Norwich City are on the cusp of a return to the Premier League, I think that’s clear after the last nine wins in a row and as you’ve probably read they are also on the verge of a club record if they can make it ten wins in a row against Blackburn.
The Canaries are literally flying at the moment (sorry) and even without Emi Buendia against Forest last Wednesday night, they were still able to put in a super performance that blew Chris Hughton’s lacklustre team away. Kieran Dowell replaced Emi and he scored an absolute cracker of a goal in a very good all-round performance.
He’s had to wait for his chance due to injury but it looks like he’s ready now to contribute in a big way. I can’t help but think that if he had been fit all season, that the number 10 position would’ve been nailed down as his.
If I was a gambling man, I’d say that Dowell will get another chance to play against Rovers on Saturday due to the loss of Lukas Rupp to what is described as a slight hamstring strain. He’s likely to be fine in a few days but with an international break on the horizon after this game, it looks like Preston away on Good Friday will be the next time we see Herr Rupp, who incidentally has been very good himself of late.
Assuming that Emi Buendia goes straight back into the side, having missed the Forest game due to the birth of his second son, Giovanni, for my money, Dowell is best placed to start at number 10.
You may not have seen the next thing I wanted to talk about but it features a man that I’ve always had a lot of time for, Ian Holloway.
Olly has a huge amount of experience in the game and he knows all about the Championship and what it takes to win consistently. After the Forest game, he was a guest on Quest to talk about the games.
𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗘 wins in a row for @NorwichCityFC 😮#EFL | #SkyBetChampionship pic.twitter.com/87NqOolYHa
— Sky Bet Championship (@SkyBetChamp) March 18, 2021
Daniel Farke was made aware of Olly’s comments and had this to say on Friday about them during his usual pre-match press conference.
“If someone this experience and this reputation (Ian Holloway) praises you in this way, it says a lot. He knows a lot about this league and how difficult it is, so we take it as a compliment that we have done a lot of good things over the last few years, but there is still room for improvement and we try and stay relentless in our work.”
🗣 The boss will soon address the media ahead of tomorrow's game against Blackburn Rovers.
Updates here ⬇️
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) March 19, 2021
On the subject of the potential for making a club record, Farke was keen to not put too much emphasis on it…
“I would love it, but it is just a side note. We want to do the major stuff. We want to finish top of the table. We know we have written a chapter of history, but it is not our main focus at the moment. In a few years when you are sat on the sofa with a glass of wine, beer or tea, then you can reflect on that and look back and say that is nice.”
He’s right, of course, because the main thing is to keep putting points on the board, one game at a time. Last season, Leeds won the league with 91 points which is just nine points further on than we currently have with nine games left to play.
It really is looking very good.
OTBC