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 […]
Column
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 […]