Not many can qualm the general consensus that Norwich City’s side on paper is one of, if not, the strongest side in the Sky Bet Championship. A squad inundated with quality throughout the ranks, the Canaries are blessed with a well-balanced and competitive squad; a luxury for a side in the second tier of English football.
In particular, City’s striker force is one to be reckoned with. The likes of Cameron Jerome, Gary Hooper and Lewis Grabban make the trio up top; whilst Kyle Lafferty, Jamar Loza, Luciano Becchio and Carlton Morris are all on the periphery of the Norfolk outfit.
Jerome, Hooper and Grabban have been fighting for that coveted position in the Canaries starting eleven.
Cameron Jerome has been firing on all cylinders this season, bagging 15 goals so far. Meanwhile, former Celtic striker, Gary Hooper has been earning the plaudits with some sensational performances along with his 9 goals. Whilst Lewis Grabban has endured a fluctuating debut season at Carrow Road, with 8 goals to his name, Grabban has done well, but there seems to be something a little off with the former Bournemouth man.
Grabban was the first choice striker under Neil Adams at the beginning of the season, but has since found his opportunities limited, thanks to the form of Jerome and Hooper. Despite their form, Grabban was looking like a man lacking in confidence after enduring a goal drought after his sensational start of 4 goals in 4 games.
Since Adams departure, Alex Neil has come in and seems to have seeped out an extra 10% in all of his players, including Grabban. With thanks to a hamstring injury to Cameron Jerome, Grabban has been given the nod to start the last 3 games and the 27-year-old has repaid his managers faith in him.
Speaking to the media, Grabban voiced his thanks to the new man at the helm of the Canaries, “I think the new manager has given me a chance. That was a lacking a bit in the last regime and I found opportunities hard to come by. But this guy has come in and given me three starts and hopefully I can repay him.”
After scoring six goals in his first nine games for Norwich, Grabban he has only scored two from his last 19. A player who was measured on the amount of goals he scored, now, I see Grabban as a man who can be the playmaker as opposed to the glory seeker.
Grabban struggled to make an impact in the game against Birmingham but he quickly put that behind him after his lynchpin performance against Blackpool. He may not have scored, but the striker was at the centre of all of City’s attacks. Alex Neil praised his performance, hailing it as a superb all –round display. In his latest outing, Grabban beautifully setup Howson for Norwich’s first and then produced a moment of magic to loop the ball over the onrushing Addicks keeper to put the Canaries 2-0 in front of their opponents. Is Grabban coming back to his best?
Jerome and Hooper may be getting all the media attention, but don’t shy away from Grabban. He has a lot to offer our club with both goals and assists. Intelligent on the ball and always looking to play neat, attractive football; we should count our blessings with this impressive striking trio.
With Jerome on the mend and knocking on the door after his match winning header against Charlton, Grabban needs to take the bull by the horns and prove that he deserves a place in the Norwich City starting eleven. No striker wants to be a third choice, so it’s up to him to showcase why he is the missing ingredient in Alex Neil’s promotion party.
