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#213 The OTB Season Preview 2026/27
1 Playsin 8 hours
The OTB podcast is back for a new season - and it's time for Philippe Clement to turn honeymoon period into honeymoon permanent (it sounds better when Dan says it).
Host Ryan Livermore, and panellists Dan Brigham, Zoe Morgan and Steve Sanders, are as ever in optimistic pre-season mood, and maybe justifiably this season, with the return of our friend continuity and Big Phil at the helm.
The gang submit their predictions on who'll be player of the season, who'll breakthrough, and where the Canaries finish (one of the panel has the temerity to put them 5th, naming no names...), and plenty more shouts which are sure to age like milk.
Plus brand new features, gulls on the pitch, bus kits, dark horses, light horses, farting horses, URL trouble, Atomic Kitten and some lovely white trousers. Imagine OTB 2025/26 but (EVEN) better, and you're pretty much there.
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Transcript
Podcast Introduction and New Features
00:00:14
Speaker
Hello and welcome back to OTB, a Norwich City podcast. The Norwich City show back once again in a brand new way for the 26-27 season.
00:00:25
Speaker
I'm your host, Ryan Livermore, and kicking off this season at OTB, we look back at a summer of fine tuning towards a season that should have you swooning. and give you our predictions that'll be sure to have you cowering. And we've got a handful of new features to come this year as well.
00:00:46
Speaker
Your regular OTB crew are back and ready to go for this brand new season. The first member finds this episode easiest of all, as this is the one where she just has to copy and paste her predictions from last year. It's Zoe Morgan. Hello, Zoe. What are the odds on you predicting us to finish first again this year?
00:01:04
Speaker
Well, hello, Ryan. Hello, everyone. um Well, I can't possibly spoil the surprise for for what's coming later. but Is it a surprise? Well, you know, I like to stick to my own personal brand of being optimistic before anything has even happened.
00:01:20
Speaker
Absolutely. And hey, I wouldn't have it any other way and neither would our next guest either.
Meet the Hosts: Teasers and Predictions
00:01:25
Speaker
ah This next one is back to make his own predictions that will inevitably come back to haunt him if last year is anything to go by. It's Dan Brigham. Daniel, do you remember when you were single-handedly responsible for the downfall of Norwich City at that period in time when you said we should appoint Liam Manning as manager and the rest is history? Yeah. Hello, Ryan. Hello, everyone.
00:01:45
Speaker
i i was pumped to be back. um Nice that you've already deflated my tyres, though. I do i do remember bigging up Liam Manning and how that went. Yeah.
00:01:56
Speaker
Yeah. I have nothing else to really say on that, apart from the fact that I will bring this up sporadically every single summer, even if we're in like a Champions League winning campaign the year before, I will still bring up the summer of 2025. Does this mean I can't big up Big Phil?
00:02:10
Speaker
ah ah Is it a curse now? yeah Oh, yeah. Do you know what? If you could just shut up for the rest of the pod, that would be great. Thank you. And finally, it's our statistical salami, numerical and douja, calculative chorizo. And no, I don't know why I wrote those either. It's Big Brat vs. Steve Saunders.
00:02:34
Speaker
Wow, I got a much better intro than Dan. Incredible. I love sausages as well. You'll love my big brows. ah i Have I joined joined the right podcast? i' on the I don't know. Is it just going to be smut?
00:02:49
Speaker
I've spent so much time on thesaurus.com to try and find different alliterations for numerical words. And this week it was sausages. So...
00:02:59
Speaker
I think you had it up until the end. You just spoiled it the end. It's our big brat first. I'll take it. Absolutely. I had a lovely summer. Thank you. good I'm glad.
Latest Headlines and Season Outlook
00:03:13
Speaker
I'm very glad. Let's kick off the new season with a brand new feature. It's Zoe Morgan with this week's headlines.
00:03:37
Speaker
City score four in a thumping cup win, but this is England, so the best bit for everyone, obviously the seagull on the pitch.
00:03:47
Speaker
Norwich City players turning up to Saturday's game wearing the life jackets from their pre-season training camp, surprised to learn football doesn't it actually involve building your own boat.
00:03:59
Speaker
Philippe Clement finds financing a left winger with his own body parts tougher than expected. so I give you a finger and you want my own?
00:04:10
Speaker
In an OTB exclusive, we can reveal that Paul Warren is a Norwich City fan, a secret that has until now remained closely guarded.
00:04:22
Speaker
And finally, over on social media, John Ruddy's getting punchy again, this time with an Instagram post slagging off the Norwich City Academy. It's still not worth it, John.
00:04:36
Speaker
It has been quite the summer so far, hasn't it, Zoe? um What is the biggest shift from last summer to this one, would you say? oh it just all feels so calm, really, doesn't it? Even even when things happen, it just feels like we're being run very steadily, very tightly. i think the inherent trust that people have with Big Phil just goes a long way. Like, it it just feels like he's got it in hand. He's going to be working really hard.
00:05:05
Speaker
It's all sorted. kind of feels like he's getting what he wants when he asks for things. um Yeah, big fan of this sort of sort of sailing along like a very graceful swan.
00:05:17
Speaker
It's the first time in a few seasons, Dan, where we've gone into the next campaign with the same head coach we finished the last campaign with. How important is that continuity and I guess a a lack ah of or an extended honeymoon period? Because it doesn't feel like the honeymoon period with Big Phil will ever end, does it?
00:05:35
Speaker
No, it's honeymoon permanent rather than honeymoon period, which is definitely a phrase. um it's not and it's It's not just the coaching set up as well. it's It's the squad. It's the first time we've not had a huge turnover in numbers, which is what it which is what we needed after a big old influx over the last two or three seasons of of younger players. And now, you know, we'll Probably talk about signings. I'm sure we've brought sort of four in, potentially a fifth because of injury. But it means that squad is being trusted after their sort of achievements when Big Phil came in last season. Trusted as a really competitive championship outfit that needed just a little bit of fine tuning.
00:06:17
Speaker
And I think, you you know, you can never read too much into pre-season ah content that the club puts out. But the fact they do seem to be having at a really good time, that they are enjoying each other's company. You know, you just see what, you know, Torre's reaction to Ali Ahmed's injury. You can see that it's really close-knit and that kind of sort of at closeness.
00:06:40
Speaker
can't really be forged when you've got, say, 12 new signings coming in, people departing. It can only really be forged when they spend a lot of time in each other's company um and had a little bit of success as well and know how to win football
Preseason Reflections and Team Continuity
00:06:53
Speaker
matches. So yeah, from top to the bottom,
00:06:56
Speaker
It feels really aligned and that that I guess includes Ben Napa as well because even you know a few months into Clement's reign here when things were going well, i think a lot of people were still dubious about whether Napa should survive the season. um And I think we can sort of sit here now and think that it that was a really good decision to make sure that he stayed there for the sake of continuity.
00:07:19
Speaker
Steve, it feels like they've actually had a proper preseason this year. And when you can compare that to last year, when i don't think anyone inside the club knew what they were doing, let alone what was going on outside of it as well. um Results can't be looked into too much. But as Dan alluded to there, in the wider context of things, it does look like it's been a successful preseason, doesn't it?
00:07:39
Speaker
Yeah, it certainly seems better than one where everyone has three games and you have two teams playing on the same day, whatever sort of madness it was we we did 12 months ago. um The results themselves haven't been ah outstanding, I would say. I don't think any of our strikers scored in pre-season, could be wrong about that, but we didn't score a whole heap. but um I mean, I've completely won over on Saturday and they just look so they look so much fitter at the start of the season than they did last season. I mean, just a couple of laps around a football pitch might have been enough to achieve that. But, you know, that they the the pressing is already there. They look like a unit that knows how to play together. You know, it's it'll be a long season. And...
00:08:23
Speaker
who knows where they'll be come May, but certainly we're going into it a lot better prepared than um than than we have been in in recent years. And as as Dan's pointed out, the continuity is there. I you know i talked talked about at the end of last season. um i definitely didn't want us to sign a whole heap of players. It's not sexy. It's not exciting. But does it give us the best chance of going up this season if we've got ah ah a good manager and a group of players who already know each other um and have tasted,
00:08:54
Speaker
a relative amount of success together albeit over a short period i would i would say that puts us in in it on on a really good footing going into this season given how last season ended zoe there was never going to be wholesale changes to the squad uh can we be happy with the the business that's been done so far yeah i think um it was important not to not to break that spirit that they that they'd found at the end of last season. That's got to be worth something. I think that what they managed to do before before the end of the season when when Big Phil came in, um it was really interesting when I think Connor said something to Clement in the post-match interview on Saturday. um about the players and he said well nine months ago you thought they were all rubbish um so which is you know it's quite an interesting point that um you know we were sorry to inter interrupt but to be fair so did Big Phil as well he loved talking about before he he joined and how rubbish everyone was they certainly thought they were all fat at that point as well didn't they and um and unfit but
00:10:03
Speaker
I think like it just goes to show what a bit of ah hard work, unity, kind of concentration on a group of players can do. um and I think it was important, again, probably for Ben Knapper, for us to stick with a lot of these players. Because if we can if we can show that we can get a tune out of them, I think that's important for his reputation as well and and what what it means going forward. So, um yeah, I don't think...
00:10:32
Speaker
I don't think we need lots of new players. It seems like we can really actually afford to buy lots of new players in the in the way that financial fair play works and all of that. So um it's just really nice going into the season being so familiar already with a lot of our players. We don't have to learn um you know their quirks and their idiosyncrasies and all all of that. We've got this group that we're familiar with, that we like, that we're sort of, I guess, sort of growing up with as as lots of them are are really really young.
00:11:00
Speaker
um And I am absolutely here for the idea that they're all best friends as well. Like the Torre, Ahmed thing is absolutely just a killer um in terms of how heartwarming that is. um And yeah, I want them to be all one big happy family.
Challenges: Ali Ahmed's Injury
00:11:15
Speaker
It's lovely.
00:11:16
Speaker
let Let's talk about the Ali Ahmed situation, Dan. I don't want to bring the mood down, but it's obviously absolutely awful what's what's happened happened to him. um Just as we thought kind of luck with injuries was eventually turning around. I know the club had a few contact injuries throughout preseason, but that is that is the definition of bad luck, isn't it?
00:11:36
Speaker
Yes, yes. horrible for first few minutes of his comeback after you know going to the World Cup as a player for the host nation as well. um just ah and There's something about it happening in pre-season.
00:11:49
Speaker
rather than through the middle of the season. So he hasn't even got that sort of football under his belt. He hasn't got that experience of, you know, at least getting 10, 15 games as part of the season. He must feel in a really sort of odd, dark place now where this season kind of doesn't exist for him. So mentally, it must be really tough. I've got no doubt that he's been well looked after and it's clear that he's got a lot of good friends um at the club and it was nice to see him there on Saturday um as well.
00:12:18
Speaker
ah and ah And just a big, you could see the way Big Phil reacted when he went down. It's sort of blood drained from him, looks like, because he's obviously a massive fan of Ali Ahmed. um And let's not forget when Ali Ahmed came in, the left-hand side was a real problem position for us last season. um And he came in and hit the ground sort of running immediately, which is pretty rare for someone coming from overseas and moving to the championship. And he did give us something that we desperately needed, a bit of variation on the left side. Especially when you consider a sorry you consider as well that he had played basically an entire season, had like three weeks off and then played half of another season as well. Yeah, and you saw it you know his performances did drop a little bit towards the end, which you know you can A, put down to teams working them out or B, him playing just a vast amount of games and needing rest and also C, having a right-footed left-back behind him for most of that time as well because of injuries. But it's clear that he's a really smart footballer. He picks things up really well. He grew...
00:13:23
Speaker
um The way he adapted suggested he could grow really, really quickly this season as well. So it is a really big blow. I'm sure we'll go on to talking about the squad. I don't think it's quite as fatal as maybe some people are saying and sort of emotionally saying quite rightly and in the aftermath of it. I do think we've got really good variation in that in that front four still. um But yeah, i mean like he made such a big difference when we were trying to sort of break down low blocks as well because he's not your conventional getting behind sort of winger, get across in. He's sort of he's much better at a little short passes into the box that can break teams down. So we'll miss that.
00:13:59
Speaker
um ah But I'm just more gutted for him really having to sit on the sidelines for such a long time. It's such um a like ah ah a sadistic, cruel industry is football, Steve, because he's been injured for a week now and people are already talking about how to replace him, which is unfortunately part and parcel of of the game. But do you see the replacing of him to be a temporary solution or should they go into the market for a player who's more than likely going to fill those boots for a couple of seasons and then provide that competition once he's back?
00:14:34
Speaker
Well, I think by the sounds of it, we don't really have the finances to to bring in a permanent player who's going to immediately slot in on the left-hand side. um So, i mean, who knows? you You have to think that the club are going to have had contingency plans in for every single first-team player. if it what What if they were out for a prolonged period of time and we didn't have them for the whole season? So you think they would have names ready. I would have thought a loan would make sense, particularly as you can kind of you've you've got that extra carrot for the, the not the selling team, but the the loaning out team to say- The parent club.
00:15:10
Speaker
Thank you. now There's always a phrase there. um to To be able to say, well, they're going to get game time because we know they will. Like, you know, I know Schwartel has done a pretty serviceable job out there in, ah well, the last pre-season game and then on Saturday. But we don't really have a fit left winger right now. So, and there will surely be plenty out there who we could loan. It's just about finding the right fit for this squad. So, yeah, that that would be my option. But yeah, the noises from the club are that we don't have that much money to spend. So unless we kind of find, i don't know,
00:15:45
Speaker
Dan's going to shudder at the name like an Emi Marcondes who's unattached to somebody that doesn't have a club. I personally would rather we get some hungry kind of 20, 21-year-old in. um Who the hell that is?
00:15:57
Speaker
I don't know. But I mean, Dan said that Ali Ahmed hit the ground running and he did that figuratively and literally. And he did run and run and run last season. And that's going to be part of the thing that we miss. It's not just his ability, but his availability as well. He played...
00:16:11
Speaker
so much football and we absolutely needed him to in that position and and and they are going to miss just having his minutes on the pitch particularly with Diallo not yet for fit Absolutely. Absolutely. Get well soon, Ali Ahmed. um Zoe, let's talk about
Exciting Match Highlights and Performances
00:16:25
Speaker
Saturday. ah wow What a way to start the season, right? I mean, it's a bit of unorthodox starting the season with the Carabao Cup fixture, but up until five or six minutes before kickoff, it felt very much like a going through the motions type affair. And then the team walked out and it was a true season opener, wasn't it?
00:16:45
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, i certainly wasn't expecting what I saw. It it surprised me. It was very exciting. ah But that's enough about Big Phil's white trousers. Trey Continental. I loved it. um Yeah, I mean, it was... ah you get You score within the first minute. Obviously, it's going to be quite quite an impactful start. But um yeah, you'd sort of...
00:17:14
Speaker
forgotten, I suppose, what this team could be like. um Yes, you know, you can look, you can think back to last season and you look at the results and but you so almost almost forgotten, like how they managed to get in that position. And it, you know, that sort of relentless way in which they sometimes start games. um They don't take their foot off the pedal very much. I think it absolutely could have been easy for them to to ease themselves into Saturday's game, given the opponents, given the situation.
00:17:48
Speaker
They didn't. I think it's really obvious that a lot of them are playing in a place where there was competition for their spot, um which I think really encourages them to keep going. um And it was, oh, it's just, yeah, it was just really great, really exciting.
00:18:06
Speaker
Simply cannot imagine we're going to lose at all this season. Dan Norwich fan Paul Warren who's a Norwich fan by the way I don't know if you knew that no way Norwich fan Paul Warren is a Norwich fan yeah he's from around here as well apparently no I don't believe that blows my no you hear him speak I'm like you are not from Norfolk at all he does keep that quiet doesn't he he really does doesn't he he's like he's in his blood or something like that I don't know he said that 4-1 flattered MK Dons is that a fair assessment Yes.
00:18:36
Speaker
Yes. Yeah, it could have been six or seven. For the question. um i I like Paul Warren. I don't like his football or or his teams. um And if you wanted a sort of nice bridge between pre-season and then into the league season, then I think his sort of MK Don's team served that up very nicely for us. Sort of quite sort of competitive in places, but equally allowed us lots of space to to go in, play in in there as well. It was really... um
00:19:11
Speaker
heartwarming to see kenny mclean sort of just picking up from where he left off despite you know being pretty probably certainly norwich's oldest player maybe the oldest player on the pitch although mk paul warne does like an older player and within you know the 40 seconds winning the ball back by pressing and then putting a lovely through ball in as well it's sort of it's great to see that you know our captain led by example immediately And it was nice to see the balance that Brooks brought on the right as well, because my goodness, the right hand side of our XI was such a problem position all of last season. um And he sort of immediately looked like he fitted in, not just because he you know showed what his talent was on the ball, but i really liked his work off the ball he did his sort of reminding me of the way Emi Buendia would also often win the ball back sort of um just ah just over the halfway line and set an attack going like that he worked really really hard off the ball which obviously is right in Clement's wheelhouse and why we obviously went after him and paid quite a lot of money for him as well um it just felt like there was real balance to our side there doesn't appear to be sort of a really glaring weakness sort of you know barring obviously more injuries happening but we've got really solid central midfield with lots of energy and also you know an eye for a pass with kenny and mattson we've got a bit of class at the back now cordoba once again reminding us you know he is probably he is coasting through the end of last season because he was just he is a step above this division already i think
00:20:44
Speaker
And we've got an unbelievable amount of variety, even with poor old Ali Ahmed's injury in the front four as well. I mean, it it is only ah as ever with us and any team, really a few injuries from us being in you know a bit a bit of trouble. But right now there's more depth than there was last season, a bit more variety. um And although we can't really tell too much from you know a Carabao Cup game against a team that was in League Two last season,
00:21:11
Speaker
It was a nice reminder of how slick they often are um under Clement. I think the most damning indictment of the MK Don's performance was the fact that the goal, basically after about 10 minutes, just settled into an area near Norwich's goal and then was completely unruffled for the rest of the half. I was watching that goal so intently. And it and it didn't move, basically. I would say certainly for the last 20, 25 minutes of that half, it did not need to move. It it was like it had just been watching Messi at the World Cup well, this is how you play football. You just stand in the same position for a bit and then let everyone else do the work for you.
00:21:48
Speaker
I thought it was stuck. I thought it couldn't get out, but it got out of the stadium at the start of the second half. I was like, ah. Good for you. fan And then it came back. It's like, what are you doing? just wanted Just wanted the attention. But I didn't know where to rank it in terms of, is it better than the squirrel at Hull um and the pigeon that Johnny Housen saved? They're your top three in the area. Which one of our players do you think would be most likely to rescue a seagull? Well, none of them did. so food so it'd have to be somebody that wasn't Ali Ahmed. Yeah, Ali Ahmed. They had to stop him sprinting over to save it. Yeah. Think of your knee, Ali.
00:22:23
Speaker
I think Mirko Topic would have ran up to it, picked it up and then bit its head off. Yeah, Medich would have headed it away. yeah I mean, Ture did like, I think it kind of got in the way of an attack and Ture like went to sort of grab it when it was flying through his head. He was genuinely annoyed at garlic. At one point it looked like Vlad had arrowed a pass straight to it as well. Oh my God, yeah, he passed to it, he? At one point like had arrowed pass straight it well. Chris Gorin loves an overhead kick, doesn't he? So I'm surprised he doesn't go running up to it and try and flick it up for it for an overhead. is she um
00:23:00
Speaker
Steve, as the cliche goes, you can only beat what's put in front of you. And there were a lot of mitigating circumstances around the the quality or respectfully their lack of of MK Dons for the most part. But that aside...
00:23:15
Speaker
How much of a marker does this put down for the start of the season and make the rest of the championship kind of look and go, oh, Norwich are to be taken serious this season? Well, I will say without any element of respect that MK Dons were rubbish. Like the first 10 minutes, I can't remember a team starting as badly as that. Like the first goal was a brilliant finish, but my God, they made it easy. And then as Dan said, they just kept allowing a space in the middle of the park. So I do think, you know, obviously they did get a penalty, they did get the goal, but they weren't much caught up like that. I couldn't quite believe but Callum Patterson attempted 11 passes in 65 minutes and completed two. Only two more than the goal. I mean, he did win a penalty. Do you think has anything to do with his tiny little headband he was wearing unnecessarily?
00:24:05
Speaker
unbelievably bad headband. I did not notice that. It was so small. Maybe it put off circulation to his to his brain. um I think, yeah, that there's that caveat. And, you know, and we could, but but but obviously West Brom is going to be at a level up on Saturday, but we could turn up at that game and find it much harder. I'm sure we probably will.
00:24:23
Speaker
One thing we did really well, one of many things we did really, really well after and Big Phil came in was our performances and our results against the lower teams in the division. and I think we we had a late draw with Portsmouth, which is a one-all. But up until that point last season, we had won every game against the sort of bottom six, seven, eight teams. without conceding a single goal. So I think that's, I mean, you know, again, all of those teams you'd still expect to be better than MK Dons, but I think it's a good marker in terms of how we will fare against the lower half teams. was sitting there thinking like there will be, the the weaker teams are going to really struggle, I would have thought, against this side.
00:25:02
Speaker
Is it a portent for how we're going to do against the better teams? Probably not so much. And I think that is what might make the difference between us being a real promotion contender, top two contender, without giving away my predictions, and finishing in the playoffs. um So I'm certainly enthused because I didn't know we had that performance in us. And like I said, the fitness levels were brilliant. The fourth goal was a result of incredible pressing. The second goal was kind of outrageous confidence.
00:25:27
Speaker
Motore sharpness to me was the real positive, especially with Makama out. um But obviously, I mean, the you know, state of bloody obvious cliche, but West Brom will be the the real test. And ah ask me after that, please. Thank you. I don't want to step step on your toes, Steve, is that as the real stats guru on this podcast. um sausage isn't it now Step on my sausage. I don't want to step on your sausage. and Just officially, ah ah after those Carabao Cup games, us and West Brom are the joint best teams based purely only on scoreline. We both won 4-1. So it should be a good matchup on Saturday.
00:26:08
Speaker
Means it's going to be 5-5 now. Amazing. I hope so. Our next new feature this evening is courtesy of friend of the pod, Sophie Leaney, and it's her one word of the week. Now, Sophie will be going to each game home and away this season, and she's kindly offered to sum up each offering in one word. Here is Sophie's word of the week.
Season Predictions and Bold Claims
00:26:43
Speaker
Promising.
00:26:52
Speaker
Now it's that time of year where the reputations of this podcast are firmly put on the line, where we look into our crystal ball and predict a future of prosperity for Norwich City, a season for the ages, and a podcast with a reputation intact by predicting everything absolutely right.
00:27:11
Speaker
You can guess what happens next. Dan, as the person who has posed the questions, I will come to you first, please. Will you please talk through all of the questions and your answers to them? Oh, bloody hell, we're doing it straight in. Okay, where we'll finish. So I think we've got the fifth, sixth or seventh best squad, but I also think we've got the first or second best manager in the league, which counts for a lot.
00:27:38
Speaker
So I'm going narrowly missing out on automatic and going third this season.
00:27:45
Speaker
It's a Again, no surprises where Zoe's first. Not yet. um So top three players of the season. So this is who I think will be top three, Barry Butler. Not necessarily who I would pick. He's going to be number one.
00:28:00
Speaker
but Have some respect, Steve. Sorry. so um Number one, Jovan McCarma.
00:28:10
Speaker
I feel like, do do we want to give explanations yet or we do that in the round at the end? could do it at the end. Okay. Number two, Cordoba. Number three, good old Kenny.
00:28:23
Speaker
a Young player the season, and they have to be under 23 at the start of the season, which an unbelievable amount of Norwich City players are 22 at the moment. um So there's lots to choose from, and I've gone for Andre Brooks.
00:28:40
Speaker
I'm very excited by that signing. And I'd love to have been in the room when... old porky Chris Wilder found out that they were selling their best player and last season player of the season as well. a Breakthrough player Ben Krizeny, the much often maligned Ben Krizeny, who I thought was really good towards the back end of last season, um came on leaps and bounds under Clement and I thought once again... played really intelligently against alit albeit pretty poor opposition in MK Dons but um I think he's got a lot of potential to be a really sort of very very solid championship player in that position and then Norwich's most league appearances 11 the season.
00:29:21
Speaker
So this is not who will get the most appearances necessarily, but the 11. So I've gone controversially flat in goal. Fisher, Darling, Cordoba, Krizeny at ah the back four. McLean and Mattson as the two central midfielders. Brooks on the right. Magoma, I think, as the number 10, will probably get the most game time out of the excellent number 10 options. And because Diallo is possibly made of glass and Ali Ahmed is out of the season, I think Schwarzau will probably fill the vacancy at left wing. And i think, and who's who knows at this stage, like any of this, but I think McCarma will probably and play the most games up top. Now, I should caveat that by saying I have put some money on Chris Gorin to be leading scorer in the championship this season.
00:30:08
Speaker
What odds did he get? 33 to 1. um so it goes they like a hundred through hope rather than expectation obviously uh and then he didn't start on saturday and i changed my predictions and and then championship and then we ah do we want to go on to the championship general as well did you do your top three scorers oh yes you've not done your top oh i missed out my top three scorers which also changed at about 301 on saturday does the man you put money on not in there anymore Makama, 21 goals.
00:30:39
Speaker
Toure, 14 goals. Brooks, 12 goals. Bang. such Should we just do Norwich City first as the block and then... Yeah. And then then the championship brackets general.
00:30:56
Speaker
All righty then. In that case, Zoe, can I have your Norwich City predictions for the 26-27 season? Of course. Well, we're going to finish top, obviously. um i know. i had to really think about it, but there we are. 100 points, 100 goals, ah big target.
00:31:18
Speaker
um Actually, my top three players of the season are not that dissimilar to Daniel Brigham's. I have gone McCorma, Cordoba, Mattson. um I would also like to point out that I have not changed my predictions ah following the first game of the season like an absolute coward because I've done these genuinely before the season started. um My young player of the season is Shua Tao.
00:31:45
Speaker
um My top three goal scorers are Makama, 28, Chris Goran, 16, Magoma, 9. chris gorran sixteen mogoma nine Breakthrough player. um I have gone for, and again, i have not changed my ah opinions after Saturday, Chris Goran, which I think counts as a breakthrough as lots of people had already written him off.
00:32:12
Speaker
apart from Dan obviously yes or until 3.01 I put my money away my mouth most league appearances of the season again mine is quite similar um to Mr Brigham's I've gone Vlad Fisher Cordoba McConville Krizenny ah Kenny, Matson, and then Brooks, Magoma, Shvartau, and Makama. So very similar. um Although, don't know, there's something about Slimani that some like makes me think that maybe he's going to be...
00:32:49
Speaker
like the best player in the division all season. I don't know. Maybe. um So yeah, that's my, that's my prediction. But not in our top three players. Not in our top three players. And I'd sort of forgotten he existed a little bit when I did this.
00:33:06
Speaker
Steve, what are your predictions? Okay, so he's not going like it. um I've also gone with ah no feels, just boring logic. We were the fifth best team after Philippe Clement came in. i think we'll be fifth best again. i Hold on, hold on. Hold on Hold on. on.
00:33:28
Speaker
You're the craziest join the chat. Hold on now. but By that logic, surely like, Three of those teams that were promoted, weren't they? In that five, so we should be finishing second. Two of those teams were promoted. So third then?
00:33:42
Speaker
I think some good teams have come down. No, no rubbish. wait We're not on to Championship yet. We're doing Norwich City. I'm not going give you my table. um i Yeah, i i feel like I feel like we're still being we're being underestimated beyond that. But um that is Conservative. I have not predicted us to finish first.
00:34:02
Speaker
since the year we came down under Nigel Worthington in 2005, six and got thoroughly burned. was, I was making predictions along before since I was five. Um, top three for player of the season. I have gone Pella Mattson first, uh, Jovan McCarma second, and, uh, we're going to get to reasoning later, but Kenny McLean third. Um,
00:34:29
Speaker
Young player of the season, I mean, I've got McCalmer in my top three, so stands to reason that it would be him. ah But I also want to shout out Ben Kruzeni because apparently he's still under 22. This feels a bit like when Phil Foden won it, having played like 500 games for Man City already. and But I have similar feelings towards Kruzeni. Or any Max Aarons playing for England on the 21s when it felt like he was about 28. James Milner was like 35 when he finished playing the 21s.
00:34:54
Speaker
Well, I think Ben Kruzeni is ripe for an under-21s pick at the age of 22 and a half.
00:35:00
Speaker
Top three scorers, Jovan Makama, 15, Motore, 12, and Antti Sienat, 9. And i've I couldn't really think of a breakthrough player because it feels like most of our players have already broken through to some level. But if I can't have Chris Eni for that, then I will have Sienat. I backed him last season.
00:35:23
Speaker
And I'm doing it again. And if he does his crew shit again, I'm doing it again next season. um Most league appearances, yeah, not too much variation here. Vlad, Fisher. I've got McConville as well. I think the work is back way back into the team. Cordoba, Grisenny, Mattson, Kenny, ah Brooks.
00:35:40
Speaker
i've Slightly gamed this because I think Slomani and Magoma will both get game time. And Magoma did play a little bit on the left. By the way, Kenny played up front on for the last few minutes. I think he's now played everywhere. So maybe he could be the striker, but instead I've gone for Makama.
00:35:57
Speaker
Can I ask one quick question? Yes. um So your top three score is adds up to 36. So can i ask who's going to score the 64 other goals for us to get to 100 this season? Does it not mention that eight players are going to get eight goals? That'll make up for the other 64.
00:36:16
Speaker
So i have gone for Norwich City to finish second next season. Yes, Ryan. bo Yes, i've I've gone big. i've I've got a feeling and that feeling is probably wrong, but I've gone second. My three players of the season are going to be Pella Mattson, Andre Brooks and Jose Cordova.
00:36:41
Speaker
perhaps cheating here. My breakthrough, no, my young player of the season, sorry, is going to be Andre Brooks. For top scorers, I've gone for Motore 18, Jovan McCarma 13, and Andre but Brooks with 10, which is 41. So we only need 59 to get to a hundred goals.
00:37:01
Speaker
ah Like Steve, a few years ago, my breakthrough player, I've gone for Jack Stacey. I think he's going to have a really big... can I say that again? I've gone for Darlene Yongwa.
00:37:13
Speaker
I think he will be the breakthrough player, which means my 11 will be Vladengol. I've gone Fisher, McConville, Cordoba and Yongwa. mattson mcclain in the middle then i've gone for brooks slumani schwartal with an asterisk because i think out of the current crop he will play the most games deployed as a left winger but the asterisk is whichever low knee comes in will probably play the most on that left hand side and then i've gone for motoray as the most uh used player up front
00:37:48
Speaker
That's good. i like I like those, Ryan. I feel like yours are the most varied of our four. Yeah, but I also know fuck all. so So he's disappointed in Ryan's cowardly second prediction rather than first. Yeah, cal cowardly.
00:38:06
Speaker
not Fifth and third! What's wrong with first? What's wrong with it? I look forward to this the day, it's like St. Tottenham's Day every year, where I've gone for its lowest and we finish even lower than I predicted. And I shamefully claim the the victory on that. At least I don't have to sit here while you all sort of proudly ah announce that you think Ipswich going to get promoted like you did last season, like it's some kind of newsworthy event. Well, we think it's we were right. so but Do you feel better about it? Oh, no, absolutely not. I mean, it's nice not to be in the same division as them, mind you, isn't it?
00:38:44
Speaker
It depends which division that is, mate, to be honest with you. Dan, can we have your championship predictions? So for full context, it is your top eight in order. The three relegated teams in order. a Team everyone will say are going to be a dark horse, but will actually be guff and the first manager to be sacked. Okay, so top eight in reverse order. More fun. ah Burnley in eighth.
00:39:09
Speaker
but you Hang on, you wrote the question. I just read it as it was. Don't make me think I'm the boring one. well i mean, you didn't suggest which order, so that's fine. So I'm fine taking the lead. in order Reverse order. Burnley in eight.
00:39:23
Speaker
um Mostly because that means I can get annoyed about the fact the playoffs have been extended to eight teams. at Six teams, and that helps the big clubs rather than the smaller clubs. In seven, my Dark Horses. There's always got to be one. Stoke City.
00:39:37
Speaker
Six, Millwall. Southampton in fifth. um Wolverhampton Wanderers in fourth. Us in third. Just pipping us to Automatic is Middlesbrough in second. And the Cockneys, West Ham United in first.
00:39:52
Speaker
My three relegated teams are... um 22nd, Lincoln City. 23rd, Preston North End. 24th, Bolton Wanderers. With apologies to the Northwest with those bottom two. Team, ever everyone seemed to be it would be dark horses, but it would actually be guff. Swansea City.
00:40:09
Speaker
Nothing against them, but everyone seems to be predicting they'll do very well this season. And the first managed to be sock sacked, whoever the Burnley manager is, or Davis at Birmingham. but i'm going to go for the Burnley manager, um who I then Googled and found out he has also managed ah Club Bruges and Genk. So they're obviously just following the Norwich City template by doing that. He's also managed Haverford West in the Cymru League as well. So varied managerial career. so It's like there's a Welsh speaker in the room. Is that where Big Phil's off to next? Yeah. He's going to leave us for Haverford West.
00:40:51
Speaker
Zoe. Right. You're all going to get annoyed here. So I will go in reverse order as well. I've got number eight, Millwall. ah Number seven, Southampton.
00:41:03
Speaker
Six, Burnley. Number five, Sheffield United. whoa Number four, Middlesbrough. At three, Wrexham. Two, Wolves.
00:41:18
Speaker
Number one, Norwich City Football Club. Well, West Ham. Not the council, just the football club. they weren't. And they not in that they are not in that list. wow Are they in your next list?
00:41:30
Speaker
They're not in my next s li list. ah But I hope they crash and burn. um Relegated in reverse order. Well, i suppose from bottom to third bottom. We've got Lincoln City.
00:41:43
Speaker
We've got your Blackburn Rovers. And we've got your Portsmouths. um My tip for the dark horse, not so much, is Birmingham City.
00:41:55
Speaker
And um in a very similar manner to Daniel, I said, ah the first manager to be sacked is whoever is Watford manager at the moment. I had to Google that as well. and I presumed it would be someone I'd heard of because usually it is and you just have to get reminded. Never heard of this man. Alessio Dionisi, um who is definitely getting sacked for first.
00:42:19
Speaker
Wonderful stuff. Steve? Okay. I mean, I suppose I've got to go in reverse reverse order, haven't I? Eighth, Southampton. Seventh, Millwall. Sixth, Derby.
00:42:32
Speaker
Fifth, Norwich City. o fourth Wrexham FC third Middlesbrough second West Ham United and first Wolfampton Wanderers
00:42:49
Speaker
uh um
00:42:54
Speaker
I don't know who that was. sorry, should I put West Ham first? is that And Walls Ford. Can I change, Ryan, for everything that Dan said so far? Absolutely, you can. this is the OTB stands for on the Brigham.
00:43:10
Speaker
I don't like being snored at. Bottom three, um we've gone Lincoln bottom with apologies to them. 23rd, Nathan Jones, Charlton Athletic. They have pants against us at the end of the season. and Blackburn Rovers in 22nd.
00:43:28
Speaker
um My guff horse is, I mean, i don't know if you can count these as dark horses really, but I suspect Burnley will be among the bookies' favourites. I think it's their their turn.
00:43:40
Speaker
This is like their Dean Smith season that we had, up, down, up, down, and then they'll mess it up, all like Lester did. Are you going to predict a dark horse that's going to be rubbish instead? though ah thirdly Aren't they one of the favourite horses? Are they not just a horse? Just a horse just your average bog standard coloured horse? Yeah, just a standard horse. Just a regular horse. Some would probably call them quite light horse.
00:44:05
Speaker
Yeah, maybe a pony. Maybe they'd be a Shetland pony. but is Is the game pick a mid-table team that we think are going to finish in mid-table? Is that is that what the game is? oh I could say Swansea.
00:44:16
Speaker
No, they're swans. They're not horses, Steve. Please. Okay, I think Bristol City will come in 12th, everyone. How's that? than picking of the favourites. I was going to say, watch if that is the only nailed on prediction any of us get right next year. it Is the game to pick a team we think will do badly from ah but there's a fancied team?
00:44:39
Speaker
No, you know, there's always, like I think Stoke City will get into the top eight. That's a dark horse because no one quite fancies them. so And there's always a few, like Bristol City and Swansea have been talked about quite a lot.
00:44:53
Speaker
Okay. Oh, I see. Well, thank you for explaining.
00:45:01
Speaker
I'll stick with Burnley. I haven't written anyone else down. So, they're happy with them. I'm not thinking on my feet this season. If that happens to be right, then they are guff. Let's make a mark now that you will not be having that at the end of the season as a winner. I've written guff horse. That's what's on my paper. There's no mention of dark. It's just a horse. I had a friend at school who could make a horse fart on command with a clap.
00:45:24
Speaker
Okay, well, we'll be coming back to that later.
00:45:29
Speaker
If anyone knows Jamie Peck, he used to live in Oslacton. Oh, Jamie, yeah. specific horse? Yeah, just the one horse. Not all horses. That would be a gift from the god. Just one specific horse would fart when clapped at. Did you witness this? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Saw it with, heard it with my own ears. Smelt it with my own nose. Smelt it with your own skin.
00:45:57
Speaker
Well, I almost feel like after that, I should, I should change because I'm so impressed with that little tidbit. of But I am going to stick with Burnley. um And unfortunately,
00:46:08
Speaker
zoe's mind and mine have worked in exactly the same way because i've also said whoever the watford manager is i will have chris davis from birmingham as my backup choice if it's not diamante whatever his name was so in reverse order i have in eighth place bristol city oh dark horse that's a proper dark horse that is dark horse that's gonna fart In seventh place, Swansea City. Ooh, double dark horses. You love it? I can have as many as I want. Like a battalion.
00:46:44
Speaker
Six, Wrexham. Fifth, Southampton. faith southampton that a dark horse? It's just horse. Fourth, Middlesbrough.
00:46:56
Speaker
Another horse. Third, West Ham. Big horse. horse Big light horse. Second, coney Norwich City. Maybe a bit of a dark horse we are. yeah I think we are dark horses. in yeah And first, Wolverhampton Wanderers.
00:47:13
Speaker
Horse. Translucent horse, it's so light. Translucent horses. Wolf. Wolf in sheep's clothing. Wolf in horse's clothing. Relegated, I've gone bottom Lincoln City. Sorry, Lincoln, but you can't go selling your best players and expecting to stay up. ah Bolton, second bottom. Third bottom, Blackburn.
00:47:33
Speaker
And I've got two potential ah dark horses who are going to be guff. I've gone for Birmingham slash Derby. Maybe controversial. Someone else said, Zoe said Birmingham. I said Birmingham. And almost a full house here. I've gone for Chris Davis as well as the first manager to be sacked.
00:47:54
Speaker
Mainly because I forgot Watford were a thing.
00:47:58
Speaker
easily done they're going to be the dark horses now aren't they for sure yeah because we are famously banned and they'll keep their manager for the entire season as well can i also can have one um bonus prediction from zoe um at what point will zoe surpass her three wins in person from last season oh just a month will be fine
00:48:24
Speaker
September. Okay. yeah can we Can we have this? oh Do I have to go past three? so it yeah Yeah, you have to have four. Probably October then, because I think there's only three league Saturdays.
00:48:37
Speaker
No, no, there's four in, i think there's four. No, it's a Tuesday, I think, in September. Only one Saturday in September. So to get to number four, we're going October. oh we Are we doing a sweepstake? Because I'll say November then.
00:48:51
Speaker
and Yeah, I'll go November with you, Brian. Oh, no, is that not allowed? go December. No, you can go November if you want. I'll go December. Okay, I'll go early November. ah we just Are we ending that there? um kind Just briefly going back to Sophie, and we were talking about what the worst cup draw would be for her to get because she is going to every game.
00:49:16
Speaker
Norwich City have drawn Cardiff City away in the second round of the Carabao breaking news. We did not get a mention at all in our previews. Brilliant. Well, enjoy that long trip, Sophie, if you do go. Looking forward to a word of the week from that one. When she gets back at 4am on a Wednesday. It's not a word, it's just a really anguish scream instead.
00:49:43
Speaker
Or a horse farting. LAUGHTER As we mentioned at the start, we're back in a brand new way for the 26-27
New Features: Patreon and Stat Attack
00:49:52
Speaker
season. There's the usual smattering of new in-pod features, but the biggest change of all is we're on Patreon. There are two tiers to our Patreon. The first is a free tier, which means you can listen to OTB ad-free and join our OTB community chat. But there will be a paid tier, which gives you access to exclusive episodes, features, quizzes, and more for the price of just £2 a month. Now, this will go live next week in tandem with next week's pod. And our first Patreon exclusive podcast will be the first episode of our new feature,
00:50:31
Speaker
ChatGPT, get banged, the care home years. I have no idea what to expect, but ah Dan, is it going to be good? It's going to be great. it's so if if For those who listened to us last season, they'll be very familiar, ah hopefully positively familiar with ChatGPT, get banged, which followed Wes and Holti in the two thousand and ten eleven season, season. um solving mysteries well we're going to fast forward 30 years where they're both in a care home and they have to and this is coming from someone who's never read any Richard Osman but they're going to have to solve mysteries and crimes within this care home as well and that will be our bonus one of our bonus features all throughout this season
00:51:19
Speaker
Amazing. As we said, this will go live next week and there'll be plenty more episodes of different features and more exclusive Patreon content throughout the 2627 campaign to fill your boots with. So it is just £2 a month. You can ah donate a little bit more if you would like to, or you can ah subscribe to the free tier as well. Get this ad free. Would be grateful either way.
00:51:44
Speaker
ah Next week marks the opening weekend of the championship season. For the second season running, Norris City ah start their league season at Carrow Road. But for the first time in three years, they'll start their campaign with the head coach they ended the previous season with. Before we fully look towards the weekend, however, it's the second of our brand... Oh, the third, actually. i haven't changed the script. Cheeky. It's the third of our brand new features. This is Stat Attack.
00:52:14
Speaker
The numbers are coming, so you better hold your back and get ready for the stat attack.
00:52:22
Speaker
Very much in keeping with the vibe of this feature. I hope everyone else is on the same level. Was that you, Steve? you recognising my work?
00:52:35
Speaker
I'm moonlighting as a grime artist. You've moved on from your folk era then. Yeah, that was terrible. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm a grime till I die. You have to wrap the stats now.
00:52:48
Speaker
and I can't promise that. I mean, I think this this feature could be short-lived enough as it is. Try rhyming something with seven as well. Oh, I've got 11.
00:52:59
Speaker
Australian batsman Michael Bevan. was going to say neither. None of these are stats. um we haven't ah We haven't really stress tested how this is going to work. I'm just going to read some stats out. I think that's where we're going with this. Should we give the marks out of 10?
00:53:15
Speaker
If you like. That'll be good, yeah. um Great. Pressure. um So the first league, I'm like, yeah, OK, this is going to be slightly rambling, but the first league game, we are terrible. of I've mentioned this many times. well In the last 23 years, we've won three times and lost 12. Can anyone remember any of the three wins in that time? Blackburn away. Yes.
00:53:39
Speaker
Blackburn away. Yeah, I went to that. ah Hull at home three years ago. Birmingham at home? Or Way? I've got an away game. It wasn't technically the first game, so we beat lost to Luton in the competition. I know exactly what it is. It's Huddersfield in the pandemic season. That is correct. Oh, Ryan's good on the quiz. I forget how good he is. In that time, we've scored 23 conceded Oh, my God. Wow. um And if you take... It's slightly hard to believe, but it's what the spreadsheet says. In the last 20 years, if you take that Blackburn game away, the one that you mentioned, Dan, we've not scored in the first 45 minutes of ah of an opening league game. we's scored twice in first-half injury time. But other than that, we've not scored in the last 20 years other than that Blackburn game. Prior to that, it was Dean Ashton in 2005.
00:54:28
Speaker
And we've been in front for 15 minutes in total so across all of those games bar Black Bear. What you're saying is we can all turn up a half time on Saturday. Which given me, you know, the cues at the South stand, I might have done them I should have stuck that in Zoe's headlines, that kind of fighting satire.
00:54:48
Speaker
if we yeah If we are marking this out of 10, I mean, I do find that the best stats are the ones where you remove the one that's getting in the way of you having a good stat. Is that... um That's Joe Root math. You might be down on that. Yeah, it's a Blackburn math. That's a solid 8. think that's a solid 8. That's pretty good. Bit negative. I'm going 7. Sure.
00:55:12
Speaker
I'll go 7.5, split the difference. Okay. You know, so it's a fair cop. I mean, I've got lots of MK Don stats if we want to carry this on, but I feel like it's it's blending nicely into a West Brom review. We need more. One out of three, I'm taking it. um Motore, the third player to score two Norwich City goals in the first minute in the last 40 years.
00:55:35
Speaker
any Any other takers for who else might have scored in the first minute? One of them thought we were ah mediocre had mediocre players last season in his assessment. Oh, Darren Eadie.
00:55:49
Speaker
Correct. And the other guy is from Finland. I don't know well of course Tammy Pookie who was that again Pookie's were against Swansea away poookies were against or should have had this written down swansea away was one of them.
00:56:11
Speaker
And the other was Crystal Palace at home in the Premier League, the game where Wolf Zaha missed that abysmal penalty. That was so funny, that penalty. One of the great pens.
00:56:25
Speaker
Quickest, we've been two goals up since Reading away in September 2002. Number one in the charts in the UK charts at that time was ah The Tide Is High by Zoe.
00:56:37
Speaker
Tom McKinnon? Correct. you meant by Zoe. yeah She's moving to her folk era. A bit sexist, that? just at night Zoe likes... This is my cup of tea. I feel like you don't know Zoe very well. You two all forget talking.
00:56:54
Speaker
Is this the snarkiest episode we've ever had? It's good to be back. I didn't mean to go on. That Patreon is going to be even more bitchy if that's what the audience wants. the number one film at that time was Signs, directed by... m Night Shyamalan. Great. Did our season have a twist at the end? um Pass. i think it I think the twist was we didn't get in the playoffs.
00:57:20
Speaker
um So that was good. And then just a quick one on... Actually, no, let's give you two more. 14 out of 15 managers of our last 15 managers have won a League Cup game.
00:57:32
Speaker
Does anyone know who didn't? Daniel Farker. Nope. Shall I tell you? Oh, no. Paul Lambert.
00:57:47
Speaker
No, he did win one. Again, I don't have the spreadsheet to hand to tell He is no longer with us. i Glenn Roder. Glenn Roder. Sorry, I've never fooled you, Ryan, yet. That's okay. Even Liam Manning and Brian Gunn won a League Cup game for us. And do you know who that game was that he lost against as well in the first round of the League Cup?
00:58:09
Speaker
Was that Port Vale? It was MK Dons. Ah, okay. Yeah, we don't have a good record against them before this week. um Just a quick bit on ah Vlad's penalty saving. um He's saved three of six penalties that he's faced.
00:58:27
Speaker
Pretty good. Just have a quick look again. So this is penalties on target. So Gunn is five from 24. ah Ruddy is five from 33. These are penalties that were on target. So if they were off target, I'm giving them benefit of the doubt. And then ah even Tim Krul was six out of 25. So not as good as...
00:58:44
Speaker
I remember him being that's including shootouts so Vlad is at 50% and the rest are kind of what 20, 25 say 80% penalties are scored aren't they so Vlad is well ahead of that percentage it's lovely smile when he saved that penalty as well it was a shame we immediately didn't see it isn't that the most annoying thing for a goalkeeper to have when you save a penalty and then someone just f***ed it in from the corner Yeah, yes probably. Especially when you clear the danger and you think everything is over and then, spoilers, in a signs-like twist, it's not over.
00:59:21
Speaker
yet the tide is high or something. That's it. um I've taken us pretty much past the 60-minute mark with that feature and I did loads at a time so you couldn't mark me, so I'm lucky. Let's quickly touch on Saturday, Zoe. If Norwich are going to achieve their goals this season, then they need to look at all of their games as a winnable, I'd say. But as early in the season as it is, how much of a marker would it be to beat a championship side with a good reputation? And I know West Brom aren't quite the force they were a few years ago, but they will be one of the few teams looking at the extension of the playoffs and thinking that is a reasonable goal as well. So how big is it to beat a side like that, even at this early stage?
01:00:04
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, we obviously don't have to win. um As Steve's just said, it doesn't really matter whether we win the first game or not. It doesn't have that that much of a bearing on the season. But um as previously discussed, there are a lot of horses in this race, um many not even that dark.
01:00:22
Speaker
um So I do feel like getting a good start could be quite important. um Just in terms of laying down a marker, you want people to be worried about playing you. And I think we got to that stage during the second half of last season where people were, were a bit nervous about playing us. um And that really helps. It really helps, especially in the championship when everything's a bit relentless. um So yeah, I am,
01:00:52
Speaker
Keen we get off to a good start, but I am not going to be too concerned if we don't manage to win on Saturday, although it's obviously not going to help me towards my beating of the three wins I saw last season.
01:01:07
Speaker
Dan, there's no way that a West Brom will be as bad as what they were towards the end of last season or be as bad as MK Dons, right? ah No, I mean, West Brom picked up at end the end last season when James Morrison came in. i think their numbers were much, much better than and where they finished as well. So I think it was, it felt like a bit of an outlier for them, apart from who was the... um
01:01:35
Speaker
can't remember the name of the fellow they brought in from the MLS as manager, but when they were pretty disastrous. Eric Ramsey. Yes, that's it. Eric Ramsey. Thank you. When they were pretty disastrous. And we took full advantage of that as well. But they seemed to really shore things up when James Morrison came in. um They've made a few signings from League One, sort of bringing two of the leading scorers, I think, from League One last season. So they've obviously got a few new players to bed in. um I'm always slightly sceptical of when former players come in, save a club, and then I kept on for the following season. I would just, a hunch, I would say that probably doesn't end up very well for that club um ah more often than not. um
01:02:15
Speaker
So, yeah, it's hard to know what to expect. I guess, as Philip Clément would probably say, if you've got to concentrate on ourselves, though, um and it would be nice to start the season off with a bit of a bit of a swagger, especially as we've got Millwall and Burnley coming up after them as well, which would be tough games. um And I guess the big unknown, really, of us under Philip Clément is what happens when we lose sort of back-to-back games or go through a rough period where How resilient are we really? How resilient Clement? to that Hopefully we don't have to find out at all this season, but inevitably we will have to find out. And I just hope it's a little bit further down the line when our squad depth is maybe greater with Diallo and Sienet's coming back as well. So I would quite like to see a um a promising performance on Saturday and start the season with a little bit of swagger and lay down a marker.
01:03:08
Speaker
Steve, is there now too much expectation on Norwich going into games like this? Because they played pretty well on Saturday and you could look at West Brom on paper and say, yeah, they they want to be pushing top eight, but they are probably more reflective of ah of a mid-table finish. But you can't treat these games lightly, can you? But equally, you can't get too carried away either.
01:03:32
Speaker
Yeah, i think I think there is added pressure. I think there more or least i think there will be added expectation. and you know We've all predicted for them to come in the top six. I'm not saying that we're going to be there with the bed sheets and um booing you know come the middle of November if we're sat in the bottom half. But um I think there will be, from our fan base, having seen what we've seen over the last six months,
01:03:54
Speaker
I think there there might there might be a you know an expectation that if things aren't going well, there might be a little bit of pressure. we Maybe even sort of a tiny bit at the end of last season, possibly. so But I think it's worth remembering that at the beginning of last season, we were in a similar spot to West Brom. They'd just appointed Ryan Mason. We'd appointed Manning, obviously. and We both finished in a similar position last ah the season before.
01:04:16
Speaker
And you know look at where the two teams finished and and where we find ourselves in terms of people's expectations versus West Brom. So, it might, it it rarely goes brilliantly at the start of the season for us. I think basically every promotion season we've had, we've not started particularly well, like going through those numbers before only one of the six seasons that we've been promoted this century, did we win our first game? So I don't, even if it doesn't click into gear straight away, um It doesn't matter. nothing Nothing matters at this point. I wouldn't even bother listening next week. it doesn't doesn' it like It's not pointless until until at least Christmas. so here
01:04:51
Speaker
Well, that leads us on to Kenny, other business. then oh Does anyone have anything for this section this week? Well, we had asked our lovely Instagram followers earlier.
01:05:04
Speaker
If you want to follow us on Instagram, it is at OTB underscore pod underscore NCFC. Um, we'd ask a couple of questions for, for their predictions for the season ahead.
01:05:16
Speaker
Um, we asked people where they thought we were going to finish. Everyone has predicted going to be in the top six, uh, that has replied, uh, a real range of from top someone we've gone, we've got one vote for top.
01:05:29
Speaker
Um, right down to sixth six. Six is obviously the lowest possible outcome. Did you just message them back saying boo? Oh, a coward. all of them Different breeds of horses.
01:05:44
Speaker
We have also asked people ah who their player of the season and who the top scorer is going to be. We've had three votes for Torre. He is the leading the leading and suggestion for top scorer. I'm a big fan of George Oakenfold, who has ah said Rogue One, but Slimani, player of the season. He's obviously had that same feeling that maybe Slimani is the best player in in the league. But Contrously has also put him in his own Norwich City top three as well.
01:06:16
Speaker
What? Well, because you didn't put Slamani in your top three, did you? But said he might be the best player in the league. Was I the only one listening earlier? It's just the way that he had You said he'd done it, but I didn't ask him to do it. was a real Stuart Lee move there. A weird joke no one got and then blaming your audience. Put your claws away, mate, please.
01:06:41
Speaker
um cut of with ah just Just a quick one. ah i feel like we always talk about the kits on the first episode. Do we have a favourite of the three or a least favourite? What do we of bus? I love bus. I love bus.
01:06:52
Speaker
ah Yes, I love the bus seat kit. I think it works better with long sleeves. But i' i my favourite is still the black pinstripe away kit. I think that is a little thing of beauty. Although, having seen it in person, the mint stripes aren't as minty as they should be.
01:07:10
Speaker
They're still desaturated like on the photo. So that is my gripe. But apart from that, I think those two are brilliant. And I will at some point be getting both. Yes. What about you guys?
01:07:24
Speaker
Bus for me. Yeah. I think bus. I think it's fun. No one else has had the balls to do that, have they? So all the stupidity, which I really do. advantage next season maybe weatherspoons carpets the thirty different stains on on each shirt gets a unique stain on it amazing yeah it's a bit sticky yeah you know what i think of weatherspoons it's not happening um that just finally as well ah a quick plug a plug plug plug for if you haven't done your top 25 players then
01:07:56
Speaker
I'm very disappointed in you. You know, this is ah this is a movement. It's like, you know, I was too young for New Labour, but I'm guessing that's all the Arab Spring. You know, we are, this is this is a revolution, people. That's what you'll be joining. So if you haven't done it, you've got till Friday. Bit.ly slash capitals, N-C-F-C, capital G, and then lowercase R-E-A-L.
01:08:21
Speaker
T-E-S-T. That spells greatest. should i wait I went big. I went big with the with the push and then messed it up at the end. that that Tony Blair didn't do that, to be fair. um But yes, please do. Thank you to everyone who's done it so far. And yeah, we'll be revealing the results um on the podcast and also on the Patreon as And just talking of long URLs, can I also give a plug for OTB Substack as well, which started over the summer with, I was about to say, lots of content on there. There's some content on there, including a lovely piece from Steve, ah which is now out of date because it was about 10 great opening games this century.
01:09:03
Speaker
Although if you think of the opening game as a league season, it's not out of date. I've written ah an ode Kenny McLean and the plan is to... add lots of different pieces to there as well, all free. You don't have to ah register, but if you want to subscribe, you get it straight to your inbox and you just have to go to yeah URL alert, substack.com at OTB Norwich City pod.
01:09:27
Speaker
That's substack.com slash at OTB Norwich City pod. Oh God, we need to rehearse these URLs. Has anyone ever failed at URLs quite so fast? It's not as easy as it looks, is it though?
01:09:42
Speaker
Tough. It's tough. and I nearly started at reading out OTB N-R-O-W-I-C-H and then I realised there's a quicker way of saying that. Yeah, went down that rabbit hole and it really fun. That's all for tonight's OTB A Norwich City podcast. A big thank you to Zoe Morgan.
01:09:59
Speaker
Thank you, Ryan. Pleasure to be back. To Dan Brigham. Thank you, Ryan. Sorry, I'm just thinking of the farting horse. And Steve Sanders. Thank you, Ryan. I'm also now thinking of the farting horse.
01:10:12
Speaker
If you have enjoyed this week's episode, please leave us a rating on your podcast player of choice and follow us on Instagram. We're on there as at otb underscore pod underscore NCFC. We're also on Substack, as Dan mentioned. And as of next week, we will be on Patreon too as at OTB, a Norwich City podcast. Until the next one, never mind the danger.