Recovery is unlikely
So, it didn’t quite happen yesterday. The outcome so many Leeds United fans have been craving, after so many annoyingly chirpy Canaries have taken so much mick over the past few seasons, failed – for the moment – to transpire.
Norwich City, though, remain doomed to the drop, and our two clubs will meet again in the Championship next season. All that remains to be confirmed is the arithmetic of it. Norwich produced a fine, stubborn defensive display at Stamford Bridge to deny Chelsea and achieve a stalemate which is of little use to either side.
Norwich showed almost no attacking ambition at all – curiously slapdash going forward for a team desperately in need of the full three points. Their hard-won but ultimately pointless point will serve only to delay the death notices. For make no mistake – this Premier League Canary is no more. It has ceased to be. This is an ex-Premier League Canary.
Norwich now find themselves in the hopeless position of wishing and trusting that Sunderland will gain not one single point more in their remaining two fixtures. This, let us not forget, is a reinvigorated Mackem force, inspired of late by former Leeds “winger” Connor Wickham – a player that Sunderland inexplicably insist on deploying in his natural position. Go figure.
Sunderland play West Brom in midweek, and a draw would put both clubs beyond poor Norwich City’s reach. I wonder if that might be just what happens? Only a West Brom win would gain the doomed Canaries a further mathematical reprieve – and even then they’d have to beat Arsenal and hope that Sunderland lose again on the final day. It’s an unlikely set of circumstances and, basically, it ain’t gonna happen.
So we Leeds fans will eventually get our vindictive wish – just not today. But we will see Norwich dragged down again, within our vengeful reach, after three years of cockiness from these Johnny-come-lately types from the back of beyond. Three years of transfer plunder, seemingly in an effort to prove that the midfield which hauled Leeds out of the third tier could actually prosper at the highest level. Would they, could they?? Erm, no – it would seem not.
The Norwich fans must expect little sympathy from their counterparts at Elland Road. They have lived by the sword of banter, snickering unmercifully at their club’s transfer depredations, growing happier and more unbearably bumptious bumpkins with each successive raid on LS11. Now they must be prepared to die by that same Schadenfreude sword, as their delusions of belonging in the Premier League come crashing down around their ears. It’s sweet – I have to admit it.
See you next season, Norwich. It’ll be a tasty atmosphere at Elland Road, I imagine. I wonder if any of our former heroes will remain in the Canaries shirt as you venture back to Leeds? Maybe, maybe not. Either way, it’ll be a pleasure to meet, greet and – hopefully – beat you.
Life, Leeds United, the Universe & Everything 
Snodgrass should have won it for them, through on goal, dithered and Cahill managed to get back and block the shot.
Unforgiveable send him back to where he came from.
I don’t think any canaries will be reading this, far too late for them, have to get up early and tend the crops.
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I agree Rob that Norwich have been a bit of an irritating rash over the last 3 years but really the villain of the piece remains master bates .
.2010 saw a midfield that was capable of getting us up to the PL but it was cynically dismantled by Bates and flogged off for a pittance.
Set us back 4 years and progressed Norwich to a decent side
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Interesting post as always, after the season we have had Christ do we need some serious Italian €s.
Funny thing is I would really not like to face a team with any of our past players that helped us back from the real mire.
All said and done six points against the pillaging annoying yellow birds would be very nice indeed.
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Hey Rob, you’re wondering if any of our former heroes will remain. Surely not, they’ll be expecting to be snapped up by some other first division club desperate for their services, with money to throw in their direction.
Maybe not, ha ha. Maybe they’ve done a Beckford and they’ve finally been found out. Hopefully their contracts will have anticipated this scenario and their wages will quartered; they’ll be dreaming of the good old days at the club that propelled their careers to the dizzy heights (of Norfolk); They’ll be dreaming of the warm welcome they’ll receive when they return to the place that launched their previously-uninspiring careers.
They’re probably wealthy enough now to not really give a toss anyway, but I won’t let that ruin the gloat factor for me. And it is gloat factor – definitely not schadenfreude! Welcome home, “local boy” Jonny, you #@!t
“Hey Jonny Jonny, you went to Norwich City and you won F-all…”
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If you were playing for Leeds and they sold you, what would you do? It wasn’t Howson’s fault.
I blame Delia.
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Quite agree. I don’t blame the players. I’m chiefly overjoyed at the suffering of Norwich’s fans.
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best result possible
no chance of chelsea winning the league with their anti-football, highly likely naarwich go down
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Can’t see Norwich surviving. Nor can I see any ex Leeds’ players returning. I sense Cellino has players in mind. He is just wondering if MD is the right ‘coach’.
For Cellino must be as baffled as we have been at some of the inexplicable decisions MD has made this season, summed up as you say Rob by placing Wickham, a natural goal scorer, on the wing!!!
Would a proper manager (Cellino) have done that?
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Hi Rob,the Canaries have truly home to roost, I for one will not shed a tear nor pop a Party popper, why? personally the Canaries are one of those teams who are pointless, with very little to acknowledge, with a history so small you need a STEHM microscope to know its there, the only fan support they have is there because it is too difficult to get any where else, the brightest thing about the club is the colour of the home shirt. Along with the likes of the Coal-miners, the Robins (bob, bob, bob) the Royals etc (so many others fit into this category) Yes they stole our players, a bit like a disrespectful teenager stealing cash from his Dads pockets, yes they have a small, and small minded fan base, but forgive them, that is purely down to the fact that even they know that every season is going to be like the last, so any external form of so called excitement is grabbed with relish. So Rob its not too surprising that you penned so few words about their plight, see Pointless.
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I suppose it IS a bit oppressive of me, picking on canaries.
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What gets to most of us is that if these lads had stayed with us, we would have been promoted and enjoyed a couple of years in the premiership.Which in turn could have ensured that there would have been more money coming into the club.Due to Mr Bates short term policies we are still waiting.At least our future looks interesting.
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That’s one word for it!
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I only hope we look back at the sad state of this club and recall that we were once actually bitter about Norwich of all clubs. When I say we , I mean some fellow fans, as they don’t even get through on my radar to be truthful. A long three months now, lets hope Mr C isn’t going to sit on his hands , major changes needed I think .
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Well I like to think I can take pleasure in the demise of a club whose fans so delightedly took the piss, without actually being bitter. I just have a long memory and a keen eye for settling accounts 🙂
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The only bright spots in this wretched season have been the fall from grace of the scum and the slow, inevitable sinking of the annoying yellow avians.
Caught in a cleft stick in some ways, as relegation for the Mackems, might free up Gus Poyet, who would be perfect for us. However, relegation for our ex midfielders seems inevitable and they can expect a warm welcome on their return to ER, especially if they still have those daffy haircuts.
Poyet really has done the business at Blunderland, turning the shambolic mess DiCanio left behind into a decent side. He appears to be able to what McD can’t – that is, pick the right formation, play players in their proper positions and give them the belief & self-confidence to go out and enjoy their football.
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Poyet has worked a miracle there. The Mackems looked cluelessly inept not so long back, yet they’ve won at scum and Chelsea and came within an ace of winning at Citeh too. Between him and Pulis for Manager of the Year in that league as far as I’m concerned – though it’ll be Pellegrini, natch.
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I will be glad to see Naaridge relegated for obvious reasons, just shows you where joining a club with “real ambition” gets you, eh Jonny / Robert / Bradley / Luciano? 6 easy points next season one would hope.
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Fingers crossed – that would be a tasty dish served cold 🙂
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I’d have all 4 back tomorrow. Apart from McCormack, Smithy, a fit Byram and Murphy if he sheds a few kilos they are better than anything else we have at present.
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I truly doubt that there will be more than 24 Norwich fans reading this – it says a lot when you can count the number of readers on both hands, doesn’t it? Hahahahahaaa.
Oi be arrrf fer moi caaaaaarrots now.
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I was hoping for say 60 readers – you’d need the fingers of both hands and the toes on all three feet then….
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Norwich City supporters are just like Ipswich … Losers
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Quite right – but probably even more so.
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God, bitter or what. Are you still suffering? We had forgot about you except being rather amused at the shambles LUFC are!
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Hate the font but quite enjoyed the piece if I’m honest. And you’re right – we’ve certainly enjoyed giving you boys some stick during your tenure as our feeder club (sadly I think that might be at an end now) and we now expect some back.
We’ve been desperately unlucky in one sense this season, with injuries, but authors of our own misfortune in another sense – giving the clubs around us too many points and setting up not to lose rather than to win too often. Oh and spunking a club record on a striker who can’t score.
Still and all it’ll be good to see you guys next season. You got decent gates when we were both in League One (I think you just about beat us on that but only just) and I respected your fans for still turning out in the third tier. Other clubs haven’t been able to do as well on that front.
Last couple of times we’ve been in the same league we’ve done quite well, but I think we’ve a rebuilding job ahead of us. I expect Snoddy to go but BJ and Howson to stay. Who was Becchio again? To be fair you’ve got a rebuilding job to do too, so the games will be interesting…I’d be delighted if we went straight back up but more realistically it’s a 2/3 year job at least, I think. I think you will get promoted sooner rather than later – not sure about next season, depends on your summer.
See you boys at Elland Road – not been for a while, it’ll be good to be back there.
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All but confirmed then. See you next season…
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wow! only came onhere as the link to this thread was posted on an NCFC message board – and cant believe all the bitterness is STILL with you lot! – Goes to show you tend to look outwards when theres nothing to look at inwards!
Looking forward to champs footy again – 3 seasons of dull tedious prem footy, setting up for a draw, even at home, and the passion for the 90 mins has worn off. Prefer to play in a division we are capable of finishing top 10 than one where only the 4 richest teams can win. Also, prem fans – whats all THAT about?! More japanese tourists at chelsea than chelsea fans! Be good to get on old fashioned terraces again with decent real home fans creating an atmosphere rather than the identikit grounds of the past 3 seasons…… looking forward to playing leeds, wolves and the scum again! Also looking forward to off loading the mercenaries and freeloaders….shame we’ll prob lose snoddy and ruddy, two players who deserve prem footy – the rest? nah, champs is good enough for them!
Country Bumpkins/worzels/six fingers??? heard them all before. Least we dont have “savile”.
Bye see you soon x
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