There remains just eight matches left of Norwich City’s Championship season, and the Canaries seem to have hit a run of good form at just the right time.
Saturday’s convincing 3-0 victory at Stoke, their first league away win since January 12 in Hull, followed the complete rout of Rotherham seven days earlier.
We now sit safely in the play-off positions, with an ever improving goal difference, and a real chance to salvage a season which looked to be on the rocks before Christmas.
Frustrating as the capitulation against Middlesbrough was, following the later rescinded red card for Sainz, the way the coach and players have responded with back-to-back wins without a goal conceded, shows that the team spirit is strong. We now have the momentum, though there is a slight irritation that it comes just as we get to an international break.
Those eight remaining games are unlikely to be straight forward affairs. There is of course the return to Carrow Road of the old enemy for the first time since the Farke wink.
Above us in the table and chasing automatic promotion, they will be looking to end a 14-year run of defeats and draws snatched from the jaws of victory. We also have to travel to Leicester to face their title rivals, and will battle against sides fighting relegation. But it is now all in our own hands, and a top six finish is there for us to claim.
We certainly have a squad of players, when at their best, that should be pushing for promotion. And the turnaround that David Wagner has achieved indicates that he still has the dressing room on his side. However, the question many fans are asking is not if we can win the play-offs, but if we want to. Scarred by our last campaign in the top-flight, are we ready to face a return to the Premier League?
The ever-growing gap between the top two divisions has been rudely apparent this year, with the newly promoted sides struggling to escape the bottom three. Feisty underdogs Luton have often been unable to convert their bravado into points, and last year’s runaway champions Burnley have only managed four wins from 29 games. Sheffield United’s goal difference is currently sitting at minus 50.
Money may or may not be the root of all evil, but it is certainly responsible for ruining the competitiveness of the football landscape. Outside of a small group of clubs, who in an economic recession have millions to waste on fees and wages, most not only face a tough balancing act to compete, but also to survive. Without the riches of the Premier League TV contract, clubs are reliant on the humble match going fan for income, who are themselves having their bank balances squeezed by stagnation wages and growing bills.
Promotion to the top-flight used to be about the chance to watch your team play football against star players, see your side on Match Of The Day and for supporters to wear their colours with pride as they travel the country. Now it’s more about shoring up the finances, a year of watching your side get humiliated just to keep the debtors away. Promotion is now about balancing the books and good business sense, rather than the romantic dream of playing in the big time.
For the players though the push for promotion is irresistible. Their innate desire to win is demonstrated in the elated celebrations after each goal scored. Football can be a confidence game, and our players seem to be full to the brim with it. Thoughts of the club’s financial stability will be far from their minds.
And in the stands, it’s impossible not to enjoy this run as a fan. Whilst the fine football is flowing, let’s just enjoy the journey and not worry about the destination.
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