by Tom Mallows

Nobody likes losing in the last minute; it’s horrible and one of the worst experiences for a football fan and player. Consequently, that feeling of despair clouds your thinking post-match and it is only really after the dust settles that you can properly analyse a performance.

This can be said of Paul Lambert and his coaching staff after their heartbreaking defeat at Elland Road on Monday. Norwich had the better of things for most of the match against table toppers Leeds, always looking to play nice football and keep it on the floor. In truth they should have taken the lead early in the first half but Russell and Holt shot straight at the keeper when well placed. Typically, Leeds took the lead soon after, making the Canaries pay, but Holt’s leveller meant it was all square going into the break.

I have to admit Leeds looked fresher in the second half, battling and scrapping their way into possession and trying to constrict City’s passing game, although the delivery of Lappin and creativity of Hoolahan meant Norwich were never out of it, and Holt also brought a good save out of Leeds sub keeper Ankergren. But, as the clock ticked towards the 90th minute, it was apparent that the Canaries were content with a point.

On the balance of things a draw was a fair result, so it is tragic that the game was lost in such a cruel way, with Forster’s scuffed clearance falling to the lethal Jermaine Beckford, who inevitably scored, much to the relief of the Elland Road fans.

The win keeps United top, with Norwich on 6th, but if City can maintain that level of performance, there is no reason why they can’t climb higher. The nightmare start and upheaval that took place in August appears to have been put to bed and the team looks more focused, driven and motivated to upset the football odds which were stacked against them. This was a very good Leeds team they were playing and we gave them a real fright.

Defeats are never easy to take but if they keep up that level of performance, it seems a safe league one football bet that they won’t have to take many more during the rest of the season.

by Thomas Rooney

Football is the most popular game in the world for nights like last night. Yes, it was only a League One game against Leyton Orient. Yes, they went down to ten men. Despite this though, I was delighted with the win and loved every single second of it.

It was my first trip to Carrow Road since the 7-1 drubbing at home to Colchester and what a contrast last night’s game was. We were solid throughout, looked threatening going forward and played some excellent passing football.

I know it was against rather weak opposition – who were relying on one-time Canary Ryan Jarvis to create their chances – but it was refreshing to see us play so well. We have been through some bad times in recent years and these type of displays have been few and far between.

Fair enough we left it late before we got our first goal but I always felt that it was going to come, especially after they were reduced to ten men. Once Chris Martin grabbed the first goal, we relaxed and ran riot.

Had the first goal been in the first few minutes of the game, it would have been a ridiculously comfortable 80-odd minutes instead of a ridiculously comfortable 15 minutes at the end.

The atmosphere was good as well. I think the crowd sense that Paul Lambert is doing a good job and I think they sense that the players are giving their all for Norwich City. This hasn’t been the case in recent years and it is highly appreciated I assure you.

The only downside of our support last night was the moaning at West Hoolahan in the first half. He is quite clearly our best player with an abundance of talent. Fair enough, he should have shot earlier in the first half when he broke into the penalty area, but he was causing havoc for the Orient defence and deserved to get a goal really.

All in all though, it was one of the better nights at Carrow Road in recent years. Hopefully, under a manager who is having a positive effect on this group of players, there will be plenty more where that came from as we continue to upset the League One football odds and climb the table.

by Thomas Rooney

So, we have ourselves a new manager. We have decided to steal Paul Lambert from League One rivals Colchester United. The same man that guided his team to a 7-1 win at Carrow Road just ten days ago. Imagine someone saying this was going to happen back then?

The fact that Bryan Gunn was sacked after one league game was a big enough shock, so for us to appoint the man who defeated him in that one game is even more extraordinary. I’m guessing Lambert won’t be on Gunn’s Christmas card list this year!

Anyway, let’s get away from the circumstances of which he has been appointed and concentrate on the man himself. Is Lambert a good appointment? Can he help us achieve promotion back to the Championship?

Well, we can’t answer this at the moment really. That’s why I couldn’t listen to Radio Norfolk earlier. Clueless fans calling for his head already. What has he ever won? Why is he so different to Gunn? These were just some of the very insightful questions.

To answer them quickly – he has won the Champions League as a player. He has managerial experience. There we go. Two reasons that he will be a better manager than Gunn ever was.

Personally, I think he seems like a very safe bet as a solid appointment. Lambert talks a good game and has done well at Colchester and Wycombe. He is clearly a manager on the up. Isn’t that something we have wanted for ages? I suppose this is the moaning person’s ‘cheap option’ is it?

The truth is that we could find negatives in any appointment we made. It could have been a ‘has-been’ like Paul Jewell or Gordon Strachan or an ‘unproven manager’ like Mark Robins. Nobody was going to be completely happy.

Regardless though, we should all get behind Lambert to give him the best chance of being successful. We can make a proper judgement after a few games. To make sure these are a good few games, we need to be positive about everything. How are things going to improve if it is all doom and gloom already?

We have to back Lambert from the word go. I know we have all been here before (with Grant, Roeder and Gunn) but the same rule applies. The club needs us more than ever.

Three points tonight against Brentford, another three in Lambert’s first game against Wycombe and we are in business.

I remember saying a few weeks ago that I was completely unsure as to what sort of team Bryan Gunn would be putting out against Colchester in the first game of our League One campaign.

We are now just three days away from this fixture though and it is fair to say that we have a pretty decent idea what the starting line-up is going to be. Not only do we know this, but we can actually be fairly optimistic about the type of performance they are going to put in.

Gunn has done very well in the transfer market and if the pre-season games are anything to go by, we should have a squad capable of winning promotion back to the Championship. So, who is going to be fighting for early points at Carrow Road on Saturday?

Goalkeeper: Michael Theoklitos – The Australian keeper is clearly Gunn’s No.1 and has done well in the pre-season games he has played.

Right-back: Jon Otsemobor – Semi showed against Wigan what he can do. At League One level, he can be a solid defender and a very handy attacking threat.

Left-back: Adam Drury – It is good to see the Canary veteran get a decent pre-season under his belt. Injury problems have plagued him recently, but he is still the best full-back at the club.

Centre-back: Gary Doherty – You can’t leave out your skipper can you? Doherty will be leading from the front against Colchester, hopefully having one of his more solid games.

Centre-back: Michael Nelson – This is a difficult one because Jens Berthel Askou has looked very good in pre-season. However, for me, Nelson just about gets the nod.

Right-wing: Simon Whaley – This is one of the easiest decisions of the lot. Not only is he one of the few options to play in this position, but he has looked very impressive since signing from Preston.

Left-wing: Wes Hoolahan – Although I have put Little Wes as a left-winger, this is far from his role. He will operate centrally and basically have a free role. Our best player.

Centre-midfield: Owain Tudur Jones – The big lad from Swansea has impressed me in pre-season. He can protect the defence well, win the ball well and send Hoolahan on his way well.

Centre-midfield: Matthew Gill – I get the feeling that Gunn wants Stephen Hughes in this role eventually, but his match fitness is questionable. Therefore, the ‘Clingan like’ Gill will play.

Striker: Grant Holt – There is no doubt that the former Forest man will be leading the line for us. He has a good scoring record at this level and will be integral to our promotion hopes.

Striker: Chris Martin – It seems as though the loan-spell at Luton has done young Chris the world of good. He can finish as well as anybody in this league and could be our secret weapon.

So, there you have it. I think this will be the team on Saturday. There are plenty of options on the bench as well with Jamie Cureton, Tom Adeyemi, Stephen Hughes, Cody McDonald, Ben Alnwick, Goran Maric, Paul McVeigh and Michael Spillane all fighting it out for the seven spots.

by Thomas Rooney

Pre-season is a strange time. It is a time when meaningless games are played, players are brought in on trial, transfer rumours spread quickly and local newspapers try and keep interest going in all things Norwich City.

One of the more positive aspects of pre-season though is that it is a time where you can get extremely optimistic about the months ahead without your predictions being immediately quashed.

No league games have been played, the new players haven’t shown how good they are in competitive action and everyone says all of the right things ahead of the new season. That’s why pre-season is the time for positive thinking.

Regardless of the type of campaign your team had previously, many people look to the new season as a fresh start, a time to start playing properly for once. ‘This is going to be our year.’ ‘We have finally got a group of players together that can win promotion’ – familiar phrases from this time of the year, I’m sure you can agree.

So, sticking to the idea that everyone has to be positive in pre-season, I’m going to stick my neck out and say that Bryan Gunn has put together a very respectable squad this summer. It is a squad that, I think, will win us promotion back to the Championship.

Why do I think this? Well, partly because I can do so without much thought at this stage of proceedings. In all seriousness though, I am pleased with the players Gunn has brought in.

Loan players are a thing of the past with several permanent transfers coming in. Based on last season’s failings, this can only be a good thing. There is some quality there too. With Simon Whaley, Grant Holt and Goran Maric coming in to support the attacking threat already provided by Wes Hoolahan, there is something to work with going forward.

We have plenty of options in midfield as well where competiton for places is likely to be very intense. Several players will be eyeing a central midfield spot. Then, in defence, there is cover in every position.

To be honest, if we went into a season in the Championship with the current squad, I would be relatively confident that we would avoid the drop. Therefore, the fact we are a level below – in League One – leads me to believe that we will be celebrating come May next year. My League One bets are certainly going to be erring on the side of optimism anyway!

Bring it on!

by Thomas Rooney

So, after much speculation throughout the summer, Sammy Clingan’s move to Coventry City appears to be going ahead. It was being reported this morning that after fresh talks over the weekend, the midfielder is on the verge of joining the Sky Blues for a fee of around £650,000.

There have been a number of complications with the deal over the last few weeks, including excessive financial demands from Clingan’s representatives. However, it seems as though Chris Coleman is determined to upset the football odds and get his main transfer target, even if patience is required.

Speaking about the move, the Coventry boss said that ‘one or two people have come to their senses’ over the deal meaning that it is ‘still bubbling’. Like previously mentioned, it is being suggested that Clingan could swap Carrow Road for the Ricoh Arena as soon as this week.

Many Norwich fans have been up in arms about this and worrying about how much we will miss Clingan’s presence in the middle of midfield. Personally, I’m not at all convinced that losing him is the worst thing.

First of all, the £650,000 fee can be used elsewhere. Perhaps to help bring a striker or two to the club before the season starts? Secondly, even if Clingan stayed initially, he was always going to be looking at his options when the January transfer window opened.

Bryan Gunn needs players that are 100% committed to Norwich City if we are to have a successful season. Having players like Clingan – who was clearly setting his sights on playing at a higher level – may have been disruptive.

The third reason that I don’t think we will miss him is that, actually, he was a little bit overrated. Perhaps it was the fact that he shone amongst several horrific team performances, but I don’t know how good a player he actually is.

Yes, he can pass the ball relatively well. Yes, he can make a good challenge. Yes, he works pretty hard. However, at League One level, Matthew Gill can perform this role for us admirably. So, to get a decent sum of money for Clingan is probably the best option.

To expand on the ‘overrated’ theory a little more, let me just say that I think Clingan was very good for us at times last season. However, he did have his shockers as well. It’s just that nobody highlighted them because it was Clingan.

This is irrelevant now though as it seems his Norwich career is over. He has decided to take the drastic leap and play for Coventry. Well done him. From one struggling Championship club one season to another the next. Don’t expect him to be there for too long.

Gunn and the rest of his squad don’t even need to move on from his presence really. He was only with us for one season. Ryan Bertrand was a City player for longer. It’s all about new players, new heroes (!) and renewed commitment.

by Thomas Rooney

Last year I thought it might be fun to recognize some of these great men and women that spend countless hours each week updating the world with the goings on in and around our favourite football club, and so kicked off what I called the “NCFC on the Web” awards.

It was more successful than I thought it would be (click here to see how the 2008 awards were won), so thought it only right to get the 2009 edition off and running.

As with last year there are seven categories that sites can be nominated for:

Best news service. Which site has the best news?

Best site for analysis. Including rumours etc.

Best match previews/reports. Most websites feature some sort of match report, but that doesn’t mean it’s any good.

Best column. “Nelson’s” does not count. I’m thinking things like “The Man” on the Pink’un site, that sort of thing.

Overall best NCFC website. Fairly self-explanatory. Which NCFC website do you think is your favourite overall?

Best site design. Who’s the prettiest? The easiest to use?

Best message board. There’s plenty of them, but which one is the best?

As some will be aware, my main contribution is as editor of the Vital Norwich site, but although some could call it a conflict of interests that site isn’t excluded – I didn’t cheat last year, so I have absolutely no intention of doing so this year!

Any NCFC site can be nominated – be it a professional setup like the official site, all the way down to the one-man-band cowboy blog. If you like it, nominate it.

That’s pretty much it. You can send your nominations to the usual email address (canaryblog at googlemail dot com), or leave a comment below.

I’ll add them to the list I’ve already got, whittle them down to no more than half a dozen or so per category and will announce the full list of nominees later on this week – and then voting can begin.

Get nominating.

We need a leader to help us win promotion back to the Championship, of that their can be no doubt. We need someone in the Malky Mackay, Iwan
Roberts or Craig Fleming mould. We need someone who is 100% committed to Norwich City Football Club.

Many of you may argue that there is no-one amongst the current crop that fits the bill, but let’s take a look at the available options. Who should become our skipper for next season?

Gary Doherty – The Doc skippered us for much of last season, but having a relegation on your CV during your leadership doesn’t normally read that well. Bryan Gunn has been going on and on about the winning mentality this season and perhaps Doherty doesn’t fit the bill.

In fact, is he even guaranteed a place in the side? There are set to be a few central defenders fancying their chances of a game next year, after all. Doherty did lead us out against Dartford though so he is probably part of Gunn’s thinking.

Matthew Gill – When the new management team of Gunn, Ian Crook, John Deehan and Ian Butterworth were announced, the words ‘yellow and green blood’ were used over and over again. Well, this new signing from Exeter fits the bill.

Gill was born in Norwich and has been a fan of the club ever since he was a young lad. To become captain of the club would probably be a dream come true for him and simply for how much it would mean to him, he is surely being considered for the captaincy.

He skippered the side against Dartford in the recent 7-2 win as well, so there is no doubt Gunn feels he has some of the credentials required to captain this team.

Michael Nelson – A few weeks ago, Gunn said that he wanted the captaincy situation sorted by the start of the Scotland tour. This indicates that Nelson – who skippered the side during the opening game of the pre-season tour – is probably front runner to become captain.

A no nonsense player, Nelson likes to dominate from the heart of the defence and lead from the front of the dressing room. He was captain at both of his previous clubs and early indications show that he is a born leader. At this stage, it certainly seems as if he is the favourite to captain us next season.

No official announcement has been made yet though and perhaps there is still an outside chance for the likes of Adam Drury, Dejan Stefanovic or Sammy Clingan? Unlikely, but we will have to wait and see.

by Thomas Rooney

I had to check the date when I saw that Paul McVeigh was training with Norwich City again. It seems a safe football bet that the former canary – who struggled to hold down a place in the Luton Town squad last season – is by all accounts doing all he can to earn a contract at Carrow Road.

Don’t get me wrong – I was a big fan of McVeigh on his day. Sadly though, his day was quite a few years ago now and the fact we are showing an interest in him is a sign of where we have gone. He is 31-years-old and hasn’t exactly set the world alight in the two years since leaving us.

In fact, since August 2007 when he signed for Luton, McVeigh only made 24 starts in the league for them. I’m not sure whether this was down to injury or lack of form, but either would suggest that a move for him now wouldn’t be that worthwhile.

The reality is though that Bryan Gunn is giving McVeigh a chance to impress. He is set to play a part in some pre-season friendlies with the Norwich boss saying that the striker ‘has worked very hard’ in pre-season training.

He also reserved praise for the condition McVeigh was in despite not playing too much football of late. Gunn said that the Northern Irishman is ‘looking sharp’ with ‘good fitness levels’.

Are we really considering making a move for him though? I wouldn’t have thought so to be honest. He is a committed and talented footballer, but he has surely had his best days. To sign him up now would be attempting to rekindle a blast from the past and I think it would backfire.

In fairness to Gunn, he did mention that if ‘someone calls’ asking about McVeigh’s fitness, he will give them an ‘A report’. This suggests that the player is simply training with us in order to increase his chances of finding a new club.

I didn’t realise we provided this facility! Perhaps Daryl Sutch, Phil Mulryne or Spencer Prior will be seen at Colney next as they look to see if Gunn will give them a go?

by Thomas Rooney