Well for me it's pretty much the first time I'm going through it, but I really enjoyed this - enjoyed http://thesetpieces.com/features/third-glance-norwich-199293/ - article about Norwich's 92/93 season. I was born in 93, the same day as the Liverpool match, so I missed the real "Golden Years" of Norwich but it's nice knowing that the city I was born in has a truly solid place in Football history.
Probably my favourite season ever and I can remember it well. We were crap in pre season and at half time of the first game at Arsenal, I thought 'here we go again', so wrong I was. I would love a season like that again but the Premier has changed totally so I can't see it happening but you never know, that is what everyone thought in 92!
Great read of a time when football was a much more level playing field. Phillips goal was exceptional.
A magical season, sadly never to be repeated unless there is a huge overhaul to the whole system. That Phillips goal, and the applause of the Palace fans behind the goal, gives me a lump in the throat!
What a fine article, thanks for sharing God, I remember that 85th minute Polston goal at home to Villa - talk about take the effin roof off the place!! Loved this bit, too "In a blistering quarter of an hour, Norwich savaged the unsavageable defence four times. Robins scored twice, including an outrageous 25-yard lob that even the Arsenal fans applauded"
Loved that season and it does bring back many fond memories - the Polston goal made me believe and then the defeat to Utd and suddenly the plastics were out in force - completely cemented my hatred of that team (maybe I should let it go) it is also a crying shame that it is so unlikely to ever happen again -
As I go back even further than that, I'm not sure that it won't happen again. The differentials then were similar to those today and teams like Southampton and Swansea show that much can be gained without huge outlay. AN has taken over a building process from Hughton and Adams that isn't that different than that which Walker took over from Brown and Stringer. We have a solid squad, much deeper than those days and a manager who has a deep tactical knowledge of the game and prepares for each match accordingly. That can help build a bright future to be sure.
Talking of a nice little reminder, I hope you're going to give us enough time to predict Sunday's score Munky!
The gulf between Southampton, for example and winning the Pl is vast. As for minimal investment, I thought they'd had a lot and are about £100 million in debt despite some very lucrative transfer dealings. As for Swansea winning the PL, that's simply ludicrous, I'd love to believe it though. But they are now reputedly looking for investment because they fear falling back down and can't imagine maintaining their relative success without a serious injection of funds
I wasn't referring to winning the league, because that means beating 4-5 top teams all in the same season. Getting into that battle at the top again would be an achievement in itself. We are never going to do that by buying top players with big wages. Instead, we have to buy shrewdly as we did then with Spurs cast-offs Crook and Culverhouse (thus the comparison with Swansea), but also bring on our own players like we did with Goss and Sutton (thus the comparison with Southampton). Ultimately though, it takes a manager with the nous to develop tactics which allow good players to get great results. Walker was more like Lambert in his gung-ho tactics. AN has a more balanced approach between attack and defence, as Hughton did, but with a more innovative and flexible approach which allows players to play to their own strengths and express themselves through creative movement and interplay, while still being prepared to defend against counter-attacks. Our performances have been better than our results, but it will still take time for this to achieve fruition. The signs are good though.
Oh my mistake - I can easily imagine mid table security/mediocrity - just never challenging for the title
Yes I remember that season too and at one point nearing Easter we were still in with a real chance but from memory we lost at home to the Scousers and then the rot set in and we dropped a few places. Will it happen again? I very much doubt it because of the mid-season window and if an aspiting team hasn't been picked off before the big kick off, they will be at Christmas. Money will always win now.
