Neds Completley Gratutious, Long Overdue Gush Over Norwich City’s Awesome Season.

Paul Lambert: Manager of the month for December AND January.

Yep, as it says above. I’ve not really written anything this season about my beloved Norwich City since the first couple of weeks and I’ve avoided this kind of post. But while national newspapers comment on how Leeds have ‘thrown away’ the League One top-spot while paying attention to the FA Cup, they have failed to show Norwich any love at all.

Love for an amazing run that is the real reason why they sit atop of League One by four points today and not because Leeds had an eye on the FA Cup for two Saturdays and a Wednesday evening. So I’m going to to tell you just how awesome Norwich City have been this term because it’s long overdue and it’s also justice for the Leeds fail BS in the press over the last month.

Our season started with the 7-1 beat down at home, the worst loss in our history; the optimism and over confidence of being the league’s big boy and dead cert for promotion was dealt a mighty blow and boy oh boy did that result have consequences: namely fan backlash and backroom changes.

Bryan Gunn was fired and the architect of the 7-1 beat down, Colchester manager Paul Lambert, was hired as our new gaffer (much to the anger for Colchester’s chairman). Since then, Lambo has shown why he is set to be an amazing manager, his in-game management is just incredible to watch. He understands every aspect of every moment of every game and what needs to be done to win. Take this last weekend for instance, while Leeds found themselves a goal down at Leyton Orient, Lambert was pulling off CB Michael Nelson and switching to 3 at the back to try and overturn Brighton’s one goal advantage at the Withdean Stadium.

Norwich scored two goals in 4 minutes through Grant Holt and Gary Doherty before Lambert made another substitution to put the another CB on the pitch, reverting to four at the back to see the game out. Leeds managed a late equalizer at the Matchroom in east London through a fluffed own goal but that didn’t matter:  City’s three points had them extend their lead at the top to four points. How did they get there?

In quite spectacular fashion, but you won’t have read about that in the papers or on TV as Leeds slipping up was the story. Not much of a story, Leeds are not as good as some people make out. So as Leeds screw up, Norwich quietly take their place, by taking 44 out of a possible 48 points. That is quite simply stunning at any level of football.

Grant Holt: 24 goals this season. This horse is a stallion.

As I write this, Norwich City are the top scorers in all divisions in England, finding the back of the net 67 times, that’s 6 more than Chelsea and Arsenal and 5 more than Manchester United.

Since Lambert took over, on the 4th game of the season, his league record is as follows:

Played 28, won 20, drawn 5, lost 3. That includes a run of 8 wins in a row with 19 scored and just 3 conceded. City are also on a home wins run at the moment, 11 straight wins, an all time NCFC record.

While goals were hard to come by last season, they have been easy to find this, largely due to the awesome 3 pronged attack of Grant Holt, Chris Martin and Wes Hoolahan; between them, ‘the holy trinity’ of Norfolk have scored 41 league goals and 56 in all competitions.

I hate to say it but I’m gonna; the drop to League One has been the best thing that could have possibly happened to Norwich. The team were rotten, the wage structure high and the board room unbalanced. The termites were working their way through the club at all levels. Glenn Roeder had done so much damage behind the scenes and, on top of that, the Chief Executive was a joke of a man.

Since the summer Norwich now have a new Chairman, a new Chief Executive, a new manager, 12 new players (and more promoted from the academy) and a new winning mentality from the the boardroom to the bootroom.

In Lambert we finally have a smart manager with the ability to make crucial in-game adjustments and sign players who can make the leap from smaller clubs. This January alone, Lambert has signed Russell Martin from Peterborough, Michael Rose from Stockport, Oli Johnson from Stockport and Anthony McNamee from Swindon. Rose and Martin have immediately settled into the starting 11 and Johnson has made an impact from the bench.

League One or not, the club is in great shape, top of the league and the best in this division for sure. The side is balanced with the mix of youth players and new signings all under the clever Lambert. But the team currently on the pitch are not just for now, they play as a team and are being readied for the future and a promotion push to the Premier League this time next season.

Well, I can dream can’t I? Its been a while!