I won’t be the first to say it but phew, what a performance! I don’t think there could have been a more satisfying derby victory in my opinion (well, if you don’t count the 9-2…).
But it was hardly a perfect win: there were still several issues that were highlighted throughout the game that Ipswich failed to capitalise on, in their typical Ipswich way.
Firstly, at times the defence was very shaky, especially after the second goal. Whenever Seb Bassong had the ball at the back he seemed unsure on what to do with it, almost giving the ball away a few times. Hints of complacency also arose after the second goal; Ipswich almost got straight back into it which would’ve changed the feel of the game completely. However, thanks to the lacklustre Ipswich attack, this didn’t happen.
Credit does have to go to the defence, however, for making Daryl Murphy seemingly invisible. All the pre-game talk had him being Ipswich’s main threat, and with 21 goals this season, that was entirely warranted. However, I don’t believe he even had a shot on goal. Every time he received the ball he was on the wings and for a tall player like him, this is place where he is least effective. The same goes for Chris Wood: apart from his free header late on he contributed almost nothing.
Another impressive performer was ‘keeper John Ruddy. Ruddy made a couple of key saves throughout the game, including the impressive first half save from Freddie Sears. Whenever our defence seemingly fell asleep, John was there to pick up the pieces. This continues the impressive run of clean sheets for City, now up to 5 under Alex Neil, with only 8 goals conceded in that time.
Up front, Lewis Grabban had a solid game – however, I wouldn’t call it his best. The number of times he was offside was a bit of a worry; poor positioning is something we can simply not afford to do. The one striker formation with Grabban also felt a bit lacklustre. This was highlighted in as the second goal was scored within minutes of Cameron Jerome being put on as the second striker. The Ipswich defence couldn’t seem to be able to control Grabban on his own, so with another striker on the pitch I think the gap could’ve been a greater than two goals. But hey ho, we scored two goals, even if one of them was very scrappy.
So even with the negative points it was still a very positive result against a fellow promotion hopeful. I imagine every Norwich City fan was as nervous as I was pre-game and is now feeling as relieved as me. We can use this very important derby win as the catalyst that keeps up this great run of form.
So, what’s next? Well, the two next games are massive in their own right; two clubs in the relegation zone who are desperate for a win. First will be Wigan, who will be boosted by their win at Blackpool on Saturday. Malky Mackay will not be hoping for a repeat of the reverse fixture in December, where Norwich ran out 1-0 winners at the DW Stadium. Saturday’s match involves a visit to the New Den to face Ian Holloway’s Millwall. Millwall lie 22nd in the Sky Bet Championship and face 2nd placed Middlesborough in midweek. These ties are some of the vital games that Norwich must not slip up on as, in the end, they might decide our season.
