Norwich City Season 3 Part 2 (2014-2015)

2015 began with a valiant but ultimately disheartening 4-3 loss to mighty Man City in the FA Cup third round. I could talk about their players on 180,000 a week and their astronomical transfer budgets and what a good showing it was by little Norwich, but ultimately to come so close and finish with no reward was tough for us to take. As FA Cup holders I had wanted to put up a good defence of the trophy, so to depart in the third round was disappointing, no matter who the opponents. For the record Paloschi got a brace and Jonathan bagged our third.

Back to back home league fixtures against Stoke and Southampton saw us work off our frustrations with 3-0 and 3-1 victories respectively. Against Stoke Perisic got two and Carroll the 3^rd, and against Sunderland that man Perisic bagged another goal, with Kakuta and Paloschi contributing the other two.

Struggling Cardiff stunned us 2-0 on their patch but we showed resilience and determination in bouncing back with a hard fought 2-1 win over Chelsea at the Bridge. The green and yellow heroes on the day were Paloschi and Kakuta.

Stat watchers will have noticed this was 5 wins in 6 matches and we were moving steadily up the table. We weren’t drawing many games, and converting most of those to wins was really helping us. We began to look like possible European contenders and the confidence that comes from winning was creating a virtuous circle.

Andy Carroll bagged the only goal in an edgy 1-0 victory over West Brom and we kept the amazing run going with a 6-1 spanking of Sunderland. Straqualursi got a brace, with Paloschi, Perisic, Ademilson and James Rodriguez  getting the others.

                                                     

We were now in 6^th and on fire and we moved into 5^th with a 5-1 demolition of West Ham. Perisic and Rodriguez bagged 2 each and Carroll got the 5^th. The on-fire Paloschi put himself out for 6 weeks in this match. His amazing ability to poach goals matched only by his ability to get injured.

                                                    

Then came the Europa league knock-out phase. We had drawn the tough ask of Roma in the last 32 and for whatever reason we just did not turn up in the home leg. Roma shut us down and we found no answers, losing 1-2 with Perisic’s goal providing our only consolation.

The vagueries of the fixture calendar meant the return leg was our next game, followed 3 days later by a key match at home to top of the table Arsenal. I switched to 4-1-2-1-2 for this match for two reasons. I hoped it would fool Roma who had shut down my wingers so effectively in the first leg, and also it meant I could field some squad players, and players who didn’t fit into my 4-1-3-2. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to win and I played a strong squad (Perisic started at AMC) but I was realistic and knew a 2-0 win in Roma was unlikely. My plan was to sub Perisic on 70 mins if all seemed hopeless.

Somewhat inevitably we took a 1-0 lead from Lacina Traore’s wonder goal on 68 minutes. I felt we had to go for the one goal that would see us through and Perisic stayed on the park for the full 90 as we chased that goal.  

We tried hard but Roma held on and we went out on away goals with a nagging sense of what might have been.

We couldn’t dwell on it however, because next up were top of the table Arsenal. It was to be one of the most eventful games I have ever played.

Our cause wasn’t helped when our defensive rock and captain Seb Bassong, got himself injured in training and missed this key fixture. Bassong isn’t mentioned much here, as he doesn’t score goals, but he is an absolute bulwark in our defence, and a great example to all the other players. Writing as a manager renowned for dispatching players he inherits with little fanfare, the fact that he’s the first name on my team sheet 3 years from me taking over tells you all you need to know. We would miss him enormously.

His exertions on Thursday meant Perisic had to start on the bench, and with Arshavin out for the season, this meant Brahimi got a rare start at AML. Rodriguez took the AMC duties, and Katuta raced down the right wing.

     Ospina's sparkling form in goal meant Robert Green's stayed on the bench

Both teams were going for it from the first minute and it was end-to-end stuff. The first half-an -hour was breathless and enthralling. Andy Carroll put us in front on 3 minutes,  Santi Cazorla equalized on 7. Then Lacina Traore and Gael Kakuta scored within 3 minutes of each other to have us 3-1 up on 20 minutes. After 35 minutes the score remained 3-1 when disaster struck.  Jonathan was booked for a hard challenge giving Arsenal a free kick. I intended to tell him to ease off, as I always do with booked players, but before I could issue the instruction Arsenal took the free kick, Jonathan tackled, the ref blew his whistle and gave a second yellow card.

Reader I wept. Then I yelled things about the referee and his penchant for procreating with matriarchal relatives. I cursed Jonathan for his recklessness and tried to decide how to adapt.

I did have right-back Nelson on the bench so I brought him on and took off Traore, leaving Carroll up front as a target man. I switched to a counter attacking formation and hoped we could hold out till half time.

By half time Arsenal were level.  One minute after Jonathan’ sending off the referee awarded Arsenal a soft penalty and I began to feel the fates were conspiring against us.

Two minutes later Santi Cazorla scored his second and that made it 3-3. With no natural leader at the back we just couldn’t cope with Arsenal’s incredible attack.

At half time I attempted to regroup and refocus the lads for the fight ahead.

To my amazement we retook the lead on 58 minutes when Andy Carroll scored his second on a rare counter attack.  We held the lead for one minute before  Jack Wilshire equalised!

Oxlade-Chamberlein and Giroud (sidenote: It's amazing how many rl players Arsenal still have in FM in 2015!) scored two more to give Arsenal a 6-4 lead by 75 minutes.

I threw on Perisic hoping he could influence the game and he certainly did. We were awarded a penalty on 79 minutes which he promptly missed!  Still it wasn’t over as James Rodriguez made it 6-5 with a great long range shot, before Wilshere scored his second in the 90^th minute to finish us off. Final score Norwich 5 Arsenal 7.

                  Truly a one off match, with 48 shots on goal in the 90 minutes!

                                                                

I turned the game off at that point. I couldn’t face continuing until I had time to get my head right. I was devastated. A crucial game, and from a winning position we had ended up scoring 5 and still losing. Moreover Man City were next. Including the Europa league debacle this would mean 3 losses from 4, I was sure, and that would affect the confidence and momentum. I could feel the dreams of European football being torn away from me.

When I returned to the game I tried to convince myself we could rise again against Man City, but losing in the way we did against Arsenal made an already tough job impossible and we were thrashed 5-0.

I really did think our chances of Europe may have gone, and indeed in our next game, against lowly Blackpool, we were outplayed but somehow came away with a 1-0 victory via an Ademilson penalty. This brought a much needed boost to morale and we were back in business.

A Europa 6 pointer at home to Liverpool followed and we came away with a deserved 2-1 victory with Traore and Bennett getting the goals.

Suddenly our winning momentum was back and our second of 3 succersive home games saw Bolton thrashed 5-1 ( Charlie Adam, and Ayala got one apiece,  but the highlight was a superb Adelmilson hattrick).

                                                 

Paolschi’s injury and Kweuke’s departure, had led to a few more opportunities for the otehr stikers, and once I was confident Adelmilson had calmed down I started considering him for selection. Initially he was simply a sub, but eventually he earned the right to have a go and he was certainly looking to take his chance. (side note: By season's end both Aboubakar and Adelmilson decided they wanted to stay)

We were now holding 5^th and Tottenham were falling away. We nearly opened the door for them, however, with 2 draws from very winnable games. A rare scoreless borefest at home to Wolves was followed by heartbreak at Swansea when they equalized in the 89^th minute, canceling out Paloschi’s goal.

It was all to play for again, but we were up for the challenge. Next up were Aston Villa and this was an absolutely crazy game as we were outplayed for the first 88 minutes. After 85 minutes I thought we’d escape with a draw. Then they scored, and all seemed lost. With no real hope of success I changed our playing style to ‘controlling the game via short passing’.  I also moved Howson further up the park .  Unbelievably the changes had an immediate impact and we scored two goals in stoppage time and won the thriller at the Villa 2-1.  Firstly Adelmilson slotted home a cool finish, and then Jonny Howson raced clear and was cool as a cucumber, slotting the ball under the onrushing keeper, to send our travelling fans, and the Norwich City manager (that’s me, folks!) into raptures of delight.

  The Great Escape!  A crucial 3 points gained despite being 2nd best, a sign of a strong team                               

                                                             

It was one of those incredible moments in FM where changes you’ve made yield a big result. Not only had we scored twice in stoppage time to turn a loss into a win, but it was directly down to changes made by me as manager. I was elated. Those 3 points were absolutely vital in the battle for 5^th.

It was a great way for Rodriguez to finish his 3 month loan, and for an AMC I felt his return of 4 goals (and an assist) from 11 games, was a fair return.

May dawned, and away at bottom club Newcastle we were clinical and professional, winning 4-1 with Carroll and Adelmilson getting two each.

                                                      

 Two games left and 4 points would see us home and hosed in 5^th.

At home against struggling QPR we knocked on the door for 90 minutes and could not find a way through. It looked like we would have to beat Man Utd to guarantee a place in Europe when suddenly in stoppage time, my team who do not know when to give up, finally found a way through. Andy Carroll was the hero, as he had been so many times.

Now a draw at home to Man Utd would see us finish a fantastic 5^th, with guaranteed Europa league football for a second successive season.

Starqualursi opended the scoring for us, but Utd quickly struck back and were leading 2-1 by half time. Tottenham were also struggling so as things stood we’d be okay, but I really didn’t want to have to rely on them. With 85 minutes gone, however, I thought I might have to. I’d reckoned without my determined team of fighters. On 87 minutes up popped the incredibly underrated Straquaursi to bag his second and send us into raptures as we finished the season undefeated in 9 matches, and heading back to Europe.

Fifth place in my third season gave me incredible pride and I knew it would be a very tough ask to beat that. Still as long as I could resist my wheeler-dealing during the transfer window, I could keep the key squad members together and build for next season.