Positive result against Cardiff imperative in order to stop negativity engulfing Carrow Road

With the season’s first international break out of the way, Saturday afternoon sees the return of domestic league action to Carrow Road as Norwich City play host to Cardiff. The visit of Paul Trollope’s side represents the start of an important seven days for Norwich, who go on to host Wigan in the following mid-week before a tricky away trip to Nottingham Forest is on the agenda just four days later.

A month is a long time in football. Four weeks ago, almost to the day, Norwich traveled to Blackburn on the opening day of the campaign and dispatched them 4-1- breaking a 14-year opening day win-less streak in the process. We had been victorious whilst playing some brilliant football and everything was rosy - even Steven Naismith had played well! Fast forward to September 7th and there is now an air of pessimism and negativity slowly threatening to engulf Carrow Road. There is even - somewhat embarrassingly - talk of anti-Delia protests taking place outside of the ground following Saturday’s game. Whilst, as I said, some of the over-the-top reactions to City’s current situation have indeed been embarrassing, there is no doubt that events in recent weeks have been disappointing.

Aside from the aforementioned victory at Blackburn, even the most positive Norwich fan would be hard pushed to say that we have been at our best. A series of under-par, or, at best, average, performances culminated in the humiliating 3-0 defeat at Blackburn in City’s last game - disappointment which went onto be compounded by an end to the transfer window dominated by outgoings. Desires for another striker, which Alex Neil admitted he held, were not met, whilst 19-year-old James Maddison, who fans were beginning to demand be given a chance in the first-team, was loaned out to Aberdeen. Jez Moxey’s defence of our transfer dealings in the aftermath did little to appease matters.

The result of all of this is that Saturday’s visit of Cardiff and the two games that follow in the same week are now more important than they should be. Positive performances and, more crucially, positive results are imperative - if only to try and lift spirits. Some questionable team selections and tactical decisions has led to questions being asked of Alex Neil in recent weeks and a poor result against Cardiff would only fuel this negativity further. The Bluebirds have won just one of their opening five games and were knocked out of the EFL Cup by lower league Bristol Rovers and, as a result, City will be expected to win. We should win, and we will win, as long as certain things happen:

Firstly, it is important that Cameron Jerome starts. There is yet to be any word on his fitness but all of the talk surrounding his absence during the defeat to Birmingham suggested that it was only a minor issue. Our woeful defending did not help, but the void that Jerome left in terms of providing us a with a strong, physical presence at the top of the pitch made matters significantly worse. If Jerome’s fitness is still an issue then new signing Nelson Oliveira or, heaven forbid, Kyle Lafferty must start. Essentially, it needs to be anyone but Steven Naismith, who offered us so very little two weeks ago at St Andrews.

Similarly important is the return of Ivo Pinto, who’s level of fitness, like Jerome’s, is currently a mystery. The Portuguese right-back was substituted at half-time during August’s East Anglian Derby, reportedly as a ‘precaution’. The use of precaution gave us all hope that it was only a minor issue but his absence in the squad during the trip to Birmingham suggests otherwise. If Pinto is unavailable then the return of Russell Martin at right-back is a must. I am by no means Martin’s keenest supporter but Steven Whittaker once again proved himself to be too much of a liability during the Birmingham defeat and Martin can do no worse. Alex Pritchard, another who has recently been on the rather long list of absentees, made his return and recorded an assist during Tuesday night’s 2-0 victory for City’s Under-23’s against Valencia and his potential return to the squad against Cardiff would provide a timely boost. Jacob Murphy was perhaps the only positive to come out of the Birmingham game and as a result his inclusion is surely a given.

This being said, Alex Neil’s selections are almost always impossible to predict and he will no doubt throw in a surprise or two, yet again. We just have to cross our fingers and hope that this time, for the first time in a while, he gets it right. He can barely afford not to.