The ACN Match Review – Brighton & Hove Albion (h)

Biggest positive

We are starting to look very solid. Sold, solid, solid. And I mean defensively solid. We are Solid Snake. The back five is starting to properly look okay, and this game seemed to drop the fears over Normann as an actual defensive midfielder stuff. Okay, Romelu Lukaku will more that likely rip us a new one at Stamford Bridge next week, which will spin the wheel of popular thought on “how should Norwich play” again but, for now, I think (I think!) that being difficult to play against is better than being ripped apart. I think.

As an aside, Teemu should have buried a delightful, actual, live, Farkeball moment in the second half that saw him through on goal. If that starts happening a bit more (the move, not the finish obviously), then things might look a bit brighter.

Biggest problem

Last on Match of the Day again. No goals again. Brighton hit the post and should have won it at the end with a gilt/guilt-edged (delete as you believe to be correct) chance from a cross we didn’t deal with. And the thing about “seeing some signs of slow progress”? It could be all futile anyway: after two matches in which 4 or even 6 points was a real hope, we only have got 2. So now we are back at the Premier League millstone of being beaten 4-0 by a team with an owner who has an endless stream of petro-doused funds just in time to kill any potential confidence picked up by two okayish performances, which will also have the effect of cutting us several points off from the survival places above. Ugh..

Premier League football moves fast, and I can’t help but think there was never going to be a good time to rip the book up and start from near-scratch.

Funniest moment of the game

“This is going to be blasted straight over the bar,” I exclaimed to no one in particular as several of our players stood over the ball in a dangerous position for a free kick towards the fag end of the first half – for most teams a unique and brilliant chance. For most teams.

And, as sure as night follows day, the ball flew to within 5 or 6 rows in front of me into the Lower Barclay. And I am at the back.

Did an along come Norwich happen?

Like all the best artistic and cultural movements you can never properly define an along come Norwich, but everyone knows it when they see it.

So, as if to prove these theory; with an open net just right damn there Josh Sargent decided to pass the ball as if he was playing a difficult footgolf hole with a water hazard behind the green. Despite a lack of any sort of precedent (at least one that I can remember), that was extremely along come Norwich.

Norwich’s best player

This was Mathias Normann, but a word if you please for Granthomoly Hanley. The man built from girders has come in from some criticism lately after several shaky performances, but he appeared to be back to his “you’ll never beat” best today – winning most headers and edging out most duels.

What was the atmosphere like?

A meh first half, despite a grand flag return, that turned into a great second half when we looked on top and pushed and pushed. A rousing and deafening On The Ball City was, in particular, a highlight; but we are suffering badly from a lack of songs, having had 18 months out of not being able to organically make any new ones with new signings and new events. Some intrepid fellows near me even started singing the Grant Holt three goals against the scum song which, despite being one of my all time favourites, didn’t make much sense during a Premier League match in 2021.

On the positive side, though, just as with the Burnley game last time out, there was barely any signs of toxicity during the game, or towards the players or the manager as they walked over to give everyone a good clap at the end of the match. Hopefully this will put pay to any further future odd comments from Farke about the fanbase in a “We are doing our bit. It’s over to you now, mate,” sort of way.

Summary

I really don’t like 0-0s. I know we are supposed to take 0-0s on the chin as football fans because it’s all part of the fine, rich tapestry of the game but, frankly, any game without scoring is worse than a game that did have scoring – no matter how much we get sold how “great for a 0-0” any match is.

This was a game that was neither here nor there in terms of a spectacle, in terms of Norwich’s performance and also in the context of the season. In fact, we’ve now been neither here nor there for a while – despite being bottom of the league – and I haven’t a clue what to make of it. If nothing else, Norwich could cause me to have an existential crisis this season, which would be a legacy at least.