This is surely the point. It's the points that matter. If we or Leeds or any other team can average on or about 2 points per game they are likely to gain automatic promotion. We have done that, as will Leeds if they win or draw today. At the halfway point now, we've played all of the other teams so this is the clearest indication we'll have until the season ends. It also means that we start the second half of the season with a points advantage. To maintain that, we need to maintain the consistency we've show since the run began.
Absolutely Rick and you can only play whatever team you are faced with and EVERY team we face untill the end of the season will up their game in the hope that they will be the first to inflict defeat and so end our undefeated run. Forest and Frank Lampard's Derby will be coming to NR1 desperate for points and I'm predicting two cracking games. IF we can get 4 or more points from those 2 games, then it keeps our average up and I think our toughest game in the coming weeks is when we play the free-scoring Baggies.
GG's Sunday column. Includes this http://norwichcity.myfootballwriter...-this-group-can-indeed-take-us-the-whole-way/
Vintage GG, especially his take on what is behind our run of results: "They’re the product of months and months of bloody hard work at Colney and I’m not even talking about the double-fitness sessions that have produced a team of supermen. I’m talking about the individual chats, the team meetings, the training drills and the underlying footballing ethos that supports everything said and done at Colney and Carrow Road. Every player is crystal clear in what’s expected of him, both individually and in terms of the team, but of equal importance is the collective footballing intelligence and the understanding of the roles of others." It's what SW talked about when he arrived and the brought in DF to achieve it. It's also the creed of 'incremental improvement' where little things, like the throw-in coach or little tweaks at Colney or at half-time, contribute to continuous improvement week after week which produces the consistency necessary to stay at the top. Even on off days, like last week, there's still enough quality to ensure a draw and almost get the win.
This is my take on what Gary is saying – ‘We’re in this for the long haul… and there is nothing those big-time Charlies managing their big-time clubs with their super-rich big-time owners can do about it’. As DF said yesterday that the result was soooo important when we'd lost our two key players to 'robust' tackles, but others come on and there is no need t change tactics/formation. Edit - How thrilled must Godfrey have felt he was chosen to start ahead of GH??
I think that's what also irks Leeds fans after years of us taking their players. The 'long haul' is the key to everything we do now and still we roll on unbeaten. As for Godfrey, DF seems to know instinctively when they are ready to take more responsibility.
Mixed feelings. I was hoping for a draw, but full credit to Leeds for doing a 'Norwich' with the late goal. At least it leaves us 12 points clear of 7th place and any threat that Villa posed subsides for a bit, as they're still 14 points below us. I'm more concerned about maintaining an average of 2 points per game than whether we're above or below Leeds.
Said it before, I don’t care about the other team in 1st or 2nd spot, it’s the teams in 3rd, 4th I’m worried about. So it’s nice to see we are one of the two teams that have opened up a small gap, and one of the two teams averaging that magic 2.0 points a game. If it’s still like this in May I’ll worry about 1st or 2nd then. We’re first though
