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 […]
Chris Sadler
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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.’ […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Daniel Farke and Stuart Webber under pressure at Norwich?
Expectations this year are sky-high at Carrow Road. In the close season, the list of exciting incoming signings hit double figures and outgoings were kept to a reasonable minimum. The new season has kicked off, the firework rocket has been lit and we’ve all retired to a safe distance. How’s it gone so far? Well, […]
Norwich City FC transfers out – The Truth
Sometimes to uncover the truth you have to turn back to what works best; the old ways, the reliable ways – country wisdom and rural folklore. There lives in our village, down a leafy and lonely track, a grizzled man as old as time. No one knows his name or where he came from but […]
In the mix? – A Championship quiz
15 clues, 15 mixed up answers. Have you got the noodles to unscramble these doodles. (PS. No extra points for alternative suggestions to the last question!) Championship Teams : 1. BET ON HUMOUR this season by the seaside at Dean Court? 2. South Yorkshire tykes can sometimes BE SNARLY? 3. YO, TICKETS available in the Potteries? 4. […]
City’s second-tier record across a generation
Twenty-six seasons have passed since Martin O’Neill’s stymied attempt in 1995/96 to get us promoted straight back into the top division (for details see file marked ‘Chase, R – The Windass Affair’). Eighteen Norwich City managers since have spent 19 seasons in the second tier attempting the same thing. Many have failed and only four […]
NCFC Quiz – International Canary captains
A bijou quizette, Canary folk. Can you name the Norwich City alumni who’ve captained these proximate international teams? England – 1. Initials ‘MP’ – A classy midfielder and graduate of West Ham’s famous academy in the 1960s, he scored for England in the 1966 World Cup final. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur, Norwich City, […]