Nottingham Forest (h) – The ACN Review

Biggest Positive

The last review I wrote for Along Come Norwich was for our away match against Wolves last season, a review which had no ‘biggest positive’ because frankly such a concept seemed foreign. Really then, it’s nice to be writing a review where there are so many positives to choose from, but I’m going to give the accolade to Max Aarons. One hundred appearances for one club at the age of twenty is a ridiculous feat, and Aarons is only the sixth player to achieve this for Norwich. His debut against that lot seems a distant memory, such is his importance to Farke and the club. From a goal against Cardiff in the EFL Cup to being linked with Barcelona, it’s been a remarkable journey – now it’s time to hope he can make it to two hundred.

Midweek Moan

I was pondering this heading at the match yesterday and couldn’t think of a single thing. Sitting at Carrow Road, discussing the difficulties of abusing the linesman when he’s stood right in front of you, it seemed an impossible task. I even felt warm inside at the sound of a broad Norfolk voice complaining about ‘those sodding flags.’ Yet despite the joy of being back there’s a constant knowledge that something’s missing. I love hearing Grant Hanley scream ‘MAX, SOME FOCUS PLEASE,’ but every time he does it’s a stark reminder that things are in no way back to normal. 27,000 fans in Carrow Road is always a thing to behold and is sorely missed by everyone. With vaccines beginning to be distributed across the country an end to the restrictions now feels more tangible than ever, so all that’s left to do is hope the time flies by.

Oh, and the ref was absolutely toilet.

Moment(s) of the Match

It’s difficult to look past Sørensen’s delightfully taken strike. Something that seems to have been all but forgotten about is the fact we’ve played more matches this season without a proper left back than with one: that Norwich still seem to have (mostly) shaken off the defensive worries that were once a staple of a Farke side is a credit to Lungi. His composure and maturity have been crucial in recent weeks and his goal was no more than his performances this season deserve.

Farke Watch

Despite the flack Farke takes for his substitutions (or lack thereof) I think he’s been bang on the money this season, and he came through again last night. Just as Forest looked close to breaking down a Norwich side clearly exhausted after the burden of so many games in such an injury littered time, on come Tettey and Cantwell, one with experience and one with a point to prove. Following some terrible luck with injuries and his well-publicised transfer drama, Todd was always going to be looking to make an impact – I’ll admit I didn’t expect that impact to come so quickly. Attempting to inject energy and passion when you have a bench of inexperience and injury is no easy task, but Farke managed it once again.

Random Star Performer

I mostly agreed to write this review as an opportunity to wax lyrical about Josh Martin. It was clear in pre-season and his brief Premier League appearances that he plays with a maturity far beyond his nineteen years and he seemed a certainty to be the next youngster to make a true breakthrough. He exceeded my expectations on his full debut with some sublime link up play and a well-deserved assist, then inspired Norwich’s fight back against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday. His performance against Forest was arguably not his best (so perhaps the title for this section should be ‘Player Maddie Felt Should Be Spoken Highly About’) but showed once more his ability and composure on the ball. With the absence of Placheta he could find himself with more minutes than he was perhaps expecting, and could well end up proving undroppable even when his competition is fully fit.

An honourable mention of course to Jacob Sørensen for his goal, and Emi Buendía for being himself.

Summary

Every match we’ve played recently has started with lowered expectations. Norwich’s injury list is enough to field a team in itself, with a few left over for the bench. Our first choice goalkeeper is out. We have no first team striker on the bench, our midfield has gone from overpopulated to dwindling, and we’ve long since abandoned the thought of such a ridiculous notion as a ‘recognised left back.’ Yet, they just keep on grinding out results. It’s not always pretty: sometimes it relies on two atrocious defensive headers that are greeted with roars of laughter following a replay on the big screen. What it shows is that Norwich have truly shaken off the disaster of last season. We’ve seen what a defensive crisis can do to a team that is already low on confidence, and this team is, thankfully, full of it. Yes, due to the horrendous schedule of this season compounding the issue of an already thick and fast Championship campaign many clubs are also struggling with injuries, but few can claim to be as badly hit as Norwich. To be top of the table in the midst of such a crisis is a testament to the work Daniel Farke and his staff have done to once again build up belief within the squad. It may not yet be up to the standards of the beautiful football of 2018/19, but points are on the board, and that’s one hell of an achievement.