Match Report 2001-2002

Monday 01 April, 2002, Division One

Norwich City At Valley Parade

A season of failure

I think that we are in danger of missing the point. Not City and not Norwich who snuck a one goal win with a later goal that was hardly merited, but football in general.

We are missing the point of the First Division.

What is this league about? What is our collective aim? There was a time when we thought we had the answer to this. The second flight was about making teams for the top flight. It was a breeding ground for talent to be transferred up to the Premiership and for teams looking to better themselves.

After a season of watching football in this league I cannot now say that I understand what this league is about.

Every side has come to Valley Parade this season with the exception of West Bromich Albion. None of them have looked capable of staying in the Premiership over a year, certainly none of them, or should that be none of us, could ever do as Newcastle United or West Ham have done and get promoted into the Premiership to stay.

The three points gives Norwich a half decent chance of the play offs. The idea of the Canaries, a tidy team but nothing more, getting to the top division is laughable. Put simply they are a poor team. They lack quality and imagination and have few, if any, Premiership quality players.

I do not mean to disrespect Norwich, they are very similar to other sides in this division and over the course of the season have been better than the Bantams, but that is just the way it is. The First Division is not producing teams good enough for the Premiership. Perhaps like City a team could go up and stay for a year, but the idea of any of the sides that have competed in this league this year finishing top six as Europe as Newcastle did in the Premiership is ludicrous.

Not only is the league not producing teams it is failing to make players for the top flight. Tom Kearney looked excellent in his home debut for City, but he is a player produced by the Premiership. Danny Cadamarteri, also good today playing the Ashley Ward role with Gareth Grant in the former Everton man's position, is another Premiership man dropped down. How many players have moved in the opposite direction from the entire first division this season? Peter Crouch? Paul Dickov? Newcastle picked Jermaine Jenas from Nottingham Forest in the sort of deal that was the standard for this division, it is now rare.

The First Division has failed, the fact that a team as average as Norwich are towards the top of it is proof of that.

Norwich would have been easily beaten by a team with more Zest than City. The Bantams it seemed already with an eye on the summer holidays. Jamie Lawrence typified the mode for City; too casual and no discipline in performance. The goal four minutes from time by Paul McVeigh, a hooked shot form inside the box, stung City into some action but one gets the feeling that had City been more focused on picking up points then we would have won.

However players have been allowed to leave leaving City short handed. Gareth Grant continued his last chance in the place of suspended Ashley Ward but did little. City need more up front next term if we are to be at the other end of this division that requires so little to do well in.

The midfield also needs some work. Tom Kearney looks like a very astute signing, busy in the midfield, popping up in both boxes if Nicky Law can find a few more of them we would have a very good side. Then back line did well, Claus Jorgensen's impression of a right back becoming quite convincing at times.

However the overall impression of this game, as with so many this season, is that the quality of this league is low. City would have cut through it had we maintained the early season form but that is perhaps the measure of this league.

Man of the Match

Tom Kearney

Looks a good signing

City Team:

Combe
Jorgsensen Wetherall Bower Jacobs
Lawrence Kearney McCall Jess
Grant Cadamarteri

Subs: Sharpe for Grant