The ACN Match Review – Rotherham (a)

The atmosphere

Norwich’s travelling faithful have been in fine voice all season, and this was no exception.

Non-stop song for 90 minutes, going through the full repertoire, aided by the ever-popular drum.

This sort of atmosphere really has made away days one of the shining lights in what has been, for many, a bit of an underwhelming season so far.

Replicate the scenes from the New York at Carrow Road, and we could build a real fortress. Just how we do this is not an easy question to answer though…

The line-up

A pretty standard line-up at this point.

The real question is how to accommodate both Teemu and Josh in the starting 11. The favoured central position of both does make this difficult, and a drastic formation is unattractive. However, playing Sargent on the wing is not the answer.

Elsewhere, Angus is really cementing his position between the sticks after another solid display. He’s not only adept at commanding his back line, but is also more than capable of pulling out the ‘game management’ playbook when the situation requires.

In terms of subs, the changes were tactical and came at a good time to open the game up. Just a shame Todd didn’t square the ball on the edge of the box, but it didn’t matter in the end.

Hurrah moment

Norwich’s second goal was fantastic for two reasons.

One: There is an added level of satisfaction in regaining the lead while your opponents are still in the midst of celebration from their equalisers.

Two: The exquisite catharsis of scoring after a goal-line scramble. So iconic is this situation, they even have their own name for it in Scotland – a stramash. The sheer onomatopoeia of this term perfectly captures its glory. Chef’s kiss, no notes.

Boooo moment

I really don’t want to dwell on officials too much. Should there have been a red card for the foul on Sargent? Maybe.

Should we have had a penalty for a hand ball?
Put it this way, I watched the match with a neutral and they said it was nailed on.

Hero of the match

Aaron Ramsay is starting to show signs of some red-hot form. His poacher’s finish today, as described above, really couldn’t have come at a better time.

Taking a wider view, it’s a positive sign that the goals are being spread around the squad, rather than the worrying ‘give it to Pukki’ approach.

Our post-match takeaway

There’s been a lot of talk about disconnect and apathy of late. I’m not saying I don’t feel this, but I thought I’d take the opportunity to talk about something else.

This away game allowed me to come up to South Yorkshire a couple of days early, and spend Friday evening with my fiancée and her dad, watching their beloved Sheffield Wednesday.

On the Saturday, they came to the Norwich game with me, along with my fiancée’s Rotherham-supporting grandfather, with a ticket in the home end. Beforehand, we were able to catch up with family and friends, some of whom were also attending the match, at Bradgate Working Men’s Club.

What happens in the 90 minutes can be frustrating, and of course we all want to feel connected to our club. What doesn’t go away though, is the connection to the people with whom we watch football, be that family, friends, acquaintances or even total strangers. That’s what really matters.