Call it a tune up. Call it a morale booster. Call it whatever you’d like, but Norwich’s 4-2 win over Fulham in the final match of the Championship season was efficient and reminiscent of City’s previous victories sending the team up the second-tier table. Here’s five things learnt v Fulham.
Full steam ahead
Approaching the match, manager Alex Neil said he wouldn’t overlook the Fulham billing in favour of play-off preparations. He produced a full strength squad, swapping Elliot Bennett at right back for an injured Steven Whittaker. Cameron Jerome was also kept out of the lineup due to a previous injury. But that didn’t seem to hurt City’s attacking prowess—even with the absence of Lewis Grabban serving match one of his three-match ban. Neil’s mentality proved to be the right one, as City climbed to third in the table, cementing a clash with East Anglian rival, Ipswich Town, in the semifinals.
A fan’s semifinal
I’m 20 years old. I wasn’t around for City’s infamous 1985 Milk Cup conquest over the Tractor Boys. Therefore it’s safe to say this is the most important derby between the sides in my lifetime. It’s all right to get excited. As Bradley Johnson said after the Fulham match, the team won’t prepare for the first leg at Portman Road any differently than they would’ve had they playing Brentford or Derby.
Knocked by Neil
Neil agreed this is important for the fans. He also noted that he could relate with Grabban on serving a match ban in a promotion playoff. At Hamilton last year he head butted an opponent and had to miss out on the club’s eventual push into the Scottish Premier League. He’s been in this scenario before, as a player/manager. Norwich’s squad is full of players that have played in the Premier League. Neil might be the only one to partake in a playoff, but most of his squad have played on the other side of the playoffs. They know how important it is to return to first-tier football.
Player of the season
First he was the Norfolk Pirlo. Then someone said he should be called Bradley Wilshire. However you want to acknowledge him, it’s no surprise Bradley Johnson was named Player of the Season. The midfielder has scored 15 goals this campaign, 16 if you include the own goal, which puts him second on the team only to Jerome. Left midfield was one position former manager Neil Adams consistently struggled to get maximum production from. At times, he’d put out of position Kyle Lafferty out wide, which never worked. Johnson in that position has. Hopefully the same continues moving forward.
Enjoy the next two weeks
It’s hard to say enjoy the next two weeks when you consider how stressful it will be, but it should be attempted. Depending on how highly you regard a Milk Cup, the 2014-15 East Anglian Derby Pt. III and IV are the biggest pairing of the two in at least a generation. One of these teams will move on and play at Wembley for a shot at Premier League residency next year. We all know what happened in 1985… To Portman Road, first! Last time City was there, they went top of the league. This time around, a sound performance can give the Canaries one foot in the first-tier again. Sure, playing Ipswich again was fun, but not having to do it for another decade or so would be just as pleasing.
