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Opinion

A city of yellows home perspective ahead of Norwich v Newcastle

5 years ago
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It is Norwich v Newcastle on Saturday.

Both clubs looking for their first point(s) after defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal respectively.

Saturday is Steve Bruce’s first away game as head coach of Newcastle United, whilst it is Norwich’s first Premier League home match since being relegated along with NUFC back in 2016.

The Norwich City blog City of Yellows has kindly provided this write-up ahead of the game:

‘My preview for the Liverpool v Norwich match predicted a 4-0 defeat whilst my heart hoped for a 2-2 draw. Taking a huge slice of reality, Norwich City played a team packed with internationals, Virgil van Dijk cost more than the entire City squad, they had gone 42 games unbeaten yet Norwich still produced the impressive stat of creating 12 shots on target, more than any team over the previous campaign in all competitions.

I was so pleased that Daniel Farke kept to his beliefs in setting out the team to play in the style that brought glory and the Championship last season. The lads never dropped their heads and pushed to the end. I was so pleased to see Teemu Pukki score a textbook goal beautifully, set up by Emi Buendia. Let’s not forget that Mo Leitner also broke through the Reds defence to smack the bar. The true test of capabilities for Norwich to collect points must be over sides like Newcastle.

Our last victory over the Magpies was in April 2016 at Carrow Road when United came back twice to level following finishes from Timm Klose and Dieumerci Mbokani and following the second equaliser in the 86th minute with Aleksander Mitrovic. Martin Olssson popped up in the box to score a rare goal in the 90th minute to win the game in front of 27,000 punters.

Back in 2011, a United player, this time Demba Ba was able to produce a brace of goals, only for City to reply with four, part-time Coach, Pundit and Wrestler Grant Holt also scoring twice alongside City legend Wes Hoolahan and Steve Morison.

Back in 2005 when City were 20th and fighting for their lives in the Premier League, one of the greatest goals was scored in front of the ‘River End’ a 30-yard thunderbolt was produced by Moroccan midfielder Youssef Safri and another from Dean Ashton achieving a massive victory under the Carrow Road floodlights.

I noted that Jacob Murphy has moved to Sheffield Wednesday on loan and following his debut goal last Saturday has equalled his scoring record achieved at Newcastle after 34 Premier League appearances. Newcastle appear to have had a frustrating relationship under the leadership of Mike Ashley and now have City old boy Steve Bruce as Manager.

I’m not sure about the signing of sicknote, Andy Carroll, if I had been involved in the negotiations, it would only be on a ‘pay if you play basis’. There has been a lot of press about the lack of finance to acquire new players, I feel that Ashley has every right to set his budget and also feel that every football club should be self-financing. Having said that, £56m has been splashed out on a striker and winger in Joelinton and Allan Saint-Maximim from Hoffenheim and Nice respectively, time will tell if its money well spent?

Norwich has three venues for away fans in club colours to visit, the last being the music/gig venue that is the Waterfront which is sited close to the football ground. Norwich is arguably named the ‘City of Ale’ as past national audits have established that Norwich offers the greatest range of beer on any one day across the City. The website provides a number of real ale trails for some of the best pubs in the ‘Fine City’ that is Norwich.

The free-flowing style of City will be too much for Newcastle, Norwich may concede goals however I predict the Canaries will outscore the Magpies by one goal. The result will be either 2-1 or 3-2.’

You can follow on Twitter @cityofyellows

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