Norwich 4 Ipswich 1
Roy Keane needs a big performance from his side in the Carling Cup quarter final against West Brom midweek to ease the pressure on him and the dissatisfaction that Town fans will feel after today’s poor display against their bitter rivals. A hat-trick from yellows talisman Grant Holt and a Wes Hoolahan strike off the bench pushed the home side into the play-off places. This was the most absorbing game of football I’ve covered on JC Football, the first half in particular was a joy to watch. The match had everything you wanted from a derby as a neutral, end-to-end action, goals, talking points, competitiveness and passion.
Norwich were fantastic today. The captain led from the front with an outstanding performance that not only saw him rewarded with the match ball but also effecting a sending off which played its own contribution to ending the game as a contest. What I can’t understand is constant criticism of Holt’s lack of pace. Now nobody is saying he can give Theo Walcott a run for his money, but if you think about how good his movement off the ball was today and consider he played out wide during his days at Nottingham Forest, is he really that slow? Far less mobile frontmen have plied their trade in the Championship over the years than the Canaries number nine and he combines the little bursts of quickness he does display with strength and determination.
Henri Lansbury’s loan signing was definitely a coup for Paul Lambert before the window slammed shut this week. Cutting inside from the flank is often a hot and cold tactic in modern football, but today the Arsenal youngster was definitely the former. His assist for Holt’s second would not have looked out of place in yesterday’s 4-2 away win over Villa enjoyed by Lansbury’s parent club. Rarely have I seen coming inside be so effective for so long. There seemed to be a fluidity to the Norwich midfield which is refreshing to see at this level.
Andrew Crofts was always willing to get into wide areas, Hoolahan looked a threat when he came on and both Russell Martin and Simon Lappin used their experience to make contributions to attacks from the full back berths. When David Fox signed for the Carrow Road club I thought it was a bit of a gamble on Lambert’s part, but his distribution, particularly long range passing during the opening forty five really was top draw. Today was one of those occasions when you could see why he had been on Manchester United’s books.
As great as the home side were, Ipswich were horrendous at the back. First of all Keane is going to have to take some stick for his tactical selections. I can remember watching Damien Delaney play for Hull when they visited Sincil Bank in the 2003-04 season when they won promotion from League Two and Lincoln missed out, losing for the umpteenth time in the playoffs. At full back he was a revelation, but has never been convincing as a centre half. Whoever told Darren O’Dea he could occupy a position on the flank needs their head examining! Surely in one of the defining games of the season you play the defender with the most experience available to you in that position there. The irony was after Delaney’s dismissal O’Dea looked more composed in the middle.
Speaking of the red card, although the contact on Holt was minimal, when a defender puts his hands on a player in the middle of the park and playing a high line you are asking for trouble. If Delaney had started on the left then he wouldn’t have made that challenge. Back to O’Dea and wasn’t he soft in trying to deal with the long ball which lead to the opening goal. The Celtic loanee looked so uncomfortable in the channel, it was clear that position was alien to him. It’s a cliché but once you let the ball bounce you've got problems. This was a region Holt had success in all day long and he caused debutant Gianni Zuiverloon some difficulties.
Going forward the Dutchman, on loan from West Brom, looked solid enough but he has always struck me to be a Glen Johnson/Maicon-like full back who has the legs but not the defensive nous. Town’s defending of set pieces was especially appalling and some work on the training ground needs to take place. As mentioned above the sending off changed the match as it always does and until then the visitors had their fair share of pressure and possession. Delaney had equalised for Ipswich from a set piece before going from hero to zero; Leon Barnett taking the responsibility for Norwich’s failure to keep a clean sheet.
Jason Scotland did not look best pleased at being substituted after the Tractor Boys went down to ten and Keane needs to be careful to keep the most experienced goalscorer at this level he has onside. What lost them the game was the constant changing of the back four as alterations did not improve matters. Carlos Edwards is a winger through and through, not a right back, although on the other side I thought young Jack Colback did well when he slotted in, moving down midfield. The defeat for Ipswich highlights how vital it is to have consistency about defensive selections.
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