Ten points from 12 and a poignant nod to the Canaries who left us in 2024.

Ten points from 12 and a poignant nod to the Canaries who left us in 2024.

To all of you, a very happy new year. Six points from six, undefeated both at home and away. In any case, the

Canaries have had a strong start to 2025.

I walked the short distance to Kenilworth Road on New Year’s Day. It took me less time to drive from my temporary

residence at a friend’s house to my place of employment in Luton than it did to walk from my parking space to the

ground.

Strangely, I had driven past the earth for the first time only a few weeks before. I initially thought it looked like a

cattle shed.There was no miscommunication.

From the entryway, which are flanked by rows of terraces, to the charming view as you leave that leads straight into

someone’s kitchen, it is clearly a private area. However, one of my supporters remarked as we were leaving the

ground, “You’d think they’d keep their gardens a bit tidier knowing everyone can see it.”

Several times prior to kickoff, the stadium announcer begged the home crowd to “bring the noise.” His protests

seemed to go unheard.

Part of me enjoyed going somewhere that wasn’t a normal modern stadium, but the rest had other ideas.

There was a football game among all of this! I have to say that, compared to many others’ opinions, I feel much less

negatively about the game.

Johannes Hoff Thorup made it clear post-match that he intended to be more direct. The ploy was clear from the

kick-off where the ball went all the way back to Angus Gunn, who chipped it long aiming for the barrel-chested Onel

Hernandez, wide on the left.

The inaccuracy of Gunn’s kicking may well be a key factor in his seemingly inevitable second departure from the club

– a shame given that he is widely regarded as among the best ‘keepers in the division. Maybe not in the eyes of Ben

Knapper.

I thought City did well, manoeuvering the ball out from the back. The injury to Anis Ben Slimane though caused City

to lose a little of the control they had in midfield while simultaneously introducing more threat up front as Ante

Crnac came on as a replacement.

City struggled at the start of the second half – Luton had them pinned back for a long spell before the visitors,

playing in the cream third kit, began to threaten once more. It was a nonchalant strike from Marcelino Nunez that

broke the deadlock, the Chilean jumping atop the hoardings in delight.

While the midfield metronome took the plaudits, the victory owed much to the total dominance by Shane Duffy and

Callum Doyle over the not-insignificant threat of Carlton Palmer and Elijah Adebayo – the former Canary being

lucky to escape a yellow card for a two-handed push on Gunn as the City player teased him during the press.

City clung on, despite the home side hitting the bar late on, much to the relief of the 1300 visiting fans, who were

holding their collective breath for much of the additional time.

And so to the visit of Coventry, to launch 2025 at Carrow Road.

Slimane is now out for a possible six weeks, Borja Sainz is facing a potential six-match ban and Josh Sargent was not

quite ready to make the bench. City looked light on attacking options with Ashley Barnes back at Burnley, so new

loan signing Lewis Dobbin made the bench alongside Kaide Gordon and Onel Hernandez.

The game started scrappily but after 10 minutes City began to exert increasing control of the game.

Frank Lampard had set up Coventry to hurt City, with two strikers committed forward for much of the game. His

tactics bore fruit when Sainz was sold short with a pass wide. Coventry stole the ball and began a move reminiscent

of a game of rugby, moving the ball diagonally across the pitch finding the spare man each time They then switched

play to the opposite side for a tap-in to take the lead.

This knocked City off their stride and it wasn’t until the start of the second half that they were able to seize the

initiative once again.

Coventry were more content to sit back and hit City on the break but the home side gradually applied more and more

pressure. It looked like one of those days where they would never score – City’s final tally was 24 shpts.

Thorup rolled the dice with his substitutions, the final being the boldest. Off went both fullbacks. Kenny Mclean

dropped in to make a back three, while Dobbin and Gordon manned the flanks and Hernandez played through the

middle.

There was even a place for forgotten man… Amankwah Forson.

And boy did he stake his claim for more game time.

It was in the 91st minute that he hit a delicious looping, curling shot into the top corner for 1-1.

Then, three minutes later he hit a shot from almost the same spot, this time a low one albeit with a deflection to send

Carrow Road into raptures of delight.

I can’t recall the last time City won 10 of 12 points during the holiday season, which was a good run by any standards.

It is even the more impressive because the performances were not quite convincing.

After the little diversion of an FA cup match against Brighton, City will need to perform at their peak to maintain the

upward trend of the previous three weeks when they go to Leeds and Sheffield United.

Delia and Michael led a heartfelt remembrance of all City supporters, former players, and players who died in 2024

at the beginning of the Coventry game. Their names were displayed along the edge of the field. The entire minute was

met with flawless applause from the audience.

With that in mind, I’ve chosen a haunting tune by Freddie Mercury and Queen, from the film Highlander for this

week’s song.

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