On the score sheet it’s just three goals and three points, but Norwich’s 3-0 thumping win at Watford has the making to be the pivotal moment in a slip n’ slide campaign.
City go to fifth in the Championship table, passing the Hornets, courtesy of goal difference, so I thought it’d be fitting to pinpoint 5 things we learnt from the weekend.
Luck around the League
Other than the Derby win, everything that could go right for Norwich finally happened. For as important as the club’s result was, the Middlesbrough, Bournemouth and Ipswich losses were just as crucial.At a time when the League table consolidates between the promotion contenders, the Canaries are the ones with the momentum to slither up to an automatic spot.
Converting chances
City’s first two goals on Saturday came from two shots on target—a delightful transformation from the club’s recent past (Chris Hughton never bringing in a Strikers coach, murmur). Lewis Grabban’s brace puts him at 11 this season, while Gary Hooper has nine and Cameron Jerome leads the side with 16.The best strike force in the league is living up to the billing, finally. Even if one player doesn’t snatch a goal or is in poor form, they have no problem assisting one another. Suddenly it’s been more about anyone putting it in the net than the players’ egos.
Whittaker
Steven Whittaker is the club’s scapegoat. Sure, a player such as Bradley Johnson might miss a glaring opportunity, but no player takes the brunt of criticism more than the Scottish international.The right-back had another strong performance at Watford, resulting in manager Alex Neil to say, “I don’t know why people give him a hard time”. Clearly the manager has faith in him, and his surrounding players on the field have that same confidence. (As long as he remains a right back and not a centre-half.)
Alex Neil has done what Neil Adams couldn’t
The New Neil has finally found the right combination for his team sheet. Earlier in the season there were gripes about Adams never getting the maximum potential from some of his players. Sometimes they didn’t perform; other times they may have been out of position.Neil has come in and immediately found the most from his players. Imagine a match in October or November when Nathan Redmond was a substitute.With a lack of depth of wide midfielders, current on-loan forward Kyle Lafferty was dropped back to a left mid, where he struggled and never felt comfortable in the role.Now Lafferty is gone, and City has brought in a Premier League player to bolster the midfield, Graham Dorrans,there’s competition within the club to not only make the club’s starting lineup, but also the bench.
Composure
Norwich must approach the midweek match equally as important as the Ipswich fixture at the weekend.Overlooking Blackburn away can instantly halt the growing momentum and City may find themselves on the outside looking in, again.Only this time that doesn’t look to be the case.
