4-1 was a harsh reflection but Cardiff City were well and truly beaten on their first league visit to Carrow Road in almost 22 years by a rampant Norwich City. Darren Huckerby, signing off for the Canaries was inspirational, scoring two, setting up another and providing City's increasingly creaky, leaky defence with a torrid afternoon. They went in hope but, as the quiz team pun name goes, they had Norfolk-In-Hope.
Having fought into the play-off places for the fourth time this season, optimism and confidence should have been high but, amongst City supporters anyway, many treated this fixture with hope more than expectancy and with good reason too. With Graham Kavanagh joined on the treatment table by John Robinson and Julian Gray returned to Crystal Palace, it left the Bluebirds with a decimated midfield with players would have to be employed out of position. It seemed inadequate to face the 3rd best team with the division's best home record and that was how it proved.
In an exercise to fit his square pegs into those round holes, Lennie opted for a 4-3-1-2 system with a so-called diamond shaped midfield. Ahead of Neil Alexander were Croft-Vidmar(Capt)-Gabbidon-Barker with a midfield trio of Boland-Whalley-Bonner joined by Andy Campbell playing slightly in front but well behind Thorne and Earnie. Whalley and Campbell were both making their first start for 2 months, their own injuries and City's current crisis contributing to their absences and recalls. Returning faces on the bench too with the pleasing sight of Alan Lee back after almost four months injured whilst Rhys Weston was back after his injury at Sunderland's Stadium of Light in mid-October. Prior, Bonner and Margetson made up the bench.
Norwich City's home record before today was played 11, won 9, drawn 1, lost 1. It is that form, although they are yet to have played any of the big guns at home, that has them in automatic promotion contention. On the road, they have collected 4 points fewer than City. They had problems going into the game too, captain and inspiration Malky MacKay was serving a one game suspension whilst 6' 7" striker Peter Crouch returned to Aston Villa.
In goal was highly rated youth product Robert Green, a lookalike of Rodney from Only Fools and Horses from what I could work out. The back four were Marcus Edworthy-20 yr old Shackell (a youth academy player making his 4th appearance)-Craig Fleming and Adam Drury. Norwich's midfield which outworked and outshone City's all afternoon were Ian Henderson, Paul McVeigh, Gary Holt and Phil Mulryne. Forwards were Darren Huckerby about to return to Man City after 3 months on loan as Norwich cannot stump up the reported £1.5M fee required and Iwan Roberts making a rare start. Roberts is now 35 and almost signed for Cardiff last year.
With one side of Carrow Road being redeveloped, only 300 Bluebirds had the chance to go munching at Delia's place but it sounds horrible and she's too old so, for the first time, I settled for the big screen beamback at Ninian Park. The screening was another ominous sign, I think it's the 4th or 5th time City have used it in recent seasons and it's proved a jinx.
Previous big screens have seen a mobile screen placed in front of the Grandstand but with a permanent screen now in place between the Bob Bank and Grange End, fans had the option of watching that from the Grandstand or in one of the bars. The bars were packed early, understandably so, as the big screen view was appalling. I never bother watching it in home games but to concentrate on it today was near impossible.
Credit to City for putting on the facility but when it is 80 yards away from where you're sitting, the panels that make up the screen look like a patchwork quilt and one area at the bottom wasn't working properly producing a blue line, it was pretty much a lost cause. You could make out the players close up but not from distance. As for following the game, it was more like 'spot the ball, you could hardly see it. The sound was good, the p.a. has never sounded better in fact and a microphone near the City fans meant we could hear their chants. We must have lost however because we had a girl at centre-half. Who was that Gabby Don that the commentator kept mentioning? Chief Executive David Temme appeared midway through the first half, sat to watch the game in the directors box, realised the screen quality wasn't good enough, got up and left within a minute not to be seen again - says it all really.
Mind you, it wasn't much better for those who made the 270 mile and 5+ hour journey to Norwich. Herded into the ground, asked to occupy the whole of the open, derelict side of the pitch in two rows of seating meaning the boys could hardly see or talk to each other and forced to sit whenever they stood, it was a miserable afternoon wherever you were as a City fan.
The first half was a one-sided affair. City were under the cosh throughout, the weaknesses in our midfield fully exposed as Norwich took the game to us and found time, space and players with Cardiff just not in it. Huckerby was causing havoc with his heads down charge at or past defenders style, very similar to Craig Bellamy, and clearly unnerving us. Vidmar, Croft and Gabbidon each got last gasp touches to deny him and when balls ran loose, one hit Iwan Roberts who unwittingly diverted the ball inches wide whilst another saw McVeigh bring a fine stop out of Alexander. Henderson's cross-cum-shot clipped the angle of the post and bar whilst McVeigh fired over from 15 yards when a goal looked on, then Mulryne fired over. All this in the first 15 minutes!
Cardiff were struggling to get towards halfway, never mind over it, and gave possession away too easy when they had it. Having survived the early blitz, they started making a couple of advances. Gary Croft had City's first effort at goal just before 20 minutes when he cut inside a defender and saw the goal open up, his curling left footer from 25 yards started wide and went even wider though.
City's midfield were trying but just weren't good enough, the number of shots and corners won by Norwich midfielders was perfect evidence and with them not firing, the defence were under real pressure. Worse still, on the few occasions City got set pieces or in space getting forward, the crossing was poor in the extreme.
After McVeigh fired over again, corners and crosses were knocked away , City had one innocuous corner in response but it produced a strange moment. Green easily took Langley's ball but was then penalised for holding it for more than 6 seconds to give Cardiff an indirect free-kick inside the area. Langley touched it to Earnie but defenders raced before the whistle and closed to within a couple of feet blocking his drive with ease.
It really was no shock when Norwich went ahead on 34 and it was Mr Huckerby who scored it. A solo effort, well taken and finished but yet another goal that asked questions about City's defensive work of late. Intercepting Croft's cushioned header to Langley to take possession wide left 40 yards out, there was still no danger but with drops of shoulder, he eased away from Croft, ran diagonally to the heart of City's area running across Vidmar as if he wasn't there, the Aussie failing to make a challenge, and finally through a gap between Vids and Whalley. Once inside the area and clear on goal, he wasn't going to waste his moment as slipped the ball past Neil Alexander with some ease.
The game went through a lull for a few minutes afterwards with City desperate just to get to half-time without further damage. Cardiff managed to fire in some crosses in added time and win a corner but, again, their deliveries into the area was letting them down.
It was tortuous. City's defence were vulnerable whenever Huckerby was on the ball but worse, our midfield was of its depth supporting neither the players behind them or in front of them. They lacked width, stayed far too close to each other and, in the process, gifted the home midfield the freedom of the pitch with time and space which they took with glee. Taking the 'diamond' formation too literally, real diamonds in clusters being snapped up in jewellers for Christmas were further apart than Whalley-Boland-Campbell and Langley. A poor effort indeed.
One other noticeable difference from which City could learn, Norwich's midfielders were never afraid to shoot within sight of goal when half a chance presented itself. City's, by comparison, always wanted the extra touch, wanted to lay it wide or knock it back. There was a collective lack of responsibility amongst them.
It's easy to point it out but the overwhelming feeling at half-time was that Lennie had called it wrong. Maybe this was an afternoon where 5-3-2 with Prior or Collins added to the line up, at the expense of Campbell who was lost, would have done City more favours particularly, to everyone's surprise, City's central defence were struggling to deal with Iwan Roberts. Behind and having to chase the game, it was no longer an option but, hey, who are we to criticise Lennie being unusually bold with his selections and tactics.
Half-time: CANARIES 1 BLUEBIRDS 0
Having given up on the big screen altogether, I watched the second period underneath the Grandstand in the Block A/Block B area on one of those portable sets installed on the walls, something which most fans did. £6 to watch a portable telly from 20 yards away, I ask you. It was hard to tell how many were at Ninian. With 4 or 5 bar areas and the Grandstand in use, fans were dotted all over the place but I guess somewhere around the 2,000+ mark. With the half about to start, the cameras closed in on the ball on the centre circle, the first time I had properly viewed the yellow sphere all afternoon.
City performed a little better and made more of a contest of the afternoon but having to open up the game to chase the match, they were hit at crucial times and came off in a worse state again. The opening minutes saw Norwich with most of the possession and domination but no real threat until 56 minutes in, Roberts took possession 25 yards out, played a simple one-two with Huckerby and opened up City's rearguard comprehensively. IWAN ROBERTS was clear almost in the middle of goal and with Alexander not daring to move from his line, stuck like a rabbit in headlights, Roberts placing a shot wide of him from 12 yards was pure formality.
Two down, no chances made and not a single shot at goal, it looked a lost, hopeless cause but, if nothing else, Cardiff are battlers these days. Despair suddenly turned to hope just 5 minutes later with the deficit reduced to 2-1. Winning a free-kick central just inside Ipswich's half, Danny Gabbidon flighted the ball to the left edge of the area where Chris Barker rose impressively above his marker to send the ball across goal where PETER THORNE did a typical Peter Thorne with a clever headed flick on sending the ball over the Canaries keeper and dropping inside the far post.
Before the game restarted, another positive change came with a double substitution for the final half-hour. Alan Lee was back at last, Andy Campbell going off with Thorney dropping 'in the hole' behind the forwards whilst Rhys Weston was back too replacing Gary Croft who had a tough afternoon against Huckerby but wasn't the worst of our defenders.
However City were finally pressurising the home side whose fans had gone silent. The game was suddenly in Norwich's half, all the passing and movement was suddenly coming from us. Despite great promise and a feeling of 'maybe, just maybe', it wasn't to be.
72 minutes and Weston having won a couple and lost a couple of challenges with Huckerby touched him from behind and was yellow carded. The free-kick came over and presented a shooting chance which Henderson wildly missed but the ball ran free to the totally unmarked FLEMING who sent a low shot crashing past Alexander to kill the game off. A rare goal for the defender. In fact it was his 9th goal in 544 games and his first for 100 matches to end what must be, even by his low standards, the most barren non-scoring streak of his career... it was his first strike in almost 4 years and 156 games.
Bad went to worse four minutes later, with 15 to go, as Huckerby turned Weston inside out, shot across goal as his effort deflected off Vidmar at the near post inside Alexander moving across goal to cover Huckerby's effort.
Game over with Norwich singing "bring on the Ipswich" as they play their local opponents next week whilst City fans were probably humming "bring on the final whistle". The ones inside Ninian who had seen enough and were making their getaway had those staying to the bitter end singing "cheerio" and "we can see you sneaking out" to their fellow supporters.
The last 15 minutes swung wildly end to end. Alan Lee burst inside two defenders from the touchline to set up Earnie who was blocked then Langley went close and Weston had a brilliant angled volley pushed away. Weston was inches over meeting a corner. Earnie had a close range header pushed away on the line, made the keeper save again and fire just wide too as he suddenly saw the ball for the first time all afternoon and came to life.
But it could have been worse too, no more than when Huckerby again made City's defence look awful in beating players and sending the ball across goal where Mulryne fired wide of a goal that looked easier to hit. Two other chances went whistling by too but 4-1 it stayed.
The game marked the exact halfway stage of the season and left City in 8th place with 35 points, 8 points off Norwich now occupying the second and final automatic promotion berth and just 2 points off the play-offs. We would all have taken that in August but there's a slight feeling of disappointment at the moment as the side have not performed as well in recent games.
Having only conceded 18 goals in the first 19 games, Cardiff have suddenly getting hit hard with 11 conceded in the last 4 fixtures. Gabbidon and Vidmar looked the best centre-half pairing in the division a month ago but both are suffering a dip in form of late. Kav's absence, sitting in front of them, has to be a factor.
What is no longer in doubt is that new faces and added strength are vital if we are to maintain a challenge over the rest of the season. We lack numbers, options and strength. No width today, players out of position and a lack of someone to stamp authority in the middle.
The facts speak for themselves too. In 9 games against the current Top 10, we have failed to beat any, drawn with five and lost four. We've made that Top 6 on four occasions but had 1 draw and 3 defeats in the game immediately afterwards and dropped back immediately. We are falling short and we need help.
The only area we appear strong is the forwards. There is a need for extra defensive cover and strength, a midfield man in the mould of David Batty or similar (we lack real bite in that area) and someone to link midfield to attack out wide, the biggest priority of all at the moment. It would be hugely disappointing if City weren't contemplating an immediate enquiry for Huckerby. He's inconsistent but he's exactly what this side are missing. He has been a huge factor in Norwich's climb to 2nd and he'd undoubtedly push City onwards and upwards too.
Having got to where we are in the table at this stage of the season, it would be a huge disappointment if we were to stagnate over the remainder without giving it a real go. I'm sure Lennie and Sam will ... just don't leave it too long please gents. The warning signs are already there, permanent or loaned, we really do need reinforcements now.
Report from FootyMad
Darren Huckerby marked the end of his loan spell at Norwich with a match winning performance to which Cardiff had no answer.
The Canaries kicked off and enjoyed most of the early possession with Paul McVeigh having the first shot on target after eight minutes.
Neil Alexander made a comfortable save but three minutes later could only watch as Ian Henderson's snapshot flashed past his right-hand post.
After quarter of an hour, Phil Mulryne fired over before Gary Croft cut in from the Cardiff right but fired well wide.
Tony Vidmar then pushed Iwan Roberts in the Cardiff penalty area but referee Butler angered the home fans when he waved play on.
He became even less popular when he awarded the visitors a free kick against Robert Green for holding the ball longer than six seconds.
However, the home fans were lifted after 34 minutes when Huckerby intercepted an attempted clearance and raced through the Cardiff defence before beating the advancing keeper with a low right-foot shot from 17 yards.
Nine minutes into the second half, the Canaries doubled their lead when Huckerby's pass set up Roberts and his low right-footed shot from 16 yards beat the keeper's despairing dive to his right.
Peter Thorne kept up his prolific scoring record in the 59th minute when he headed over Green after Chris Barker had flicked on Danny Gabbidon's free kick.
The goal was followed by a double substitution - Andy Campbell and Croft making way for Alan Lee and Rhys Weston.
Weston was booked for fouling Huckerby and when the visitors failed to clear the resulting free kick, Craig Fleming's left-foot shot from 12 yards restored the home side's two-goal lead with 19 minutes left to play.
Huckerby created the fourth goal after 79 minutes when his angled cross went in off Vidmar.
But two minutes later Richard Langley brought out a diving save from Green.
Huckerby was denied a penalty when he appeared to be tripped, and then he set up McVeigh who fired over with only the keeper to beat.
The home fans chanted for Delia Smith to sign the impressive Huckerby, but the popular striker seems certain to have played his last game for the Canaries who will go into the Christmas season without their exciting loan star.