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"Green Shoots" ACN Pod 100
55 Plays2 years ago
Zoë, Jon and Tom chat Wigan, Hull, a bit of Cardiff, some Birmingham, panenkas, Sørensen, Gibbs, it's a Norwich podcast, what do you expect really. It's the 100th one. We've not got the hang of it yet.
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Transcript
Introduction and Episode Theme
00:00:22
Speaker
Welcome to the Long Come Knowledge Podcast, the perfect preamble to hurl a perfunctory peruse of the Penenka penalty. I'm Tom, I'm joined by John and Zoe and we're going to run through some very winnable games that we didn't win, but we did sort of win one of them.
Team Progression and Upcoming Premier League Match
00:00:38
Speaker
First up, we are through to the next round of the Cup, a glamour tie with a huge Premier League recently championship team. Punt, what about those three winnable games we didn't win then?
00:00:49
Speaker
Are we talking about all the games then?
Performance Reflections and Missed Opportunities
00:00:51
Speaker
I thought about this the other day, and I think people have kind of shit the bed to an extent, haven't they? And so much as if we look at the performances in isolation,
00:01:03
Speaker
We've gone away to Cardiff. We should have drawn that game. Let's be perfectly honest. That is a freak goal that probably doesn't happen 99 times out of 100. I wouldn't say we battered Wigan at home, but we certainly bested Wigan at home. I think there were patterns of play that were emerging
00:01:24
Speaker
Maybe not enough, but there were patterns of play that were emerging that certainly showed signs of encouragement. And on most other days, I think we win that game. So by rights, we should probably have four points.
Creative Play Patterns and Scoring Strategies
00:01:38
Speaker
Is anyone going to be really upset if we've got four points in the league at the moment? I don't think you'd find many Norwich fans that would be dissatisfied with that.
00:01:46
Speaker
As it is, we've got one, but look, I think in terms of the manner of the performance, and we can talk about the League Cup in a moment, but in terms of the manner of the performance against Wigan, I saw enough.
00:01:57
Speaker
green shoots to think that actually there's going to be something there and that we can find a formula that will be creative enough so that we will score enough goals to beat a lot of teams in the championship. Whether that's enough to put together a top six tilt or kind of a top two challenge, I don't know, but actually it's going to be fun finding out because this is a fresh set of players, this is a fresh set of
00:02:23
Speaker
You know, time for new heroes and all that, Mr. Roda.
Nunez's Impact and Team Fit
00:02:26
Speaker
Actually, if we look at Nunez's performance, I mean, I wouldn't say electric. I'm talking about Wigan, sorry. I wouldn't say he was electric, but actually the fact that he wanted to move the ball forward quickly, the fact that he was playing on the half turn and actually looking to play dinked balls to the likes of Rasheetsa or Pookie or whoever was making the run.
00:02:47
Speaker
it just felt like he maybe fits the type of system that we're trying to build and maybe the players that we had previously didn't. So I think there's real signs of encouragement in that respect. There is also, I think for me, I think we need to question Dean Smith tactically because I don't usually sit in the South stand. But no, I don't usually sit in the South stand and I sat in the South stand for Saturday's match.
Dean Smith's Tactics Questioned
00:03:17
Speaker
It just felt to me that once we were chasing a winner, actually, you know, prior to the equalizer, we were playing some considered football and we were moving the opposition around and it felt not necessarily like vintage FARC ball, but it felt like we were trying to play football in a progressive manner. We then started to chase a winner.
00:03:35
Speaker
And Wiggin had retreated into the shells. So what Dean Smith kind of reverted to was a formation which was basically 4-6 rather than, you know, kind of, I don't know, 4-4-1-1 or, you know, 4-2-3-1 or whatever variation of, you know, that we're playing. It was almost like, well, let's just throw enough bodies up front and get the ball there quite quickly and hope something happens.
00:03:59
Speaker
and it just felt a little bit stilted and like it it probably wasn't going to work you know if we'd have played for another 20 minutes
00:04:06
Speaker
But prior to that, I felt like there was enough. And then we move on to the League Cup match.
Gabriel Sarra and Promised Play Styles
00:04:14
Speaker
And actually, you look at Gabriel Sarra, I thought he was really encouraging. I thought he looked technically really good. I think he was a little bit off the pace, but actually you saw enough there to realise that once he gets up with the demands of the championship, that he could be someone who's really useful.
00:04:32
Speaker
Nunez again comes on and looks relatively encouraging, but someone like Kieran Dow, who hasn't had any kind of football for two, three weeks maybe, possibly even longer than that, really linked the play nicely. And it just felt like we were starting to play the kind of football that maybe we'd been promised. So I think there's enough there to be positive. I think there's also a little bit there that we should still be concerned about. Yeah, a couple of things you said that I think
00:04:59
Speaker
were in evidence on Tuesday night, the fresh faces. There was a, I think it was a larger crowd than I was expecting, the 18 or 1,000.
Youth Contribution to Dynamic Play
00:05:11
Speaker
I think the 18 or 1,000 that were there were treated to a team that didn't feel as hangover-y as the first couple of games. And you mentioned unions wanting to dink, I mean penalties and passes.
00:05:25
Speaker
And you mentioned, and Gibbs, you didn't mention, but I think he's part of that as well, really progressive forward running. It was him that created the one, the goal by suddenly pushing between two, two sentiment fielders and pushing it out wide to create that kind of momentum into the cross.
00:05:43
Speaker
Like you say, Dow, Dow, I thought was a breath of fresh air in the first half, although he liked New Year's really faded second half. I mean, New Year's went, went quiet. And so, so compared to their two different games, I've conflated that New Year's in the second half on the weekend, I thought faded. But that was partly because I can't remember the guy's name, number eight, for them, did a man marking job. It was one of the most clear
00:06:06
Speaker
they've changed something a half times ever because I watched the Wigan game with Mr. Lorne and one of the things that we were both purring over was Nunez's space. Clearly he was looking at the nearest man and then taking a few side steps away to make sure there's at least five, seven yards between him so he's always available. He couldn't do that second half because clearly someone had got in number eight here and said,
00:06:32
Speaker
he's doing this going stand on his toes and that really changed and i actually think that's why i can't go to play as well second half weekend because i think i will really benefited from new year's movement i think the fact that there was always room for someone to have the ball and can you come i was often a second option and meaning that they had to try and close down one of them so i'm really
Growing Confidence in Squad Potential
00:06:55
Speaker
I was quite confident before the season started that we had enough in the squad, but I was worried about the fresh faces. A lot of that was put on because I try and be positive and try and counter how pessimistic I probably am in my head. But, ironically, even though we've played three lots in 90 minutes and not won a game in 90 minutes yet,
00:07:15
Speaker
I actually feel more confident now in spite of the results because you use that sort of horrible, I know a lot about football phrase patterns of play, but that's exactly what we have seen at Wigan. First half, first 20 minutes. I mean, first 20 minutes against Wigan, that's the best performance we've had since we won the championship most recently. We had, we did not play 20 minutes like that under Farka Rorsmith in the Premier League last year.
00:07:38
Speaker
It was superb. And yes, we've got that mental fragility that a goal completely scuppers us, same as Cardiff. But then the fact that we changed the lineup and actually there were patterns of play with a different set or not completely different, but what eight different players, there were patterns of play that were similar in the
00:07:59
Speaker
who the hell did we play Birmingham game on Tuesday as they were against Wigan. And that was exactly what we said we needed to see in order to give Smith a bit more time. So yeah, I'm actually quietly confident that there is something brewing there in terms of a way of playing. Now, that doesn't mean that Smith doesn't deserve any
00:08:20
Speaker
And doesn't mean that he's kind of proven himself.
Zoe's Excitement for Competitive Spirit
00:08:23
Speaker
Let's get more than a point in the league first, right? But, but just to bring you in, Joey, do you agree that there has, there's enough green shoots to use? I think that's punts invented that term. I've never heard that before. You've never heard the term green shoots. No, I was teasing you, but you've never said anything original in your life.
00:08:40
Speaker
And we're on video. Punks sworn at me. He's done a gesture. Now, luckily, we haven't got a beep for that. We can't beep a hand gesture. All right, you fucking bellend. Go on. I've never beeped a podcast. I never will. But yeah, Zoe, I think there's enough green juice there, Punks, Dan. I think you're right. I think
00:09:02
Speaker
There was something about 10 minutes in on Saturday. I was sat there and I was feeling really, really excited. And I was like, I have not felt like this in so long. And I realized how long it is because, you know, we had the lockdown season.
00:09:18
Speaker
we had last year, absolute disaster. The idea of feeling excited at a football match and feeling like there's a competition on, something good might happen. It was just a really nice feeling and it felt like other people had that around us. It started off, I think, when the new fireworks started and that yellow and green smoke appeared and everybody went... Yeah, the smoke was nice.
00:09:43
Speaker
It was like, actually, we're quite easy to please, I think, as a group of people, like a bit of yellow and green smoke and everyone's like, oh, yes, yes, things are going to be fine. But I think that that newness factor was part of that, like, as you both mentioned, again, that sort of hangover.
00:10:02
Speaker
Cardiff fixture, the idea of not playing anybody new against Cardiff, just the idea of playing all these people with broken hearts from what's happened last time. I think it just, it wasn't enough to lift probably the players or the fans in terms of thinking everything's going to be different because we do all need that reminder. It has been a long time since we were good.
00:10:28
Speaker
And I think just even just throwing Nunez in there on Saturday, despite the fact he was probably still jet lagged, he probably didn't know what time it was whatsoever. And of course, he probably was going to fade in the second half, I think. I think that just that lift of like, this is a new person. It's an exciting person. They've come from South America. We don't know what we don't know what they are going to be able to do.
00:10:50
Speaker
unlike we kind of know very well what's the capacity of some of our other players which can be worrying and I think just that feeling of enjoying the game again and
00:11:02
Speaker
Yes, we had that patch where you could tell the confidence is not there, they're not quite back to it. But as well, the way that the game finished in complete chaos, I think post the Max Penosy incident and him taking himself off,
00:11:21
Speaker
We were about to bring Hugo on at that point and then we had to change our plans and I think I'm not really surprised that everything went a bit mad. I also quite enjoyed that and I am sort of starting to wonder whether I just prefer crap.
00:11:36
Speaker
Chaotic football. Yeah, exactly. Because, you know, you had Ornel just charging with his head down like every time and, you know, and nothing really happened. But that excitement and it was just it was so nice to be able to enjoy the football. It kind of finished and everybody was crossed with the referee, but it didn't feel like anybody was really like, oh, my goodness, we haven't won this. It's a disaster. It kind of felt like, well,
00:12:02
Speaker
we definitely could have won that quite easily and nobody would have batted an eyelid. And then Tuesday night I didn't go but again you've got that kind of new player factor, you've got Gibbs the sort of young hopeful one, you've got Sarah as well thrown into the mix, that ball ahead of Sonani's goal was just was lovely. There were a few of them, there were a few of those and it's almost the willingness to try and play them
00:12:29
Speaker
you applaud as much as I mean obviously sensible people applaud and there's a few there's a few moans around me on um on Saturday actually with when Nunez was trying a couple of clever things um and and someone complaining about Camo giving the ball away it's like no applaud that because he that is what we want we want them to keep trying that because that's actually entertaining to watch and if it only comes off once it's probably a goal when it comes off
00:12:53
Speaker
Now like a couple of dinks over, I think Nunez tried twice to dink the ball for Rasheetsa and the keeper got there first both times because Rasheetsa. But that's exactly what we wanted to do because if he does that for Pookie, it's 1-0.
00:13:06
Speaker
Yeah, no, I just it. I do feel do feel a lot more comfortable than I did post that Cardiff game. There is a lot to sort out and you know that confidence is not going to reappear overnight but it, it shouldn't take that you know we've got so many fixtures coming up and if we can get
00:13:23
Speaker
into an even semi-decent, maybe unbeaten run. We don't necessarily need to win them all, but if we go and get few games without losing, that confidence and that swagger will come back because they are all players that have played at a higher level. It shouldn't take them too long to remember once it's started to come back.
00:13:46
Speaker
We play terribly against Hull on Saturday and it maybe shifts again, but it certainly there's been enough in the past week to say, you know, we we're going to be competing. Yeah, that's another thing. Competing is bang right. You mentioned being angry at the ref. I was saying to some colleagues on Monday talking about the game on Saturday, how how refreshing it was to be furious at a referee, because whilst the last noise didn't
00:14:15
Speaker
get anything like the rub of the green with referees last season, by that point we were usually two or three goals down or nil, nil and expecting to lose anyway. So you almost, the game has to be somewhat in the balance in order for you to be cross at the referee. So just to be, that word competitive, you know, just to feel like there's something we could lose enough to be cross at the referee for it in his balance. And he was abysmal on Saturday in particular. So looking ahead to Hull,
00:14:46
Speaker
For the first time for positive reasons, there's a little bit of a selection headache for your man Smith. However, maybe Dimme's injury kind of fixes it for him because, you know, Sorenson doesn't have to be dropped now. He will basically stay at left back, right?
00:15:06
Speaker
You think so. Yeah. And I was about to make the same point. I think I don't know how bad McCallum's injury is. I haven't seen the bulletin on that. I thought he looked really good, actually, you know, both times that both on Saturday and on Tuesday night.
00:15:21
Speaker
I think he looked like the left back that we were sold, that we bought when he joined from Coventry, rather than someone who was perhaps a bit roaring. But yeah, you're bang right, because the thing that has always worried me about Surinson in the heart of midfield is he doesn't really feel like he's got the kind of dynamism or the energy or the kind of
00:15:45
Speaker
box to box element or whatever it might be that we need in English football to play as a midfielder. And I don't want to do a disservice to the guy because technically he looks like kind of a quite handy footballer, but probably call it urgency. He doesn't have that urgency to his play that we need in the engine room. So the fact that he's able to play fullback
00:16:08
Speaker
is brilliant. I think I've always thought that his genuinely his best position might be the right side of a three centre back. So the fact that he was deployed as a right back.
00:16:18
Speaker
He had, as our colleague Maddie McKenzie said, because when he had the play in front of him, he looked a lot more comfortable with what was happening. And I think the criticism of him in midfield is he hasn't reacted quick enough to situations. But if he can see those emerging in defence, then today maybe he's a bit more equipped to deal with that. So I liked the fact that he was playing right back. He took
00:16:40
Speaker
took on a few players and there was a few forays forward that I thought looked really promising because he hasn't got lightning pace so to be able to do that I think was interesting but at left back I don't know what it is, his passing seemed to be more effective, his passing seemed to be more accurate and actually that allowed the likes of Dow to actually get his head up you know because it was an accurate pass which he could kind of take first time because he was in space and it had been played quickly
00:17:08
Speaker
You know, it allowed that Dowell and kind of Sarah midfield interchange, you know, that positionally they were, they were interchanging quite a lot. It, it just gave us a bit more of a springboard, just having an accurate passer from defense. And I think Ben Gibson gave that to us actually last time out in the championship when he was playing at center back. He, the way he was able to fizz balls into midfield quickly and to see those passes quicker, maybe than a Hanley or an Obama deli or whoever's playing center back at that point.
00:17:35
Speaker
I don't know, it just, again, it's that urgency of play that you want Norwich to have because it feels like we're effective in that way. And the quicker we can get the likes of Dow, Sarah, Nunez, Campwell, on the ball, and, you know, turned, and actually with the opposition perhaps not quite set, I think that's going to be really important to the way in which we're looking to play. So, yeah, you're right. It fixes a...
00:17:58
Speaker
a midfield selection dilemma. I think Gibbs also gives him a healthy dilemma as well, because Liam Gibbs' penalty aside on Tuesday, which, I mean, two-step penalty, and he's pinged it in the top corner for whatever he is, and when a 19-year-old lad is absolutely crazy, you know, it was almost Todd Cantwell against Tottenham kind of proportions, that penalty. But the fact that he offered loads of energy, again, he was looking to play forward quite quickly,
00:18:25
Speaker
he just there was a fearlessness about his play and I guess that comes with youth but at the same time it comes with not having the scars of of the last you know kind of season in a bit. So yeah I think I'm not saying he's a shoo-in for a start on Saturday but I'd really I'd be really surprised if he's not a starter and probably gives us exactly what we need along with Sorensen actually playing as a fullback and and pinging it in because the one thing that worries me
00:18:53
Speaker
is that maybe Ben Gibson isn't quite fit yet, and he got a lot of detractors on Saturday, when are you like, hang on, this lad hasn't played any kind of football for three weeks. So people getting on his back isn't entirely helpful. Ama Bamadeli is still emerging as a centre-back. Grant Hanley isn't a passer, let's be honest, you know, kind of he's... No, he's a stopper.
00:19:12
Speaker
Yeah, he's a stopper. And look, I think, you know, he's underrated technically, but he's not someone who's going to ping balls in quickly and, you know, kind of launch attack. So the fact that we've now got that in our armory from defense, yeah, could be really, really important.
00:19:26
Speaker
Yeah, Hanley was terrific on Tuesday night. The first, the set piece, I can't remember if it was the first or the second one, the one that scored for the corner, it was the second one. So I don't know who it was that completely left to their man, but there was someone completely at the back post nodding in. But that kind of aside, I thought it was a really good, really good performance from
00:19:54
Speaker
the two guys at the back top. I thought Hanley was way too slow to press the ball for Birmingham's first goal. I think if you look at that back, he's possibly culpable for that, but I agree in broad terms. He was exposed a bit because we gave the ball away in midfield shock horror. I mean, that was Dowell.
00:20:12
Speaker
Unfortunately, we are now getting close to an 11 of different players who have already three games in, given away completely avoidable goals. But is that kind of fragility of mistake-laden play that thwarted us under Farka and is still an issue under Smith? I don't believe that
00:20:35
Speaker
You have these cultural things like, oh, they always play the ball on the floor. They always give things away. They're really good at coming from behind. That's not a thing. Football clubs, when you change manager and change players, that is fixable by changing the player and or changing the manager, you know, because they are mental lapses, mental mistakes. And you can, you can account for that by making sure when easy in that situation.
00:20:55
Speaker
you stop him from making a mistake because you make sure you split out and you give him two options or however the coaches solve that problem but we have to prevent situations occurring when we are making it, having to score two goals in order to get one goal in front. On the weekend, I don't know who you will start because I think both Sarah and
00:21:19
Speaker
I think it's Sarah or Gibbs, and I think it might come down to whether or not they think Sarah has had enough minutes and is ready to start. If he does, I think it will be him next to Kenny. But if they think, you know, what Gibbs has done enough to impress us, and Sarah may be looking at his, whatever they do, CO2 levels or however they judge his recovery over today and yesterday from Tuesday's game, maybe they start him on the bench and they say to Gibbs, hey, look, go on, go in there and play with Kenny.
00:21:47
Speaker
and see how you get on. But it's nice to be in a situation where as long as it's one of those two, if you're to mean that he plays in there alongside Kenny, I will be totally happy with Armid Field at least going into that game. And I haven't felt that way for a long time about Armid Field too.
00:22:03
Speaker
Off the back of that there, off the back of Tuesday, would you be looking at perhaps starting Dow alongside them or Todd alongside them? Because I thought Dow looked really, really sharp on Tuesday night. Until he gave the goal away, I didn't think he did a lot wrong. I think Cantwell has created loads. What about you, Zoe?
00:22:21
Speaker
I'd be surprised if it wasn't Todd, but I do think that Smith likes Dowell. I think there's something at the end of last season where it felt like he was a big fan. And Dowell was a big part of two years ago as well. And I don't think we need to be too worried if Dowell does get thrown in. I think he's got a lot at this level and he could be really useful. I think he's just got some, you know, sometimes he can
00:22:49
Speaker
perhaps not concentrate as much as he could do, but actually when he's on it and he can pick a pass unlike a lot of players in our side. So I think he'll get a run at some point, whether it comes on Saturday, I don't know. I think probably given Todd's recent history, giving Todd a decent run in the side is probably the right thing to do, to see where his head's at, to see where he comes out of it, I think, and hopefully try and build some of his confidence.
00:23:19
Speaker
I don't think not having Todd in the team at this stage would be helpful for either Todd or the rest of the team, probably. No, I completely agree. I think it will be Nunez, Campwell and Machitsa. I would have thought that Smith and maybe some fans would have liked O'Neal to have given him another selection headache. O'Neal has just got impact sub, especially at home, written all over him. He is a change of pace.
00:23:50
Speaker
in a China shot, but his final delivery is woeful.
00:23:56
Speaker
so many times on Tuesday, he gets you off your seat and then you sat back down again, cross over you where before you got up, because you've just created a fantastic opportunity and then you've pinged it across the box, or you've chosen the wrong option and hit it too hard. So it's almost like he gets as excited as we do, once he's beaten that second player. So either you try and coach, again, maybe by the use of other players, you say, right, when you get in this situation, Pookie's going to make sure he's always there. When you get in that situation,
00:24:23
Speaker
And if he was on the pitch, he's going to drift off there or whatever. However you do it through coaching until they can get a higher percentage or confidence of a higher percentage of quality is his final ball. I still think Rashidza is slightly better overall.
00:24:40
Speaker
in terms of, and he's got an assist, obviously, although he's an easy one, he has got an assist this season, Rashida. I think this might be Rashida's last chance to try and prove that, and Rashida needs to grasp it because Ida's not far off fitness, so when Ida is back, I can easily see him deployed across that front three, along with kind of Unas in Campwell behind, sorry, front three as in the three that support Pookie. One other thing I want to mention, because I haven't seen it talked about much yet from
00:25:08
Speaker
everyone else in covering Norwich. How cross and how different Pookie's demeanor seemed to be on Saturday. So twice we should have been tuning up on Saturday through chances that Pookie could have quite easily laid in. The first one was definitely Nunez. I'm not sure if it was Nunez again on the second one but twice he could have laid someone in for a tap in because we had an overload and he took the shot on
00:25:34
Speaker
and ended up not even getting past the defender that's closing down. That is really un-Pookie-like, and also the anger he showed when we gave away that pathetic goal against Wigan, putting both his fists to his face and bending over, doing what looked like a scream on the halfway line, facing away from the wrestling. That is not Pookie. I think he is cutting something of a frustrated figure. I don't know if you've picked up on any of that punty.
00:26:03
Speaker
Yeah, I did. And it kind of makes me sad because my one wish for this season, I think I wrote about this for the website, is that that man reaches 100 goals because he's been such a fine servant to this football club.
00:26:16
Speaker
that is, I think he's arguably, I think for me, he's top three like best strikers I've seen play for Nori Titty. He's really up there and he's such a likable character and he usually has been playing, not necessarily with a smile on his face, but you were kind of safe in the knowledge that that man was enjoying his football. Even I would say there was periods of last season where that was evident.
00:26:42
Speaker
And I just don't know, you don't know whether it is the club's insistence that he stayed at this football club and he saw out his contract. Or it's just the fact that the service is different and, you know, Onel has just plundered down the wing again and then just fucked up his cross or whatever it might be. You just, you don't know. And it would be really good to get, you know, 15 minutes with a guy just to say, what's up? Like, you know, what's going on in your head?
00:27:07
Speaker
Because if we can unlock him, if we can unlock that happiness and, you know, is the way in which he just goes through on goal and he seems to know what to do. He doesn't always execute it perfectly, but he seems to make the right decisions a lot of the time. If we can unlock that again, then, you know, we should be up there in the championship, shouldn't we? You know, kind of a man who would almost guarantee you 20 goals, you know, if you provide him with enough high quality chances, you should then be going and challenging.
00:27:36
Speaker
But he's never, he never, and I've said this ad nauseam on the podcast, he never really strikes me as a guy who's going to fit a 4-3-3, and that seems relatively insistent, or Smith seems relatively insistent on that, it's the formation that we're playing. And he almost scored, it's a bit like Grant Holt under Hughton, I would suggest. He almost scored goals last season in spite of the system that we were playing rather than because of the system.
00:27:58
Speaker
and we need to play to his strengths. Now, I do think that we've got the personnel to do that. Nunez, absolutely, Campwell, almost definitely, Dow, certainly seem to have a really good understanding with Pouquet last season, so I think we can get there, but it's about just finding
00:28:17
Speaker
the rhythm and the times that he makes his runs, because I think, I still think that a number 10 is just so, so important to the way in which he plays. And Marco Stieferman was almost perfect for him in that 18-19 season, because there was a telepathic understanding between him, Pookie, and Buendia about what was about to emerge. And we're going to have to build that again, and that takes time, and that takes patience. And I don't know, Pookie doesn't seem to be on that page. He wants it all now.
00:28:44
Speaker
And look, it could have all been different. He flicks it onto the bar, that drops in, suddenly there's a smile on his face. We win 2-1, we're third or fourth in the league, and everything is right with the world again. It just feels like it's an old adage, but he just needs a goal. He just needs a goal. And once he gets that, you kind of feel like three or four might follow.
00:29:06
Speaker
So then to Saturday, Zoe, Hull have gone win against Bristol City, draw against Preston, and then lost to Bradford in the Cup. We arrive in middling form, to say the least, but we're not in the bottom three yet. So what is the score going to be? Give us a guarantee, please, and a guaranteed score.
00:29:25
Speaker
Guaranteed scorer, I'm going to say, is Pookie. I would like to just add to John's point on Pookie. I was on this podcast, I think, almost exactly the same point two seasons ago. And we were talking about how sad Teemu looked and it was post-relegation again. I think it took him a couple of games to get going.
00:29:49
Speaker
and look what happened. I remember talking about the sadness in his eyes. That might have been a podcast title. It has happened before. He is a person that you
00:30:05
Speaker
can tell what he's thinking all the time like and I really value that in a player you know that he is honest like if he's disappointed you can tell he's disappointed if he thinks something's a joke he will you know he will be laughing sarcastically um you know I really value that he he shows his feelings and he's obviously frustrated you know he's gone through this cycle with us now twice of
00:30:29
Speaker
of huge success and then huge disappointment and it must be difficult for him to to get himself up again but I think like with all of us the moment we start winning again and this is obviously an if um it'll soon perk up I mean no no doubt about it um and I think maybe Saturday is the the time for that to happen maybe he can get going again he can score a couple we can win three one um and everything will be right with the world it'll all be fine
00:31:00
Speaker
Yeah, just looking, you're right. So two seasons ago, he scored in the first home game, but then he didn't score again until 24th of October. So, yeah, it was, he did get that first one early, but then it did take a while until he got going. Punt, kind of a guaranteed scorer and a guaranteed scorer from you. Can't say Pookie, because he's already been guaranteed. Yeah, all right. Well, I tell you what, I will go with Nunez. I think he loves a shot at boy and I... An Inca from the halfway line.
00:31:30
Speaker
You know, I mean, we haven't talked about that, have we? How ridiculous was it that he's tried to, you know, he's gone Ishmael Asar and tried to lob the keeper from inside his own half and keep it back and back. And I'm not I'm not going to I'm not going to go. It's just that's just recently biased, isn't it? Yeah. Although then he can either penalty and obviously Nunez could there. Yeah, I fancy him to get on the score sheet very soon. So, yeah, I will. I will say he will score. And I think we're going to win two nil. Love it.
00:32:00
Speaker
Yeah, I think we're going to win 3-0. And I think it was time for a Pookie Grace. And Kenny's going to score a glancing header from a corner a la Man City. So that's that sorted, so they're guarantees for you. We've got three choices of guarantee. So far, no one's got it even nearly right this season on our podcast. We've got some listening questions. Please, for the hundredth time,
00:32:27
Speaker
in this podcast series, can we have some list of questions? We can, sir, we can. We've got lots of really good ones today. Stephen Pass on Twitter, I think I'll pick first, and he asks, did the club pick the wrong South Americans put on the side of the stadium? Zoe, how ridiculous is it that a man who hadn't even started a game for this football club suddenly hero status on the side of the South stand?
00:32:52
Speaker
It's certainly an interesting choice. I'm not mad about it. I think it's, from what you can tell, I don't think that it will be too phasing for him. Plus they had to pick someone we'd just signed because what if we sell any of the others? Yeah, I don't think it will be too much pressure for him, but it will be very interesting to see how the season pans out for him. We don't want to get our hopes up too much.
00:33:21
Speaker
for it. Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if there's something to do with it's the only picture they had where the image format was in the right ratio or was in the right file type or that they happened to have on the desktop when the people said we really do need the picture now to send it. Not saying too much about what goes on at Carrow Road. But yeah, I think Nunez may well become the story of the season. That was obviously what we hoped when we signed in and
00:33:51
Speaker
he hasn't done anything in his first, you know, Aaron or 100 minutes of football at Carrow to suggest anything other than he's going to be all eyes on him. Not in the same way as Emi, but effectively, as in, not in the same actions on the pitch as Emi, but in the same way as as soon as he's got the ball, you know, the excitement level goes up a notch around the stadium. So it might be that he is replacing when we sell that on the van Adele for 35 million. It might be that we then replace his picture with Emi's.
00:34:19
Speaker
There's a couple of gaps still around the ground, but I'm sure they're waiting for the transfer window to close before they fill them. Well, you know, Gabrielle Sarah, well, he's definitely going to be here. He can't leave. So let's stick him up on the side. And I'm a Bama Deli signed a new contract. So that's safe too. Yeah. Whereas, you know, someone who perhaps would be, who've been more deserving, I don't know, like a Grant Hanley or a, maybe the second of September team news going up.
00:34:46
Speaker
It may well be that as soon as they are 100% sure, he's going to be there until at least Christmas. Anyway, yeah, it does seem strange that if they weren't 100% sure, I know you can't be 100% sure, but unless they were really... Yeah, maybe there is something in that. Maybe they were so uncertain that he was definitely not going anywhere that they didn't dare put him up.
00:35:09
Speaker
So my youngest is a junior canary for the first time this season and junior canaries under the age of 12 get free shirt printing. So, you know, she has the new shirt. Obviously, she had that on day of release because it was so gorgeous. And I said, who do you want? And it was Pookie. And I was like, just just hold on, mate. Just hold on. Hold you hard until the end of August. And then we'll we'll talk about it. So
00:35:33
Speaker
Yeah, it's a tricky one. It really wouldn't surprise me. I've said this elsewhere that, you know, if I say like a top 10 Premier League club get an injury to either their frontline or backup striker, but that's a six month, I don't know, ACL or something like that, actually is Pookie. Pookie's a really good option, isn't he? Just maybe sign on a two year contract for a six, seven million pound punt, you know, kind of that. That's the kind of player that a lot of Premier League teams might take a gamble on.
00:36:00
Speaker
If you've got a supply line and a couple of really good 10s, for example, Vardy does an Achilles or something, I can see him. Leicester have got about seven really good number 10s. I can see him playing for Leicester. Or Brighton. Brighton, I think, would be a really good fit. Yeah, exactly. They play football the right way, create the right kind of chances.
00:36:20
Speaker
I can see that happening, but I don't want to wish injury to anyone, and certainly not when it means we might not have seen him. So I'm hoping, like you, that he gets 100 goals in this season. Right, next question. Let's go, let's go, let's go. All right. Mick Saunders, Tom, this is a question for you. Are the new sexy dancing lights at Carrow Road too bright? And I'm only asking what's Tom, because you haven't seen him yet, Zoe. So sexy.
00:36:43
Speaker
I'm not sure they're sexy, they're definitely bright. I thought there was going to be a lot more going on. So now we've actually seen a goal scored in both league and cup action. And I know it wasn't really dark enough on the Saturday for the Max's Thunder Strike. Is that what you're calling that, a Thunder Strike? No, we scored a goal. Every goal is a Thunder Strike.
00:37:07
Speaker
Well, I did go nuts. It was amazing. I haven't felt that excited about an original for a long time. No, I really was underwhelmed. They're too bright.
00:37:16
Speaker
But I was under the impression that when we scored, they were going to do all sorts of mad flashing things, and there might be messaging in any decent things. I think it might be pre-game. I think it might be pre-game that they're planning that, but also it has to be dark enough for them to be able to do that in some kind of light show. Mate, it was dark enough on Tuesday. Those lights were so bright, it was insane. Well, yeah, but I think maybe pre-match, because the sun hadn't even probably set over the south stand pre-match. Probably some point in pre-match. I want it as a goal, so I appreciate it. Oh, well, well. Don't shoot the messenger.
00:37:46
Speaker
Well, you're all that's available. So I'll shoot you. And then if someone comes looking the same way, what happens to our message, I'll shoot them as well. Fair enough. Fair enough.
00:37:55
Speaker
But yeah, I mean, they were. They are too bright, Mick, yes. Blindingly, you know, bright. I mean, don't stare too closely at them. Yeah, all that, all that. Zoe, we'll have the next one for you then. Mrs Rory on Twitter, and he asks, are Hanley and Gibson, who we're seriously going with, or is Delia just trolling?
00:38:16
Speaker
I mean, I'm presuming that he thinks that Delia is now in charge of squads. Oh, she picks two. Yeah. And why not? Anyway, it's a Smith. So for the purposes of this exercise, who is your first choice centre back pairing now? It's a really good question. Certainly there were lots of conversations about it in the car on the way down on Saturday morning at God knows what time it was.
00:38:43
Speaker
Because ideally, right, your ideal pairing would be Gibson and Omer Bamedeli in terms of left foot, right foot. Gibson is, as previously discussed, I guess, in inverted commas, the footballer, you know, he's the passer. He was so effective two years ago in that position. He doesn't look fit or confident at the moment.
00:39:08
Speaker
So it's a tough question. In terms of long term partnership, that's the one you'd probably want to go for. It's very unfair on Grant Hanley, who's an absolute powerhouse and has got a giant head, which is always useful in various situations.
00:39:26
Speaker
But yeah, that would be the pairing. At the moment, it's a bit of a concerning pairing because I'm not sure Gibson is quite there. But whether that's what he's aiming for in the long run, it'll be really interesting to see once we settle into the season. I think you raise a good point about Gibson because
00:39:43
Speaker
I mean, Smith ditched him last season. Smith brought in Sam Byron as an emergency centre-back ahead of Ben Gibson. So you wonder whether the confidence has been lost off the back of, does this manager actually rape me? And I thought it was a bold move for Smith to bring him back and to immediately elevate him to Skipper. I mean, all right, you could have looked around and is there any other candidates apart from maybe Tim Krul and then do you want your goalkeeper to be to be captain? I don't know. I'm never really a particularly big fan of that.
00:40:12
Speaker
I don't know. He looks half the player that he was, and I really hope that that is a lack of fitness rather than a lack of anything else, i.e. his game has deteriorated to a point where he can't play because, as you say, he is the passer in any sense back pairing that we would play. Tom, what did you think of the American lad, Tom Kinston, on Tuesday? Because I thought he was really effective. And one thing that I picked up on
00:40:37
Speaker
is that he was barking instructions at way more senior players and I really like that when a young lad comes in and does that.
00:40:45
Speaker
Well, he's also not that young. He's not as young as Gibbs, is he? I think he's, is he not like 21? I will Google it. You talk sense and I'll Google it. Yeah, no, I, cause I've got a feeling that he's one of those that's been around the squad. He's actually been around the first team longer than Gibbs has and has sort of nearly made it, but not, not quite been put into it yet. 20 years old. Yeah. Okay. It's 20, not 21. But yeah, he, he, he certainly has the aura of a, of an older centre fact. Personally, I don't think,
00:41:14
Speaker
If he's fit and he plays for me, if we're in a situation where he wasn't fit and any sense of background like we had with Godfrey and Zimmerman, if we're in a situation where he can't play and we have a suite of games where two Cenobacs hold it down, fine, of course, you don't argue with that.
00:41:32
Speaker
This early on in the season, Hanmee is the first center back name on team sheet for me. He offers so much intensity. He makes the odd mistake, but they are the odd mistake. Most of the Norwich, shoot yourself in the foot is not from him. And I would personally go with him and not with Amadele. And I think that's, I see loads of potential in him and I would like to, you know, I'd like to be talking some more. I would like us to try like a five
00:42:00
Speaker
five, two, one, two, or five, you know, some kind of variation of five, three, two, because having three centre backs with maybe Hanley in the middle and Tompkins from one side or on the Bambidelli one side and Sorenson the other, or with Byron comes back and Byron was one of a kind of a right centre back or left centre back.
00:42:19
Speaker
I think that could work really nicely for us building from the back. Especially because it looks like we're going to have way more of the ball this season and it looks like most of what we're going to be defending is stuff coming through the middle because that's where most chances seem to have happened against us. So against these rubbish teams we've played so far that might be slightly different against the better teams when we start playing them. But yeah for me it has to be handling.
00:42:46
Speaker
I'm, I get what you're saying. I think I'm with Zoe in so much as just Oma Bamadeli and Gibson feel like a better partnership. And I wonder whether there's an element of 18. Yeah, I think you will. I think you're right. Yeah. But but I think moving forward, I think Zoe is absolutely bang on the money that they feel like a better partnership and might click better together, because they've got a bit of everything that we need. And I wonder whether there's an element of
00:43:14
Speaker
2018-19 here where Zoe, I don't want to make you well up because I know you're very fond of them both, but Tim Closer and then Christoph Zimmerman came together earlier in the season and formed a formidable partnership and then later on in the season, Zimbo kind of carried that on with Ben Godfrey and Hanley didn't really get a look in because of the fine form of the other centre backs and that was really harsh on him because whenever he was called upon, and I know he had an injury early on, but whenever he was called upon, he did a perfectly fine job
00:43:43
Speaker
But I just think maybe again, thinking about that, so how do we get the ball into midfield quicker? And I'm about my daily actually steps out of defence really effectively as well, which is something we've never really talked about on the pod. I just think their particular strengths might suit the way that we play a little bit better. But look, I mean, they're really great options to have because the three lads that we're talking about there are all top class centre backs. Right, let's have a couple more questions.
00:44:09
Speaker
I really like this question. Tom, let's start with you here. This is Alan or at big underscore Al on Twitter who asks, has our strict no dickhead policy inadvertently created a team of low confidence players with fragile mindsets? I'm not sure we've been as hot on the no dickhead thing this summer. Talk to me about that then. Which dickheads have we signed?
00:44:38
Speaker
Well, we've got someone who shoots from the halfway line and tries to pin him, because he's early in his career. Oh, OK. But according to the last pod, we were saying how much of a lovely, nice boy he was. Yeah, happy, lovely boy. Yeah, that's exactly what I was going to say. Adam Brandon, you know, South African South American football expert, he probably knows more about South African football than me.
00:45:01
Speaker
and he he was saying how actually he's you know amazingly humble christian laden etc so no i i think i don't think we have got that i think there is plenty of there's plenty of attitude to um the way that that thou plays football i think there's plenty of attitude to the way that mccallum plays football um you know i like
00:45:20
Speaker
I know that we didn't bring him in under that era, but both Max and Todd play with Swagger and a very self-confident lads. Hugo might be a nice human being, but my goodness me, he plays football in an aggressive way. We've still got Hanley. I mean, I wouldn't want to do even five minutes on a football pitch with Hanley. I think there's enough aggression
00:45:45
Speaker
I mean, we've got probably the best shithouse and keeper I have ever seen, and especially my Norwich side of things. Tim Crow is so good at cheating. It's interesting how little I notice this. He's a wonderful human though, is Tim. A wonderful human. But the point is, that is kind of my point. That policy is for off the pitch. I think it's possible for someone to be horrible off the pitch, and we've minded on it.
00:46:10
Speaker
I think it's possible for someone to be a wonderful charitable human off the pitch and the nasty bugger on it. And interesting on Tim Cruell, we've seen a fantastic amount of time wasting because of the teams we've been playing and the fact we've been behind in those games.
00:46:26
Speaker
interesting how he doesn't get agitated and shout at his closest referee's assistant. And I always I'm looking for him to do it just so I can say I don't think you think God's house is throwing stones at him because you waste time more than any people I've ever seen. But yeah, we've got one more time for one more question, John.
00:46:45
Speaker
Is that what you're saying, right? Hang on then. Let me have a good, a good troll through. And we have had loads and we do appreciate it. We have had lots and lots and lots. We've just cradled on with our guarantees about harm and other things. Zoe, you have to pick the best question and then that, that questioner wins some, a long-term Norwich merch. But anyway. Questioner? Questionee? Are we the questionees? Pay us some last question. Fuck's sake. Right. Okay.
00:47:12
Speaker
This is from Bear Swift, and it says, are the club doing enough to support the women's team and female fans in general? Zoe, kick us off without. Yeah, it's such a tough one. I would not profess to be an expert on the women's side of the game at Norwich City, so I don't want to speak from any kind of position of authority there. I think it's a real tough one for the club.
00:47:40
Speaker
I think it would be really good if they could play at Carrow Road at least a couple of times a season, really allow some ticketing initiatives, some really good pricing schemes that allow people to get down to the ground. It's easy to get there. It's in the city centre. You can go and watch them. It'll be really easy.
00:48:00
Speaker
suddenly promising to let them play at Carrow Road for every game might make things logistically a little bit difficult. So there are some fine lines to play. I think it feels like we're maybe a little bit further behind some of the other clubs.
00:48:17
Speaker
but again I'm not an expert so I wouldn't know. In terms of looking after women in general at the club I think it's always been a good club to be a woman at. I've always felt very lucky in that respect of supporting a team that it wasn't weird and I've always said you know there's a lot of things to say about Delia but Delia having been in charge for so long has kind of made women at our club
00:48:44
Speaker
a normal thing and it's accepted and it's fine. You go to some other grounds and you can really see that there's nowhere near as many women there as there are when you go to Carrow Road. It's a good place to be. I think generally football has become a worse place to be over the last few years. I don't think, especially away games, I feel like there's a weird vibe these days of anger and disquiet which
00:49:13
Speaker
can be unsettling. I think that comes from the women as much as the men. So not necessarily saying that, you know, in terms of, you know, football in general, I think is struggling a little bit with probably what's going on in the wider political landscape. So that's probably a bit too bigger discussion to go into at the end of the podcast. But, you know, I think Norwich has always encouraged inclusion and people feeling comfortable to be themselves. And yes, we could probably do more for the women's team, but
00:49:43
Speaker
Yeah, I think there's a long way to go. There always is with these things. I think it's really interesting you touch on the price points and the ticketing and all that. I think the club have got an announcement to make probably this week about women's ticketing and the women's football team in general and what this season is going to look like. Because I think, let's face it, they're going to look to capitalise on the success of the lionesses and see if they can get more people involved. And I would say, I mean, I take my two girls to go and watch the women's team
00:50:13
Speaker
as regularly as we can and very often there's you know they play on Sunday so if you've been to the Norwich game on a Saturday that might be a bit too much as a family but if you can get down there the the home that they have built for the women's team at the Nest is a fantastic facility it's a really nice vibe there's there's not any of that maybe that toxicity that that you reference Zoe you know it is I would encourage anyone the only issues really are logistically if you if you haven't got
00:50:38
Speaker
Access to your and transport getting out to you know near Norwich Airport can be a difficulty But you know if you're able to get there I would definitely encourage people and I know the price point is going to be really really affordable So I'm yeah, definitely get down there if you can this season Right. Well, we've covered everything. I think we need to cover You know what scores are going to be and hope you know that we are very impressed and excited by the fact this era might be just ready to kick off finally on the Smith and
00:51:05
Speaker
So thank you very much for chatting with us. Thank you very much for chatting with us. John, I acknowledge you have been on, what was it, 97, did we work out of the 100 podcasts? This is my 98th of the 100 podcasts, yeah. Well, we have done the 100 and anyone who's listened to all 100, I wonder if there is anyone who has done. I edit it and I don't think I've heard all of them. I guarantee there's definitely one that's in one of the Alongcoming Age WhatsApp groups. I guarantee he has.
00:51:32
Speaker
Okay. Well, thank you to anyone who has listened to more than a couple. The fact that, you know, a thousand or so people keep listening to us prattle on is really nice. And I was thinking about over the hundred podcasts, the amount of things that have changed in the last four seasons or so. And there's some fairly obvious medical situations that have occurred. But in terms of John mentioning his girls, I took Ruth to my oldest, to his first competitive game this week.
00:51:58
Speaker
And, you know, there are some older people who are no longer coming to football with us that were coming to football with us when we first started this podcast. So we've had Farka, we've had promotions, we've had all sorts that have happened over the period of time. We've been prattling on and it is prattling on. I mean, come on, we don't know what we're talking about. Sometimes we have sensible people on, but normally it's people like me, Pun and Zoe talking nonsense. And Zoe's perfectly sensible, mate. We're doing the dickheads here, don't worry about that.
00:52:22
Speaker
I was just trying to drag it down to our level and I think that's what we've always been about. Not self promotion, not trying to get clicks, not trying to get likes, not trying to get subscribed, not trying to get sponsorship, not trying to get above our own station, not pretending we know anything more than anyone else sitting watching football. But if you've enjoyed any point in the last hundred pods of us prattling on, I think it was the first ever podcast review we had was, it sounds like overhearing people in the corner of a pub and part of that was because of our audio quality at the time as well.
00:52:53
Speaker
And thank you, because we do enjoy doing it. And here's to maybe at least another five. I won't commit to 100, but at least a few more. Enjoy the game on Saturday. The new era starts now.