Well, that was reassuring wasn’t it?
After three games without a goal, beating Stoke was a must, to get the promotion push back on track, at least I thought so and I’m guessing you did too.
The return of Emi Buendia was as important for the team as we all knew it would be. He is basically irreplaceable in the Norwich squad and those who have tried in his absence, notably Placheta, haven’t been up to scratch.
His importance to the team was underlined against a very mediocre Stoke City, with an assist, a goal and numerous wonderful passes, several with the outside of his boot that sliced through the Potters’ defence like a hot knife through butter. His determination to win the ball back in a seemingly hopeless situation just before half-time, saw him lay on an easy tap-in for Teemu Pukki.
That mindset means that this particular attribute is missed when he doesn’t play. He is brilliant at winning the ball back high up the pitch and coupled with his vision, strength and incredible technique and ability, it’s easy to see why he is the jewel in the Canary crown.
This win wasn’t all about just one player though, there were many worth talking about in yellow and green for good reasons and otherwise.
Ben Gibson and Grant Hanley continue to provide the central defensive partnership that we have been wanting for a decade or more at our club. Strength, tackling and heading ability and an excellent understanding between them and that’s before you mention the passing out from the back which Gibson has become so good at.
Both full-backs had a good game and both were helped out in their defensive duties by the men in front of them, Buendia and Todd Cantwell.
I say both full-backs had a good game but one had a more interesting game than the other and I am, of course, talking about new boy, Dimitris Giannoulis. After being rested against Swansea, according to Daniel Farke, he returned here and looked like he was ready for a scrap. He was strong at the back and quick and positive going forwards. Here he is, this is the Greek international that we’ve signed…
That was until the 61st minute though, when he inexplicably passed the ball across his own box, while under no real pressure, for Nick Powell to intercept it and score easily, giving the visitors a way back into a game they didn’t really look much of a threat in.
All that good work undone by a moment of madness that you wouldn’t expect from a schoolboy and yet just three minutes later he had restored some of his reputation with a great run to the byline and a cut back that was swept home by Buendia.
Two assists in three minutes.
Other than that first “assist” I thought he looked much better here and if truth be known, the second assist looks likely to have been very important for his future. I can only imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth on social media if Stoke had been able to push on after they scored.
Kenny McLean is another player who divides opinion. Beloved by Farke, perhaps not so much by a section of the fan base, including plenty on the Vital Norwich forum, he had a game that was peppered with great moments and poor moments, including one horrific mistake in the second half when he played Steven Fletcher in one-on one with Tim Krul. His hands went straight to his head but man, what an error.
Later in the second half though, I noted him playing several excellent, cutting, through balls but there were also some that didn’t come off. At the moment, you just don’t quite know what you’re going to get from him, as Mrs T said during the game “He’s always got a mistake in him, hasn’t he?”
Pukki, scored a brace, just like he did in the reverse fixture back in November, and he looked notably sharper than he has since his recent return from injury. As Farke was keen to point out before the game, with Jordan Hugill out injured and Adam Idah only working his way back after a long period out, Pukki has had no chance to feel his way back into full match fitness.
In this game though, he looked as though he’s getting there, making some neat, clever runs that on another day could’ve easily seen him get a hat-trick. It’s not going over the top to state that Stoke simply couldn’t deal with him. His movement and hold-up play was beyond them, more often than not.
With Swansea and Brentford not playing on Saturday, City returned to the top spot in the Championship table after a real drubbing of Stoke but from here on, there can be no more slip-ups and a repeat of the run of form that saw us get that seven point lead over third place in January is what is required from here on in.
OTBC