A fetid stench eminated from the performance at Craven cottage on the first day of the season. Many were well of the pace, and Tierney in partuicular looked terrible. A reasonable improvement occured in the draw at home to a dismal Queens Park Rangers side, but a controversial penalty from the visitors left a bitter taste. A turgid and laboured victory over Scunthorpe in the league cup finished a largely forgettable August. September began with our best performance of the season so far. The brilliance of Brad Friedel denied the canaries a deserved first victory of the season. Frustration continued in the next game as West Ham came for a nil nil and, much to the satisfaction of their charmless gaffer, got it. The winless streak continued as another toothless performance left us losing to a single goal at the sports direct wonga megadome or whatever it's called these days. The sad news of John Bond's death left memories for one and all and, for me, distracted from another narrow win in the league cup. The month finished with a shocking defensive display as we were torn apart from the talented, but loathsome Luiz Suarez. The end of the month saw us in the relegation zone and newly installed as favourites to go down. We began October facing the seemingly racist John Terry and his cronies and, despite a better second half display, this was the nadir of our season. Many were certain we would go down and the upcoming visit of the gunners did not inspire confidence, yet a masterful midfield display from the in form Alex Tettey inspired a deserved victory. How this wasn't followed up with another win over a defensively hapless Aston Villa side was a mystery to many, as shot after shot rained in on the Villan's naive defence. October finished happily with a victory over Spurtz leaving us dreaming of Wembley. Incredibly, November was to be even better. Norwich showed they could battle to overcome a Stoke team that had clearly come for a goalless draw. The continued defensive stability of Turner and Bassong showed them how to do this in a nil nil at Reading. Suddenly we were starting to climb the league. Too bad Man Utd were next. What happened next still seems to be incredible to me. Somehow a Norwich team containing many players plucked from the lower leagues proceded to play the champions elect off the park, leaving Alex Ferguson to praise the star quality of John Ruddy. A last minuted header from Sebastian Bassong against a good Everton side and an even contest at St. Marys ended the month that saw Norwich end it unbeaten and level on points with Liverpool. December continued our long unbeaten run. Sunderland looked awful in the first half as we held on to the three points and an incredible three goal lead was held against media darlings, Swansea before hanging on to record a 4-3 victory that took our unbeaten run to unheralded lengths. Excitement was everywhere as our erstwhile messiah, Paul Lambert bought his Villa team to Carra Rud for the first time. The game looked even but, sickiningly, the team fell away at the end, leaving my dreams of cup glory over for another year. A win at Wigan the following weekend meant that we now had an unbeaten run only surpassed by Sky's favourite teams from Spain. It is amazing to think that we were above Arsenal and only two points away from a champions league place. Perhaps Hughton had raised people's expectations too greatly. We even went ahead to a largely likeable West Brom but a late winner from the excellent Lukaku left the unbeaten run finished. Juan Mata showed his class the following week to divide two (otherwise equal) sides and the year ended in one of the best games of the season as we had a go at the champions before going down to the odd goal in 7. We had just lost three in a row but the performances didn't indicate a crisis. I don't know what was in the New year's punch but January was, for me, our worst month. West Ham played with twelve men as Mark Clattenburg showed what an absolute CU next tuesday he is, to consign Norwich to a fourth consecutive defeat. A rather falttering 3-0 victory over Peterborough disguised from increasingly ineffective tactics and poor performances that were much more in evidence in a toothless battle against Newcastle the following week. Worse was to follow as Norwich were put to the sword by Liverpool and Suarez in which Norwich were lucky to score nil. Somehow the canaries contrived to be even worse the following week, losing to non-league Luton town and in the process becoming the first top flight team to lose to a non leaguer since 1989. Harry Kane, he was ****. The month ended with a small note of optimism as we drew with Gareth Bale 1-1. February began and I was beginning to wonder if the team had changed their name to Norwich nil. The much vaunted (although ultimately impotent) reign of Harry Redknapp continuing with a lacklustre nil nil that is best remembered for Mark Bunn's penalty save. The impotent theme continued with Luciano Becchio in particular looking as if he could use a couple of viagara against Fulham. Enter KK with his heart shaped hands. Norfolk breifly went crazy for Kei kamara as he and Grant Holt produced last minute heroics to get what felt like the points needed to be clear of relegation against Everton. Man Utd began March at their imperious best, winning 4-0 against a clearly inferior Norwich. This was expected. Hanging on for a nil-nil with barely a shot on target against relegation threatened Southampton was not and the storm clouds on not606 began to hover over Hughton. Despite a better performance against Sunderland, refereeing errors again contrived to leave us only getting a point which meant that the game the following week against Wigan gained more importance. It was a pity nobody told the players this, for they could find no way past a previously porous latics defence and ended the game deep in relegation doo doo. April could only improve. An entertaining 2-2 with Swansea at last showed we could attack and score, although the decision to start Kamara on his own up front seemd strange. I am still livid at the next match where a clearly biased ref and assistant cheated Norwich out of a deserved three points, giving Arsenal the softest penalty you will ever see and an offside third. Bastards. The match against Reading was spent gnawing fingernails and having the squeakiest of bums but luckily we hung on and safety was in sight... or was it? Not a single shot on target was to be had as Norwich performed woefully against a slightly less awful Stoke. Suddenly Wigan and Villa looked like they could overhall us again. May began with three games to save our season. We played well against Villa but the perfect storm seemed to be brewing as Wigan won against the baggies and we lost in the last minute. For one night every City fan became a supporter of Swansea and the Jacks did us proud, keeping the Latics at bay. Every manager is judged on the must win games and, to Hughton's credit, he got it spot on against West Brom. Suddenly we were free flowing and dangerous again as the baggies were put to the sword. A final game win over Man City put Norwich 11th on 44 points with mega money and the arrival of Ricky Van Wolfswinkel to come; the youth cup in the bag and every possibility of an improvement the following season. OTBC
Sums up our season well. Even though in a months time I'll be tearing my hair out with the lack of football but I've never wanted a season to end so much, it hasn't been fun.
Just goes to show what an emotional roller coaster we have all been on this season! Fantastic end result though ending the season 11th is like a fairy tale to me, just 4 weeks ago I was convinced we were going down, despite logic (and Cruyff's Turn) saying it was unlikely. It's a funny old game!
GPB, You just have to step outside it sometimes.I do the rounds of other teams boards and Newcastle,Sunderland and Stoke were at least as despondent as some of us,in many ways with more cause.I never thought that we were going down,but in a negative sort of way because I was convinced that Wigan were toast this year despite that mini revival before The Swans flew in to finish them off.I know they beat Arsenal last season but that was never going to happen and that 4-1 meant that even if we had lost to WBA and Citeh as long as we didn't get tanked we would probaly end up with a superior GD to them. As it was Wigan ended up taking just one point from their last three.So the logic that being perennial relegation dogfighters was an advantage was flawed.
All completely logical and sensible of course and in the sunny uplands of end of season after a "comfortable" mid table finish it's hard to believe so many of us were running round panicking... never in doubt! ooo err!
