carrow Road in those few excitable seconds before kick-off and the accompanying buzz. So too hearing those same voices coming […]
MATCH REPORT: City leave it late but two Vrancic-inspired goals reward the 2000
The Tony Pulis bus rolled into Carrow Road this afternoon and parked itself obdurately in NR1. Pulis deployed what has become the go-to playbook for visitors this season. Pack the box with players. Tick. Frustrate Buendia. Tick. Hit on the break. Tick. Wednesday played with five across the back, and three more players only yards […]
It’s the March in March that really matters…
Injuries, eh? Fate can sometimes lead you on a frustratingly circuitous route to success. Norwich City have had their fair share of injury problems over the past eighteen months, and even helped themselves to some other clubs’ portions too. I could reel off the list of currently crocked Canaries, but life’s too short and there […]
WE MEET AGAIN… SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
Next up for City is Sheffield Wednesday, one of the Championship’s few ‘sleeping giants’. They have not been in the top-flight in 20 years now but still, they are an attractive opponent on the fixture list with an illustrious history, sizable fan-base and a grand old stadium, in Hillsborough. That history that I referred to […]
The Canaries’ left-back conundrum. So, what are the options for Team Farke?
Xavi Quintilla looks to be out for the foreseeable future, with returning to Villareal very much a possibility. With the January window still weeks away and City’s injury crisis worsening, what options does Daniel Farke have? Recall Sam McCallum The most obvious solution on first glance is to recall Sam McCallum from his season-long Coventry […]
No complaints, Luton were the better side, but still not referee England’s finest hour
All good things come to an end so it’s time to wave goodbye to our 10-game unbeaten run. That streak had to finish some time of course and with our lamentable injury tally, I’m surprised it didn’t happen earlier. As for the match itself, it surely must be said that on the day Luton were […]
MATCH REPORT: No luck for the black and purple as the Canaries come up short
The footballing gods seem to have been against Norwich City for quite some time now. Last night was the time that they finally got their revenge. The injury crisis has been well documented over the last few weeks and on the back of a ten-match unbeaten run, it was only a matter of time before […]
City succumb to a chaotic and wild night in Beds as 1000 locals tip the balance
If ever there was a game that needed to be written-off and consigned to the history books as quick as possible… A rotten defeat on a rotten night in the half-light of a rotten little ground under the auspices of a rotten referee, and all played out amid a cacophony of 1000 screeching, yowling voices. […]
LUTON PREVIEW: Buendia… Hogmanay… Priti Patel… knife-throwers… & Mr Jones
Wednesday sees our beloved Bundesliga boss lead his bedraggled, battle-weary B-Team to Bedfordshire for a battle against Luton’s basement-bothering boverachiever’s. Okay, I overreached on the alliteration at the end, but there is one key B that will be in our favour at Kenilworth Road: Buendia. While City somehow managed to give a pleasing facsimile of […]
WE MEET AGAIN… LUTON TOWN
We have played them in the top division and again when they have been in the Football Conference. Tomorrow night we look forward to a trip to one of the more old fashioned grounds in English football. It’s a short(ish) trip to Kenilworth Road and a re-acquaintance with one of our friends from the old […]
A tough ol’ gig for Stiepi but with Emi returning all may not be lost for City’s # 18
Just hours after Norwich City’s late Coventry heartbreak Josip Drmic took to social media to affirm that “I am not injured, I am just no longer wanted by the club”. It spelt a definite and miserable end to the striker’s difficult time as a City player, during which he’s started just seven times and scored […]
Cov refreshed their pint but with no silver paper (on the bench) City’s remained flat
I’m a great fan of The Jam. Always was, always will be. They were more of a singles band but on, I think, their third album *Setting Sons* [the one with The Eton Rifles on it] there was a track called *Saturday’s Kids*. Obviously, it featured trenchant Paul Weller lyrics about said kids living in […]
The double-whammy of conceding late and an injury to Max but still City stay top
That was a tough one to take in the circumstances. In the midst of the worst injury crisis most of us have seen as City fans, to have gone so close to winning the three points against a thoroughly decent Coventry team was an outstanding effort. If the game had just meandered out to a […]
MATCH REPORT: City’s walking wounded suffer late heartbreak but still earn a point
The long list of casualties reeled out by Daniel Farke at his pre-match news conference was never going to win any prizes for the shock of the week. Quite how deep he would have to plunge into the depths of City’s young talent was, perhaps, the deciding factor at Carrow Road. Norwich started in full […]
Josh did it on a cold Tuesday night in Stoke. Now how about on a mild one at the Carra?
City’s conveyor belt of talent keeps producing gems, and Josh Martin is the next in line. Martin’s gradual involvement during Project Restart inferred that more game time would be coming for the ex-Arsenal academy product once City returned to the Championship. His first start came sooner than some might have expected. The large majority of […]
An AGM unlike any other but with a positive air and praise aplenty for City’s Academy
As Norwich City AGM’s go, they really don’t come much different to this; online, with no fans physically present and with Stephan Phillips in charge – was it really two years ago that Ed Balls joked about being on a mission to get Stephan to answer a question? Of course, these are unusual times and […]
COVENTRY PREVIEW: Tales of woe… homelessness….& revival under a City great
Let me start with a disclosure. I have a soft spot for Coventry. True, I didn’t in May 1985 when they beat champions Everton (already in their flip-flops and swimming trunks) 4-1 to ensure their survival and condemn Norwich to relegation from the top flight. But a lot of water has flowed under the bridge […]
WE MEET AGAIN… COVENTRY CITY
Next up for Norwich, a team that plays in sky blue but fortunately it’s not Manchester City. FA Cup winners in recent memory, once top-flight regulars and Premier League founder members, Coventry City have fallen on hard times recently. The last eight seasons have been spent homeless and bouncing around the lower leagues – yet […]
Fear not. A new hero emerged on Tuesday night. One ready to carry the baton
Just as Emi Buendia was showing why he’s back to his best, the Argentinian earned a one-match ban and put three points in jeopardy. Luckily for City, his temporary replacement had already begun to emerge. Josh Martin was a surprise inclusion in Daniel Farke’s starting eleven against Stoke, replacing Przemyslaw Placheta in a move that […]
Down to the bare bones but, crucially, still with an intact back four to offer the ballast
If anyone’s ever wondered what bare bones look like then they will just have to wait for City’s team sheet on Saturday to get a glimpse. Coping without a full compliment of players has been a recurring theme of Norwich’s season thus far, starting with the League Cup match at Kenilworth Road where the Canaries […]
City stood tall in ‘Land of the Giants’ but now have a farcical injury list to manage
Queen’s second album and in my opinion their most progressive and certainly the best, the eponymous Queen II, didn’t have a side one and a side two. It had side white and side black instead, possibly for artistic reasons or more likely gimmickry. It was the 1970s after all. I very much doubt Emi Buendia has […]
A brilliant and fired up Emi wins it and *almost* loses it for the stricken Canaries
When City lost at home to angry Sean Dyche’s Burnley back in the bad old days of Project Restart I suggested we open talks with Notts County fans to borrow their song. It really did feel like the wheel had fallen off our barrow. We (typically) lost that game, ended it with nine men, were […]
MATCH REPORT: City hang on for three points in a Potteries nerve-shredder
It’s never a good sign when all of the talk before a game is over who is not playing, and the net result of a crazy, crazy night at Stoke is that this is likely to continue for a few more weeks yet. As expected Lukas Rupp didn’t make the starting XI, but Daniel Farke […]
STOKE PREVIEW: Pulisball… no Angus… Methuselah… Sir Stanley… & R Williams
My most memorable recollection of Stoke City came in 1967 at Upton Park when my uncles Pete and Joe took me to the game for a tenth birthday treat. To be strictly accurate, Pete took me as Joey couldn’t drag himself out of the Duke of Edinburgh on the infamous Green Street. I think we […]
WE MEET AGAIN… STOKE CITY
A visit to one of the Football Leagues founder members is always extra special for those fans who appreciate the rich heritage of English football. To others, no other place represents the clichéd ‘cold, wet, and windy away trip’, the very definition of a horrible away-day than a visit to the Britannia Stadium, Stoke-On-Trent. Of […]
Daniel Farke and his substitutions: Why the sudden change of tack?
In years gone by Farke used substitutes late to waste time or as a very last resort, so why is he now the spokesman for allowing more in the EFL? Saturday’s game was the first Championship match in which City had been able to use five substitutes, and Farke used all of them. He covered […]
The tale of two coaches. While one fumed the other was articulate and ice-cool…
*We are top of the League, said we are top of the League*. Well, we haven’t heard that in a while and of course our loyal band of regular away supporters weren’t at the Riverside to sing it, but would have belted it out with gusto had they been allowed inside the ground. Plagiarism isn’t […]
City’s win on Teesside gives Colin the hump and takes them top of the Championship
You know it’s your day when for the first time in living memory an opponent’s successfully converted penalty kick is chalked off because it was deemed a double-hit. Not for the first time this season, a moment of good fortune tilted the odds in City’s favour, and from thereon in it felt like it had […]
BORO PREVIEW: Colin… Gibbo… Benny from ABBA… and stroppy septuagenarians
We’ve tried to do previews a little differently on MFW this season, with the week’s writer given carte blanche to tackle the piece in any way he/she chooses, but there was no way I was letting the Boro game pass without input from friend of MyFootballWriter, former Match of the Day editor, author and Boro […]
WE MEET AGAIN… MIDDLESBROUGH
Tomorrow’s opponents need no introduction. We played them in one of the greatest games in our club’s long history. Think Middlesbrough and your mind will be cast back to a glorious day in the Wembley sunshine. It was a day when Norwich played with confidence and style in front of a yellow wall numbering 40,000. […]
All hail the *five* super-subs (unless we’re in the Prem… in which case it’s a terrible idea)
There will be big smiles on some managers’ faces as they rub their hands together in collective glee after getting news of the decision to increase the number of substitutions per game. Daniel Farke is likely to be one of the happiest in the Championship now that he has the opportunity to make five changes […]
Etty Smith: a remarkable woman and a proper Norwich fan to the end
At the end of Norwich City’s play-off final triumph at Wembley in May 2015, there was one special moment which stood out among so many indelible incidents. Up in front of the Royal Box, as the dancing players took turns to hoist the trophy into the air, manager Alex Neil shuffled his way along behind […]
NOSTALGIA: Favourite City keeper? Woods, Krul, Gunny? Or the one known as The Cat?
The mere mention of the word ‘Keelan’ provokes a warm fuzzy feeling for City supporters of a certain age, and right now we all need as much warm fuzziness as we can get. So, with Ed’s permission, here again is his homage to one of the greats. *** Here’s a question for you. Answer in […]
That Was the Footballing Week That Was… the Mayor, MD 20/20, Clarke, Salah, et al
On this chilly, miserable November Monday morning, I thought I’d cast my eye back on the events of a week without EFL Championship fixtures to pontificate about in a kind of That Was The Week That Was [TW3] style – and it’s not all doom and gloom by any manner of means. We saw the departure of […]
The Mayor… Scottish penalties… invaders… futile bans… & Flower of Scotland
I’ve long searched for an excuse to tell one of my more interesting footballing tales (most are far from it) and Kenny McLean, god bless him, has finally given me one. It’s a faint, dubious, tenuous link, but it’ll do and you’re going to hear it whether you like it or not 😉 It is […]
Together we can make football great again – in spite of those making the decisions
You can feel change in the air – not just in politics or everyday life, but across the footballing landscape. We’re not just talking Trump here, but Marcus Rashford, playing away at Westminster, turning Boris Johnson inside out before smashing home two tremendous strikes against the Conservatives to win free school meals for needy families […]
Along Come Norwich fanzine #4: Its creator Jon Punt talks to MyFootballWriter…
GG: Zine 4 is imminent I understand JP? Don’t you think the City faithful has been through enough? 🙂 I jest of course – when you describe these little beauties as some of the best stuff ACN has produced I tend to agree, although the flags, banners and crowd-surfers may disagree. I don’t really want […]
International Break: Norwich City caps and the club’s latest call-ups…
Once again international opportunity knocks for a number of NCFC players. Despite the whys and wherefores of flinging players across a continent willy-nilly during a pandemic it’s still an exciting time for a player to be selected to play for their country. As a little entree before the games get going tonight, here’s a little […]
NCFC Final Accounts 2020: Aim of being in the country’s top 26 has been upgraded
Among 36 pages of numbers and words, one phrase stands out. It is on line 11 in page two of Norwich City PLC’s annual report. “The Club’s future strategy is to strive to be an established Premier League club.” Other parts of the document are not suitable for those of a nervous disposition. The accounts […]
Daniel’s “hunch” pays off handsomely as Mumba and Martin repay their gaffer’s faith
One of my favourite film creations back in the day was Cool Hand Luke, immortalised by Paul Newman as the title character in the movie. Well after Saturday I reckon Daniel Farke could play the role – with a slightly different accent of course. What a brave decision, which Daniel himself described as a *hunch*, […]
Canaries win the battle of the Cities as Stiepi delivers on a Carlsberg day in NR1
2020 has been universally cr.@p. Day after day of doom and gloom. So my god we were due a good one. Yesterday was a great one. Of course, there was the small matter of the free world being spared another four years of lies, corruption and tyranny from a fake-tanned narcissist who lacks class, charm, […]
SWANS PREVIEW – Red-hot Ayew… attacking potency… & the return of Ryan Bennett!
A red-hot André Ayew and a resurgent Championship heavyweight descending on Carrow Road would normally fill me with dread. Swansea City, in many respects a sleeping second-tier giant, coming to town is enough to spark fears of an away day pillage in Nelson’s County. But this is a Norwich City side motoring – and a team […]
WE MEET AGAIN… SWANSEA CITY
Next up, Swansea make the longest away trip of the season, all 310 miles to test the dedication of even the most ardent fan (not that that will be a factor this season). Swansea’s first involvement in English football came in 1912/13 season when they finished third in the Southern League Second Division. They were […]
Ten games in… so, how well is Daniel Farke really doing?
After an indifferent start to 2020-21, Norwich City’s season has certainly picked up momentum. But how well is Daniel Farke really doing in the Championship? Let’s compare his record with the managers who’ve managed NCFC in the second tier since Ron Saunders first won the division in 1971-72. NB. Data covers City’s performance in the […]
Ballad of the Wycombe Wanderer
CAT PRIOR-HOLT
Disney heroes… hideous monsters … speeding rhinos… and fairytale endings
Beauty and the Beast. A story of love between a hideous monster and a beautiful and majestic royal. Currently showing in Norwich to empty houses, starring Grant Hanley and Emi Buendia. This may seem rather a cruel piece of casting for my Disney remake but if we’re going to enjoy a slightly emotional and heart-warming […]
A point for the Bermondsey boys as City draw a blank on a tough night at the Carra
I honestly cannot remember the last time I wrote about a 0-0 involving Norwich City and neither can I recall a match in which we had 27 shots without scoring, which must be some kind of record I suppose. But I’m quite prepared to be pragmatic following the events at the Carra on Tuesday evening […]
War of attrition at the Carra, as City win the popular vote but not the three points
It feels a little trite to be writing about a 0-0 draw with Millwall as the world teeters on the brink while the US decides whether or not to give a second term to an orange, thin-skinned, racist man baby. But I’ll give it a go. We could all do with a distraction from that […]
GUEST BLOG: Too Early for a Pukki Party?
As part of MFW’s continued effort to offer its floor to the columnists of the future, today’s guest blog is from Samantha Palmer… *** A win against Millwall tonight could see City, currently fourth in the Championship behind Bournemouth, Swansea City and Reading, go up to second. So far they’ve collected 17 points from nine […]
WE MEET AGAIN… MILLWALL
Be it the New or the Old Den, or at Carrow Road, like tonight, games against Millwall hold plenty of happy memories for the boys in yellow and green. The most recent one coming on our last visit to Millwall during 2018/19 when captain Zimmermann’s bullet header led the Canaries to a valuable 3-1 away […]
MILLWALL PREVIEW: Ex-wives… the fury of Zampa Road… and ‘they can rebuild him’
It’s Millwall time again tomorrow as we welcome the Bermondsey-based South London side from Zampa Road to the Carra. We meaning everybody apart from NCFC fans and Lions supporters of course. They’re as cacked off about that as we are as MFW readers will discover thanks to the excellent Nick Hart – creator of the brilliant “Achtung! […]
City’s double pivot: Why is it starting to really click?
Oliver Skipp and Lukas Rupp have formed a formidable partnership in the centre of the park. Typically lining up alongside each other in the base of a 4-2-3-1, Daniel Farke utilises them in a double pivot. Skipp, our loan signing from Tottenham, offers more protection for the back four, breaking up the play and seldom […]
Three quality goals for City but three points courtesy of one mighty Dutchman
Goals win games. That’s what “they” say, isn’t it? And we came up with three pretty damn good ones at Ashton Gate at mid-day on Saturday. A classic through-ball to Teemu Pukki from Marco Stiepermann early doors and our Finnish friend did his stuff. It was a privilege to see it hit the net really. […]
Four wins out of five for City as Emi and Teemu hit an ominous 2018-19 vibe
I try my best to avoid the trap of finding parallels between the start of this season and September/October 2018 – the club is, after all, in a very different place right now – but how was it possible to ignore Marco Stiepermann splitting the Brizzle defense wide open for Teemu Pukki’s opener yesterday in […]
“Where were you, where were you, where were you when we were great…?”
I’m actually asking this as a genuine question rather than attempting to ignite our readers into a chanting frenzy. The Second Coming by Kevin Baldwin. If you haven’t read it, do so. A fantastic read, well written, and a lovely match-by-match insight into the return of Mike Walker. I’m on my second reading but it’s […]
BRIZZLE PREVIEW: Kidney stones… 3-5-2s… Chris Martins… and dodgy defences
I’ve just finished watching Bournemouth 1 Bristol City 0 on Wednesday night on the red button in preparation for this preview. Never let it be said that I won’t suffer for you all. I had a kidney stone a couple of years ago, and on balance I had more fun sweating in fear and pain […]
WE MEET AGAIN… Bristol City
It is one of England’s largest cities and home to two professional football clubs but neither Bristol City nor their city neighbours, Rovers have played in the Premier League. The closest Norwich’s next opponents, Bristol City, have come was a play-off final defeat in 2008. Capable of beating, but equally losing, to anybody they are […]
Four games unbeaten and 14 points from eight. Not bad for a team running on three
If you hadn’t seen or listened to the game and looked online yesterday morning to see Brentford 1 [Toney 28], Norwich City 1 [McLean 87] I’m pretty sure you’d have been happy with that. A point away against what appears to be a genuine candidate for the promotion mix ain’t half bad. And I was […]
Will performance levels soon catch up to points on the board? Does it matter?
It may not have been the performance we’d hoped for but I don’t think too many City fans will be unhappy with last night’s point. While performance levels are far currently removed from those we’ve become accustomed to in the second tier under Daniel Farke, the fact City are jogging along nicely at not far […]
BRENTFORD PREVIEW: Expected goals… Keira Knightley… and a draw?
I’m not huge on using stats when writing about football matches because [*cliché klaxon*] “there’s only one stat that really counts”, especially when looking back over a game, but they do occasionally make for interesting reading when trying to forecast what could happen in an upcoming game or when looking further down the track. And […]
WE MEET AGAIN… Brentford FC
Tonight we enjoy a trip to one of our oldest rivals, Brentford FC. One of London’s less fashionable clubs, The Bees are on the up with a new stadium off the pitch and an exciting young team on it. They have been in the promotion mix for the last few seasons and all under a […]
Why Mario should remain City’s super-sub… for now
Mario Vrancic has found himself with a somewhat niche role as a super-sub in City’s side. Mario Vrancic is a player who has divided opinion since his arrival from SV Dormstadt 98 in the summer of 2017. Once the poster boy of Farkeball, Vrancic found his first few months in England tough as he was […]
All Hallows Eve… vintage combos… another defensive cock-up… and Idah naivety
Many folks are preparing their Hallow’een cauldrons for the weekend. We’re not doing it this year cos of Covid and actually refer to it within the family as All Hallows Eve cos we’re not fans of premeditated American stuff designed for the supermarkets to make yet more money. But if neighbourhood trick or treaters come […]