The 2018-19 Season

Reassuring figures 'for sure' canario, but I'm still a bit concerned about how our play has fallen off in the last 3 games. Part of that is down to the defensive organisation we've faced, but our passing has lost some of the instictive one touch magic it had before that. It was tough for Leitner to come back in after being out so long, but hopefully he'll get back to his best in the coming games. There's also a tiredness factor at this stage of the season. With Stoke again so soon I'd like to see both Leitner and Vrancic start to freshen things up. Surely last night's hero deserves a start to give McLean a rest. I still think we'll make it over the line but the pressure is mounting now.

 

If you look at the figures over the last 2 months we've rarely been in a better position than we are now and there is only 3 games to go, despite players playing lots of games and everyone wanting to beat the league leaders. For me the only thing possibly in doubt is if we go up as league winners or second.

 

We could lose all three matches and still have a pretty good chance of going up in second I reckon. It only takes either Leeds to win no more than one of their last three or Blades to win one, draw one, lose one.

Given we’ve only lost one match in 2019 and two matches away all season, losing three matches all of a sudden feels unlikely.

 

A draw at Stoke and a win against Blackburn would see us through I reckon. Can't see Leeds making up an 8 goal deficit in 3 games.

 

The flaw in that theory would be that it means Leeds would have won both and their GD would be possibly 6 or 7. If they go to Portman Rd needing to win by that number they might just do it depending on if the Binmen play a straight bat or not. Wouldn't want to bet on it though.

 

Of course they need to better our GD because we have scored more.

 

The team has given us goals, thrills, palpitations and heart stopping moments this season - I've never known a season like it !!!

 

Well, we only need to draw against Blackburn now to be absolutely sure of promotion, but here's a nice touch from Sergi Canos after his MotM performance against Leeds:

https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2019/04/...wich-city-players-told-him-to-score-a/page/1/

Must have been some of our younger, pre Farke players. He had an excellent game with an assist for the first goal then scoring himself and he could have had another later on. He's also become quite versatile, even effectively playing at DM for 3 matches.

 

Of course, now that promotion is all but sealed the most pressing issue is what will next season's kit look like?

 

Can't help wondering if Canos would have stayed under Farke, I don't think AN had the skills to manage / coach young players.

 

I'm surprised to see that at one point we were closer to 3rd than 2nd! Anyways, 6 and 3 now. Not bad.

 

I'm not boasting but...I would draw your attention to post 90# on the Norwich v Reading match thread.

 

I could never figure out what made AN decide that a young player was ready. Canos hardly featured under him; neither did Maddison, Pritchard, or Bamford.

 

Absolutely. I am very sad that somehow I am psychologically incapable of enjoying it, at least until we have that extra point which guarantees promotion. I find myself mentally going through combinations of results that allow Leeds to catch up those 11 goals they are behind us in goal difference. Maybe I need therapy

 

I know how you feel. If the GD was much smaller, I"d be worried. Been waiting a few games now for us to seal it. Things (calls) just not going our way, and we haven't taken a team by the scruff of the neck and shaken three points out them.

 

Yes, we have seemed to be 'on the verge of promotion' for quite a while. This time a draw will do it, though probably not the title, so let's hope for a win!

 

Goal of the Season time...

Some beauties in there. I'm going Emi's against Brentford (No.3).

 

Interesting comment from Chris Sutton:

“They have got up playing a brilliant, exciting, attacking brand of football with good players and what they've gone back to is the days when i was there and they were developing from within. The likes of Max Aarons, Jamal Lewis, two young players who have come up through the academy and they sold their best player, James Maddison, who's had a terrific season at Leicester, and then you're thinking 'where are you going to get your goals from?'. And yet they have recruited superbly under Daniel Farke and Stuart Webber, he is running the club. The likes of Stiepermann who have come in, Buendia who they found in the Spanish second tier at a club owned by Leeds, who had first shout on him and Norwich ended up pinching him – he has been a revelation."

I've been hoping for a long time that we could get back to the values the club had in the early 90s that took us to 3rd and 4th in the top division in successive seasons. As Sutton says, we've now done that and it's exciting. With 3-4 new signings we can succeed in the PL in a similar fashion.