Norwich City v AFC Bournemouth - 5 To Go!

billythekid

billythekid

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Form Indicates A Draw

The Cherries improved their play-off hopes on Tuesday with a 1-2 away win at Huddersfield Town. This was our fifth win in a row and it has put AFCB into 5th place in the table. The Cherries went in with a 0-2 lead at half-time, with goals from Philip Billing and Dominic Solanke. Huddersfield came back into the game in the second half and scored the only goal of the second half.

AFCB were relegated from the Premier League in 18th position on 34 points, the same as 19th place Watford and Norwich finishing bottom on 21 points, the two teams who were promoted with us in our first season ever in the Premier League in the 2015-16 season. With five games to go it seems those two teams are destined to go back to the top league, this time with Norwich City as the possible Champions, (they came up last time via the play-offs). The Cherries best chance of a return to the top league is looking like the play-offs. Not sure any of us thought Norwich City would be in that position after their results in the 2019-20 season, except when you look back at their record of yo-yoing between the two leagues.

Our next game is a tough fixture away at Carrow Road against Norwich City at 8 pm on Saturday, a game being televised live on Sky. It looks like it could be either a tense tight game or an open entertaining game to watch, with the home team needing a win to guarantee promotion and AFCB needing the points to keep up their own play-off challenge. The Canaries have had a very good season and are on a 13 game unbeaten run (11 have been wins) going into this game and an 18 game unbeaten run at home. Their last home defeat was 0-1 against Derby County back on October 8th. At home they are 2nd in the table having W 13, D 6, L1. Away they are 1st having W 14, D 3, L4. AFCB in the away table are 8th, having W7, D8, L5. Home they are 3rd having W13, D3, L5.
Over the last four games, at home Norwich City have W3, D1, which is the same for AFCB away from home.

Origins of nick names are always interesting.
Local Norwich websites suggest it was 16th Century Dutch/Flemish refugees (known as “the Strangers”) that they have to thank. They were escaping religious persecution and with them they brought the tradition of keeping caged finches from the Canary Islands, a custom of Spanish Netherlands seamen. A tradition developed of breeding canaries in the city many of whom were exported by sea to the United States. To this day, the Canary name is reflected in pubs and business throughout the area.

The last time we played Norwich City away, was last season in the Premier League, they won 1-0.

In all our away games against the Canaries, AFCB have W 10, D 7, L 13. In all competitions, AFCB have W20, D 16, L 24.

Norwich City Team News
Lukas Rupp will miss the game with a hamstring injury as will Christoph Zimmerman. Adam Idah and Michael McGovern could be available again after returning to training.

Norwich City Player To Watch
As with our side there are more than one. Emiliano Buendía has scored 12 goals and has 15 assists from midfield. Up front they have Teemu Pukki who likes scoring in the Championship, he scored 29 goals in the 2018-19 season. This season his total so far is 25 goals and 3 assists. Another player is Todd Cantwell in midfield, who came through their youth ranks, has scored 6 goals and 4 assists.

AFCB Team News
Shane Long missed Tuesday’s game with a groin problem, so may not be available for selection at Norwich. No other new news on injuries, so Jonathan Woodgate should be able to keep the same squad and team.

AFCB Player To Watch
As with Norwich City, we have more than one. Philip Billing in his more forward role has scored 4 goals and 2 assists in his last 5 league games. Arnaut Danjuma is in top form and hopefully will be able to ‘unlock’ the Canaries defence who have only conceded 10 goals at home this season. At the other end of the pitch, our defence will need to be at their best to keep the City danger men out and we need to win the battle in midfield.
 
From a Norwich City fan who thinks they will stay up in the Premier League next season and not do their known yo-yoing between the two leagues.


1 Daniel Farke - The gaffer would be the first to say it's so much more than being about him. Of course, it's the players on the pitch who have rattled up an amazing 90 points already. Stuart Webber has played a huge part, as have countless others behind the scenes. But for me, Farke has developed incredibly as a head coach and what he has learned will mean he is so much better equipped to lead the charge.

2 Momentum - If you think the foot will come off the gas after promotion is sealed and the non-stop partying begins until May, think again. Everyone will be desperate to win the title, get over the 100 points mark and keep the relentless momentum up. And with that bounce continuing over the summer, it will put us in the best possible position to start the new campaign on a high.

3 Better and meaner - City were very good two years ago. But the squad is much better placed this time around. It's a more complete group and the new-found defensive meanness - which sees us heading for a defensive club record - will make all the difference.

4 Money isn't everything - Get ready for Robbie Savage and his chums having a go at Norwich for "not giving it a go" and throwing tens of millions of pounds at survival. It's beginning to dawn that money isn't everything and teams which have tried blind spending don't always flourish. Yes, investment is important but City have proved it's so much more than that.

5 Rivals aren't that good - We know we'll be in a mini league next season of teams whose primary concern is to avoid the drop. The first job is to be better than three others. I really believe we'll be stronger than Watford (assuming they get the other automatic spot) and whoever else gets in through the play-offs. The likes of Newcastle, Burnley, Brighton and Southampton don't look that good to me.

6 Jingle bells, jingle bells...Don't worry, I'm not thinking about Christmas. I'm singing the old "oh what fun it is to see Norwich win away" song. City have won more games on the road than ever before already. Success on the road has been hard to come by too often for the Canaries - if this season's formula can be anything like repeated, it will make an enormous difference.

7 Sticking with us - There'll be endless talk now about who stays and which hawks will circle for our prized assets. I'm realistic enough to know we may lose one or more of City's stars - but (without any evidence) I've got a hunch that the vast majority of the squad will have the hunger to give it a real crack in the PL.

https://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/spo...orwich-city-survive-in-premier-league-7896510
 
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