Following our Boxing Day win, it’s time to follow it up with another good result! It was a good performance and hopefully something we can look to build on through the next few weeks. Norwich City will end their 2024 with a home Sky Bet Championship fixture against QPR at Carrow Road on Sunday, December 29 (KO 12.30pm). The two sides met earlier in December at Loftus Road where QPR were 3-0 winners. The Canaries will be hoping for a much better performance and result this time around. On Boxing Day, City were 2-1 winners at Carrow Road against Millwall thanks to goals from Emi Marcondes and Oscar Schwartau. Squad update **UPDATE** Cordoba - IN - Returns after being banned for one game McLean - IN - Returns after being banned for 4 matches, after the FA charge following our last meeting with QPR. Sorensen - IN - Potentially available again following recent illness that kept him out of our last game. Forsyth – OUT - knee - 1-2 more weeks out, pictured back on grass Sargent - OUT - Had surgery – 1-2 more weeks out, pictured back on grass. Fassnacht - OUT - 5 weeks - Hamstring injury keeps him out Gibbs - OUT - 6-8 weeks with a reoccurrence of the hamstring issue that took him out from the start of the season The Opposition Since that meeting earlier this month, QPR have continued their positive run of form with wins against Oxford United and Preston North End. That has lifted them from the relegation zone up to mid-table as we reach the halfway point of the season. They lost 3-0 away to Swansea City in their last fixture. Positive vibes!!! ON THE BALL CITY!!!
At a guess I would suggest Brighton 11th January or Shef Utd 18th Jan. 4th Jan is Coventry but that feels a little early given the timelines that have been spoken about, possibly from the bench?
Are we expecting McLean to start today? If he does come straight back in, this is my predicted starting eleven: Gunn Fisher Duffy Doyle Chrisene Núñez McLean Marcondes Schwartau Crnac Sainz I wouldn't be surprised, though, if we see the same starting eleven as on Thursday, with McLean on the bench.
I would expect both McLean and Cordoba to come straight back in. Harsh in Chrisene who I thought had a good game. Nunez was taken off last game so that he could start today and Slimane played the 90 so he will be on the bench IMO.
With the crazy 3 games in 7 days JHT will be looking to rotate players as much as he can and McLean returning will help that, but he also wants to continue the positive relationship between Slimane and Schwartau which Oscar commented on, so it could go either way. It helps hugely that we're now down to 3 players out and Sargent and Forsyth are getting close to a return. JHT on Schwartau's all round play: "What I've mentioned before about him is the physicality. He can really cope with the physicality, and he can run and run. He leads the group up front, and I think it's not only him we can mention. I think there are so many others where the defensive approach to this game was outstanding, and the discipline and tracking back and getting down under the ball again when they managed to get in between our lines, or managed to find the space in behind us, then quickly back in shape again and making those spaces tight. There were a lot of great movements being done, which I think we consistently have built on in the last four or five games, where the defensive base needs to be to be more solid for us. And he's a big part of that."
Thursday in South Wales, then a Sunday 12:30pm KO in Norwich. I think they’ve been a little hard done by this Christmas. Can’t be ideal in terms of preparation. Shame!
Surprised by Marcondes on the bench, but he does run himself into the ground every game and with 3 games in a week it makes sense.
Lads I wouldn’t worry about your XI given our defensive injuries. Grab a beer and enjoy the comfortable win.
