It’s as you were for Norwich City who have no new injury worries ahead of Wednesday night’s crunch game with Everton at Carrow Road. Having lost so depressingly last Friday against Southampton, the Canaries now need to win five from just eight games but Daniel Farke, speaking at Colney on Tuesday lunchtime is still driving his squad forwards.
🎙 Daniel Farke is about to host his pre-Everton press conference via video call. Follow the live blog ⬇
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) June 23, 2020
Norwich beat Everton at Goodison Park last autumn in a fairly comfortable 2-0 win with goals from Todd Cantwell and Dennis Srbeny but that was when the Toffees were struggling badly. Since the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti, Everton have regrouped and most recently played out a largely dull but creditable draw with local rivals Liverpool on Sunday evening.
That means that Everton will have had 48 hours less than City to recover and they will also have to travel across the country to play, neither of which can be helpful. There is some positive news in the form of the return to the squad of Marco Stiepermann, who had previously been missing due to a positive COVID-19 test.
Farke was quick to play the underdog card though, while expressing the hope that Everton have an off-day. There will also be the heat to consider and those drinks breaks look like finally becoming useful as temperatures seem set to soar towards 30c. This was mentioned by City’s Head Coach, but he described his players as being “very physically prepared” and that the weather didn’t concern him.
I hope they’re in better shape than they were last Friday because they looked mentally and physically shattered by the time that the third goal went in.
We really are drinking in the last chance saloon now. It has to be now or never and the players really need to show us something. I’ve said before that I don’t mind losing if I can see that my team have given their all and sadly, that just didn’t look the case against Southampton.
The chances of survival seem best described as slim and none at the moment and if we lose to Everton then it probably will be all over. However, while there is still hope I will be watching and cheering the lads on from my sofa, bottle of beer in hand. Farke spoke about how he knows how much the defeat last week meant to the fans and that we all carry it with us until the next game. I certainly always feel like that and long for the chance for that last result to be replaced by something more positive, preferably a win.
It’s a big ask, obviously, but it is still (just about) in our own hands and that’s all we can ask for.
OTBC
I’m not saying we are clutching at straws but when a global pandemic first tries to save you from relegation and then you start blessing the virtues of global warming you really know you are in trouble! Whatever next?