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 […]
CITY v BLACKBURN [FA CUP] – THE PREVIEW
It’s hard to know where to begin. I mean, it is the FA Cup Third Round, which for some is the ‘best weekend of the season’, but for Norwich fans that’s been almost lost amid the hullabaloo of a new coach arriving. It may have been the most dragged-out saga since Edward III first invaded […]
The David Wagner story … so far
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 […]
The new head coach can’t arrive soon enough but won’t right all the wrongs
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 […]
An infinitely more buoyant Carrow Road but the same old problems linger
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 […]
Farewell, Deano. I’d love to say it’s been a blast…
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, […]
The final straw… and not just for Dean Smith
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, […]
Smith is part of the problem and should go, but is far from the only problem
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. […]
Not exactly a “different animal” but can a few tweaks win over the doubters?
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 […]
The light and shade of being a football fan … in the space of four hours
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 […]
With season ticket renewal just around the corner, an interesting few months await
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, […]
Upsets, thrills and spills at the World Cup, plus sycophancy of the highest order
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 […]
Remember that community club that prided itself on being transparent & open?
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 […]
Why did England have to go and play well and offer us all hope?
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 […]
MFW… and the World Cup break (we’re going nowhere)
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 […]
Happy Anniversary?
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 […]
Disharmony off the pitch, two wins in ten on it. A long 28 days awaits
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 […]
CITY v MIDDLESBROUGH – THE PREVIEW
I always look forward to City v Boro, and not just because we have a good recent record against them or because it gives us a chance to rehash that now-famous YouTube clip of that Boro fan telling us “yous is shite”. While all of the above contain elements of fact, my real reason for […]
City edge a feisty one in Rotherham
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. […]
Ever-decreasing triangles … missed chances … and Angus excellence
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 […]