HarryFromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Saturday's derby by delving into their forums.

"What a fantastic result against one of the best sides in the league", "A fantastic response to an early setback that bodes well for the future", "We're winning games, something we have not seen much of in the last two years. I just wish Ricky was here to join in."

The Canaries' mood has been transformed with two home wins against decent opposition in the last week. A 3-0 victory over 10-man Watford on Saturday was followed up with a 3-1 triumph over Blackburn on Tuesday, in which City came from behind to win with two late goals.

"There was a great atmosphere at Carrow Road. There were glimpses of the Lambert days. We looked the absolute business and you can feel the negativity melting around the place", "This is a far cry from last year's sterile fare", "We're in the top six! Now let's go top against Ipswich!"

A Sudden Change of Mood

This elation is a very recent phenomenon. Frustration had been the predominant feeling before last Saturday. City were comfortably beaten 1-0 after an anodyne display in their season opener at Wolves, and some fans could barely conceal their anger as they feared another season of decline.

"Could any one of us have predicted a more awful display? We have a complete duffer on our hands. Thank you Delia & Co. — It's a nightmare come true", "We desperately need a victory (against Watford) on Saturday to restore the faith. It's all downhill at the moment."

Neil Adams

"I'm chuffed for the bloke. He has been under big pressure but is delivering. You could feel the fans and players welding together tonight. It was really special and I hope he can maintain this", "The team has its swagger back", "I never had any doubt that he would be a great success for our club."

"We just beat a team who are on a great run in the league, while our squad has a lot of uncertainty in this transfer window", "It's back — what it's like to enjoy football", "That was a million miles away from the rubbish served up last season", "Now, for Christ's sake, get off Adams's back!"

"I have never been concerned by Adams's tactical awareness. He made a naïve selection at Wolves, but has shown with the two games since that he learns quickly", "Tonight saw the return of confident attacking football, not seen since clueless Chris took over."

Abandoning The Diamond

"Neil Adams realises we don't have the players to play the diamond", "He seems to be able to do what Hughton couldn't. He switched it around, saw where we were being pressured and where we could push the opposition."

Adams ditched the 4-4-2 diamond system after the Wolves defeat. Canaries agreed that the team were too narrow, had players operating out of position (eg Nathan Redmond as a striker) and had flaws in how they were set up with both full-backs and the solitary holding midfielder isolated.

"We look way more balanced than when we played the diamond at Wolves, partly because we are less open, but mainly because we have players that suit the 4-2-3-1 system", "If the Wolves game was a Hughton performance, this had Lambert written all over it. Well done Neil Adams."

Defence

"We must have one of the weakest backlines in the Championship", "We need to bring in some defensive cover before the window closes."

Many Canaries see the defence as the area which needs strengthening, particularly in the air. "Did we actually win a header in the first half on Tuesday?"

"Blackburn's direct attacks fully utilised the height and aerial presence of Rudy Gestede, who was constantly moving towards Russell Martin, trying to exploit his lack of height. Alexander Tettey helped limit the effect of Gestede's aerial threat by mopping up the second ball."

John Ruddy

"Our best bit of business this summer will be holding on to Ruddy. He's easily the best keeper in the league", "He will earn us so many points this season with saves which otherwise would most likely have been goals", "He is outstanding whenever he is called upon."

Canaries have been unstinting in their praise of the 27-year-old former Everton keeper. "He made a good save from Lloyd Dyer at 1-0 (against Watford). Two minutes later we were two up", "His handling is good, his kicking is good and he set up the third goal against Blackburn."

Russell Martin

In sharp contrast to their keeper, Canaries' biggest anxiety has been over the reliability of their captain. "My only worry is the persistence with Russell Martin at centre-back. Captain or not, he's not big enough and was caught out a couple of times for height against Rovers."

The 28-year-old former Peterborough man "lost almost all his headers against Blackburn and many other duels too. He as lost pace and is far from the ‘Norfolk Cafu' we once knew", "He's not good enough in the air", "I don't look forward to Conor Sammon playing against Russell on Saturday."

"As a centre-back, Martin is weak in the air. As a right-back he doesn't make challenges and often fails to get back to a position to defend", "He is significantly slower than he was just two seasons ago. This makes it risky if we play a passing game against a team with pace."

Michael Turner

"If Martin is targeted on a counter-attack we struggle, as Michael Turner is not the quickest either."

Canaries criticise the pace of the otherwise highly regarded 30-year-old ex-Sunderland defender. "We need more pace alongside him, and preferably someone who can head as well."

"If you don't rate Turner, you don't understand football", "He's one of the best defenders in the league", "A huge player for us", "Turner was very solid last night (against Blackburn)", "Offering Turner a two-year deal (agreed this week) is a good decision. We are securing a good spine."

Ryan Bennett

"Ryan Bennett must be given a run at centre-back", "We have only conceded two goals, but they could have been avoided, especially the Wolves goal, if Bennett had played in the centre", "We looked more solid after the half-time reshuffle against Blackburn with Bennett there."

The 24-year-old former Ipswich youth player and Peterborough defender "gave us another attacking threat from set-pieces and was unlucky not to score", "He will learn a great deal from Turner", "He can head, but is not quick over the first ten yards. He's better on longer runs."

Steven Whittaker

"If we want to play a passing, counter-attacking game and go on the offensive, then Whittaker's versatility and superior technique wins hands down over Russell Martin." The 30-year-old former Rangers right-back "is a decent player going forward on form".

Whittaker switched to left-back when Garrido went off with a knock on Tuesday. "He is a handy cover player as he can play on both sides of defence." Some Canaries have their doubts about him. "He is near useless, slows down play, goes for goal far too often and cannot defend."

Javier Garrido

"Garrido was excellent going forward against Blackburn. He plays intelligently and crosses the ball well." The 29-year-old former Manchester City and Lazio left-back replaced the suspended Martin Olsson in the two home victories, but was substituted just before half-time on Tuesday.

"Was Garrido part of the back four, the midfield three or was he operating as a striker? Kyle Lafferty did more work at left-back", "Defensively he is very suspect", "We will be stuck with Garrido at left-back for three games, which thankfully will include the Crawley Capital One Cup game."

Carlos Cuellar

The signing of the 32-year-old Spaniard from Sunderland this week on a one-year deal is seen as a short-term expedient measure. "I'm pretty happy with this. It adds depth to our squad and more experience", "It's a good job. We're starting to get a bit thin in defenders right now."

"Cuellar and Turner wouldn't have a lot of pace", "The pairing would be slow, but they have played together before at Sunderland", "I'm concerned that with money coming in we seem to be in the bargain basement market. There are talented defenders out there but they cost real money."

Central Midfield

"Our complete dominance in midfield was what won us the game against Watford. Having both Johnson and Tettey screening the defence meant that they just couldn't get on the ball at all. With two defensive midfielders playing well we could have played for hours and Watford wouldn't have scored."

"Tettey and Johnson look comfortable at this level, and with a little more time on the ball they are revelling in it. I wouldn't like to lose either of them", "As enforcers against Blackburn they were formidable", "We weren't so easily caught on the break when Hoolihan lost the ball trying to create."

Alexander Tettey

"Tettey steadied the ship after Blackburn's opening goal and really bossed the midfield. He made some really good forward runs with the ball", "He played his socks off and saved us on several occasions early on when Blackburn looked like running riot", "He was all over the field."

The 28-year-old former Rennes man is developing a good understanding with Bradley Johnson. "He takes on the defensive responsibility when we don't have the ball, and allows Johnson to join in our attacking play", "If there was only one central role for our current squad, I'd pick Tettey every single time."

Canaries are divided on his passing ability. "He is an outstanding passer of the ball, be it long or short. He also knows how to play a killer pass", "Tettey's passing has been limited to quick sideways or backwards passes because of the role he is playing."

Bradley Johnson

"Hats off to Johnson. I've been a severe doubter, but some of his passes have been excellent as has been his shooting", "Johnson is probably better than Tettey from a defensive perspective", "He has been an absolute revelation in these past two games, alongside Tettey and Hoolahan in the centre."

The 27-year-old ex-Leeds midfielder "is the ‘Norfolk Pirlo'", "The new system and attacking intent of the team is allowing him to play further up the pitch. It sets him up with colleagues who run into space and want the ball", "He was poor on his own at the base of the diamond and his passing suffered."

"His ability to pull things off and his accuracy have improved. His shooting has been transformed. His two finishes have been exquisite curling and controlled efforts, as against a ‘smash it as hard as possible' approach in the past."

Wes Hoolahan

"Wes looks revitalised", "He looks like a player reborn", "It has been unsurprising to see him involved in most of our goals so far this season." The 32-year-old former Blackpool midfielder has enjoyed the playmakers role in City's new system. "He has been ‘vintage' in these last two games."

"Wes is great at what he does, but he's always lacked goals at a top level", "We need to find a way to incorporate a second striker if he isn't going to get us goals as a playmaker", "He can frustrate the hell out of others. He oozes class, but sometimes a simple pass would do instead of an extra twist or turn."

"He will always take too much on and he takes freekicks too quickly", "Wes needs to avoid the trap of being found too far up the pitch. He was at his best linking the midfield and attack on Tuesday. When he found himself too close to the forwards, play broke down to an extent."

Wide Midfield

"I liked our width on Tuesday. When we had the ball on one flank, the wingers and full-backs on the opposite flank were always pulled across. Switching sides provided an instant attacking option", "Big switches in play were common and we were trying to stretch Blackburn horizontally."

"We have averaged an insanely high number of crosses in the last two games, indicating just how important the wide areas have become." This area of the Canaries' game is unrecognisable from their Wolves defeat, although it needs refining. "The final ball into the box is the one issue yet again."

"When we got the ball on the ground, we were fantastic. Slick, quick passing was the order of the day and we attacked with plenty of width", "At last, Redmond starts a game on the right and Lafferty provides balance on the other flank."

Nathan Redmond

"With Johnson and Tettey protecting the back four, this has allowed Redmond to drift wide", "Teams are scared of him. He's brilliant at breaking with pace and turning defence into attack in an instant", "Opponents double up on him", "He has two defenders on him allowing space for others to use."

There is one consistent criticism of the 20-year-old former Birmingham winger. "He has rightly been criticised about his end product. He has been putting better crosses in, but seems to shoot at stupid times and many of his crosses are wasteful", "His final ball, whether a cross or shot, is always poor."

"Redmond seems to panic when he gets close to goal. He just needs a little extra composure", "He tries to get forward so quickly that there are relatively few Norwich players as far down the field", "There's no denying the lad's talent. He shouldn't let a few people get to him."

Kyle Lafferty

"We have Holt's replacement. His name is Lafferty", "It's early days, but Lafferty looks the business", "He looks to be the element that was missing since Holt left. He's exactly the type of player fans will relate to because of his swashbuckling style", "He could become our new talisman."

The 26-year-old striker joined from Palermo this summer and has been a revelation on the left flank in the Canaries two wins. "He's 6ft 4in, has a great work ethic, tracks back, receives the ball well, can hold up play or arrive in the box", "He made some brilliant tackles and shored up the left."

"I couldn't understand why he played out wide and not Grabban. He's a big lad crossing the ball to nobody when he should have been in the box himself", "He doesn't carry an aerial threat despite his height and missed a couple of easy chances", "I'm not sure that he's a natural finisher."

Elliott Bennett

"Elliott has just returned from a nasty injury. While he hasn't hit the ground running, he showed glimpses of what's to come from him", "He is not as swift as before his injury. He was not a threat at Wolves or in his 20 minutes against Watford", "The more he plays, the sharper he'll get."

The 25-year-old former Brighton winger missed last season with a cruciate ligament injury, and has appeared from the bench in City's last two games. "If he's not the winger of two seasons ago, he ought to be our new right-back. He has played it before and looked solid. His distribution is good."

Josh Murphy

The 19-year-old youth product "has super vision, set up a goal and his final ball was spot on too", "Murphy is a great player to bring on for a tiring Redmond. He held the ball up unselfishly and laid it to Grabban for our third (against Blackburn)", "I can't believe such a cool head on our third goal."

Strikers

"Magic. Six goals at home", "It's good to be trying to win games by attacking", "I feel that our strike force is blending well with the rest of the team. The goals are finding themselves." Canaries have welcomed the attacking intent of their team as much as their goals in the last two games.

Lewis Grabban

"It looks as though Lewis Grabban's signing might turn out to be one of the best happenings of the summer and it's good to see a leading scorer in the statistics", "He's very lively", "He's definitely going to be a Canary favourite", "He looked a real handful (against Blackburn) tonight."

"If we get the ball to Grabban on Saturday, all will be well." The 26-year-old summer signing scored twice on Tuesday. "I can see why Grabban banged them in for Bournemouth", "He has added a dimension to our attack with his finishing."

Cameron Jerome

"Jerome adds pace and power. He's a good team player. He generally has five games a season where he is unplayable. We will also need to get used to match reports which say ‘Jerome missed a sitter'", "He will offer a pacey, athletic approach and he's able to deal with hulking big defenders."

"Do we need another average striker? We seem to attract them like flies." Not everyone is pleased with this week's signing of the 28-year-old from Stoke. "We need another front man, but this is a shocking signing, an awful player on big wages", "He's an okay signing for where we are right now."

Canaries' Tactical Analysis of the Game

"We are better than Ipswich in terms of skill, but we need to be prepared to match them physically", "Nullify their physical threat", "Weather their 20-minute all guns blazing start, and play our passing game, then we will be laughing. They cannot play football."

Canaries' optimism has been fuelled by their improvement in form in the last two games. "Make sure the players wear neck braces, because with McCarthy's delicate brand of hoof-ball, they will need them. Hard hats will be needed too, because several balls will come down with ice on them."

Apart from a wariness of our perceived physicality, they widely believe that have an advantage in pace and technical skill. "We must get to the line", "If and when Ipswich nullify our threat through the middle, we need to be able to switch the ball quickly and spread the play wide."

"They are a big, physical side who will hit us and hurt us. The way we can counter this is to get around the back of them", "We need an early goal to calm things down then hit them with pace on the break", "We need to nullify their long ball threat then hit them with quick passing and pace."

"I rate Mick Mac, but he will be bricking it. He needs to pay attention to Bradley Johnson as a threat from distance, on top of dealing with our strikers and widemen. We'll walk it", "If we carry on the same as at home, Ipswich are in for one tough match."

The need for calm has been stressed. "We need to turn up with the right attitude and don't do anything stupid to get sent off", "It's key for the players to get motivated, but not to go over the top", "It would be nice to score early, but the important thing is to prevent them scoring early."

Expectations of Victory

"I think we have the skill, confidence and momentum to pick up another three points", "This will be seen as two lost points in May if we draw", "They may not quite have got over the last time and so are loathe to sit through another possible drubbing."

Some Canaries may have let their recent uncharacteristic success to go to their heads. "It has the makings of a giant killing should they win. A lowly, impoverished squad full of freebies takes on wealthy neighbours with multi-million pound players", "The biggest game they have played in 15 years."

Others are in no doubt whatsoever about what to expect. "Ipswich will be ready. They have been dreaming about this for a lot longer than we have. Their natural desire to beat us will be fairly high", "They'll come at us. They're up for it. I'd take a draw now if you offered it to me, to be honest."

Websites

There are two main City message boards, The Pink ‘Un offers more in depth analysis and discussion, while the brightly coloured Wrath of the Barclay offers more spontaneous comment. It is set in thread mode and a new page is created daily.

Photo: Action Images

StuartBrett8 added 09:33 - Aug 22 Nice one Harry, good read as usual :)
2

Steve_M added 09:33 - Aug 22 Let's hope they turn up tomorrow with that over the top confidence. Bigging up the teams they've beaten as being on 'good runs' in, err, August. All of their players suddenly excellent after beating 10 men and scoring two very late goals to win another match. Of course Norwich have the better players, there's little evidence to suggest they have any sort of team yet and they still haven't won away in months. Yet Adams is the messiah again. It's going to take some time for our trophy-dodging, participant neighbours to get used to this division again. COYB.

4

JimmyStroxton added 09:41 - Aug 22 "They are a big, physical side who will hit us and hurt us. The way we can counter this is to get around the back of them" Some Budgie has obviously been listening to the John Barnes' rap from New Order's World in Motion...
7

ITFC1983 added 09:44 - Aug 22 Getting excited now...
3

ITFC1983 added 09:44 - Aug 22 Cheers Harry - excellent as always!
0

Luka added 09:45 - Aug 22 Biggest game in 15 years, eh? So not a trip to Wembley, in 2000? They don't do much to help the stereotype, do they?!
4

Manchesterblue added 09:46 - Aug 22 Thanks Harry Great Stuff, although I feel quite sick now from looking at those pictures
1

itfc1981 added 09:54 - Aug 22 They are fickle without the le at the end.
4

Menton added 09:59 - Aug 22 I always enjoy these Harry, but this one has got me looking forward to the match even more. We need a storming performance tomorrow.
0

GunnsAirkick added 10:00 - Aug 22 The arrogance above is breathtaking! Were we like this after we'd come down from the Premiership? I don't think we were. If we win we have to rub it in to the maximum.
2

itfc1981 added 10:01 - Aug 22 Just a reminder to any scumsters looking in, you have won as much as Luton and Swindon. Have a good day because you wont on Saturday.
2

tractordownsouth added 10:02 - Aug 22 Thanks Harry. So excited for tomorrow. Let's put those pompous participants back in their place! COYB!
2

Nthsuffolkblue added 10:53 - Aug 22 The Norfolk Cafu, The Norfolk Pirlo and the next Grant Holt? They have beaten a team on a great run of form! There are some very over-the-top and short-term comments on here. Interesting that they see the local derby as a bigger game than the mickey-mouse cup semi-final from a few years back because that really re-emphasises the nothing they have won (except the last couple of derby games). Let's hope they are brought down to Earth with a big bump by a well-organised mid-table side by our "giant killing"! I am sure it will make top story on all the news if we win!

2

ipswichboi added 10:54 - Aug 22 Hope we do them and bring them back to reality... I am actually disgusted by even the pictures of the scummy c**ts!
2

ipswichboi added 10:55 - Aug 22 Though great info as per Harry!
1

howdonblue added 11:10 - Aug 22 Corky bar stewards just think they have to turn up. But then so did fulham
4

howdonblue added 11:11 - Aug 22 Cocky lol
1

Bluetone added 11:17 - Aug 22 Made me chuckle "Make sure the players wear neck braces, because with McCarthy's delicate brand of hoof-ball, they will need them. Hard hats will be needed too, because several balls will come down with ice on them."
1

bring_back_Wickham added 11:20 - Aug 22 They have a midget defence playing the best aerial team in the league and yet they are cocky. Hmmmm...
4

RegencyBlue added 12:01 - Aug 22 Excellent as ever Harry but you have my deepest sympathy having to read through that load of ****! Is Phil paying for your counselling after that?
1

essexblueboy added 12:33 - Aug 22 See How The Main Sail Sets, Tell McCarthy we Don't Wanna Go Home, Don't Wanna Go Home, Don't Wanna Go Ho-oo-ome This Is The Best Trip, I've Ever Been On,
0

darrengodfrey added 12:51 - Aug 22 gutted i cant go on saturday as at creamfields but will be sitting in a field watching the game on my phone COYB
0

boysinblue added 12:57 - Aug 22 God I hope we smash them tomorrow, would love to wipe those inbred smiles off their smug faces
5

Premierbluez added 14:10 - Aug 22 15 years just misses the 5-0 drubbing we gave them. Still haven't matched that! Great read as always Harry. See you tomorrow.
0

paulthebluealien added 14:57 - Aug 22 Come on Town, let's destroy their sorry, scummy arrogant arses.
0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls