Transcript
Speaker: Welcome the Long Come Norwich podcast. Blistering beautiful breakthroughs have banished our bitter Millwall defeat. We walloped and battered Burnley, bouncing back brilliantly like partridge. With bewilderment at the den behind us, big boss Phil has been able to boast bolstered balance and a blooming body count. Bench strength bearing fruit in Wales, as we soaked up all the Cardiff Blues could bring, albeit we brace ourselves to be butchered by billionaire behemoths next.
Speaker: Before then, we battled Barbaric Stoke. Brand new badge, same bleak, bruising battleground.
Speaker: Claire, we're back, but like properly this time. Apparently we are. Yes. I think... um It was a perfect antidote to last week, of which I've banished from my mind because I have not seen a single moment of that Millwall game, nor will I ever. But I did feel at the time like it could actually be a catalyst for the rest of the season um and that it will just sort of inspire us to just never, ever do that again. And Saturday was an absolute joy.
Speaker: and literally from start to finish. and Lucky, lucky Mo being in the right place at the right time and just knowing where the goal is Absolute masterclass from Andre Brooks with just 25 touches of the ball, which just blew my mind. um Yeah, I thoroughly enjoyable game of football and long may that last especially tomorrow yeah it felt like maybe of his 25 touches at least 20 of them he changed direction I'm trying to think of a ah player um more recently than Houlihan but I can't think of one in the intervening period who is quite so adept at almost every time he touches the ball he switches the direction that the defender's hips have to swivel to try and keep up with him and Punt, I think that was ah that's ah the sort of performance that that you've spent all that money on, right? Yeah. i mean You've touched on the salient point, I think. He can go both ways and he can go both ways quite quickly.
Speaker: And of it felt like under Clement... Last season, although we were brilliant, we were probably going to become predictable at some point and teams were going to be able to set up to um to nullify us.
Speaker: It doesn't feel like that's going to be the the case because we've got so many good options on the wings now. And and he is chief among them. I mean, just it's the intelligence that I think he played with a lot of the times as well. And he's really, really great. And this is this has been an apparent, I think, in in all of his appearances thus far.
Speaker: at knowing exactly when to press to take the ball off the opposition at at the optimum moment. I mean, the amount of times he's positioned himself properly just to kind of, and whether that's the team setting traps or whether that's him just being really canny about it, I'm not sure, but it feels like too much of a coincidence. It keeps happening. It feels like he's something is he's brilliant at as a winger is just turning the ball over and and then getting us on the front foot. Yeah.
Speaker: I don't feel like Norwich have spent eight, nine million pounds on a player ever. And he's looked quite good quite quickly. And that is straight out of the blocks. slide Yeah, it's brilliant to see. Absolutely brilliant to see. So, yes, kudos to um whoever in the recruitment team identified him.
Speaker: But um yeah, he was he was marvellous. I think that's the sort of performance that, as a Sheffield United fan, watching, obviously, his name keep coming up in terms of goals scored, but also if they do see any highlights of the game, that that's the sort of thing where if if he's your player and he was your young player of the season and you see him go on and look like he might even kick on a level like he's already looking like he might do with us, Claire, that's that's exactly what they were worried about, isn't it, the Blades fans?
Speaker: They would be foomin'. They'd be foomin'. In fact, I did try and look up a few of see on Twitter, c or X, sorry, if they had commented, and there were quite a few grumblings about how he'd obviously had a great game and they're not doing quite so well, which was good to see. um But, yeah, I...
Speaker: He has just slotted effortlessly into the team. and ah He's two-footed, isn't he? So that's why he can just adjust himself so easily as well. um And it was really great to see him link up with Masaba for the second goal. I really loved that second goal. um Just both wingers having such a big part in the game. the front The front line was pretty terrifying. The pace in that front line of those three, particularly Toure and Masaba, And Brook stay fit.
Speaker: That is going to be pretty scary to face week on week for most opposition. So I'm really excited to see. And then you've got to add Joven to the mix as well. And just the backup, not even backup players. We've just got a lot of good attacking players now. It's very exciting. Don't want to get carried away. but oh I do. but but if we If we go back if we go back back one game to Cardiff, there's a few more thoughts we've got, particularly on that front line.
Speaker: But just going back, in terms of that depth of squad, and and I was disappointed that we'd made a few changes earlier um in the Cardiff game. I thought we needed to, as I said to you both before the game, I thought that was a risk, that team selection, because I thought we needed to build some momentum.
Speaker: And I was worried we wouldn't build momentum by winning a game without most of the starters. But I think it i think the the plus side of that, John, is really just how deep the the squad is. Yeah, absolutely. And i I also think that Clement and and his coaching team probably had the next five or six games in mind. you know look we We can't keep going Tuesday, Saturday, Wednesday, Sunday, you know Tuesday, Saturday, whatever the rotation is with the same starting 11 and expect it to be all right. So the fact that that we've got a huge amount of depth in so many areas, um the only the only area of the pitch actually where I think we probably want to be
Speaker: kind of focusing on getting a ah settled starting two at the moment, I would suggest is is the centre-back pairing because, you know massive shout out for McConville and Cordova.
Speaker: They just make us look so much better. And I don't necessarily think we defended particularly well on Saturday, but it's actually, it's more just the composure. It's the, you know, it's the calm. McConville, I feel like he absolutely transformred transformed what we were trying to do. And,
Speaker: he didn't try anything expansive. You know kind of, he didn't try it. Well, I think there might've been one or two cross field balls that didn't quite come off, but actually typically his instinct was just to, to you know, head it, knee it, pass it to, you know, whichever talented um yellow shirt was was near him.
Speaker: But I think the base of those two, And actually, it was a joy to watch Kenny and Pella of last season on Saturday because when those two play well, and they did, you know, because I think both of them were excellent on Saturday, Norwich always play well. They absolutely always play well. And it and it was also, I felt like, tactically...
Speaker: The fact that Kenny did a lot more of the pressing and Pella did a lot more of the sitting, you know, we just, we seemed to me to be way less predictable. And I think that's probably by design. And it is, it is so, so positive moving forward. So um yeah, it's, it's strength in depth. Yeah.
Speaker: It's just I don't really want to change the centre-backs or the centre-midfield pairings quite yet. ah Saying that, actually, I wouldn't mind chucking um Jacob Wright in the mix because I think he's he's been great this season as well.
Speaker: Who do you take out I think you can rotate it, can't you? Really? You know, and I think, I mean, it was really good that um Kenny got a little bit of a rest. I don't know how long it was when he came off, maybe 15 minutes, you know, kind of when when he came off. But you're actually, i mean, what's Kenny 34 now? We're going to have to manage his minutes this season as much as he feels like he can go on forever.
Speaker: um thus They're going to have the science behind that. they're going to have all the data behind that. And, you know, look, he'd have to be an absolute hero to keep going on at the pace that he has to sit literally playing every game. but do you like the hick Sorry. Do you think that there would be a world where Jacob Wright would actually start ahead of Kenny or whether Kenny will start and say 60, 70 minutes? I think it's situational, isn't it? Like I think, I think Kenny is typically under, yeah, absolutely. But I think, you know, in the league, I think it's probably what you're asking, Clary, isn't it? Yeah, in the league.
Speaker: But i think I think it might be coming because you know we are pretty much Saturday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday. yeah yeah you know We've got, I think forget what it is, something like five games in 20 days or or something silly.
Speaker: Kenny can't play all of them or he can't play the full 90 minutes in all of them. So there's going to be have to be a period. Now, whether that's against Man City in the Cup, whether that's, I don't know, you know kind of maybe a Stoke or a Sheffield United coming up as well. I don't know. But the fact he's been dipped out for a little bit and he's got his rest early,
Speaker: knowing that there's difficult challenges you know on the horizon, you difficult away games. I mean, Stoke, Sheffield United, both, i don't mean I don't care what kind of form they're in, both very difficult places to go, hostile places to go. um You probably need your Kenny at that point. um But no, I mean, I i think...
Speaker: Look, Pella's got enough defensive instinct to be able to partner with Wright. And Wright, actually, his instinct to to play forward quite a lot, to take chances with the passes that that he's making, can get us on the front foot. I think Norwich have looked really good in transition.
Speaker: And it feels to me like if you can... If you can harness his ball playing ability and do it quickly, then and that could be a real asset. But I think with Wright, he's maybe up until recently wanted but that extra half second to make the pass. And actually, it's ah unlocking him in this team is about getting him to do it quicker.
Speaker: Yeah, they were incredible on Saturday. The way in which that one of them pressed at a time, and the fact that they seemed to have that so well organised between the two of them. There was just a couple of times where there was someone available. And unfortunately, one of those times it was um you know the guy who scored. It was a hell of a finish into the corner. I don't think Vlad could have done anything better with that.
Speaker: And I did think that Jose's picked up a couple of silly bookings. So I did want to pick up on that. Like if if he's going to carry on going about booking a game, he isn't going to be available to play along with Gonville.
Speaker: And so that's something that i think we need to talk about, because I think both of the ones that he's picked up in the last couple of games have been so avoidable. and One thing I wanted to go back to around the front line was I noticed when Toure scored his goal, ah k Chris Garren celebrating and clapping along with the goal music as as a substitute, which I thought is testament to the both the the kind of team spirit, but also...
Speaker: his character, because effectively, every time Torre scores, that means that that's another game that Chris Goran's not going to start, if you see what mean. So and I thought that was an interesting thing. But yeah, that front line, Burnley couldn't get it right. If they played a high line, we were rapid in behind. If they tried to push for the equaliser, that was a risk because, again, we could get in behind and we could exploit the space. The speed with which both Wright, Kenny, Pella, um Brooks,
Speaker: we're able to ah get a ball out into the to the wings and the amount of pace we've got on either wing, you can't you can't put two people on Brooks or two people on Masaba because the other one is rapid. So yeah, that was the thing that stood out to me was that that was the one time this season so far after a few games where actually we looked a bit better than I thought we could have been just by how positive. So obviously i didn't know we were going to have Masaba. So how did you think his his debut was, Masaba, Claire, in terms of his full home debut?
Speaker: I thought he was excellent. I thought he was really direct. He was sort of scaring Kyle Walker, which was very fun to see. um ah thought he just slotted in really easily. You could tell that he'd played in the championship a lot before. um And who knew buying players that have actually got championship experience would would work out for the best because Brooks and Masaba are ah clearly showing that to be correct. um I think it's really exciting to have both of them on the pitch at the same time. um I also think his olays at the end are excellent.
Speaker: he's He's got that nailed already. um Yeah, I think he is a really, really positive addition. And given that we've lost Ali Ahmed, you kind of um almost have forgotten. No offence, Ali. We've forgotten about him already because we've got a really, really good replacement already.
Speaker: already on the pitch so yeah I'm i'm excited to see more of him um and he's already got an assist ah I feel like he's going to get us off our seats a lot and I don't really want any more in a winger than that so yeah I really really like him So the game tomorrow it's an interesting doubleheader. Stoke, you think, is going to be mid-table. They've not started the best. Sheffield United, I thought, surely they can't be as bad and they have started really poorly. um There's a couple of tricky games coming immediately after that.
Speaker: But the the in terms of Middlesbrough and Birmingham and obviously Man City in the um in the Cup. But then after that, there is there are a number of very, very winnable games, um irrelevant of early season four. you know yeahre We're not playing the teams that have just come down. and And I think there's a fantastic opportunity to go on a run. But tomorrow for me is what in American sports they call a trap game.
Speaker: I worry that we underestimate tomorrow and how difficult it's going to be because even a crap stoke away is still stoke away. you know You've only got to look at you know how hard Arsene Wenger used to find taking a world-class team there and getting a result for years on end. but It is a horrible place to play football. um I feel like that could be huge, though. I feel like the momentum we could get from doing three wins in a week, obviously one in the Cup and then and then two in the League, might mean that we we go to Sheffield on Saturday with with with kind of such momentum and wind in our sails that we then build up a hell of a run. The the the concern for me is is actually that rotation point.
Speaker: How did you feel... yeah know Keeping everyone happy, keeping everyone engaged. Obviously, Chris Gorin is a cheerleader on the sideline whilst not getting minutes, but there are going to be players who aren't going to be able to start. like You made the point, Claire, on Saturday, you know looking at the strength of the bench, there's no Jove, there's no Bergma Goma to come back in. yeah right that They would both expect to start championship games for the top three or four teams in the championship. So... what ah Keeping everyone happy is he's almost going have to keep changing things as a routine so that people feel confident that they are going to get it back. So, so punt what in terms of tomorrow, who, who do you think he, do you think he does a bit of rotation? do you think we see Oscar in the 10? Do you think Anis Ben comes back in? What do you reckon?
Speaker: I think Slomani coming back in the 10 could be a brilliant shout. Oscar was good on Saturday. i I really like the thrust that he gives you. i really like... He tries to do something different to probably anyone else that we've got.
Speaker: um But I think sometimes he's 19, people might work him out. He's always 19. Yeah, but he it just like in terms of the experience, although he he is really experienced for a young player... um He sometimes, again, to the point about Jacob Wright, he kind of wants that extra half second to make the decision or to get the ball off or or whatever. He almost is better when he's running at people rather than, you know, kind of when he's static and receiving it and then, you know, kind of having to go from there. But I think that's his natural position. I think, look, if we have Oskar Schwartow for the next...
Speaker: three or four seasons at this football club, I think he's going to do fantastic things. um I think in terms of rotation, you yeah, you probably are looking at Salomani. Yeah. Possibly you'd be looking at Fisher, Yongwa.
Speaker: I mean, Field didn't even make the bench, which I didn't spot until afterwards. It's almost like you could see him being the kind of player experienced Tuesday night in Stoke. All right, it's not cold and wet yet. But he tried that at Millwall, didn't he? He put Field in at Millwall and it did not work at I'm not sure...
Speaker: And I don't... With the Millwall game, we were terrible, but Millwall were excellent as well. I think it was just a combination of of the both accentuation. We have so much more of the ball as well. So against Millwall, we were not expecting to have as much the ball. And it he seems... That seems to be a... That's a difference from the end of last season. We are against...
Speaker: good and bad teams, we do seem to be willing. And again, maybe it's the pace that we've got to hit people on the break. We seem to be really quite comfortable saying, yeah, 36% possessions, fine. Cause if we're going to score with every other touch, then, then it doesn't really matter.
Speaker: Um, so that, that I, I'm not sure I want to watch a team that only ever counterattacks as exciting as counterattack goals are, uh, if If we are genuinely going to be deft enough to and shift it up so that when we're playing Bolton and Lincoln, you know we're we're comfortable having 70% possession and then we're able to switch to 35% possession against Burnley and West Ham and Wolves, then cool. that that That I can get behind. I don't think I want to just sit in against everyone, though. But it didn't feel like it was only 35% possession. Second half it did. it
Speaker: I really don't think... i I was shocked when I saw that stat. I think also it's because we attack with such pace that it's just... Our turn is over quicker. Yeah, yeah exactly that. exactly yeah Like the chess clock. we We've we moved our pawn and then immediately hit the clock straight away. Yeah, we're not like dilly-dallying side to side backwards like we maybe used to do in the past. We're like, right, we've got the ball, we're going forward, that's it, chance done, chance scored, whatever, let's start again. So there's that that part of it as well. So...
Speaker: i I quite enjoyed it. If it gets results, I'm more than happy. Especially suited to away from home, isn't it? Attacking like that on the break away from home. The first half, the first seven minutes, the press was... I mean, you talk about how frightening the front but yeah the the front six, the way that they pressed as a unit with either Kenny or... and Basically, Kenny or Pellissat everyone else went.
Speaker: So effectively you had wingers pushing up high, Oscar and Torre relentlessly chasing, and then you also had like the six or the eight or whatever, also up getting involved as well, that they had nowhere to go.
Speaker: And the the mistake that that I actually don't think it was, i mean, I know that, you I'm not Mr. Torre is lucky, that's Ponce. Yeah. But and I really don't think he was, I don't think that was luck. I think that was a combination of tactics and and and just the fear that we'd already, because that was not, it was number 15, I think it was, there's the centre back that made the mistake for for the Torre goal. But Torre's ability to be fast enough to capitalise before the keeper can react. And the fact that he was basically assuming that he would make that mistake. And that was already the second or third slight fluff of the lines that number 15 had had because he'd been having to make decisions
Speaker: so quickly because we'd been we've been pressing them. Effectively, we went out and won the game in the first seven minutes. We basically said, when we press you, you're going to give us the ball. um It's going to go out for a throw-in or it's going to be a turnover and and we are going to score willy-nilly. And the third goal, I think that panic that you saw with Kyle Walker and and very seasoned, lot most of whom ex-Premier League defenders and in in their box,
Speaker: We'd caused that through 15, 20 minutes of relentless pressure. and and And, you know, if you can sit back, it's it's a lot less effort to shuffle left and right for for an hour once you've won the game, I guess. So, so yeah so pump maybe that is just maybe that is the blueprint at home. If you can get the game won, why score 10?
Speaker: It'd be nice to score 10 every week. but but but But to your point on managing load, on your point a managing load yeah you know you don't want you don't want four threes. You don't want two ones because at 2-1, Ella's to have to make those recovery runs and stuff.
Speaker: And I agree with the point about being efficient. And actually, I don't i think Toure, out of everyone in the front line, doesn't press particularly well, but he is massively efficient in terms of when he goes, he absolutely goes. He's all in. you know kind of he's a bit He's a bit more... He won't waste his energy on what he maybe perceives to be needless stuff and he'll let an Oscar or a Slomani or whoever it is around him kind of do that that relentless pressure press. And I wonder whether that's him...
Speaker: managing his body because he's had injuries before and he is like an explosive pace merchant, you know, kind of ultimately. What was up with his shoulder? Have they come out and said what was up with his shoulder? Because he took he fell awkwardly and seemed to hurt his shoulder and he was holding it for a bit. And then and then quite early on in the set in the first half, he was taking, someone brought some tablets on for him to take, sort painkillers.
Speaker: He doing the olays later on, so we're probably fine. Yeah, he's all right. Yeah, so it looked like he might have to go off because Chris Goran immediately went and warmed up. when he went down awkwardly on his shoulder. And then, like say, he clearly took some painkillers and he was holding it a few times throughout throughout the game.
Speaker: I don't know. Maybe so they have maybe they it was just ah an impact thing and they're not worried about it. He's probably done his AC joint. That's my diagnosis. He'll be fine. well yeah mean we That sounds bad. yeah that' Don't say that. it well if you're a goal If you're a goalkeeper, it's bad. It's probably not so bad if you're a striker. So um in terms of the in terms of the Oscar conversation, whilst it was lovely to see him there, I think it's fair to say he didn't he didn't basically give Phil a problem.
Speaker: and He didn't stamp his name on the number 10 shirt. In the way, for example, if Brooks was to be rotated, you would you would have to so you you would be astonished, right? If Misaba is not starting, you'd be astonished. that Those two have effectively made themselves undroppable. Toure scores, likewise, undroppable. I wouldn't be astonished with Misaba because I think he's still kind of gaining fitness. ah I think Misaba, if Papa came in for... Yeah, but Papa's also coming back from injury as well. so i mean yeah You rotate those two almost. Yeah, absolutely. But it wouldn't surprise me to him drop out. Yeah, well, you've got to be really careful with Sernach. But he looks really explosive. fast. looked really far really explosive.
Speaker: Like over the first 15, 20 yards, he looks like he has got his he has got his place back. And I mean, what a lovely moment on and last Tuesday, Wednesday, whenever we played Cardiff. um That was a I mean, you know, such a lovely fairy tale um moment for him to have. And it's a shame in a way it didn't happen at the weekend. It would have been nicer if he'd have scored his fourth in front of the Barclay whatever, or at the other end and and had had elevations with the home fans. But he got such a fantastic reception when he came to warm up. It was it was lovely. yeah always He's one who's done surprisingly little for how much I think fans have taken to him.
Speaker: I'd forgotten just how squeaky his voice was as well. I'll never get you to that. Thank you, Kalefa. I'd like to thank the trainers. I love him. I love him. I'll never get over that voice. He sounds quite sweet and cute. He's quite chippy on the field because he was going at it with a Cardiff guy. And then also on Saturday, 4-1 up, the game's won. And he was properly getting into it over like an indirect free kick over in their left back position.
Speaker: So I think he, yeah, because he is quite unit, isn't he? There lovely shithousery moments during the game on Saturday, weren't there? Oh, can we Darling Corner? Harry Darling, that was marvellous. I love Harry Darling. And Mo, Mo listening in to them when they were trying to take free. Oh, yeah, that was good. So I didn't see this. Was this in the first half or second half? He was literally like in their huddle and they were trying to push him away and he's like, no, I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here. Second wasn't it? They were attacking the Barkley. Yeah.
Speaker: yeah yeah what up second yeah there There's a couple of moments where Wright did a bit of that. um and yeah I thought Jacob Wright was superb when he came on on on on Saturday. and and Whilst I thought Kenny with kenny was imperious, I thought and Pella were incredible. then Jacob Wright's first touch was a beautiful curved ball into the channel. And I just thought, wow, yeah, you, you, you belong here to sort of fit, see out games. And yeah, mate maybe on Tuesday, if we are, if we're winning on Tuesday, he gets 20 minutes to save Kenny for Sheffield United. I wouldn't be, I wouldn't be amazed if Kenny didn't,
Speaker: um sit against Stoke so that he's ready on Saturday because I think we are going to have enough of the ball and if you've got Pella in there and you've got you've got Jacob maybe you say if if we need to push we then bring Kenny on for the last half an hour to make because I think the Sheffield United game will be the tougher game and I do think that that is such a difficult place to go. And there's such, there's going be vociferous because they don't like us up there. And, you know, they are desperate for points.
Speaker: And Andre Brooks. Yeah, that is going to be, that's going to be tasty. Well, I think you want, you're going to want your your club captain in Kenny on the pitch to be next to Brooks, to be in his ear.
Speaker: I feel like Brooks will handle himself though. He seems like very level-headed guy. It's funny you should say that. I'm worried about the fact that he's already, with his taking his shirt off and showing his name and his back flips, I'm not sure he's got the right discipline to shut the noise up.
Speaker: No, loved it, but I'd imagine Phil Clement would have immediately told him off. But that is his trademark celebration. Well, it might be, but we get injured when we open the fridge door in this club. We don't have people doing backflips.
Speaker: Not this season. Not this season. It made me laugh because obviously there was comparisons with the Cameron Jerome backheel, but the celebrations couldn't have been any more different, could they? Because Cameron Jerome just sort stood there and did nothing. And then, yeah, Andre's doing all his marvellous flipping, which was... That still shot of him mid-air and Jack Stacey in the background, just like... little gleeful face....with his mouth open was awesome. I love that picture. Well, one thing that's very prominent in that picture is the kit. Now, I'm interested, Punt, now you've seen us win three times in five games in that kit.
Speaker: Have you warmed to it at all? No, it's awful. it's I mean, look, it's it still... It's so ah It's so bad. It's terrific. It's thing. It's not one of the best ever, but it's lovely.
Speaker: But it's i that's absolutely fine, right? That's absolutely fine, right? You're allowed to like it. I'm allowed to loathe it. No problem at all. All that matters. And look, Norwich typically do quite well in bad kits. That is very true.
Speaker: The Leo Vegas kit might be a great one, was it? But now I love it because of what we did. Which Leo Vegas one? Which Leo Vegas? Oh, that Leo Vegas. Hang on. Was that Leo Vegas 18, 19? Yeah, it was, wasn't it? Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, I didn't. i When that first came out with the sort of broken glass style sort of things, I wasn't i really was not sure at all. um And then the the way the season went now, obviously you see that and you just you just have joy.
Speaker: Answer me this, though. Jose Cordoba looks absolutely massive this season. I think the shirts make them all look huge. Is it the shirt that makes his shoulders look big? I think it's the way the... i think it's the ah But I also think he that he is a he's a hefty lad. But was he that big last season? and He just looks enormous, like in a good way. I think the swirls make us look really, really stocky. We all look stocky. yet But with regards to how much ground we're covering, um and again...
Speaker: a name i don't think we've mentioned someone who I think would feel very hard done by to be rotated Ben Kraseni superb performance oh yeah he was with this world he's absolutely fantastic he's favourite player at the moment actually I think he's marvellous ah he had a little He had a little tiff with Torre when he cut inside and went to shoot instead of setting Torre up, which I like because I like that Criseni has scored a couple of belters and is confident enough to do it. And I like the fact that Torre, even though he's already got two goals, is cross about not getting the opportunity to get a third.
Speaker: addin But I do think that as much as I think he's playing much brilliantly, I have but do have a sneaking feeling that Jung was going to start tomorrow night. He looked handy against Cardiff, didn't he? Yeah.
Speaker: I feel like maybe Ben's just someone we've got to be careful with as well. So maybe it might be a turn for Darlan to come in. Well, let's do a let's do a double let's do a double guarantee then. So we've got two red and white stripes. Oh, no, a blade's red and black.
Speaker: They're red, white and black, aren't they? Anyway, so got two stripy teams. Yeah, red and white predominantly. Yeah, yeah two stripy teams. So both begin with this. So Stoke Stripes and Sheffield Stripes. What would you say is your guaranteed result against Stoke and a guaranteed scorer, John? Ooh.
Speaker: I'm far too optimistic. right I do think we're going to attack this week and get six points. it's just the fact It's just the fact that Stoke have not won a league game yet that makes me slightly twitchy about that. But I'm going to say that we will win 2-1.
Speaker: we will win two one And Jack Stacey might just go and get himself a goal. Blimey. mean, I'll tell you what. it's been good. I'll tell you what, right? he Well, I don't think he was good on Saturday, actually. I think from an attacking point of view, he was he was half decent. But I think he really struggled with um their lad. think its Yeah, but he was the best player in their team. He was their best player. And actually, interestingly enough, they switched them yeah switch flanks at half-time, didn't they? It was almost like... And I wondered whether that was...
Speaker: well, we can see that Stacey isn't brilliant one-on-one because he's not. like That's not his strength. If you if you get Stacey on the back foot and he's defending one-on-one, I think he's that's the the weakest part of his game. So, no, but i actually think, yeah, Stacey going forward was was very serviceable. And I said this to some, I've said it probably on this pod as well, right? Because a lot of people think I dislike Jack Stacey. I just think he can't cross, but they probably aren't. He can't cross. he's so Look, come on. There's been a couple of flukes recently, but he can't really.
Speaker: So Tore's lucky. Stacey's assistant can't cross. However, I don't think you will find a better backup right back in the whole of the championship.
Speaker: So that's just fine. That's just fine. I can't remember what the question you' was used You went into your Stacey hate. So 2-1 and scores.
Speaker: ah claire what are you saying
Speaker: I'm going to say we're going to win one nil And that, oh, who's going to score? I think Pele's going to score tomorrow. Oh, that would Yeah. I saw Pele in real life this week. Yeah?
Speaker: Yeah. Yeah, he is beautiful. dying um Then, ah I don't think it's going to be as anywhere near as narrow as that. I think we win 3-0. I thought you were going to say then. that's a No, no, I think we were win I think we win on Saturday. And I think that by Saturday night, we are absolutely taking ourselves very, very seriously as 100 goals, 100 points.
Speaker: I think we are going to be finding very difficult to keep our feet on the ground because I cannot see how we don't batter them both um based on that front three. Injuries aside, I think that we we score two or three goals against anyone other than the very best in the division.
Speaker: for for most of the season. We will have an off day every now and again, but I think that that Phil has seen now that he can't tinker with the formation in a way that weakens us against the very best in the division. But these next two are not the very best in the division. They're theyre they're imposing grounds when they they're jumping, but they are both low on confidence punt. And so if we so press Stoke the way we pressed Burnley, I mean, come on, they've not got the confidence to play through that press. So as long as they don't get a lucky penalty or a lucky turn like or you know or they do something brilliant and get a goal early on,
Speaker: I think if we get the first goal in either of those games, we we walk away with it because I just think as soon as a team has to attack us, they are in big trouble because of just how positively we can go up a gear, go up in terms of pace. And you daren't commit too many players forward because we will you cannot be left one-on-one with any of our front three. And then we switch Brooks with Diallo to give him a break and he's going to run. And Brooks is absolutely nailed on to score. So my guaranteed goal scorer on Saturday against Sheffield United is Brooks.
Speaker: um And my guaranteed goal scorer on Tuesday night is Cordova.
Speaker: I like that. Because we've been we've come very, very close to a corner goal. And so I think one is coming. Yeah. Well, does Torre second on Saturday count as a corner goal? That's kind of a corner the goal, isn't it?
Speaker: It was a corner goal. Yeah, i mean, Yeah, okay. I mean, yeah. But I mean, i i mean and know you be i'm um well yeah one that we mean. Like, swing it in, bash, in in it goes, rather rather than fail to deliver. Chris Gordon scored against Cardiff as well. That was yeah great. yeah oh yeah But he's not a defender, so it okay i sorry heather ah I'm going 3-0, 4-0. Punt on Saturday. What said you? Other than Brooks scoring, which is nailed on.
Speaker: Absolutely. I'd like to think we're going to go and do a win. um I am going on Saturday. I haven't seen Norwich City's men's team know win away from home. Oh, no. I reckon since about 2018.
Speaker: How many games have you been to away? Just for clarification. It's only about four or five, in fairness. But it's but it's not a great run. um So that could be a mere gating factor.
Speaker: ah But hopefully not. Can get in touch with the club and get them to rescind your ticket somehow? Maybe we can block you from entries. Yeah, yeah, yeah. um Plant something on you so the sniffer dogs don't let you in.
Speaker: I think... Do you know what? I'm going to go for 2-1 again. think I'm going to go for again. And... um Yeah, fuck it. Full-backs are going to score loads. So Ben Kraseni is going to get himself a goal on Saturday as well.
Speaker: Well, we're in danger here of getting six points. Claire, can you complete the sweep? Or are you going to be sensible and say, yeah, we'll probably draw one more time? I'm very torn. I'm very torn whether just just go one all or say 3-0. It's a bit bit different. I'm going to go 3-0.
Speaker: three no Of course you are. And Masaba will score because he played for Sheffield Wednesday, so they're not going to like him. Most of ways like our wingers are going to get booed.
Speaker: yeah Yeah, I like that. and It took me quite a while to realise who Ramsay was and why we were booing him on Saturday. Yeah, the same. When I say we, I didn't boo him because I didn't know who he was. So i assumed i I assumed it was like a minor a minor Ipswich character. Yes, that's what everyone yeah thought.
Speaker: Did one of these players make for Ipswich? Yeah. yeah and Well, they've had a few, so I can't keep up with all of that lot. and So, yeah, okay. Well, look, it's been... It's been an odd start to season, really, because of those two league defeats. We're still in a rubbish place in the table, but luckily it is still early enough that back-to-back wins, particularly if they now if we now back back this up and get these three wins in a week, momentum, as we know, in this league is absolutely huge.
Speaker: Tomorrow is the is the one that, prediction aside, sorry, guarantee aside, that's the one I'm slightly more worried about. I don't think he has to, he won't need to give Andre Brooks a team talk or Misaba a team talk. That's not, going you know, that he's not going to need to motivate us on Saturday.
Speaker: My concern is making sure that we are at it tomorrow night. And and we we, if we attack the game in the first 20 minutes with the same intensity, then I think we we kick our week on and we have every chance of those of getting those kind of three league wins in a week. And then it would obviously be four on the spin in all competitions. And then, well, all bets are off. Here we come all the way to Europe. and So ah thank you very much for your time. and punt i acknowledge you exist and claire thank you very much for your input this evening and we'll gather back around the microphones after hopefully lots and lots of points but unfortunately we've all gone wins so it's probably not going very enjoyable for the next few days so sorry about that canary fast mind there you go
