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"Rubbing Themselves" ACN Pod 161
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We are a bit giddy after a double league win, shall we get carried away and talk of playoffs again?
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Transcript
Norwich's Impressive League Run
00:00:22
Speaker
Welcome to the Long Come Norwich podcast. The uplifting upturn continues to unfold in NR1. A run of results so unyielding, unruffled and unrelenting that the league table itself looks a little unbelievable. 11 wins from the last 13 in the league and an unignorable surge putting us in the top half. The uncertainty that once hovered has been ushered out. The narrative now, unstoppable momentum, unmistakable
League Focus After Cup Setback
00:00:40
Speaker
belief. Yes, the cup campaign met an unwelcome, unceremonious undoing at the hands of Leeds, but perhaps that departure has delivered an unexpected upsides. Undiluted focus on the league. No more ultimately wasted minutes to manage just a united push up the table. And what a push it's proving to be. The performances are unflustered and were increasingly unplayable. Attacks unfold with unerring understanding, the midfield moves with unshowy authority, and chances arrive with unsettling regularity. Speaking of unsettling, opposition keepers now live in unavoidable fear of the unbelievable free kicks whipped in by an impeachable midfield maestro Mare. If this squad stays united and unyielding, then the playoff push will be unmissable till the end of May, because right now, with this run, this rhythm of relentlessly rising belief, we understandably feel unbeatable under Clement.
Playoff Possibilities: Can Norwich Make It?
00:01:25
Speaker
Claire, top half. Three games to make up on the playoffs? Surely we can't, can we? No. ah Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's it's just marvellous that we're even in with a shout of it, that we're even talking about it, that it's even a possibility.
00:01:44
Speaker
But I just want to actually just appreciate what's happening right now and the fact that we are 12th in the top half of the table. The top half! yeah Compared to where we were, it's just unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable. But i you know our game in hand is on Wednesday. It's a really tough game against Southampton away. They are the form team at the moment as well. Just one manager of the month. I can't see us winning there. And then they're obviously already above us. I think there's just too many teams above us that are in decent enough form for us not to make it to the playoffs. But what a joy that we're even talking about it
00:02:27
Speaker
Well, it's over 1.9 points a game, right? and yeah Yeah, which is crazy. Yeah, that wins you the title if if you can sustain it usually over over two thirds of a season, and which obviously, you know, he he if he does maintain it, he he almost will have done. and But punt, I i mean, i think I think we are all of the same thinking that ah it it was...
00:02:50
Speaker
It shows how undoable it was, the fact that we've had almost perfect form and it still isn't doable. That shows how much Manning wrecked and this season for us, right?
00:03:02
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. although Although there is a little bit of me that thinks Wrexham lose on Tuesday, we win on Wednesday, we win Tuesday.
00:03:14
Speaker
It would still be mighty improbable. um and i'm always looking I'm not necessarily looking at yeah the gap and actually how much we've got to make up. What I'm looking at is come May time, how many points might we have? Because history will tell you exactly how many points you need to have to make the playoffs.
00:03:34
Speaker
And by my calculations, the the minimum that that we need to do is win eight of the last 10 really. Yeah. um I ah can't... Oh, sorry, not eight of the last ten, seven of the last nine now.
00:03:47
Speaker
So it was eight of the last ten and it's now seven of the last nine. For me, that seems massively improbable given the opposition that we've got and given that... look And Leeds was a little bit of an example of it that the injuries kind of will catch up with us if they continue, especially at this pace, you know, given that Ben Grosone went down with his hamstring at the weekend. So, yeah, look, if we win...
00:04:11
Speaker
five of the next, well, not even five of the next six. If we if we win like you know three of the next four, then I think we can start having those, genuinely start having those conversations because it it wouldn't be you know massively improbable at that point. But as Claire has rightly alluded to, Sanhampton is a really tough assignment. Look, I think we can go there and and get three points, but it is a big ask. And then it...
00:04:36
Speaker
Yeah. OK, so I think for me, we'll probably end up bottoming out between like 65, 67 points. And that's nowhere near enough, is it? You know, there's there's no way that we're making the playoffs with that kind of return.
00:04:48
Speaker
But it has just been magnificent. Well, I mean, the improbability of what has been achieved so far, even if you took over a team who were 12th when you picked them up.
00:05:03
Speaker
like but Basically, having the form we've had only happens usually ah to teams that get promoted and usually in the top two, right? like to To have such a sustained run of phenomenal results and and basically top of the form table for some time now, and So to do that with a set of players who had forgotten how to what what winning felt like, who had, you're not fit to wear the shirt sung at them, and who had who were booed off routinely, and you know, we want our Norwich back, all of the the tropes that go with NR1 being unhappy, and to to do this with that squad of players and not to include the injuries. I mean, you know we we don't want to keep covering old ground, but it's
00:05:48
Speaker
It almost feels like with every couple of wins or with every couple of positive results and or every sort of two out of three or whatever, you you just sort of have another couple of weeks where you just think he he really, Claire, he really is marvellous. I mean, just the the the way in which i've I've got a slight critique from Saturday's game. We're recording this Sunday the of March. I've got a slight critique from Preston. um But, ah yeah, just a word from you on on the handsome hero, philip Philippe.
00:06:19
Speaker
Oh, I mean, I've said it all, haven't You know I love him. But I think what I love the most, I think he just – we find a way to win –
00:06:31
Speaker
Whereas I read something yesterday that we we've turned it completely around. Was it Chris Gorham said it? We've completely turned it around. We always used to find a way to lose a game and now we find a way to win a game. And we do it the ugly way. Yesterday wasn't pretty in the second half. Preston are a difficult team to play against. They're not in a good run of form, but...
00:06:50
Speaker
You know, 10 games ago, they were in the playoff positions miles ahead of us. and They're a decent enough team. um And we we did all the hard work in the first half and we managed the game in the second half. um On Wednesday against Sheffield United, it was almost the reverse.
00:07:09
Speaker
That second half against Sheffield United was spectacular. I really, really enjoyed that performance. He just mixes it up. He knows he knows what to do. He knows what subs to bring on injuries. like he He just finds solutions and he wins the games and the players are all in on it as well.
00:07:26
Speaker
it's just It's a joy. I just want to soak it up right now because this doesn't yeah happen very often. It's a shame that there is that potential feeling of falling short because I think it's really important. But it's not falling short. We're going to get relegated. Yeah. I know, know. That's what I'm kind of trying to say that we need to keep repeating. So the point is, to your point, Punt, if we end up getting high 60s and you need early 70s, right, and we finish ninth or 10th or something, you'll go, oh, we nearly did it. And you think, no, no, no. No, but we should fine. I wouldn't know. I'm with Claire. No way would I go, oh, I'd just be like, that is unbelievable that we finished those points. But you're sensible. But this is the point I'm trying to make is we have to guard against the fact that if we just went at one point game the rest the season, if we had mid-table form, right, and we end up finishing on 59, 60 points, what a survival job. Fantastic. And in a way, it would almost... In a way that you almost kind of go, look...
00:08:36
Speaker
he's he's saying that we we've got, well, I think he said too many more cup finals, didn't he? said we've got 11 more cup finals when we haven't only got 11 games left. But and if... And maybe he's factoring in the playoffs though.
00:08:47
Speaker
Well, this is it. Oh, yeah. We're not going to turn up at Wembley. just going to do the two legs of the semi. But yeah if he he's kind of, you know, hounding these players to to get up for cup finals and and give everything, and you just think, well, there' there's going to come a point potentially, like you say, if...
00:09:04
Speaker
and Coventry have lost two on the bounce. Borough have lost two or three on the bounce. you know Scum have gone three games without a win. it's At times during the season, and we we've done it, we did it under Farker. We went on tricky spells, usually when Emi wasn't around or whatever. you know Really, really good teams are allowed to and concede last-minute equalisers against the Leica Spurs, which we've seen today. and you know Good teams are are able to have wobbly patches.
00:09:29
Speaker
we haven't had one for months. So we are so due one win in three or one win in four. And you wouldn't even be able, and, know, especially bear in mind that we are not getting the luck of things like penalties. So to your point on it not being pretty yesterday, can't remember a half-time ovation like the one that they went off But we could, like, obviously the Slomani dive was apparently more of a dive. haven't seen it back, apparently more of dive. Yeah, saw it It really was a dive. Yeah. Live, I was furious. Yeah, same. As was everyone around me. Because he was about to shoot and he'd beaten the man. why would you dive?
00:10:07
Speaker
Yeah, he did dive. And the thought that I had was, and the reason it's such a strange decision to dive is, he is in goal-scoring form. So he shouldn't even have had, he should have just thought, oh, I'm about to get another one in this purple patch I'm having. and But you know the one on Wednesday was was a pen. We should have had a pen on Wednesday. That absolutely was a stone wall of Manon Smith getting clipped over. i was surprised how little and animosity the players had off for the ref for that. um But yeah we're we' not you know we're not getting much of the rub of the green, especially you know not even putting aside um putting aside penalties. It doesn't feel like we're getting much. They had two cleared off the line.
00:10:46
Speaker
and on them yesterday. it could have been four in at half-time and it wouldn't flattened us in in the slightest. And they deserved the basically standing ovation they got off the field. It was a wonderful feeling. And i the only slight critique I had was those four changes that we made, it absolutely killed because we'd done a really good job of... um countering at half-time. It was obvious they were going to say they were going to come out of the traps, really, really try to press us with more intensity than they'd managed in the first half. And that's exactly what they did. And we did exactly what we needed to do, which was we actually played slightly slower. We took fewer risks. We played fewer long balls and we just played it round at the back and we went in and out of Pella and in and out of Kenny And that was so sensible and great grain management. And we took that sting out of the game for 15 minutes and we were just starting to get on the front foot and play a bit more progressively.
00:11:41
Speaker
And I felt that that was just too many changes and it seemed to take almost 10 minutes. And I know there were some injuries and and stuff as well that that killed again. But Claire, clare I think that's the one that's the one time when he's made changes and I've gone, I don't know, that might have been right. Yeah, i I completely agree with you. And I said that at the time and I was talking to my family about it last night and again this morning that it it was too many and too early, 60 minutes. I think he was going to make the three and then obviously Ben Cresceni went down injured, so he had to make...
00:12:14
Speaker
that one as well. But then I feel like you should have not made one of the other three and only made three. Because then after that, our play of quite a lot of our players got little knocks and were like rubbing bits of their legs. And i was like, oh my God, is there actually a fit player out there? We didn't really have- When Magoma went down with his sore back, was like- Magoma, I think ken Kenny, I somehow in my mind, Kenny was on the ball I thought, oh, thank God Kenny's like indestructible, like he's never injured. And literally the minute I thought that, he crouched down on his haunches and started rubbing his legs. was like, I've got some sort of magic powers. What the hell? No, Kenny, stop it. Stop thinking. Stop thinking. Every one of them was rubbing something by the end. So like, God knows, let's hope they're nothing major. But yeah, I do totally agree about the four subs. It just, it was too many, too early. And it took us a long time to get back into the rhythm of the game. And I'm not sure we actually really did, but we saw it out. it was fine.
00:13:13
Speaker
Yeah, and and there was ah there was at there's a workman-like element to us when it when it needs to happen. when it needs to happen um And ah you've got you've got players to come back.
00:13:23
Speaker
You've got players that I'm excited to see in the system. and I thought that... um then new They got their number 23. Apparently that was his first start. I thought he was really good. I did look up his name and I've since forgotten it. The Preston number 23 I thought was excellent. and And in the first kind of 15 minutes or so, we didn't really we didn't really seem to have an answer for him. He kept being able to turn and and and find space, which was unlike us because we're usually really tight in front of the back four. and But and he sort of faded as as we took the ascendancy. But some of the and some of the football we played in that first half, like the the way in which Stacey is able to get forward and the way with which Ahmed um is able to have the confidence to stand his man up and then push past it. A winger just just gets you off your off your seat, pun. We love our wingers at Norwich. And
00:14:15
Speaker
Ahmed already, he's got the makings of an absolute cult hero because, like, I was thinking number 47, Nish, was the fullback in the first half. And they they actually took him off because Ahmed had run in ragged and a number two came on.
00:14:30
Speaker
But yeah, that number 47, he was stood up and and standing so square. And you could almost see Ahmed licking his lips thinking, yeah, you don't want be doing that against me, mate. I like i love him. I love watching him.
00:14:43
Speaker
I think he's a really interesting player in so much as he gets himself in in so very many presentable opportunities to do something. you know and And it's often been a criticism of, don't know, someone like O'Neill Hernandez that his output hasn't been anywhere near it. He's almost like O'Neill with end product. And look, different physical frame. but Yeah, he's not just not as strong.
00:15:05
Speaker
that directness, that that willing to run in behind, that willing to sometimes get chalk on your boots, but actually be able to go both ways. Because very often, you know, he but he was looking to play inside rather than go around his man on the outside.
00:15:20
Speaker
I still think there's loads more to come from him as well. I still think that actually if you if you get him in the gym in the summer, if if you know the bits that Clement talks around actually getting the players physically ready for next season, I think he's he's absolutely probably got someone like Ali Ahmed on his radar. Because if you get him a little bit stronger, if you get him so that he's not able to be knocked off the ball as easily as he as he maybe is now...
00:15:44
Speaker
He's potentially you're going to be looking at a Premier League winger, um you know, in in in what he he is able to do. and And I know people have touched on it elsewhere, but just that that kind of relationship with Slomani already.
00:15:58
Speaker
yeah the The fact that they know where each other you know kind of is most of the time. They're looking for each other. It's it's one or two touch. It's intricate play in and around the box. And the fact that theyve they've tuned into that very, very quickly is just something that but that definitely gets me excited. But the bit that I'm more excited about is we're playing with one winger and actually we're still creating loads of chances. Like Liam Gibbs did really well yesterday in terms of being... I thought he did, yeah....gritty. He did. Workmanlike.
00:16:29
Speaker
But actually, you weren't, you know, the only thing we were going to create down the right side is if Jack Stacey got in a presentable crossing position. and And actually, you know, he was able to to deliver cross and that one or two were were pretty decent.
00:16:40
Speaker
um But actually, nothing comes from Gibbs in terms of chance creation. Imagine, you know, when we get a Diallo or Oscar, you know, should be back in two or three weeks. Actually, how much how much attacking output are we going to have? It's... it's it's going to be frightening. completely forgotten. I'd forgotten that Oscar existed. Yeah. But he's back like, you know, just after the international break. Yeah. So those kinds, but you know, look, it's, it's Norwich this season. he comes Yeah. He was just cooking money. Another one going to drop out. But he was, he was just starting to, he was starting to really blossom, wasn't he? Just before he his injury, course. Yeah. And, and as, as we said before,
00:17:15
Speaker
he's one of the few under Manning who actually was putting, you know, I think other than when he's been on the field, I actually think he's he's pretty much been been pretty good all season. I think Oscar would have a legitimate shout to be player of the season had he not got injured. And you're probably now looking at, well, there's other players that have stepped up. well i say yes Honestly, it's like, I think if you held the pole,
00:17:37
Speaker
um let Let's ignore the first three months. I mean, he might have won it in the first three months, but from from from PC World onwards, from his second game onwards, let's say. no Don't count Birmingham.
00:17:47
Speaker
It was awful. Still angry about it. and ah we but we talked Let it go. let it We talked about We talked... i haven't... We talked about it at half-time. So I said about my little lad and how upset he was at Birmingham because it was so bad at half-time, right? But we talked about it on Saturday and I said, no, as the players, the you know, the yellows with were and finished ringing out and the last player was sort going down the tunnel.
00:18:14
Speaker
and You I spoke to him about it and said, that it this incredible run we're on, this feeling, that that and this buoyancy, this lightness that you feel right now, yeah,
00:18:25
Speaker
This is what I was talking about when we were losing Bristol City here away and it was awful last season. when we were you know At Birmingham, when you were upset this season, when we were so bad, you know when I said, look, when it it has to be this bad for the good stuff to feel that much better. like The reason you're enjoying this so much is because you came in the cold and the rain and when we were crap, And it was miserable and it was awful and you travelled loads of time and all the rest of it and and then the team didn't show up. That's awful. It's the worst bit of being a football fan. But when you do that, when you put that time and that commitment in, when it is then good, you're allowed to enjoy even more than someone who wasn't that bothered when it was rubbish. Right. So that depth of feeling is why this is incredible. This journey that unfortunately for you, I've i've set you on the path of.
00:19:09
Speaker
um So no, it was it was magic. It was absolutely brilliant. and Speaking of wonderful, ah i it's too obvious it's too obvious for me to do it. So I'm going to hand over to you, Claire.
00:19:19
Speaker
let's talk about Kenny. Well, I was just thinking when you're talking about who's going to be player of the season, I think Kenny's in with a decent shout himself now, surely.
Key Players: Kenny's Free Kick Prowess
00:19:29
Speaker
He's getting just better and better and better and better. I'm trying to remember a time I didn't vote for him. And and then, I'm sorry, but where where has that free kick been for, no, well well, I'll talk, okay, it was a brilliant free kick. Where has it been for the last 301 games previous to that But.
00:19:47
Speaker
Preston's defence that they just didn't move. They sort went up on their tiptoes. Sort of. Sort of went up on their tiptoes.
00:19:59
Speaker
I'm not quite sure how good the free kick was because if there's any decent defence that actually jumped in the air, would it have actually in It's the whip. It's the whip. It's the way that even though the keeper is not that slow to start diving, it it continues to whip away from him as he comes life. But I thought he was superb yesterday. Oh, he was? He was like in He's in it.
00:20:23
Speaker
Yeah, and and because his touch is in and he's, you know, he's had such a consistent season in terms of playing minutes, but he's doing little drag backs and, you know, going down blind alleys and and deciding not to play another defender into maybe danger because they're not good enough to do anything with it. So therefore, no, I'll back myself. And, you know, one time in 10, it goes wrong and, and you know, and and there's an issue. But yeah, he he is at the moment in like a fine line, as has mentioned multiple times on social media. Like what mean incredible servant to the club, you know,
00:20:54
Speaker
300 appearances puts you in very, very rarefied air anyway. and But the fact that it's not, you know, it's it's not a nothing mid-season, mid-table season, the fact that he has, you know, been a key part of getting better, finding another level, just like a lot of the other lads that Clermont has kind of unlocked, if you like. And we've seen this quality from Kenny before, but I don't think we've seen it for, fit for you know, minutes,
00:21:21
Speaker
almost every single week, like we are like we have got basically since the turn of the year. And and and the fact that, you know, we've had Mattson come back in and I'm really glad that he started him and because, you know, it Field has done a brilliant job. i mean, he really did a great job and and and looks like a really tidy, handy third or fourth choice centre midfielder when you're in control of a game to have in the squad. Not that I think he'll probably be here next year. But, punt, how nice is it to see Kenny and Mattson together again? you You just think, what what a one-two that is.
00:21:55
Speaker
Before I touch on that, Thomas, can I just say that you said it would be really obvious for me to eulogise about Kenny. And then you let Claire talk for about possibly 25 seconds before you then went on and eulogised about Kenny for quite a long time. So true to form. um Yeah, that was that was quite obvious.
00:22:19
Speaker
But look, I've got to let him have his moment. He'll do it better than me. It was inevitable. And ah look, I think for me, look, regular listeners of the pod will know that that I have...
00:22:32
Speaker
often been um one of Kenny's main detractors because actually this been there's been times where this team has been at real low points and he has been one of the players that's been in charge of it. And yeah know and we've looked at teams and gone, well, there's been a real lack of leadership and and he's
Midfield Strength: Mattson's Versatility
00:22:50
Speaker
been the focal point. But I think Kenny, probably for me right now, over the last two months, is in the form of his career for Norwich. you know kind of he's you're right, he has reveled in it.
00:23:03
Speaker
He has taken on additional responsibility. He has driven us forward at times where it it's needed a senior pro to to step up and and do that.
00:23:15
Speaker
And and i yeah I thought he was excellent yesterday. I thought he was really good against Sheffield United in in some key moments. and And I think he's been fantastic over the last couple of months. So, yeah, it is great to see him alongside Pella. I mean, I I'm really interested that that he signed his contract extension last season and the club just decided not to say anything about it. like that How weird is that? But no, I mean, Mattson being back is huge. you know It's just his ability to ball play and be really strong in the tackle. he's He's almost a complete midfielder and I thought it was really interesting that and yeah Big Phil came out and
00:24:00
Speaker
Of all the players that there's been rapid rises for, he's the one that yeah he's kind of looked at Mattson and gone, I really hope that Mattson's rise doesn't outstrip ours and that you know we're we're able to to you know grow with him and he can grow with us.
00:24:15
Speaker
Because he probably isn't the obvious one for me where I'd have gone, well, he's the one that will outgrow us and kick on you know much sooner. There's other individuals in the club that where I think um their star you know might ascend quicker.
00:24:28
Speaker
so But like who am I to judge? you know it's It's Big Phil and he knows exactly what he's talking about. Yeah, and it's ah it's age and profile. you know It's age and profile and it's the fact that he has got Ali, for example. He's only going to go somewhere if you need a winger.
00:24:43
Speaker
Motore or McCormick or whatever, he's only going to go somewhere if you if you don't have a a proven number nine. and Whereas Pella, if you actually, if it's your defensive guy that's gone down and that's the like place you need it, then we buy Pella and he fixes that. And actually, if your ball play midfielder is, is gut goes down, we'll buy Pella and he fixes that. Or if you're, if you're box to box eight goes down, yeah, we'll buy pillows. He's knocking on the door of three lungs territory with, with what he covers. I mean, I don't know how good the tracking data is Pella.
00:25:13
Speaker
Gary Holt in terms of, obviously we we remember having seen him, that he earned that nickname, you know, for really good reason. the The ground, that he was everywhere and just, and he'd never stopped running. um But I don't know whether, because they I don't think they wore the the lovely little sports bras back then, did they? With like the trackers in like they do now. So I don't know if they, like what kind of heat mapped, they have on on record, but I'd be really interested to see what kind of, what ah comparison side by side, because obviously he's coming back from injured, but mean, you you would never know watching that first 45, you would never know that he's been injured in the last year. I mean, let alone that was his first start back.
00:25:57
Speaker
I mean, just he gets back. Quick word for Peleron. ah Wednesday's game against Sheffield United. ah I can't remember if it's the second or third goal.
00:26:08
Speaker
and Did you see his fantastic contribution? only scored No, we scored two. Oh, no, sorry. I was head gi but we score to okay yeah i i know what you're about to say because My head, that's gone down as three one because because that's the we got a penalty. No, okay. Yeah, beg your pardon. Sorry, the winning goal. and Yeah, go on then, Punt. If you know what I'm going to say, you eulogise. He's your boy.
00:26:32
Speaker
it I mean, he just, and this is the bit about Pella that we've said on the podcast before, his scanning is unbelievable. His awareness of players around him and he spots the lad trying to get to Magoma and he's just like, no, I'm going to run across you and then I'm going to fall over so that actually if this attack doesn't materialise, well, yeah i get the advantage, but if the attack doesn't materialise properly, that lad's got a yellow as well. you know like So it's yeah it's just, it's so good. But he fouled him, right?
00:27:00
Speaker
When you actually look at it. So in yeah little if we had VAR, I thought, oh, that goal probably wouldn't have stood because Pella actually took him out, but he made it miraculously look like he'd been fouled because everyone was like, oh, in real time. But actually, when you look at it again,
00:27:22
Speaker
Pelo just it's ah stood in front of him. The way he ran across and the way he curled his run looks... Very, very clever. It's fantastic. And it basically means that Magoma picked that pass...
00:27:33
Speaker
What, what? that no but just the The reason it was so impactful was McGomis on the half turn and he's also aware that someone is steaming down towards him and it means that the the perfectly weighted pass to Forsen, there's no pressure on it at all. He's got no one behind him so he can just go, right, I'm going to beautifully just guide this in and what a finish.
00:27:59
Speaker
Beautiful. Standing it up and pinging it, ah, Some of the goals we've scored in the PC world era. I mean, we have something like yeah like great free kicks and and great finishes there and, you know, Kreseni with a pearler.
00:28:14
Speaker
and we we yeah We are we're seeing some great stuff and it's just nice to bask in it. Why we went off at halftime yesterday with the standing ovation is because of that move just before the halftime whistle blew. Jack Stacey, you know, should hope well, if he'd scored it, that would have been some goal because there was about five one-touch passes. it was It was, yeah, absolutely incredible to watch that. and And that's why I think everyone got on their feet and clapped them off because...
00:28:42
Speaker
it's it That kind of move it's just is happening all the time now and it's it's wonderful. is this Is this better than Farkas football? I don't know. think it could be.
00:28:54
Speaker
We're not letting any goals in either. That's very rare for Norwich. I think at times it is that Farkas football its best,
00:29:07
Speaker
the the The sharp end of Farker's football, and and I don't mean Farker at other clubs, I mean specifically the not Norwich years, the really slick stuff in the COVID season, you know the the title we won when we weren't there,
00:29:25
Speaker
and I don't remember as much of it because I watched it on his laptop screen or TV or what have you. and But some of the stuff, we when we were beating people six and seven and Kieran Dowell and Emmy, you know we we were unplayable. So I don't know. i i'd I'd almost have to go back and watch some some highlights DVDs of those those seasons to to feel comfortable being saying that it is as good. but there is that But as we said previously, the speed with which we go from back to front yeah and not in a hoofball way, just in a one pass, one pass go. It's really different. yeah and and that was And let's have it right. We were frustrated under Farka.
00:30:05
Speaker
ah For long periods of games, we ended up winning. you know we we We had this incredible spirit and momentum and players who could unpick the lock, like Mario and Steepi and Emi, to like just get Pukki in.
00:30:17
Speaker
All we needed was one chance and we knew that we'd get in and Pukki would score it. um But at the moment... we're almost profligate in that. You see how many, we had like 16 shots against Sheffield United. You know, we we we are, and that they're no no mugs. Like they were proper they're a proper football team. No, they were one of the form teams at that point. Yeah. yeah And i in the second half, we could have had four five. were really, really good at XG. And yeah, on on like I said, Saturday, we we could easily got four or five. What I'm excited about for next year is
00:30:48
Speaker
Who isn't going to want to come and play furt for us, right? Outside of whichever clubs come down, where you're going to get bigger wages. if you are If you are of a pit point in your career as a young person coming up or someone wanting to come out of the the big guys in the Premier League on loan or up and coming from European leagues or whatever, you've got PC World and you're watching basically since this manager came in, that's the team I'm going to join. That's the football I get to play. That's how fit I'm going to be.
00:31:17
Speaker
i i think we could I think he's going to have his pick outside of you know who Wolves or whatever are going going to buy. I think he's got his pick. And I i think Atanasio's got the checkbook to say, well...
00:31:31
Speaker
look what he's done with players he didn't choose. like You know, mostly other than, you know, a couple in January. look Look what he's done with players that that didn't cost that much money really. I think it's worth spending a few quid and and and saying to PC, well, give us your gives your shopping list.
00:31:47
Speaker
let's let's go Let's go win this thing. And it's nice that it looks like Spurs might avoid coming down. Short of a number nine, who is on your shopping list now?
00:31:58
Speaker
Well, I still think we need a centre-back. I still don't think we've got... um like still are you saying Are you saying Shane Duffy doesn't sign another contract in the summer? I forgot he's even still there. I i would... ah I would mean, obviously, you got to bear in mind that Medici is now a dual threat, right? Debatable. That's debatable.
00:32:23
Speaker
modern day Paul Warhurst Chris Sutton we threatened to we threaten to play him up front he is a threat and no i very good so so so Darling's great Darling's great and has been great Cordoba i so i still he still makes me nervous really? have you just said that no no no no no Darling's great and Cordoba still makes you nervous Yeah. it's not that It's not that way around, mate, for me. Cordoba is an absolute beast at the moment. Like, superb. Yeah. And Darlene's just a little bit iffy. Darlene, for me, doesn't suit Clermont's football as much. That is the other thing. yeah That's the other thing. So so I... He's a bloody good backup, though. i mean, yes. Oh, absolutely. Yeah, 100%.
00:33:10
Speaker
But, you know, when rory when Rory's stepping out with the ball... we need another one of him. We need another one at his level. Like, you know, he is, ah Darling doesn't have that.
00:33:23
Speaker
With Darling, with Darling on the ball, or or to be fair, I think Cordoba, Pella or Kenny have got to do quite a lot to help them out still. Like, whereas Rory, you feel like he can bypass Kenny and Pella and ping it to Ali and ping it to, and and he's got that ability and he looks so composed and he can, whereas with Cordoba, he's just- you really think that?
00:33:44
Speaker
Yes, Cordoba wants to roll the ball under his foot three times and do a drag back. Oh, I like it. I like it. I like it against Sheffield Wednesday and Oxford. i don't like it against Southampton or Coventry or
Defensive Backbone: Cordoba's Contributions
00:33:57
Speaker
Borough.
00:33:57
Speaker
i just I just think he's got a touch of the Vlads about him. He's a bit i think he's been majestic. Again, last couple of months, if we're talking about players who really stepped up, I i think he he is definitely on that list. And I think he's gone out a little bit under the radar because McConville has been so very good since Clement's come in. But actually, it's Cordoba, for me, like I say, last couple of months, I think he's been as good and a real big reason why we've been so secure at the back. Because...
00:34:27
Speaker
actually, if someone gets in behind, I'm not as worried anymore because he's got the physicality to get back. He's got the a deceptive amount of pace to get back. And when he gets there, he's so strong.
00:34:39
Speaker
that what He's so very strong. and And he comes out with the ball, actually... It might be like if Darling got there or McConville got there, well, that's going to go in Rose Ed. But actually Cordoba at championship level has the confidence to go, now, do you know what? I'm going to take the ball off you, might even leave you on your arse, and I'm going to step out with the ball and and ping it to a full-back as well. I think he's been great. Watch out Harry Kane in the summer then,
00:35:01
Speaker
When we play Panama. You saw him it be at fault for the goal, though, on Wednesday. Yeah. Maybe you could blame that on Kenny as well.
00:35:12
Speaker
No, because Kenny's not in that situation. if If he doesn't get a bobbling ball headed to him... that There was a culmination problems leading up to the goal. That's a clusterfuck. That goal is a clusterfuck. And any many issues could have fixed it. you know like Yeah, okay. Well, but that he's there's no doubt that he' that the the curve has gone upwards with him as it has across across the back four. I mean, they all, including including Kellen, right? Kellen was having a wobble before World. So defensively, we looked so much more solid and and we we didn't look like that under Farka. And and yeah know we we didn't look defensively solid in the championship we because we kept having to score in the 29th minute. don't think that's fair, under Farka. do we have to keep getting late winners and late draws then?
00:35:55
Speaker
Because we kept conceding goals. So, You can't win 4-3 if the other team doesn't get three goals. Let me finish. Right, so you talk about the COVID season. we had the I'm pretty sure we had the best defence in the league. Yeah, we were good at that. You talk about this the Farker season.
00:36:11
Speaker
We built into that. And actually there was a point in time where, and I think I looked at the numbers at the time, where Zimmerman and Ben Godfrey came together, maybe November, December time. And after that point, we had the best defence in the league as well. So I think defensively, it's a little bit of an urban myth that we weren't great under Farker. I think we were we we really good once we got into our groove. We didn't keep loads of clean sheets. We might have just let you look one in.
00:36:36
Speaker
You look at those four threes and the three twos and all of those kind of or a lot of those games did come before we kind of got really defensively sound with Simbo and Godfrey at the back.
00:36:48
Speaker
So I think we were defensively really good. Look, don't get me wrong, I think we're slightly more defensively sound now, which is remarkable given that The back four was a little bit ragtag at one point. you know kind of ah ah ah ah But yeah, they've they've been great to a man under PC.
00:37:08
Speaker
So what's what's next then? and It's time to do some guarantees for for Wednesday. and We've said that it's a difficult game and they're in form, and um but we're Norwich under Phil Clermont.
00:37:21
Speaker
So therefore, and they're they there they play in the championship. So therefore it's a win, Claire? Well, I've already said, no, we're not going to win, I don't think. i I think I don't, I've got a feeling we're going to lose on Wednesday.
00:37:38
Speaker
Forgotten what that's like. I know. But sometimes, you know, we just have to have that one little loss just to remind ourselves how miserable it feels. And then we'll win again on Saturday at Charlton. so But no, I think we might lose 2-1. It won't be huge, huge loss, just too one We'll be in it.
00:37:59
Speaker
who's Who's your guaranteed scorer for our consolation goal on the South Coast? scorer. I'll say Paris Magoma, I think. Yeah, I think he'll come on second half and score us goal. Yeah, do you not think he'll start?
00:38:16
Speaker
They seem to be alternating him and Anis Ben. Yeah. yeah know, I was going to comment on that as well, actually, that I can't remember really having a time when so many of our subs are equally as good as the players they're replacing when they come on.
00:38:32
Speaker
or or or better. like is With the amount of injuries you've got to have a bench that we've got like that when you're bringing on Slimani for Magoma or Magoma for Slimani, you're bringing on Kellen when Kraseni gets injured, you're bringing on a Field to replace Pella. It's just...
00:38:50
Speaker
It's amazing, really.
Substitute Impact: Matching Starters
00:38:53
Speaker
But what's also amazing is, with obviously the exception of Field and Magoma, some of those substitutions in the first two or three months, we would throw our hands up and go, well, what chance have you got? mean, you've got your start in Gibbs and what, we're bringing on Slimani. Yeah, exactly. Well, that's the other joy of the season, isn't it? But these players have come from literally the doldrums and we were like, get them out of the club to... celebrating them. You'd think this experience would chasten us to jump to quick opinions on players in future, but it won't. Mr. Jonathan Puntpunt, can I have your guarantees for Wednesday, please?
00:39:34
Speaker
I think we are building up to a moment where um both Slimani and Magoma are fit enough to start together. And I wonder whether that moment might Wednesday. in a middle?
00:39:45
Speaker
Who goes in the middle? I think Slomani goes in the middle Magoma plays in the wide area. Yeah. i think I think if that happens, sky's the limit and we can beat absolutely anyone in this league. So I think if that happens, I kind of fancy a cheeky 1-0.
00:40:05
Speaker
Ooh, that is cheeky. He thinks we're getting the playoffs. He's trying to talk it down. He's trying to talk it down. We also was all thought that we'd beat Leeds. So, yeah.
00:40:17
Speaker
ah But I also think yeah we it would be very, very Norwich, very Norwich to go and win, especially if Wrexham lose on Tuesday.
00:40:27
Speaker
And then actually we blow it against Charlton and, you know. No chance. Charlton's 4-0. The last time I went to Charlton, we were 4-2 up in the 90th minute or something and we drew 4-2.
00:40:43
Speaker
Oof. When was that? i was a very That was a very long time ago. it was in like the 90s because I was at uni. I've never been. That's that's not um the late night on my to-do list. And I can't go this weekend. It's a weird one. It's a weird ground to get to. Oh, yeah. it's a nightmare to get to even from London. I'm not going. I'm not going.
00:41:02
Speaker
o Right. Okay. So ah you think we're going to lose against Charlton. I think we're going to win 4-0 against Charlton. I think it's a Desmond on on on Wednesday. I think it's two teams who will believe until the last whistle that they can win because they've been doing well. So I i don't i think unless one or other team gets at least two goals to the good late on,
00:41:25
Speaker
I think it will be ding-dong right to the end because both teams, if Norwich are 2-1 down, you think there's a chance we can win it. Likewise, Saints, especially at home, are going to going to think as long as it's only one goal in it, they're just then, like Preston, it felt like, I know it was two goals, but they really did sort of feel like if like they were shooting from further and further out, it seemed, as the game went on, which their shooting to that point did not suggest was a good idea. Yeah.
00:41:51
Speaker
So, yeah, and i i think I think we draw, ah but then I think we smash Charlton. We draw and we go, OK, we temper our expectation and then then we smash Charlton on
Future Plans: Matches and Acquisitions
00:42:00
Speaker
Saturday. my My guaranteed scorers on Wednesday are Paris and Slomani and they prove punt right um that that starting them together was exciting.
00:42:12
Speaker
So we will be back with you after those two games and maybe we'll be banging on again about, well, could we do it because Wrexham lost this one? Or will we be saying, let's start talk looking about ah which players need to come in and which others watch other positions we need to come in because it won't be long until it's time to start thinking about the squad next season. Right.
00:42:31
Speaker
ah Claire, thank you very much for your time and your input. Punt, I do not acknowledge that you exist. Everybody else, enjoy beating Southampton. Mind how you go.