Norwich City's Greatest Eleven Of The Twenty-First Century

Norwich City’s Greatest Eleven Of The Twenty-First Century.

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Ever since I sat down to watch Norwich take on Rotherham on the 16^Th of August 2003, I’ve seen many a player come and go: heroes, villains, traitors, the lot. From Zema Abbey to Joseph Yobo I have whittled down 11 names to create what I believe to be the ‘greatest XI of the 21^st century’.

GK JOHN RUDDY

While not many have been as gracious in the sticks as one might hope (Theoklitos) three names come to mind when choosing the best keeper of the century: Robert Green, Tony Warner and John Ruddy. I know there will be questions over Warner but those who remember him hopefully think back fondly. However Tony was only a loanee from future ‘bogey club’ Fulham which left the choice between John and Greeno; both have represented their country and both have endured a Norwich City relegation season. They have both also represented England meaning the decision went down to the man who stuck with us, instead of fleeing to West Ham (and also didn’t spill a Clint Dempsey 30 yard daisy cutter). Step forward, John Ruddy.

RB RUSSELL MARTIN

The 2^ND millennium hasn’t littered Carrow Road with memorable right backs, but with apologies to Marc Edworthy and Jonny Otsemobor, the Norfolk Cafu is head and shoulders above any competitor. Despite the relentless stick which he has, sometimes correctly, endured this season; it can’t be denied that Russell is an NCFC legend. We all loved him in the away dressing room at Fratton Park ‘racing around in his briefs’.  Amongst playing for the Canaries in League 1, the Championship and Premier League; enjoying 3 promotions in his spell and enduring 1 relegation, Martin is unforgettably the first captain to lift a trophy for Norwich at Wembley in 30 years.

CB MALKY MACKAY AND CRAIG FLEMING

A match made in heaven. The title winning pairing has never been equalled since my first season as a season ticket holder at Carrow Road, the 2003-04 campaign was my first and their last together unfortunately: but they were immense, big, strong, unplayable in the air, scored goals, nothing got past them. I believe Rob Green may not have got an England cap as soon as he did if it weren't for those two playing in front of him; they were utterly superb and one without the other wasn't the same. If we didn't sell Malky when we were in the Prem we may well have stayed up, they were that good together.

LB ADAM DRURY

Mr Norwich City. Adam Drury is our longest serving player of the 21^st century, if ever there was someone to bleed yellow and green it would be Adam. A joy to watch in the tackle and a superb 1v1 defender; Drury rarely got beaten for a man with little pace. He’s in the ‘greatest XI’ due to his 11-year tenure at the club enduring 2 relegations and enjoying 3 promotions, as well as that header vs. Middlesbrough in 2005. Adam Drury has been a fantastic servant to Norwich City and to leave him out would be a crime.

CDM BRADLEY JOHNSON

Who put the ball in the Ipswich net? The man who took us to the premier league in the 2014-15 season, the Norfolk Pirlo was the uncontested player of the season and not only that he was talismanic all season in a season Norwich were crying out for one more than ever, a highlight from Bradley's sparkling season has to be his brace at Carrow Road in the old farm derby.

RM: LEE CROFT

For the position of RM for my 1 to XI of NCFC players from 2003 onwards, I had a tough decision to make between Crofty, Nathan Redmond and Phil Mulryne. Elliott Bennett was also in contention but when you think about who has given the most and produced the most magic for Norwich, Lee Croft comes up head and shoulders above the rest. That wonder goal against Ipswich when we were having a miserable season (that ended in relegation) was Crofty's crowning glory and after the departure of Darren Huckerby, he stepped up to fill his big shoes rather well. For these reasons alone he gets in over Nathan Redmond, who I, unfortunately, see leaving in similar circumstances to Lee Croft; desersion after relegation to a "bigger club" (Derby?).

LM: DARREN HUCKERBY

Two words that don't really need anything to accompany them, if you don't know why this man is so special to Norwich City Football Club, then you don't know Norwich City Football Club, signed permanently after his initial loan move from Man City in the winter of the 2003-04 season, Norwich was never the same football club. He came in and rocketed our season, almost single handedly turning an outsider for play off's into a title winning team, he could beat anyone 1v1 on his day and always knew where to find the back of the net, simply put, one of the greatest players Norwich City have ever had.

CAM: WESLEY HOOLAHAN

The little magician is his term of endearment from many a Norwich fan, quite simply mesmerising at times Wes Hoolahan can do things with a football that shouldn't be physically possible, one of the most underrated footballers ever to play the game had he been English and played for Southampton and Tottenham instead of Blackpool and Norwich, he'd be considered one of the best ever, always in control of the ball once he gets possession he doesn't lose it until he decides too, he can unlock any defence operating in that pocket between defence and midfield, I really do not have to justify why I put Wes in my team, he's Wes Hoolahan.

ST CAMERON JEROME

The top goalscorer for one of the most, if not the most, memorable season as a Norwich fan. His debut season at Carrow Road stepping down from premier league Stoke to sign for us, that already signified he'd die for the cause; and that's just Cameron Jerome, would die for the cause and his goal at Wembley sums him up, never gives the defence a moments rest and makes his own goals, 21 goals in his debut season for Norwich and the first Norwich player ever to score a goal at Wembley, Cameron Jerome deserves to be in this team over the likes of Simeon Jackson (who also essentially fired us to the Prem with his goals), Rob Earnshaw and Dean Ashton (traitor).

ST GRANT HOLT

Quite simply the greatest player ever to play for Norwich City (in my humble opinion). He didn't stop working across the 4 seasons he spent as the Norwich City skipper, I could forgive Chris Hughton for relegating us, I can never forgive him for letting Grant Holt rot in the reserves, stripping his captaincy and selling him to Wigan, then giving his shirt to Ricky VanWolfswinkle of all people. Grant Holt scores brilliant goals, works his socks off every game regardless who he's playing or what competition it is and he is one of a rare bread of players who seems to genuinely want to win for Norwich City because he loves Norwich City, that may not be true he may just see us as another team he played for, but the way he played for Norwich made it appear that he was a die hard, he played the way you'd expect the Murphy's or the Jarvis' or Chris Martin to play. He scored 3 goals against the scum, and many, many more, the ultimate captain, the ultimate number 9.

MANAGER PAUL LAMBERT

A manager such as Paul Lambert comes around once or twice in a lifetime, to come to Carrow Road and spank us 1-7 on the first day of league one, then become our manager, pick us up from league 1 and drop us off at 12th in the premier league in the space of 3 seasons is something that I don't think will ever be repeated. He had a calm, yet passionate style about him and he suited Norwich and Norwich suited him, we played with power, pressure and purpose under Lambert and Lambert's Norwich played the best football I've seen so far at Carrow Road, Alex Neil looks like he's replicating that but only time will tell, Neil finished 3rd with a premier league squad, Lambert finished 2nd with a League 1 squad, then he made it a premier league squad, incomparable, regardless of how it ended.

Norwich City: Are We A Big Club?

Norwich City: Are We A Big Club?

As we stare into the abyss of another relegation, will Norwich City ever be big players in the Premier League again? Or are we doomed to yo-yo between the divisions, in a never-ending roller coaster of elation and calamity…

It’s considered blasphemous even merely to suggest that your team isn’t a big club. Yet the Canaries seem to be ridiculed and patronised by their Premier League peers, not to mention Match Of The Day. So are we really kidding ourselves to believe we’re one of the country’s best? Are we belittled into small club syndrome just because it’s a cheap blow? Or are we genuinely considered to be punching above our weight in each season of the world’s “greatest league”?

We Are A Big Club

Firstly lets look at what supposedly makes a ‘big club’: A large fan base, power in the transfer market, big name players, impressive history and, of course, money.  It is generally considered a large fan base when there’s only one professional team in the county. And while this has its flaws, for example the unbearable ‘local scores’ round up on Canary Call, the upside is the majority of Norfolk buh’s, live and breathe for the yellows.

Secondly we’ve spent 4 of the last 5 seasons playing in the top flight, we were the first team to achieve back to back promotions to the Premier League since Manchester City on the turn of the century, and while Southampton’s identical feat the very next year took a shine off City’s achievement, there can still be no doubt that Norwich have the stature and resources to cement themselves in English football’s elite.

Better Than Most

Should we receive a cup-tie against a lower league team, more often than not we’d be backed, unless however it’s a Tuesday night trip to Craven Cottage. Yet take a look at the ever-humorous Sky Sports pundit’s, Super 6 entries for the week and a Norwich backer is as rare as an Ipswich Town promotion party.

This really begs the question why? How drastic has the fall from grace been from the team of home grown heroes that beat Munich in their own back yard, to a side filled with “Championship players” desperately clinging to 17^th place?

The small club mind-set haunts us in the transfer market. When we make a nice marquee signing (or RVW) they’ll either flop or be considered ‘too good’ for us and be poached by a stagnating team in 9^th. (Make the most of Klose while you can). As harsh on the lugholes as it may be, it is easily backed with historical evidence. Let me take you back to a time of baggy long sleeved shirts and Samba De Janeiro... Incredible spectacles Vs. Newcastle and Middlesbrough were rife, as well as shock wins against Man U. We had a media dubbed, “up and comer” for a manager in Worthy and the future looked bright. However a lot of money spent in the transfer periods, with foreign names a plenty arriving through the gates at Norwich Airport, could not save us from a relegation scrap. It’s all starting to sound scarily familiar…

If we’re to expect any form of excitement in the Premier League era of money and goal line technology, then it’s going have to come via the cups, or the enigmatic “Fair Play table”. What we’re looking at here is a Bolton, Wigan, Swansea situation. A team that in every realist’s eyes; will rarely get a whiff of the alcohol free cologne of European competition. And why should we? It’s only little old Norwich.

The following transfer periods, post relegation, have seen the loss of players such as: Green, Ashton, Fer and Snodgrass, players who were highly regarded at the start of their respective NCFC careers. This is why we struggle to make a case to be an EPL big boy, we can’t hold onto our big guns.

We’re Doomed

Finally the pessimistic view that Norwich City is forever doomed to be a yo-yo club until it fall’s back into the pit from whence it came along with: Bolton, Blackburn, Leeds, Fulham etc.  The harsh reality is Norwich will never have the resources as some other geographically gifted clubs, therefore confining us to a glass ceiling. We won’t be gifted with a free pass into the Europa League, or a nice new 60,000-seater stadium (paid for by the tax payer.) to propel us from the yo-yo league to 4^th spot contenders, it just won’t happen. The main nail in our yellow and green coffin is that we aren’t a London club. Footballers who are of the standard we’re hoping to achieve want 6 figure salaries, fast cars and somewhere better than Mantra to spend their Saturday night.

Luke Keeler