Why Norwich City's Stacey is the player that has impressed me most

Six goals, another Borja Sainz hat-trick and a return to the scintillatingly free-flowing ‘Hoffball’ that characterised the opening few weeks of the season saw Norwich City bounce back from their recent slump in style under the Carrow Road lights.

Sainz sizzled once again in the November Norfolk chill, extending his remarkable run of scoring to become the first City player in almost half a century to bag a pair of trebles before Christmas.

Emiliano Marcondes continued to enhance his ever-growing influence since arriving on a now astonishingly astute-looking free transfer, pulling the strings in midfield and playing a crucial role in the goals that hit Wayne Rooney’s hapless Plymouth for six.

And the return of captain Kenny McLean in midfield, coupled with the eye-catching, goalscoring cameo from Anis Ben Slimane off the bench, were another pair of talking points that without doubt gave City fans more cause for optimising going into the busy weeks ahead.

We may still be missing Josh Sargent - but with the return of Marcelino Nunez on the horizon, plus Ante Crnac grabbing a hugely deserved first Carrow Road goal, it looks as though City are firmly back on the right track.

But there is also another player who deserves singling out after his performances in both the Pilgrims pummelling and last weekend’s 2-2 draw at West Brom, a player often on the receiving end of criticism from certain quarters but one who remains a firm favourite among the majority of match-going fans.

Regardless of City’s recent plight, the tune of ‘Super Jack Stacey ole ole’ continues to ring around away ends across the country as the right-back relentlessly runs his socks off for Johannes Hoff Thorup’s team’s cause.

Three fine assists in the space of four days, coupled with a tireless, indefatigable defensive display in the West Midlands, once again outlined Stacey’s importance to the side and the fact that last summer’s signing from Bournemouth deserves considerably greater credit.

To a certain extent, Stacey has been unfortunate that his minutes this season have been limited by the unexpected emergence of Kellen Fisher, an admittedly superior player on the ball with a physical, combative edge that I think similarly took us all by surprise.

Johannes Hoff Thorup was delighted with his side's return to form against Plymouth (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

And despite the crux of this column being to shine a light on Stacey, it remains difficult to see Thorup regularly selecting him over Fisher at right-back in a first-choice, fully fit and long-term Norwich City XI.

But in a frequently-changing back-four that has seen Fisher, Callum Doyle and Ben Chrisene all play left-back this season, it’s fair to say that Stacey will be getting a fair amount of game time over the coming weeks - either starting or off the bench.

He may not be perfect defensively, occasionally being caught out of position or losing his man from set-pieces.

But can’t the same be said for virtually every modern day full-back?

Despite perhaps lacking Fisher’s poise and precision in possession, there is no disputing Stacey’s value going forward and the pinpoint low crosses he has provided over the course of the last week.

And at the other end of the pitch, Stacey - a player who seems to cover a remarkable amount of ground - was City’s defensive hero at the Hawthorns, delivering a series of crucial tackles during that sustained spell of second-half Baggies pressure.

At 28, it’s entirely understandable that Stacey lacks some of the technical ability of baby-faced Fisher, a player eight years younger who has been nurtured in an era dominated by possession-based tactics and playing out from the back.

So in many respects, Stacey is a throwback of a full-back who loves bombing down the flank and as a result, continues to capture the hearts of us fans who love belting out his name at grounds up and down the country.

That sense of admiration is clearly shared by Thorup, who singled out Stacey for special praise after that West Brom draw for his utmost professionalism since losing his place to Fisher.

And elsewhere away from the pitch, Stacey continues to immerse himself in all the club’s community initiatives that speaks further volumes about his character as a person.

Even with Fisher returning from suspension ahead of Saturday’s clash with Luton, I’d love to see Thorup reward Stacey for his pair of polished performances and maintain his place in the starting XI.

And if he does so, I’ll be backing him to deliver once again and make it a Sainz-esque treble of dynamic displays since his long-awaited return to the side.