After a pretty disastrous few games with respect to closing in on and securing a play-off berth Norwich host West Brom after the international break. Hopefully much thought has gone into how we can move in a positive direction as well as the time taken to heal injuries. Form: Norwich WDDLL West Brom WDWDD If you are heading to the game be aware this road closure might cause delays: https://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/25033974.rouen-road-closure-disrupt-norwich-city-fans/ West Brom are in the playoffs and Norwich are mid table, win for Norwich and faint hope will be breathed into their season again, but in all reality another season of Championship football beckons as the many players acquired over the season bed in and they make another attempt at promotion next year.
Thanks Zog all the best for a long and distinguished run in charge! Though Whoscored aren't getting their hopes up for Norwich. Good luck Hoff.
So our best course of action is to attack constantly for 90 mins and never give the ball away, got it
A shame we haven't got a fit Dobbin ready to exact revenge on the team that didn't show him much of a chance in the first half of the season
8 points behind West Brom in 6th with 8 games remaining, lose this & we are probably done barring a miracle
Squad update *Updated after press conference* (GK) Gunn - IN - Return from hamstring injury (RW) Jurasek - IN - Will return to the matchday squad but don't expect too many minutes (LB) Mahovo - OUT - 1 week - Knee injury, targeting return to training next week (CM) Gibbs - FIT - 2 weeks - hamstring injury - Back in training, ideally gets minutes with u21s before returning (GK) Mair - OUT - No timeline - Returned to the club after breaking his finger. (RW) Springett - OUT - 11 weeks - back injury - re-occurrence, season as good as over (CM) Forsyth - OUT - His season is over after having knee surgery - last option (RW) Dobbin - OUT - His season is over after injuring the opposite calf for which he was withdrawn against Stoke (LB) Chrisene - OUT - His season is over after ankle injury sustained in the first challenge from Dennis vs Blackburn
Sadly, that seems to be what Hofball is based on, while Harry's WhoScored ratings reveal the reality of this season. It's not just the points between us and West Brom, there's also a little matter of the other 6 teams between us and them.
We don't have a commanding Holt , Mackay or Bradley Johnson type player with balls that can turn these winning positions into points . Plenty of promising youths & skilled players but no gonads
Callum Styles a doubt for WBA with a Calf strain, but back in training on Thursday, Josh Maja, leading scorer unlikely to feature for rest of regular season, but they hope to have him back for play-offs if they reach them (has had a leg injury since early Jan), Jed Wallace has been out for over a month with Calf problem, Semi Ajayi still recovering from Hamstring problem, both players back in light training. Tammer Bany, Danish AM avaiable again after minor groin problem, RB Furlong misses out serving a 3 match suspension. (Source: Pinkun)
Duffy and McLean are about the only ones left as the emphasis on youth and technical skills comes with limitations. Jurásek is a prime example - the challenges of the Championship came as a shock to him and he had to be left out of the squad to have time to adjust. It's a relief to me that we're no longer likely to be involved in the playoffs. We're miles away from being anything like ready for the PL.
I have said it before and I will say it again - in the current environment few clubs from the Championship, if any, will be ready for the PL even if, like our friends down the road, they spend £100m on players. Promoted Clubs cannot afford the salary and lengthy contracts demanded by established PL players and established PL players will not risk going to a promoted Club. As depressing as it may sound we are after a year of the PL money, the parachute payments and the sale value of any player who has played well in the PL.
Depressing it is, 1950 but honest as well. I don't think we'll get anywhere close to even those cynical targets any time soon.
Done a bit of an update on the first post An interesting aside, one phrase that I say (probably more often than I realise) is 'Wazzz goooin on Neewwl' - with reference to Canary Call callers calling Neil Adams and complaining. Now my son who is 4 is going around the house saying it and I had to tell my wife what on earth he was saying and why haha
Chris Goreham, BBC Radio Norfolk Why they will make the play-offs The Canaries have scored 60 times in the league this season, only Leeds have netted more. It's at least three more than every other Championship team. Borja Sainz is the division's top scorer with 18 and he's one of only three players to have outscored Josh Sargent. They have also managed to take the lead against every single team in the division other than QPR, Preston, Bristol City and Portsmouth. They still have to play Pompey at home. Why they won't The last point is pertinent. Norwich have dropped 30 points from winning positions this season. They have won only one of their past eight league games which is hardly top-six form. They also still have to play West Brom and Sunderland at home with Burnley and Middlesbrough away among a tough run-in. Last season Norwich clinched sixth with 73 points. They will need to win all eight of their final matches to match that total. So the maths, as well as logic, are well and truly against them.
