After the disappointment of Tuesday night, I felt it was vital that we bounced back immediately. The League Cup match against Villa was a game which would have been nice to win – this was a game we had to win. Our performance against Wigan was fairly good – straight from the off we were in total control of the game and but for a sloppy fifteen minutes after half time, were comfortably the better side and thoroughly deserved to win the match. Hoolahan was fabulous, buzzing all over the shop. Johnson and Tettey disciplined and solid. Turner calm and assured. Pilkington and Snodgrass industrious. Everyone played their part but I never got the impression that we got out of 2nd gear throughout the entire 90 minutes - there is still so much to come from this team. The scoreline suggests it was close - in reality it shouldn't have been. Al Habsi was outstanding in goal for the visitors who looked a pale imitation of the side who outplayed us in the same fixture last season. Despite all this, it took a last minute, last-gasp, world class saving tackle from Sebastien Bassong to earn us all three points. When we signed the centre back from Spurs in August for a fee of around £3m, I was a little concerned. Not because he didn't improve our defence - but because whenever I'd seen him before, he had a habit of falling asleep and making a mistake which would cost his team a goal. Since his move to Norfolk, I'd argue the guy is playing the best football of his career to date. He earned player of the season at Newcastle, so this praise is proper praise! In truth, he still nods off and seems to makes an error a game, normally through being a little too confident on the ball (which is probably why he has never played for a really top club, albeit he was a bit-part player at Tottenham). The difference now is, he is able to rectify any error he makes. He is a leader on the pitch and others seem to respond to him – we really couldn't have asked for a better signing from Hughton. Honestly, I've been so impressed, and he is currently a shoe-in (in my opinion) for the Barry Butler Trophy come May. In fact, I'd go as far as saying he should be nominated for Footballer of the Year – he has been THAT good. He won't be, but he should. Our record with him in the team is frightening and if we can keep him fit and playing well, along with other key players such as Holt, Hoolahan and Tettey, I see no reason why this excellent run of form cannot continue. Now I'm not suggesting we will go the rest of the season unbeaten - only a lunatic would suggest that - but I do get the feeling that our new-found solidity, based around the 4-5-1, makes us bloody difficult to beat. Away from home its a perfect setup. At home against the better sides, our tactics are perfectly suited to facing them and hitting them on the break. It's against the slightly weaker sides at home that we seem to have issues breaking teams down, but even then we don't really look like getting beaten by these teams. With an away day at West Brom up next – a good side but one in a bit of a rut – a side we beat on their own turf twice last season, it really could be a very Merry Christmas to all those donned in yellow and green attire. Its a farcical division this year. None of the big clubs are really playing well consistently – even United, despite them winning an astonishing 14 from 17 games are nowhere near being perfect! But its that band of clubs entrenched between 4th and 18th that are really fascinating. You could probably take any one of the clubs who sit in those positions now, predict where they will finish, and could conceivably be about twelve slots out by May! I can't remember a season like it since the Premier League was formed. It's a great chance to stay up first and foremost and we've given ourselves a very realistic chance of doing just that with some games to spare, but more than that, there is a very real chance of a top ten finish. We need to continue to look over our shoulders of course, because as I say, its such a close division, but we shouldn't fear anyone in the league this year. We are more than capable of being a good, mid-table side these days. Talk of Europe is perhaps not far-fetched, but certainly premature, yet who'd have thought we would be saying that three years ago! Anyway, back to the Wigan match. Can anyone fill in the gap? Andy D'Urso. Michael Oliver. ??? ??????? I'll give you a clue. He loves to be the centre of attention and is absolutely hopeless at his job. Honestly, one of the worst officiating displays I've seen for many years. Atrocious. OTBC IHWT
I basically agree with almost everything you say, and I can also sense the feeling behind it - pride mixed with surprise mixed with a kind of annoyance that non-Norwich fans just can't see it. I also agree that this season is a bit crazy because 4-18 seems up for grabs, which worries me slightly because I think a good team is going to go down. At the moment it doesn't seem to be us, but I won't relax completely until we have those 40 points.
A very good read Supers, I'm glad you mentioned Holty as one of our key players, did you see the tweet from that prick Durham? He said all Norwich players are going to wonder why they don't earn as much as him when he does nothing on the field of play!
Incredible turnaround, once Hughton's signings had started to gel - and understand their respective roles in his preferred formation. 1st seven games = 3 points at an average of 0.428 per game. Last ten games = 22 points at an average of 2.2 per game Unbelievable, Jeff!
Great post Supers and pretty much sums up my feelings of the last week. Yesterday's officials were atrocious and as you say, I'd sooner have Michael Oliver in the middle than Probert (SERIOUSLY hope he doesn't get a PL game next week - Wigan players were getting away with all sorts of holding etc). The main thing is we beat TWELVE men and as someone said elsewhere, Pilks had one of his best games in Yellow and Green!!!!
i've perhaps been harsh on michael oliver because i genuinely believe he is an outstanding young referee who will be around for a long, long time, but he was included because he does seem to always produce a massive howler when refereeing norwich matches and invariably, they always seem to go against us dave, i don't follow this durham chap on twitter but my timeline is constantly being filled with retweeted drivel that he posts. you'd think as a radio presenter you'd not want to alienate your listeners but he obviously laps it up. sounds like a total bellend, best ignored for me, holty is having perhaps his best season for us. forget the goals - its not always about hitting the net - his all-round game has been getting better and better. i just hope his hamstring isn't too bad this morning and we have him back, if not for the west brom game, but for the rest of the festive period.
I fully agree with you there supers Holty is doing so much, football is labour teams winning games not egos scoring goals!
he's certainly improved as a footballer every year he's been with the club and that trend has continued. if you look, he hasn't really had that many chances to score - he's been creating the chances for the midfield who have started delivering goals. his awareness of what is around him has always been good but his wide play and ability to bring others into the game is great to watch and little hoolahan links up so well with him, just as they have done since our league one days. people who don't watch us regularly probably look at the 'goals' column and judge on that. fact is, he's scored four goals this season - if he gets to double figures again, i'll take that and so will our manager.
I'm sure I recall Holty having a hamstring problem in our Championship year and not missing any games because of it!
Nice little write up supers! Agree with the majority of it. Bassong has been excellent but I haven't really noticed any of this 'falling asleep' stuff, maybe that's just me! I'm really pleased with Garrido and Whittaker as well. Great defending and great going forward. There were concerns about Whittaker initially but he's proven everyone wrong and has been excellent!
honestly, bassong does it every game. thankfully it hasn't cost us at all but yesterday for example, he got a bit cocky, started running into midfield, turned, dawdled on the ball a bit too long and wigan nipped in and had a three on three situation (as nigel worthington would have called it ). it didn't matter cos he got back and snuffed out the danger but it happens every week. before he joined the club, whenever i saw him play he'd get punished for it, hence why i was wary when we signed him. as i say, i don't particularly have a problem with him making mistakes like that because all he's trying to do is make something happen but he probably will cost us a couple of goals at some point. i really am nit-picking though - he's been fantastic for us ever since he arrived as for whittaker, i remember a lot of people claiming he was 'useless' who had clearly never watched the guy play for rangers whether that was because they don't rate the league or whatever, i don't know, but he's two-footed, great going forward, adaptable and isn't a bad defender. he's a much better right back than russell martin is, and that is not an easy thing to say. had we paid for him, we'd be talking £2-3m, so to get him on a free was exceptional business (again!).
Have to admit, I thought Bassong was a panic buy, as I too thought he wasn't the player he was at Newcastle. How fricking wrong could I be. For once I'm delighted to be proved wrong!
A couple of other points. A few weeks ago we couldn't cross a road, but in the last two league games the crossing (especially from Snoddy and Pilks) has been much better and enabled us to create more genuine chances (which we didn't capitalise on in the first half of yesterday's game). Also, Snoddy and Pilks seem to have made more effort to get into the box than in earlier games (although I expect there will be less of this when we play Man City, etc, where they will be required to keep a more rigid defensive shape). The Ref was poor. For me, he seemed to be making a special effort to not be influenced by the crowd (the home advantage piece). There has been quite a bit of statistical analysis in the media recently on the influence of the home advantage on refs decision making. I wonder whether the referees have been given this information and instructed to redress the balance.
