[theo_luddite]

Kick-off 19:45 UK Time
Tuesday 06/April/2021
The Budgie Cage
1 Canary Walk
Come on,
Let's be Avenue,
NR0 W1CH



It used to be a big green and yellow thing on the Inner Ring Road, and I don't mean the signs for the A147, which I'm sure was the A47 the last time I went past (ooooh, yes it was a long time ago).
It's now North Sea grey with accents of red brick and nearly all the green and yellow stuff is now on the inside.

A belated Happy Easter to all our readers and contributors.  



On the tellybox
Oh, yeah, this one's on the tellybox OK, but someone explain to me why, when Town play in Brum, or anywhere south of Brum, midweek games kick off at 7pm, likewise for teams heading up to the McGalphSmiths, but because this is on Rupert's old TV Channel this one kicks off at 7:45pm? Is Norwich that much easier to get to and from than Brum?

Norwich, like Ipswich and come to that, Colchester, are as far from UK civilisation as is almost humanly possible on our little island. OK add Lincoln, Barrow and Workington to that but Workington aren't in the EFL. There isn't a motorway network, nay even a decent A road within two hours drive. The quickest way to get there is to go to Humberside Airport, jump on a helicopter to a gas rig in the middle of the North Sea and then get another one to take you to Norwich Airport. From there it's a relatively short 4-5 mile hike to the ground. Driving from West Yorkshire could take a whole weekend and some, so I hope our lads have set off early or they might miss the kick-off.

The alternative might be to board the Bridlington Belle and charter it down to Great Yarmouth. Get a motor cruiser boat thingy though the Norfolk Broads and arrive nice and refreshed by next weekend. 4 days late for the match when we should be in Yorkshire playing Rotherham, but at least you'll be refreshed.

With all the talk of home "stay-cations" what the hell has happened to all those Hoseasons tellybox adverts by the way?
At one time you couldn't move a caravan down the A1 for them.

Oh - you want to watch it? - have a look here.

You Brits have already been given a clue. You foreign chaps (or Lancastrians as we call you) might appreciate the help.

How to get there?
It's on the telly and you aren't allowed in, but just in case you need it for the season after next.

More Boings than the Baggies?
Two seasons ago Norwich won the Championship with 95 points, 5 more than the Blunts and 11 more than L666s. So if either of them was likely to stay up then you'd have put your brass on Norwich, especially after they beat Newcastle in their home opener and then Champions Man City 3-2 in their 3rd home match of the season. While the Blunts went on to finish in the top half of the table, Norwich were to win only 3 more games all season. They were bottom after 19 games and stayed there for the rest of the season.

Rather than throw in their lot with manager/coach Daniel Farke, they stuck with him and already on 84 points are likely to be runaway winners again this season, unless Watford catch them. In direct polar opposite to last season so far they've only lost 5 games this season and are 6 points clear of Watford after the weekend's results.

After beating Town 0-1 at ours and drawing 2-2 at home to Preston, they did show that they are human though - their defeats were against Bornmuff in game 3 and most surprisingly Direby at home the following game at a time when Direby couldn't buy a goal let alone a win. Their other defeats were Luton, Watford and Swansea all away. They've also dropped points to Coventry, Millwall, Boro and QPR amongst others and now Preston twice. They also drew the previous match with Blackburn.

Can Town ruffle some more feathers in the Canaries home cage? It's 11 games since they last lost, it's 5 since we last lost.
The Canaries just seem to like sitting on perches that are only 1 place on the football ladder apart.  

The Owners
Joint "Majority Share Holders" are Michael Wynn Jones, famous for being married to his wife, and his wife, Deliah Smith.
Famous for cooking and baking programmes, enormous Yorkshire Puddings and drunken rants at the home supporters on the pitch at half-time after indulging in a pre-match bottle or two of Chardonnay, or Merlot, or both.



She's also famous for her floury baps, which must have tempted many a player out into the wilderness that is Norwich, when nothing else possibly could have done so, surely?

https://youtu.be/dMQ7cHVS9ZI

So what's your favourite filling in a pre-match floury bap?

Bacon and tomato?
Fish and chips?
Salad with or without added cheese or meat filling?
Beef and Onion?
Beef dripping and salt?

Pick your own filling, it's the only quiz of the day today folks.
None of them difficult Antigrams or find the missing player thingies.
I know you are far too busy eating your chocolate Easter eggs and washing them down with a beer/wine from the fridge to be bothered with all that stuff.



Easter egg sales 'soar by almost 50%'
Well someone is scoffing them all.  

Latest news
Danny Ward played for 10 minutes on Saturday. He might have had a cool down on Sunday (if he ever got warm Saturday) and trained again on Monday, but I won't hold my breath on that one. If anyone is keeping an eye on A&E at The Infirmary, please advise of any sightings. You don't need to be at the Railway Station looking out for Kevin Phillips (or anyone that looks like him) just now.

Out Injured/Suspended
See the above re Danny Ward.
Pipa and Vallejo went off with knocks on Saturday, Vallejo's being the more worrying after a clash of heads.
I would put them down as doubtful for this one.

Back training but not oven ready/Back in the frame
See the above re Danny Ward.

Last time out
We came joint first, or even joint second against Brentford depending on your opinion. That grasping of a draw from the jaws of victory means we've now lost 27 points from the supposed jaws of a victory. More than even Wendies, even though those points lost were mostly from scoring first in the first 15 minutes. Teams that don't lose as many points from winning positions often don't leave their own penalty box for 80 minutes and then go and score the winner in the last 10. Go figure.

Our problem mostly is that teams let us score early knowing we can't defend free kicks, corners and decent throw-in's. Not a recent issue (defensively), it's been going on for a decade or more. If we ever get a head coach that brings a decent defensive coach with him, oh and an attacking coach that can get us to score more than 50 goals a season, we'll rip this league to shreds. Don't hold your breath.

Meanwhile in the latest game played by Roy of the Rovers for Melchester .......


The Canaries snatched a draw from the jaws of victory some 6 minutes into added time at Preston Both Ends, much to my annoyance as it ruined my joker in the Prediction League.  




Tables


Form




Innies and Outies
In addition to the £m's that they were allowed to squander, but probably didn't (without checking their wage bill) they made a few quid from selling on Ben Godfrey and Jamal Lewis while investing a few bob in bringing Jordan Hugill back to the Chumpionship and a Greek geezer. I wonder if he's swapped recipe's for lamb dishes with Deliah?


Who's banging 'em in
Hugill still isn't firing like he did in that last season at Both Ends that got him the move to West Ham, but he doesn't need to with Teemu Pukki banging in 22 so far.
Can we keep another leading scorer quiet for 90 minutes?


Local music

Folktronica (folk and electronica, at least she was when she started) singer-songwriter Beth Orton comes from these 'ere flatlands.


Before striking out on her own she recorded with The Chemical Brothers amongst others and had a BRIT Award winning Album Central Reservation.

This is an appearance from Later ...


Another of Norwich's musical sisters is Cathy Dennis.

Who she then?

Better known for her song writing than her singing career, she (to quote Wiki, so it must be true) co-wrote "the Pop Idol theme (re-used for numerous international remakes of the show, including American Idol), and writing for Idol contestants, including Kelly Clarkson, Will Young, Gareth Gates, and Clay Aiken. Clarkson's single "Before Your Love" (a double a-side with "A Moment Like This") was Dennis's first US No. 1. Dennis's "Can't Get You Out of My Head" (recorded by Kylie Minogue) spent four weeks at number one in Britain, while also rekindling interest in Minogue in America, where it hit no. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. With over three million copies sold worldwide, "Can't Get You Out of My Head" became the second highest selling single in 2001 - earworm alert!!!


Dennis also wrote the international hit "Toxic" by Britney Spears, which went to number one in the UK and worldwide.

Dennis's biggest success came in 2008 with Katy Perry's smash hit "I Kissed a Girl" co-written alongside Dr Luke, which ranks among the best-selling digital singles in history.


I know, not my normal taste in music but it is what it is while leaving something for the next time I write a Norwich match thread.

They can't all lose

Watford are winning at Boro while I'm assembling this thread (oops, quick edit, not any more), Rotherham and Wycombe can't both win but are the least of our problems. Direby, Forest, Brum (at Brentford), Coventry, and Both Ends are more of a problem to us right now.

We've played 'em before
It's almost as level as it gets in this one, including recent seasons. Both sides want the three points.


Next up?
Rotherham at home on Saturday

Pressers
The new apprentice at Radio Local seems to have forgotten how to post pressers on their website since the International break.

https://www.htafc.com/news/2021/april/ca...o-norwich/



The Canary Sings

https://www.canaries.co.uk/News/2021/apr...onference/

Over to you.

[Lord Snooty]

The Budgie Cage
1 Canary Walk
Come on,
Let's be Avenue,
NR0 W1CH

         

[Lord Snooty]

WTAF is going on at Hillsborough?

[theo_luddite]

I wondered why Cardiff were playing with facemasks pulled over their eyes and the ball didn't have a bell in it.

[ritchiebaby]

I love big baps, especially when they're filled with Lorne Sossidge (one of those flat, square things), with brown sauce and a fried egg. You end up with a canary yellow shirt, but well worth it.

Disappointed there isn't an anagram for Eton Throb.

[WakeyTerrier]

I'm intrigued to see how CC approaches this game.

Does he go with the usual that are now 5 unbeaten(only 38 more games to equal the record)

Or does he tinker with the team like he did at Bournemouth with with one eye on the Rotherham game on Saturday.

For what its worth tonight will either be the defensive performance of the season or an easy win for Norwich. I'll take either if you can guarantee me 3 points on Saturday

[Lord Snooty]

No need for another Bournemouth performance. Stick to what we've been doing recently.

[theo_luddite]

I think there'll be at least 2 changes so that Pipa and Vallejo are OK for Saturday.

[SHEP_HTAFC]

Cracking thread theo
I think this will be an easy 3 points for Norwich - CC knows he has a much bigger game on Saturday.
He'll set up the team for that way of thinking.

[Baggiebob(BBB)]

Impressed. Just read your thread, Theo, very clever and so up to date.

Must look at them from here on in.