The Expert

Have the cracks stared to appear for the first time in a longish while for the Canaries?

Not since that awful away defeat at Plymouth in only Glenn Roeder's third game in charge at Norwich have City looked as unconvincing as they did in the first-half on Saturday.

In fairness, it hasn't been the best couple of weeks for the Canaries.

There was the ?no show? ? as the City boss termed it – at Leicester, the hesitancy against Barnsley in the …

There'll no doubt be a few people who'd suggest that the short training break to Spain this week wasn't conducive to the Canaries producing their best performance on Saturday.

Let's put that to bed straight away, because it would be wrong.

Norwich would undoubtedly have put in the same amount of time and effort on the training ground on the continent as they would have done had the stayed at home at a wind swept Colney ? probably more in actual fact – …

After witnessing his under-strength Canaries side secure all three points against Barnsley last Saturday, and just before the squad jetted off for a short training break in sunny Spain, Glenn Roeder suggested that he might have a problem in selecting his team for the visit of Blackpool tomorrow.

The performances of the likes of stand-in players Matty Pattison, Kieran Gibbs and particularly Alex Pearce in helping return City to winning ways means he has now to decide whether to …

He must get really cheesed off being who he is at times. It's like everything seems to revolve around him at Norwich ? it certainly has in recent weeks.

He even acknowledged that everything he says is usually made into headlines, and when his name didn't even make it onto the team-sheet for last Saturday's trip to Leicester, well, the stories were already being written, weren't they?

But sorry Hucks, that's just the way it is I'm afraid …

Before the game at Leicester last week, I reasoned that City's next three games would in all probability decide their play-off fate one way or the other.

Supporters had understandably stared to turn their attentions to the team occupying sixth place in the table, as with the Canaries extending their unbeaten run week-on-week and showing no obvious signs that they were about to fall flat on their faces, and the gap between Norwich and the top six accordingly ever narrowing, …

Seems that I was a week early in expressing my concerns that the Canaries' unbeaten run was in danger of coming to an abrupt halt unless they could tighten up on some of their recent performances.

I wondered if the trip to Cardiff might be the venue where the Canaries came cropper, but was as impressed as the next man that City were able to keep the bandwagon rolling with a superb 2-1 victory.

Against Hull at Carrow Road three days later though City flattered …

Looking at the fixture list and these remaining 14 fixtures, I don't think it would be unrealistic in assuming that these next three games will probably have a huge bearing as to whether the Canaries can indeed complete what would undoubtedly be one of the greatest reversal of fortunes in recent memory by making it to the play-offs, or whether a mid-table finish come May 4 is the more likely outcome.

After tomorrow's trip to Leicester, Norwich have two very winnable home …

Everything had started so positively in the opening 20 minutes for the Canaries last night. And it wasn't a bad last ten minutes or so either, to be fair.

Trouble is, the hour in between saw them fall asleep, take their foot off the gas and slip back into sloppy mode.

But while City boss Glenn Roeder was absolutely correct to stress the point afterwards that the reality of anyone being a tad disappointed with the result merely highlights once again just how …

The town is buzzing. Absolutely buzzing from what I've seen and heard regarding the amazing situation the Canaries have placed themselves in at present.

As clearly delighted as supporters are at this amazing turnaround in fortunes for their team, and having basically witnessed with open mouths the transformation that has taken place in such a short space of time, I'm sure that many City fans are also slightly perplexed too.

Because while a change of manger …

Talk about any pre-match concerns proving unfounded?

They'd certainly not been at their best in recent weeks despite managing to continue putting points on the board, hence the likelihood of more than a few Norwich fans probably sharing my misgivings ahead of City's early kick-off at Cardiff yesterday.

But once again they got the job done.

And it means that it's got to the stage now whereby Norwich have almost earned themselves immunity …

There's a guy that 'The Expert' used to know who was an habitual pessimist. It didn't matter how well things were going, he'd always foresee doom and gloom lurking just around the corner.

I think he would have been happiest walking around with one of those sandwich boards strapped to his body that you used to occasionally see people wearing at football matches adorned with the words: 'The End Is Nigh'.

 
But instead he just settled …

There's a guy that 'The Expert' used to know who was an habitual pessimist. It didn't matter how well things were going, he'd always foresee doom and gloom lurking just around the corner.

I think he would have been happiest walking around with one of those sandwich boards strapped to his body that you used to occasionally see people wearing at football matches adorned with the words: 'The End Is Nigh'.

 
But instead he just settled …

You could say that it was quite a busy day for Glenn Roeder on Thursday.

No less than four new arrivals, two departures, and the extension of Ched Evans' loan deal would have ensured that the City boss wouldn't have had much opportunity to drag himself away from the telephone for a tea break.

In came Matthew Bates, James Henry, Alex Pearce and Kieran Gibbs, and out went Simon Lappin and Ryan Jarvis, and accordingly the size of the squad increased and the …

One can only hope for more of the same from the Canaries at home to Preston tomorrow.

There's little else that needs to be said really after City extended their unbeaten run to a hugely-impressive ten matches courtesy of their midweek victory at Southampton.

City boss Glenn Roeder was straightforward enough to admit afterwards that his side were second best in terms of possession and chances created at St. Mary's, but what he, along with the rest of us, …

The Canaries went into the game with Southampton at St. Mary's last night unbeaten in nine league games.

And of those nine matches, I don't think it would be unfair to suggest that only in three of them had Norwich disappointed with the manner of their performance.

Aside from the clashes with Colchester, Charlton and Wolves, City had delivered a notable array of qualities to their game, ranging from a defensive resoluteness not witnessed on too many occasions in …

Most City fans didn't really know whether to laugh or cry after last Saturday's goalless draw with Leicester.

After one of their most lacklustre displays of the season against Bury in the FA Cup four days earlier, they had just seen the Canaries deliver an almost faultless 90 minutes of football encompassing every positive aspect of the game there is?except one, of course!

Even City boss Glenn Roeder couldn't completely hide his disappointment and …

Most City fans didn't really know whether to laugh or cry after last Saturday's goalless draw with Leicester.

After one of their most lacklustre displays of the season against Bury in the FA Cup four days earlier, they had just seen the Canaries deliver an almost faultless 90 minutes of football encompassing every positive aspect of the game there is?except one, of course!

Even City boss Glenn Roeder couldn't completely hide his disappointment and …

Credit where it's due – City were excellent against Leicester at Carrow Road yesterday.

There'd been a metaphorical holding up of hands after their awful display had seen them unceremoniously dumped out of the FA Cup at Bury in mid-week, and no-one had tried to hide from the fact that they'd got exactly what they deserved at Gigg Lane.

Glenn Roeder said he was hurting, hoped that his players were too, and resolved to apologise to the supporters in the …

There were many disappointing aspects of the Canaries' performance in the FA Cup at Bury in mid-week, ranging from a basic inability of the players to pass the ball from A to B when put under no pressure whatsoever, through to a distinct lack of creativity against an opposition that hadn't won a game in ages.

Most concerning of all though was the noticeable failure of experienced players to come up with the answers to the elementary questions that were being asked of …

After being virtually assured early yesterday morning that there was precious little chance that the game would go ahead due to the state of the pitch, only to be informed a couple of hours later that it definitely was, I can't deny that it was difficult to suppress the feeling before kick-off last night that we really shouldn't have been present at Gigg Lane.

Not solely as a result of the weather mind, but particularly so when you consider the manner in which the Canaries …