Norwich Go Ten Points Clear At The Top

If last summer, anyone had told me that Norwich City would be ten points clear at almost the end of February, I’m not sure I would’ve believed it. I mean, I’m always an eternal optimist as far as my football club are concerned but after that limp, pathetic end to the Premier League season, I did have a lot of concerns.

Would Stuart Webber be able to keep the majority of the squad together? Would the clear apathy that existed in the squad from June onwards continue? Could Daniel Farke pick them up and mount a serious promotion challenge? Could he change the losing mind-set?

As it turns out, I needn’t have worried. There have been some brilliant displays and there have been some mediocre displays, a bit like this game against Birmingham City but the thing that those two sides to Norwich have in common is that more often than not, they’ve found a way to win.

Grinding out results and winning games when you’re not at your best, so they say, is the mark of a good football team and Norwich have enough as a group, a togetherness and a will not to lose, to be the league’s best side.

The second trip to St. Andrew’s in a week, this time to face the residents not the tenants, looked on paper to be an easy win but any team managed by Aitor Karanka has the ability to be stubborn and to give you a game.

So it turned out.

That appalling pitch again and for some reason a fairly dodgy internet connection saw me watching the game on Sky Football’s red button and it wasn’t a comfortable watch. Birmingham looked a long way from being a team who have only gained nine points at home all season as they opted to press Norwich and give us a game. The Canaries struggled to get their passing game going in the manner that we’re so used to and although the possession stats were high, something just wasn’t clicking.

City took the lead with a cracking finish from Teemu Pukki on 26 minutes, who beat Neil Etheridge from a fairly tight angle but the goat then saw Etheridge save his tame penalty ten minutes later after Cantwell was fouled by the former Cardiff keeper. Etheridge is a very good goalkeeper and arguably he could do a good job for a better team then Birmingham, no offence you Blues.

Birmingham equalised a couple of minutes later after some messing around by Norwich at the back and it was even stevens at the break.

In the second half the game looked as though it was heading for a draw and I even said as much to the family just before Pukki scored his second goal of the game in the 76th minute. Emi Buendia’s shot hit Harley Dean and rebounded kindly at Pukki’s feet six yards out, allowing him the simplest tap-in for his 17th of the season and his sixth in his last four games.

Late sub, Lukas Rupp then ran 70 odd yards with the ball in the 95th minute after a breakaway, unselfishly squaring for Olly Skipp to score a simple third and to put the league leaders ten points clear.

I know that the chasing pack now have a game in hand but still, ten points clear…

OTBC