Norwich City

[fawcett]

I was fortunate enough to see the Sunderland match at Carrow Road and another Norwich win. They certainly are having a good run as my adopted home Team and seem to be taken seriously by critics this season.
The big test will be against Chelsea on Boxing day which I will be watching on Sky as tickets are all sold out.

[John]

Norwich are certainly proving they have the quality to stay in the Premiership this season. They are a battling team that show no repect for big names (Arsenal and Man Utd discovered this) and rightly so.

Against Swansea today (who have also done really well). A good game ahead me thinks.

[boundngag]

After a slow start, Norwich have really picked up over recent weeks. Certain pundits seemed to think that they would face a relegation battle... But now that does not seem to be likely now. The very least you get from Norwich is a lot of effort, organisation and commitment to the cause, the exact opposite of Arsenal's performance against Swansea last week if you like! But they have some good players too and a good manager in Chris Hughton. Now they have 22 points and have joined the group from Chelsea in 3rd on 29 pts, to Norwich in 12th on 22pts, covered by just 7 points. It's a pretty open (premier league speak for low quality) league at the moment, so there are good possibilities for, given a bit of luck with injuries and suspensions, of an upper mid-table finish for Norwich, imho. They certainly have silenced the pundits who thought they would struggle when Lambert left (Aston Villa are only 16th with 15ps). I, an Arsenal fan, am by no means confident that we will finish above Norwich this season.

[fawcett]

I was at the Newcastle v Norwich game at Carrow Road last Saturday and witnessed a lackluster performance from Norwich (and Newcastle for that matter).
I just do not understand what has gone wrong after enjoying such success recently.

[John]

Sounds like a Norwich and Gillingham were on the same page. We had a pretty dire weekend and slipped of top spot as Port Vale beat s to go top

[fawcett]

Yes, I was at Carrow road again on Saturday hoping for a goal or two from Norwich.
I could not believe it when Luton scored (it was a good goal) and won the match .
The Luton fans (around 4,000) were very vocal considering there was around 21000 Norwich supporters there and when Luton scored Stewards and Police only just held them back!!
Ironically many years ago I lived in Luton but never went to any of the Hatters games !
How Norwich will do on Jan 29th against Spurs I really do not know although they have proved in the past that they are capable of beating them but in their present form I just don't know!

[John]

It was a weekend of shocks with Cheslea only just scraping a draw, Liverpool losing to Oldham and Tottenham losing to Leeds and with Bradford beating Arsenal, Wigan and Aston Villa on their way to the League Cup finals, it seems a year of shocks is on the cards.

Norwich have had a recent run of poor form but I think Chris Hughton can turn things around. they had an excellent start to the season, just need to rediscover that form.

regards away fans, Gillingham lost to Port Vale at home a couple of weeks ago, relinquishing top spot to them, they brought a lot of fans, the most I've seen in fact and they were very vocal...whilst the Gills supporters were sheepishly quiet.....not a nice experience!

Fingers crossed for your encounter with Spurs.

[fawcett]

Was glad to see Norwich playing better on Wedesday evening holding spurs to a 1 all draw.
I actually thought that they deserved to win as they were all over Spurs in the first half and when they scored Carrow Road lit up!!

[fawcett]

I was delighted that Norwich won on Saturday although I was not at Carrow Road but watched it on Match of the Day.
New signing Kei Kamara scored a cracking header then Grant Holt put the second in the net in injury time.
There seems some discussion that Holt's goal was beyond the allocated 3 minutes injury time but surely it's up to the referee. Perhaps they ought to use the rules that apply to Rugby and stop the clock ....that could be interesting !!

[John]

That was an excellent win against Everton. The goal was after the 3 mins stoppage time but thats at the refs discretion. Beyond the allocated stopage time we go in Fergie time though in this case it was "Hughton Time"

[boundngag]

I don't think I can imagine Chris Hughton screaming profanities at the referee with a lumionous pink face, furiously gesticulating at his watch. Thankfully.

[fawcett]

I sat down to my Sunday lunch looking forward to watching this match on Sky TV only to spend most of my time shouting at either the referee or the linesman !!!!
In my view the sending off of the goalkeeper and the penalty robbed us of a win and we did well to finish with a draw!!
When are FIFA going to end these type of decisions that when played back are clearly wrong?

[John]

Originally Posted by fawcett

I sat down to my Sunday lunch looking forward to watching this match on Sky TV only to spend most of my time shouting at either the referee or the linesman !!!!
In my view the sending off of the goalkeeper and the penalty robbed us of a win and we did well to finish with a draw!!
When are FIFA going to end these type of decisions that when played back are clearly wrong?

It was rather harsh, replays suggeted it hit him on the chest first and then hit the underneath of his right arm. To be honest, I think Mark Bunn made it difficult for himslef by raising his arms in the manner he did.

Sayig that though, there has been no end of inconsistant hand ball decisions this season where ball to hand / hand to ball has almost lost it's distinctions. Pundits claim one event as intentional and then the next as unintentional dispite both being ideintical..

[fawcett]

Having watched the match last night on Match of the Day I could'nt help but feel that it would have been a draw if not for (again) some decisions against Norwich by the referee and linesman around an offside and penalty (which Mark Bunn nearly saved !).
Norwich deserve some good luck !

[John]

Originally Posted by fawcett

Having watched the match last night on Match of the Day I could'nt help but feel that it would have been a draw if not for (again) some decisions against Norwich by the referee and linesman around an offside and penalty (which Mark Bunn nearly saved !).
Norwich deserve some good luck !

I agree, they had rotten luck yesterday and desrved at least a point

[boundngag]

I'm not sure whether Arsenal would have scored at all if they had not been given the penalty. They were losing 1-0 at home in the closing stages. Arsenal have developed an amazing 'give up and go home' attitude under Wenger. When the going gets tough, the players just give up, knowing Wenger will just make excuses for them and it doesn't matter whether they win or not. The aims are only fourth place each season after all...

[fawcett]

I was at this match at Carrow Road on Saturday which started well with Robert Snodgrass creating some excellent crosses. Then Villas Gabriel Agboniahors saw an opportunity and sliced through Norwich's defence and hit a 25 yard shot which Mark Bunn could not save.
When Grant Holt equalised through a penalty, the Norwich fans were singing and chanting "come on you yellows" and the atmosphere was alive.
Then some five minutes or so from the end to all our horror, Agboniahor caught Norwich's defence napping and bang ,goal number 2 !
I left the stadium downhearted and just hope that Norwich can win against West Brom on May 12th as relegation stares us in the face !

[John]

Norwich have had a dire run of form recently and I really hope they pull things around. With only 6 points seperating 18th to 11th, it really is tunring out to be Bun (pun intended ) fight down there.

Fingers crossed for you, West Brom are safe and so may be playing with a relaxed attitude. I also think you stand a good chance against City as they too have very little to play for and you get the feeling they just cant wait for the season to end. My bet is you stay up

[fawcett]

Originally Posted by John

Norwich have had a dire run of form recently and I really hope they pull things around. With only 6 points seperating 18th to 11th, it really is touring out to be Bun (pun intended ) fight down there.

Fingers crossed for you, West Brom are safe and so may be playing with a relaxed attitude. I also think you stand a good chance against City as they too have very little to play for and you get the feeling they just cant wait for the season to end. My bet is you stay up

Thanks for your positive comments John.
I have just bought tickets for the above match so will report back next week.

[fawcett]

Well, where do I start!
I was so glad that I bought last minute tickets for this match as it was one of the most exciting that I have ever seen.
Norwich played with a determination and skill rarely seen and Carrow Road was alight with chanting, singing etc and I have never been to a match with such atmosphere.
Howson's goal (number 4) was spectacular and all the Team and Chris Hughton celebrated on the pitch afterwards , now guaranteed to stay up !