Gary Gowers

So much for the magic of the FA Cup. And so much for footballing fairytales. If David Wagner was under any illusions as to the size of the task that awaits, then he’s not anymore. Under their current guise, and with their current fitness levels, this group is a million miles away from being able […]

So, while it’s not yet official, the good folk of the EDP and Pink Un are reporting that David Wagner is now in Blighty and will be confirmed as our new head coach once that pesky paperwork has been completed – probably tomorrow. When not if. And so, for me, that’s a strong enough signal […]

It was always going to be the toughest of gigs for Allan Russell and Steve Weaver. Two games and not many more training sessions to make a positive impact on a group of players who had underperformed for the first 24 games of the season. And, to be fair, in both games, the players have […]

Well, the atmosphere was much improved. I’ll say that much. And there appeared more energy in the team’s performance. But in terms of productivity, the removal of Dean Smith alone was never going to be enough to get a tune out of this group. Renewed effort and vigour can only get you so far. Allan […]

It was inevitable in the end. The only thing that could have saved Dean Smith was if his prophecy that his team would emerge from the World Cup break a “different animal” had come to fruition. It didn’t. The exact same animal emerged. A muddled, half-hearted, and miserable one. The one that played turgid football, […]

As I write, Dean Smith (as far as we know) remains in situ. Whether he will be by the time I finish this piece… who knows. But if he is and, more importantly, if he is still here on Friday when we face Reading, then no one wins – unless, of course, you’re a stubborn, […]

For someone who’s not always the quickest to embrace the spirit of the season, I confess to feeling slightly Christmassy as I walked over Carrow Bridge and was greeted by the unmistakable tones of the Salvation Army band. Norwich’s equivalent of the ‘the boys of the NYPD choir’ delivered. Traditional and heartwarming in equal measure. […]

Those hoping that the World Cup amnesty would help rebuild some NCFC bridges will have been disappointed. Despite City beating Swansea, the level of performance was such that I suspect not a single view will have changed since that disappointing 2-1 defeat by Middlesbrough just over a month ago. Those who are content with the […]

Well, that was emotional. I say emotional, what I really mean is heart-wrenching. And all within four hours of having been on a Championship high. I say high, what I really mean is being massively relieved that an ordinary performance somehow yielded three vital points and upset Russell Martin in the process. Let’s start with […]

As one who frequents Twitter far more than is healthy, it’s become clear over the last few weeks that there is little appetite right now for anything Norwich City-related. MyFootballWriter’s Google Analytics page confirms as much. Numbers are at quiet-period-of-close-season levels. All of which is fine but not ideal if you’re the editor of MFW, […]

For the many reasons we’ve already discussed on MFW, and as highlighted perfectly by Robin, this World Cup, on a wider scale, has been a tough watch. FIFA and the state of Qatar have made it so. But for those who’ve been able to strip away all the bad stuff – an inept, corrupt governing […]

It was nice to be able to afford MyFootballWriter readers a glimpse behind the Iron Curtain. When I say Iron Curtain, what I really mean is an account of City’s open-to-all, 90-minute training session in Tampa, but the fact Dave Bowers’ much-appreciated account of events and a few posted images on social media are as […]

Just typical of England. In a tournament that just feels (and is) wrong on so many levels, they go and turn in a performance that gets some of us interested and engaged. Not how I’d imagined it or even really wanted it. I’ll be honest, my patriotism is not unconfined – particularly at the moment […]

You may or may not have noticed that the Sunday stripes this week have been passed to our Martin. For reasons too trivial to mention, he and I have swapped for today and I’ll be here in the week. In fact, we, as in the MFW team, will be here for the duration of the […]

It’s a year to the day since Dean Smith and Craig Shakespeare rocked up at Carrow Road. The Club decided to commemorate the anniversary with a tweet of a beaming, yellow-and-green-scarf-adorned Deano standing in the tunnel. If you can stomach it, it’s at the foot of this piece. You don’t need me to expand on […]

In the aftermath of Arsenal’s 2-0 win against Wolves last night, Mikel Arteta was asked the reason for his team’s outstanding start to the season. His reply was obvious, yet telling. ”The unity… from the top of the club through to every single member of the team and the staff”. Something that, right now, we […]

Wins in Rotherham don’t come easy. They never have. And in recent times, Paul Warne or no Paul Warne, any point there is hard-earned. While to the watching world, the Millers are not considered Championship hopefuls, anyone who’s made the trip to Millmoor or the New York City Stadium will know exactly what I mean. […]

For the opening 20 minutes, it was good. Excellent even. But the old adage about having to capitalise on your good spells is an old adage for a reason. We didn’t capitalise. As Teemu Pukki’s brilliantly self-made opportunity slammed into the post and escaped the overtures of Seny Dieng’s goal line, so drifted away City’s […]