Preston (h) – The Review

Biggest Positive

That was a bit of a let off in a way of course, but coming back  to 2-2 was certainly a positive considering the complete wilting away we managed every single time we conceded after lockdown last season. 

Weekend Whinge

Yet again, this has to be iFollow. I mean this absolutely completely seriously: I have watched better quality broadcasts of remote control car racing during the early hours on Eurosport than this shit in-house offering from the Football League. The EFL have to realise the amount of money that gets poured into pointless rebranding of the league every five to ten years or so cannot make up for a shocking presentation of the product – no matter how determined they may well be of giving ‘”a modern identity that not only resonates with our regular audience but is also easily recognisable to a broader audience of potential fans” and is “compared with other major, game-changing innovations such as three points for a win and the Play-Offs” – an actual EFL quote from the rebrand back in 2015.

Lads if you are charging us a tenner to watch our own team play and can’t even get the resolution, server capacity and audio sync correct on your video platform – then you have no chance of “establishing a modern identity” when eSports, MMA and all of the American major sports leagues realise that in 2020 the least they can do is broadcast in 1080p and work on demand.

Moment of the Match

This is the first game of ours I have sat down to watch this season, and of course we have a terrible start. Conceding a penalty and barely getting out of our own half. Too often last season we failed to dig out of ‘backs against the wall’ positions, and I feared the same here. But thankfully, something that rarely happened in the Premier League, we got that stroke of luck with  Declan Rudd bumbling the ball into the back of those glorious Yellow and Green striped nets.

Unfortunately, dozy defending gifted Preston another goal and for fuck sake Norwich CAN YOU JUST FOR ONCE DO THINGS EASY?!?!

Atmosphere(!)

Yes! This section is finally back!

It’s so hard to put into writing the joy that was actually hearing a proper football crowd making a proper noise actually live and actually in a football stadium. It made such a massive difference to my enjoyment of watching the game through iFollow that I have no idea how I have managed to watch football without it. A glorious On the Ball City to start us off, that I know caused many to shed a tear from within the ground and out, and the 1k made a right racket most of the match – even when we went down 1-0. Then after we scored, you absolute legends sang ‘“Declan Rudd he’s one of our own.” Well done everyone.

Star Performer

The 1000 in the ground. Simple as that really.

Farke Watch

As someone who is almost always hot, even in the middle of the winter, I just do not understand how that man wears a coat in this weather. 

Anyway, with his substitute game an oft repeated, I was impressed with the subs made today. Throwing three up front for the final 10 minutes is the sort of lack of gamble we missed last season and it is welcome this year. Might not have been the sort of game for Hugill but it showed some intent at least and I am all for it.

Summary

A Norwich point at home in front of a lively Carrow Road crowd, with some horrendous defensive errors. It’s sometimes great to be reminded that the world is still turning. But, mein got, I wish I was there. I think we all do. Oh for this nightmare to end and to flick the Vs at opposition fans, mess up the lyrics to Farke is on a horse or call the opposition goalkeeper a cunt as he wastes time at a packed Carrow Road again…

We’ll be back one day. We will meet again. We’ve just got to be patient….