Southampton vs Norwich Preview | Norwich City Opposition Perspective

Very well, welcome back to the channel.

We are looking ahead to our midweek fixture against Norwich City in the EFOW Championship

this Wednesday night.

I have a special guest joining me as well because Ducca is here from the bleed Norwich fan

channel for Norwich City.

First and foremost, Ducca, great to have you on the channel.

Shout your channel out.

Where can we find you?

And what do you guys do at bleed Norwich?

Yeah, so bleed Norwich where we were and just an Instagram page to sort of midway

free last season.

Now we've branched out onto YouTube, Spotify, TikTok, we're on Facebook, we're on

X, we're on a substrak as well, so if you want to read some articles based on Norwich

as well.

Yes, we're on all the major platforms.

At bleed Norwich is the handle for the majority of them, so you should be able to find

us through that.

You're doing some great work.

So congratulations on taking the step into YouTube as well.

It's a great thing to do.

It's so rewarding and people love fans, opinions and fans that know what they're talking

about as well.

You're one of those fans that loves his club, follows them up and down the country.

You're in some unbelievable form, Ducca, at the moment.

I was looking at the 10 game form guide for the EFL Championship and Norwich City lead

that at the moment in some incredible form, 24 points from 10 games.

It's been quite the turnaround, hasn't it?

It's been nothing short of remarkable.

What Philip Clemmon has done at Norwich.

I mean, if you go back four months ago when he first joined the club, where he's sat

on 9 points, 23rd and the league, league one, beckoning for Norwich City, and now there's

a question going around the fan base is, we couldn't, could we?

Playoff first is on the cards, I mean, as much as I don't want to minute, I want to

stay grounded.

I mean, 9 points off, still, I believe, just under 10 games to play, Norwich City on the

form of their lives.

I mean, there's absolutely no reason why we couldn't.

So yeah, it's been remarkable being a Norwich fan at the time.

It's been so fun as well, watching us.

Yeah, we're scoring goals of fun, defensively, resolute.

The only issue that we've got is the injury list.

Yeah, talk to me about the injury list.

What's the squad situation going into this midweek fixture against the Saints?

You told me in the green room before we came on air, there's a few issues in the camp

and it's not just one or two, is it?

No, I think it's about, it's around 14 if I'm not mistaken.

We could fill the whole 11 and have some impact subs of just our injury list.

So it is slightly worrying, you know, we've got top score, a job on McCarmor out injured,

new January signing, Mohamed Torrey is also out injured, you know, he came, he flew out

of the blocks after signing, he scored a hat trick at away at Oxford, scoring his

debut against Blackburn, scored the FA Cup against West Brom, you know, he came out

flying and he's now injured, leaving Matysk Viscourin as our only fit striker, we've had

an issue with wingers, Eurosec, Diallo, all out injured, leaving Aliyah, Meda sort of the

only main out and out winger in the club, seeing Liam Gibbs sent a midfielder playing at

right wing, it's, it's worrying and then, you know, on Saturday, we saw Ben Krasene, our

only fit left back go off injured as well.

So that's slightly worrying, considering we've got four left backs on the book as well.

It's, yeah, it's a bit of a sorry state of affairs with injuries, but, you know,

what Philip Clement has done considering, he's had all these injuries is again, just makes it

even more remarkable. Yeah, you, you had a bit of an injury crisis, if I remember rightly,

when we came to Carro Roe, we owe you one for that one here as well. What do you remember

from that game at Carro Roe in early December? All I can remember is a, a handball late on,

which ended up with a ball in the back of our net. Yeah, I mean, that, that goal probably

should have been disallowed, I do agree, but I think with championship football and decisions

going your way and not going your way, you kind of ride your luck at times, you know, sometimes

I'll go against you and sometimes you'll go for you. It's just, it's just how the championship

is played and, you know, there's no better league in the world for it, but, you know, that game was,

was a real sort of statement by Norick City, you know, Southampton came into that game,

the inform side and the league, Tom the Eckert, you know, when it came into Southampton,

it was off to a flying start and Philip Clemmon had steadily sort of gotten Norich, you know,

competing in games again. And, you know, we saw Joff and McCarmer prove his worth upfront,

you know, he was, it was a real, real handful scoring to grind one of them should have been

disallowed, but, you know, I felt Norich were, were full credit for those three points. Yeah,

it was a good game, weren't it? It was a disappointing from a Saints perspective. Saints are very

different from when we played, played you back at the start of December, a lot of, a lot of changes,

not just in system, but also in, in personnel as well. What's been the biggest changes since we

last played you, Dukka, in terms of how Norich are setting up personnel. Philip Clemmon's had a

fair bit more time in the football club now. He's done a remarkable job since he coming in as

well, isn't he? I mean, absolutely, everything has changed from the start of season for Monis,

but I think the main telling point of he fitness levels, obviously, when that start of season,

Norich was so unfit and Clemmon, when he joined, was one of the first things he sort of addressed,

was the fitness levels of the squad. Yeah, the first video that I got that out was the squad

doing bleep tests on the Philip Clemmon. So, I think that's sort of the biggest change,

change, and Norich are fully competitive and fully in control for 90 minutes rather than

45. And just the organisation, just how organised Norich City are, you know, defensively with

Resolute and organised, we don't concede a whole lot of chances. And just in terms of the press as

well, it's a very organised press. Teams rarely beat the press that Norich City have, because it's

so organised and we block off passing lanes for opposition that they end up going long or it's a

mispace pass and Norich City, that's so effective we're doing that.

Yeah, it's been there being quite a turnaround really, and you look at the form,

since we played you in that game at Carro Road, I think you've only lost four times in the league.

Am I right in saying that? I'm just going to have to double check. Yeah, you're right,

yes, but honestly, it's only been four times, I believe. Yeah, four, we lost Watford and Stoke,

and then at Middlesbrough and then against Birmingham in the league. And other than that,

it's been nothing, a couple of draws and then the rest, it's all wins. And it's not only just

wins, it's winning comfortably as well. That Norich City have really come acclimatised to. We are

seeing off teams, not too long ago, we put five pass West Brom at the Hall Fonds as well. Granted,

that was under Eric Ramsey, but to put five pass to any team in the championship, take some going.

Yeah, no, we had the beauty doing that against QPR and it's a great feeling, isn't it?

When you go and beat somebody five years, I was like, oh, here we go. Here we go. It's nothing

quite quite like it. I looked at your recent fixtures. You spoke about the West Bromwich Albion

victory of five-neil win there. You've also in that time, you've beaten Coventry City as well.

I see on that run, that was after the West Brom game, a win against Blackburn, Oxford,

Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Leicester, and at the weekend, you beat Preston to

Neil. Was the other than the West Brom game, was the standout win at Coventry against Coventry City?

Yeah, I think it kind of has to be. I think for me, one of the, yeah, I can't really look past

it. I think that Coventry game kind of summed it up. Norich City going at half time, one

down. Despite all the efforts, the efforts were there in the first half. Norich City created

chances, looked promising, but that second half display was phenomenal. It just epitomised everything

that Philip Plymon had done to Norich and changing around in terms of looking competitive in the

second half, looking in control, being organised in our press defensively, Bresolu. That's how the

goals came around. I think the second goal scored by Ali Ahmed, if I'm not mistaken, came from

Norich City's organised press force in the state from a Coventry defender. Norich went on the

score, but I'd also say the Oxford game, especially away from home, it was a, that's when the injury

struggles really started to hit us. Jovem McCarmer was injured the game before and it meant that

Motore who had never played an English football in his life, and he came into sliding scored his

first ever senior hatchery, scored after one minute, and Norich City dominated. It just seemed

no matter the amount of injuries that we get, we can still look competitive and in control of games.

How do you feel about facing the Southampton side this Wednesday night? The same side that have

been in some very, very good form. I'm beaten now in these 12 games in all competitions,

found some very good league form since early January. What's been your thoughts on Southampton?

And also facing them this Wednesday night at our place?

Yeah, and I think Southampton has been fantastic. You've blown past teams, you've picked up vital

points where maybe you haven't played well and that's a sign of a good team. If you pick up points

when you're not playing well, that's only a positive, and when you have been playing well,

you've blown away teams and also beaten Coventry at the weekend, at the CBS, is a massive

free point and cannot be underestimated. And I think this will be Norich's biggest test.

And obviously there is, obviously that question in the back of every Norich fan's mind,

could we push for the playoffs? Well, if we can, the only way that that will be telling is

if we beat Southampton. And I don't see a world where we do. Personally, I think this might just be

a little bit too much for Norich since the test too far with all the injuries we've got

and everything adding up. But what I've learned as a Norich City fan has never underestimated

Clemon, I've done it time and time again, and he's come up with a win. So, I mean,

yeah, it's going to have happened to be in over the last, sort of, 10 games or so, or 12 games,

no competitions where you have been unbeaten. I still wouldn't put it past Norich to maybe win.

I mean, obviously I'd say I don't see it happening, but it never underestimate Norich.

Yeah, you never know. Who should we look out for? You spoke about love injuries going into

this game. Who should we look out for as Saints fans in this fixture, Dukka?

It'd be either of the two tens that we play. And I think the one that's really sort of stood out

for me as Paris Magoma. We signed him on a free, I think, is £800,000 worth of add-ons. And he

is the most delightful footballer I've seen at Norich since Emiliano Buen Deer. He's just a joy

to watch. The ball sticks to his feet. His agility, his turn of pace, his movement, his ball striking

ability, just everything about him, just oozes class, and he's a fantastic footballer. He's still

sort of getting up to scratch in terms of fitness, but I think he'll start, because I have a number 10

and I spent to Mani, who's been on fine form himself. I believe he's got 10 gold contributions now.

I'm not mistaken. Maybe he's just under, but he's been phenomenal as well.

So, yeah, even one of our number 10s are definitely to watch out for. And Kenny McLean as well in

the midfield. He's aged like fine wine. He's got a sumptuous free kick at the weekend against Preston,

and it just seems to dominate games. And yeah, 34 years of age, he's fantastic.

Yeah, intrigued. I think it would be a really good game. Usually, good games down here against Norich.

We've had some good clashes over the years. That is for sure. So, looking forward to Norich coming

to Southampton on Wednesday night. I want to get your score predictions, my friends. What are you,

what are you going to go with? I mean, I'm going to say a bit more reserved. I haven't

got to go for either. One nil, Southampton or a two on Southampton. Like I said, I think this might

just be a little bit too much of a test for Norich in terms of injuries and stuff. I think it might

just get the better of us. But let's say, never underestimate Philippe Clemann by. I'm just going

to stay a bit more reserved and go over to one Southampton win. Go for the two on Southampton win.

Give us all your score predictions in the comments box below. Do you think Southampton can win

this one? If you're a Norich fan, tune it in. Give us your opinions as well. Okay, it's been an

absolute pleasure having you on the channel once again. I want to wish you all the best for the

remainder of the season, other than an Espan that the weekend against Southampton. But good luck for

the remainder of the season, not many weeks left now. And we will catch up again, no doubt,

very soon.