The ACN Match Review: WBA (h) | OneFootball

How did we play? 

A lot better than most opening days, albeit with a similar result. A lot of what I said last week about Norwich’s readiness still holds true. One or two players weren’t quite up to speed, but the collective energy levels were good enough, and they certainly created enough.

Fast forward a couple of weeks and we probably win that game. That ball that got stuck between their keeper and the post simply didn’t want to go in. If that’s the baseline though, we should be encouraged. It was streets ahead of this time last year against Millwall, and light years ahead of two years ago at Oxford. An opening day defeat is always deflating, especially when it’s such a familiar feeling for us, but I feel it’s important to apply that little bit of nuance.

What was the best bit of the game? 

There was a lot to like about this performance on and off the ball. Plenty of trickery and ingenuity from Andre Brooks and Paris Maghoma, but sometimes the decision-making in the final third was poor. For some reason, Mo Toure seemed reluctant to pull the trigger this week. 

Good to see Pape Diallo again – and immediately chase back and win the ball in midfield. Brooks had been doing the same all game. Norwich were pressing high and recovering the ball very quickly. Even with the inability to find the net at one end, however, the very worst outcome should’ve been 0-0. 

What was the worst bit of the game? 

Heggebo handled the ball into the goal, didn’t he? Didn’t heeeee?? The solution to basketball slam dunks somehow going unseen – for me – isn’t a video review system that would also forensically check for hair follicles straying offside, it’s surely just improving the standard of officials?

If neither a referee or linesman can see that in real time, and one of the managers post-game can simply chalk it up as “one of those” and also offer the classy assessment of “oh well, oops x”, we are in trouble. It wasn’t debatable, it wasn’t controversial, it was an act of cheating. Ironically, if he gets caught, James Morrison would be going full Mike Bassett at him for wasting pretty much their only chance of the game. English football must be better. 

What was the atmosphere like? 

The first On The Ball City of a new season is always spine-tingling but the overall mood felt expectant. We’ve beaten the Baggies 5-0 and 3-1 this calendar year, but completing a hat trick was never going to be straightforward. 

Not doing so doesn’t automatically mean Norwich have been tactically outdone either. West Brom didn’t exactly shut us out. We had 20 shots and 5 clear-cut chances. Their keeper made 7 saves, most of them being blinders. And at the other end, they had very few ideas besides punching one in. If that doesn’t happen, and any of our chances go in, the narrative is entirely different. It’d have been a dominant display from Norwich and a negative, anaemic one from them. 

We also, as a fanbase, need to stop unfairly targeting young players for not doing things that aren’t in their remit. Kellen Fisher not scoring a header will never be the reason why Norwich don’t win a game in the Championship. We always seem to need a scapegoat. Those who give their all, make very few actual mistakes, and are attracting Premier League interest having remarkably risen from non-league and/or our own academy should be the last ones on the list. Pack it in. 

Hero of the match 

Feels like straw clutching but good for Mathias Kvistgaarden to get on the scoresheet early doors, while there are only two options up top instead of three. While it isn’t his first for the club, Teemu Pukki also opened his account against West Brom in an August home defeat…

Summary in five words 

We’ve seen this film before.