It was almost a question of back to square one here. But City managed to scrape a win here. I’m not sure how given the first eighty minutes of nonsense.
For most of the game, City looked terrible. Where was the repeat of Tuesday’s performance against Wolves? Ok, we all know Norwich pretty well and we realised that this probably wouldn’t happen. But this was bottom of the table strugglers Donacaster Rovers at Carrow Road today. We should have done better.
The away fans were really lively, singing their Yorkshire hearts out. And when they went one up with 15 minutes to go from yet another penalty given away by City, they were ecstatic. In fact they were getting right on my nerves. And I would have done almost anything to shut them up. And with five minutes to go, they were silenced by a lucky deflection off Antoine Siberski’s head. One all.
Up to the eightyth minute the football from both sides had been dire. But Norwich decided on 80 minutes that that was the time to start playing football. And with Sibierski’s goal it was no more than Norwich deserved. And with four minutes of added time, there was a chance that Norwich could get a late winner. And a late winner they duly got. Lita cooly slotting home for a lovely victory in stoppage time. And I did feel a slight twinge of sadness for the travelling Doncaster fans. But not the away fan sitting behind us who celebrated a little too much when Doncaster scored the first goal.
So all in all a good win. Much needed. But still not playing anywhere near consistently enough for me. There are difficult games coming up against Derby County and Burnley, both away, over the next week. I don’t fancy us to get any points from those two games so we’ll be up against it again when Preston make the trip to Carrow Road in two weeks.
Saturday, 25 October 2008
Monday, 20 October 2008
Norwich v Wolverhampton Wanderers Tuesday 21 October 2008
Now you’re talkin ....
Norwich 5 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2
A good win, coming hard on the heels of a disappointing away loss at Bristol City on Saturday.
I was in two minds whether to go to this game. I wasn’t feeling fantastic and had an early start to consider for the following day. But struggle along to Carrow Road I did and was grateful for the result. A good win with a hattrick from Leroy Lita with Sammy Clingan and Lee Croft adding others.
Goals are a bit like busses I suppose. We’ve not looked like scoring for so many matches now. So when five do come along you wonder why there have been problems in other games. But then again, if you look at the goals again, at least three were total gifts from the visitors. The first bundled into the back of his own net by the keeper, the second was almost certainly an own goal, and the third a gift to Lita.
And why is it, Norwich can up their game for the table toppers - Wolves today, Birmingham last month. It really shows what this team is capable of given the right attitude.
Norwich went into the break two one in front. This in itself was disappointing with Wolves getting a late goal. But it was shortly 3-1 after the break but City gave yet another penalty away - the second at home this season and 6 all told. This can’t be all bad luck. But City took their chances well. And to be the table toppers 5-2 is no mean effort.
Let’s try and keep this up with the visit of Doncaster on Saturday.
Norwich 5 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2
A good win, coming hard on the heels of a disappointing away loss at Bristol City on Saturday.
I was in two minds whether to go to this game. I wasn’t feeling fantastic and had an early start to consider for the following day. But struggle along to Carrow Road I did and was grateful for the result. A good win with a hattrick from Leroy Lita with Sammy Clingan and Lee Croft adding others.
Goals are a bit like busses I suppose. We’ve not looked like scoring for so many matches now. So when five do come along you wonder why there have been problems in other games. But then again, if you look at the goals again, at least three were total gifts from the visitors. The first bundled into the back of his own net by the keeper, the second was almost certainly an own goal, and the third a gift to Lita.
And why is it, Norwich can up their game for the table toppers - Wolves today, Birmingham last month. It really shows what this team is capable of given the right attitude.
Norwich went into the break two one in front. This in itself was disappointing with Wolves getting a late goal. But it was shortly 3-1 after the break but City gave yet another penalty away - the second at home this season and 6 all told. This can’t be all bad luck. But City took their chances well. And to be the table toppers 5-2 is no mean effort.
Let’s try and keep this up with the visit of Doncaster on Saturday.
Thursday, 16 October 2008
Match Fixing at the Football
I never thought I would ever see the day when Norwich City would be involved in a match fixing scandal. But this is what I read is the case today. Question’s in the House of Commons, investigations by the FA, individuals betting on Norwich to win a game ... who would have though it. Betting on Norwich City to win a game - they must be insane!
So the allegations put it that during half time of the Norwich v Derby game on Saturday 4th October, there were irregular betting patterns in the far east which saw Norwich odds of winning tumble from 5.5 (9/2 in old money) down to around 1.66 (4/6). This would seem odd in that Norwich were one down and looked unlikely to get one back let alone two.
In terms of the facts of the game, shortly after the half time re-start with Norwich one down, Roy Carroll was sent off for obstructing a Leroy Lita scoring opportunity giving Norwich an equaliser and the opportunity of playing against ten men for the remainder of the match. Then shortly before time, a David Marshall/Adam Drury collision gifted Derby a goal at the River End. Neither of these incidents looked suspicious to me - nothing I’ve not seen before. Derby win 2-1.
Anyway, the FA must be allowed to complete their investigations. There is no implication here that anyone at Norwich or Derby were involved. At all. Ever. But the Singaporean betting companies involved are refusing to co-operate. So the chances of getting to the bottom of this seem remote.
Match fixing in football seems a bizarre thing. Could one or two players affect the result of a game. David Neilson a former Norwich player has admitted just this. So could this be the tip of an iceberg. It happened in cricket. You can see how it would happen in gambling sports such as Horse and Greyhound racing. But betting is integral to these spots isn’t it. But we need to understand that gambling runs sports these days. Look at the adverts on Sky. The advent of Betfair has made it so much easier to manipulate the markets, unfortunately. I would never advocate removing the ability of the betting exchanges - I hate bookmakers. But has the time come to review the amounts being staked?
So the allegations put it that during half time of the Norwich v Derby game on Saturday 4th October, there were irregular betting patterns in the far east which saw Norwich odds of winning tumble from 5.5 (9/2 in old money) down to around 1.66 (4/6). This would seem odd in that Norwich were one down and looked unlikely to get one back let alone two.
In terms of the facts of the game, shortly after the half time re-start with Norwich one down, Roy Carroll was sent off for obstructing a Leroy Lita scoring opportunity giving Norwich an equaliser and the opportunity of playing against ten men for the remainder of the match. Then shortly before time, a David Marshall/Adam Drury collision gifted Derby a goal at the River End. Neither of these incidents looked suspicious to me - nothing I’ve not seen before. Derby win 2-1.
Anyway, the FA must be allowed to complete their investigations. There is no implication here that anyone at Norwich or Derby were involved. At all. Ever. But the Singaporean betting companies involved are refusing to co-operate. So the chances of getting to the bottom of this seem remote.
Match fixing in football seems a bizarre thing. Could one or two players affect the result of a game. David Neilson a former Norwich player has admitted just this. So could this be the tip of an iceberg. It happened in cricket. You can see how it would happen in gambling sports such as Horse and Greyhound racing. But betting is integral to these spots isn’t it. But we need to understand that gambling runs sports these days. Look at the adverts on Sky. The advent of Betfair has made it so much easier to manipulate the markets, unfortunately. I would never advocate removing the ability of the betting exchanges - I hate bookmakers. But has the time come to review the amounts being staked?
Saturday, 4 October 2008
Norwich v Derby County 4 October 2008
Man alive. If there was one side I wanted City to beat this season, it was Derby County. Particularly with Stephen Bywater in goal - the villain of the piece when Derby visted Carrow Road two season’s ago.
But yet again, Norwich do themselves no favours when, against ten men, they still can’t kill the game off.
Bywater didn’t start the game. Roy Carroll was sent off just after the break which led to a tasty penalty put adeptly away by Sammy Clingan. This made the game one all and set very nicely for a Norwich win.
But it wasn’t to be. City conspired to play terrible football and on the day it only looked like they would be one winner. And you couldn’t make up the cock up which led to Derby’s second. Marshall and Drury collided to give Nathan Ellington a free shot which he put away with aplomb.
After the recent loss at a struggling Southampton (where by all accounts City played well but still not good enough to get a goal) and draw at Barnsley, we could have done with a win here. It was not to be.
But yet again, Norwich do themselves no favours when, against ten men, they still can’t kill the game off.
Bywater didn’t start the game. Roy Carroll was sent off just after the break which led to a tasty penalty put adeptly away by Sammy Clingan. This made the game one all and set very nicely for a Norwich win.
But it wasn’t to be. City conspired to play terrible football and on the day it only looked like they would be one winner. And you couldn’t make up the cock up which led to Derby’s second. Marshall and Drury collided to give Nathan Ellington a free shot which he put away with aplomb.
After the recent loss at a struggling Southampton (where by all accounts City played well but still not good enough to get a goal) and draw at Barnsley, we could have done with a win here. It was not to be.
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