When I’m not banging on about Norwich or cricket, I write words for brands, agencies, and publishers.
Now I have a little website!
Content marketing. Sponsored content. Thought leaders. Ghostwriting. Web copy. If you need any of this, get in touch! ✍️
The essence of Bazball seems to be being in a constant limbo between ‘well that could have been much worse’ and ‘that could have been much better’, and that is the absolute sweetspot where great sport happens
Crawley the 6th Englishman to score a Test match 150+ at a run a ball. Four of the five others are in this line-up (Duckett, Brook, Bairstow, Stokes) and the other is sat on the balcony (Trescothick)
Apart from the missed stumping, the dropped catches, the run out, the lack of runs, the slow scoring of those runs, the DRS disasters and the chat behind the stumps, it’s been a good series for the World’s Best Wicketkeeper.
Everyone banging on about England being rubbish at batting, when you’re actually missing the much bigger story that Dan Lawrence is the first-ever Dan (or Daniel) to play Test cricket for England.
#dan
Sad to see Bielsa go. That three-horse title race between his Leeds, Farke’s Norwich and Wilder’s Sheffield United was probably the most thrilling football the Championship had ever seen, and redefined how tier-two clubs saw the way to build a successful team.
Dean Smith is great, isn’t he. Top-class coach. And I’ve not seen a Norwich team in the Premier League as savvy and as happy to shithouse since Lambert’s side in 11-12.
For everyone pissed that England won the 2019 World Cup with scores tied, just wait until you hear how Australia have won the Ashes by losing the most games
It’s easy to be sniffy about The Hundred following one of the great Test series but, I dunno, is it such a bad thing to have an easily accessible tournament, with games on FTA, starting tomorrow?
At some point during the
#Ashes
, England will be bowled out cheaply. Some will blame Bazball, as if England were batting Gods when batting sensibly before.
So, worth an early reminder that in the 101 innings pre-Baz/Stokes, England were bowled out for under 200 30 times.
From saying Norwich smells of football, to “Oh no how awful” to his genuine love of bats to letting the ball run through his legs to Onel v Forest to his infectious, ridiculous laugh to his love for adventurous holidays, Timm Klose was very much one of a kind at Norwich. 😭
What no one seems to have taken into account in the Foakes v Bairstow keeping debate is that Bairstow is light years ahead when it comes to fun stump mic chat. “Oh wow, HELLO!”
‘Yo-yo club’ is always used disparagingly, like bouncing between leagues isn’t infinitely more thrilling and fun and hair-raising and life-affirming than limply flatlining just above the relegation zone in the Premier League every season.
Honestly the idea that Knapper needs a handover period with Webber is absurd. Let the new man come in with a blank piece of paper without the insidious presence of the person responsible for the current failure of the club creeping over his shoulder
#ncfc
It is really very lovely to see how all of the fanbase is united in being excited by this.
It may not work out, who knows, but Thorup feels like a proper Norwich City appointment in the way that Dean Smith and David Wagner never did.
Personal news: the Burnley programme will be my last. Have loved the last 4 seasons at ncfc, but fancy something new! V proud of the outstanding writing team, and the amazing covers (and, you know, the awards were nice
#brag
). Been a dream working for the club I love. 💛💚
We’re hiring a new Programme Editor to join the team at
#NCFC
! 📖
If you think you can follow in the footsteps of the great
@dan_brigham
and produce our superb programme ‘OTBC’, apply now! 😄
➡️
Wagner staked everything on bringing in ‘experience’ from the start this season. We ripped up our recruitment policy to accommodate it. He’s so wedded to it, in the biggest game of the season he plays a half-fit Barnes and a man charged with drink driving. What a disaster.
#ncfc
Slightly worrying reports coming from Emirates Old Trafford today where Jimmy Anderson is off the field with a 'minor issue' - he's currently being assessed by Lancashire's physio.
Leicester have some disgustingly good players for this level, but that was utterly gutless from Wagner against a team that had lost 4 of their last 6. Hughtonesque.
CHELSEA. We had a small flag display planned tonight, however the club have informed us this afternoon that the use of the Ukrainian flags would not be permitted. That's a complete nonsense, if there's a game to use them for it's tonight's over any other
So, no flags tonight
Seeing a lot of people saying Root should open when Bairstow’s fit, which can only be put down to delirium induced by overdosing on Bazball.
Having said, if someone does move up to open to fit in Bairstow, should it be:
Wagner when appointed at
#ncfc
: "I like high intensive, aggressive football where you are brave and chase opponents."
Also Wagner: 25% possession at home, and 20th in the Championship at winning the ball back in the final 3rd.
None of it makes sense.
Very chuffed to have worked on this with Grant. From the 9th tier (ninth tier!!) to the Premier League, via Singapore, Australia, a *lot* of yellow cards and a shed-load of goals, it’s a hell of a journey and a brilliant story.
We are delighted to announce that City legend
@Grantholt31
is releasing his autobiography, and it’s available to pre-order through our online store! 📖
#ncfc
Full story ➡️
To twice turn around a team on its arse, while spending very little, and turning unproven, raw youngsters into footballers coveted by some of Europe’s biggest clubs, Daniel Fake deserves all of the highest praise. An extraordinary manager destined for the top.
Fulham have utterly dominated the Championship this season but will have to win all 5 remaining games to finish on more points than Norwich did last season. Which makes how woeful we’ve been this year even more galling. We were so good!
Manning’s a Norwich fan and, more importantly, has twice impressed in League One and is young and highly rated. Exactly the kind of profile of Head Coach we should be approaching, if anyone at senior level was awake.
Liam Manning expected to be confirmed as new
#BristolCity
head coach in the next 48hrs, I’m told.
Manning’s
#oufc
are 2nd in Lg1, but Bristol City job too tempting for him.
Agreement now between the two clubs over compensation.
Fits BC’s bill of a young, progressive head coach
"But the thing that people don’t see is the man behind the curtain. In the changing room, he *is* the changing room."
Ollie Robinson on what it's been like sharing a dressing room with Stuart Broad and his reflections on an amazing series.
#Ashes2023
Núñez was an absolute machine. Gibson didn’t put a foot wrong. Barnes’ most effective performance of the season. Just lovely, lovely stuff. And, to cap it off, Kieran McKenna has terrible head boy energy
Always good at times like this to remember how mind-blowing it is that one of the 5 people accountable for Webber’s future is *his wife*. Honestly, you’ve got to laugh.
My dad supports Leeds so I have a huge soft spot for them, and there aren’t many better atmospheres than ER. But this belief among some of their fanbase that teams raise their game against them due to some mythical status is nonsense. They haven’t been in the Prem for 15 seasons.
When Neil Adams was sacked, Norwich were 7th with 37 points after 24 games, 3 points off the playoffs after 24 games.
Today, Norwich are 13th with 35 points, 5 points off the playoffs, after 26 games.
Still, you crack on with sticking with Wagner, lads.
England have scored the same number of headers in their last two games as Norwich scored in their 46-game title-winning Championship season.
#nichebuttrue
A weird initial shock at losing a game, but even in defeat we played some of the best football I have seen us play in the last 25 years. It’s fun, and we never give up, and that’s the most we can ask for.
#ncfc
It’s getting daft now. Wagner probably should have been sacked at the end of last season, certainly should have been sacked in October, and should so definitely be sacked now that they’ll somehow end up giving him a new contract
Love Jonny Howson. Norwich’s best midfielder this century? Not sure why he hasn’t had a long Premier League career, but then he’s probably too modest for all that.
Jury’s more out than in on Wagner. Such a risk to rebuild in the summer based on the very unique profile of player he needs to be successful (especially when you’ve won 1 in 10).
#ncfc
Big kudos to the great team of writers, designers and illustrators that work on the programme. It’s nice to be recognised for something we all care a lot about.
The winners of our Gold Award for the best programme for 2019/20 are
@NorwichCityFC
. The Canaries have produced an outstanding programme, full of engaging content. This is a programme that showcases a club that is clearly an integral part of its local community.
#NCFC
#Norwich
David Wagner knows more about football than any of us on this website, but that double substitution was completely baffling, wasn’t it? Bring off 2 players who were looking dangerous AND move Sara from the position he’d been dominating.
In all the chat about VAR today, it’s important to remember there remains one very easy solution: just get rid of it. It remains as entirely detrimental to the sport as it was when it was first introduced. Not one good thing has come from it. It’s shite.
Had forgotten that one of the great joys of the Championship is when teams whose existence relies solely on kicking the shit out of the opposition get uppity when sides give it back. Lovely stuff.
🗣️ "Norwich may well have won the game comfortably anyway. I thought it was a clear foul in front of us."
Gary Rowett wasn't happy about the Canaries second goal. Watch his reaction HERE ▶️
#NCFC
|
#Millwall
First time all season we’ve been the better team for an entire 90 minutes, players in their right positions, full-backs high, players knowing what to do on the ball (plus some moments of wild defending to keep us on our toes). Lovely stuff.
#ncfc
Having watched the full interview with Stuart Webber I actually think he speaks pretty well and interestingly. Admission of getting it wrong with Smith, and acknowledging how crucial it is that the new manager *gets* the club and understands the importance of connection.
@TheCricketGeek
I think a point that is often missed is that the way they’re playing gives a relatively weak side/squad the best chance of winning. That this team, with a weak top 3, ageing pace attack and no world-class spinner, is currently winning more than it’s losing is v impressive.
What a series, what a sport, what a six weeks of tension headaches, of brilliant cricket, of shit cricket, of very funny cricket, of insane opinions, of protesters being carried off and catches that weren’t and stumpings that were. No better sport in the world.
#Ashes
🟡 Relationship with Webber
🟢 Why
#NCFC
spell turned sour
🟡 Falling out of love with football
🟢 What happened in the final season?
Todd Cantwell has told all about his spell at
#NCFC
in an interview with the
@Podcast_TBG
.
Full story👇
It’s been two great seasons of working with
@patternsofplay
on
#ncfc
programme covers. Feel like we created something genuinely unique, and thanks to everyone who got in touch to say how much loved them.
We’ve also got a little project planned for the summer 👀
5 wins from 7, banging in the goals and creating chances, Sara somehow still at the club, Sainz to come, some proper shithousing, a young kid bursting on the scene, the best away atmosphere in ages. Not a bad start to the season, that.
#ncfc
Maddening, frustrating, sometimes brilliant, often aggravating, both underrated and overrated, Todd Cantwell will always have 18-19 and 20-21. Hope he’s brilliant at Rangers.