Norwich City 1-0 Ipswich Town: Terry Hunt on the Blues

We’ve done it before. Our rare defeats this season have been followed by impressive winning runs. Five victories and we go up. Easy if you say it quickly enough!

Of course, it was gut-wrenching to lose in such a timid way to the old enemy. It was arguably our flattest performance of the season in the game our fans want to win the most.

We never created any momentum, and only really came to life in the closing stages. For once, a late miracle was beyond us. Angus Gunn in the Norwich goal will rarely have a more comfortable afternoon.

Unusually, Kieran McKenna's Blues fell flat on a big day (Image: Pagepix)
We were found wanting all over the pitch. Vaclav Hladky will be very disappointed with the goal, our defence was shaky, Sam Morsy and Massimo Luongo were overrun, and we were pretty much non-existent as an attacking force.

The goal was a horror story. What were we doing? The supposed “wall” we created looked like one of my blundering DIY efforts!

Why did it happen? Why were we so lacklustre?  Lots of possible factors. For once, did Kieran McKenna’s calm, cool and collected approach work against us?

Was it an occasion for a blood and thunder rallying cry, with lots of shouting and dressing room walls being punched? Maybe.

Ironically, I think Kieffer Moore being passed fit ultimately proved to be a negative.  His towering presence played into the hands of the two lumbering Norwich centre-halves. The greater mobility provided by Ali Al-Hamidi when he came on gave the home defence more to worry about.

Moore’s largely passive presence was summed up when he watched the ball trickle out for a corner when he could have capitalised on a very dangerous attacking situation. Really weird.

Norwich City players celebrate another derby day win (Image: Warren Page)
Is it time for a shake-up? Some of our players are looking absolutely shattered. Against Watford on Wednesday, I would certainly start with Jack Taylor to introduce more dynamism into the midfield.

Since I eulogised about him a few weeks ago, Omari Hutchinson has been disappointing. He seems to have reverted back to his former indecisive self, and therefore is much less effective. Time for the bench?

I would certainly start with Harry Clarke. No doubt Axel Tuanzebe is the better defender, but Clarke is much more attack-minded as well as being a big, positive presence on the pitch.

The really infuriating aspect of Saturday was that the Norwich players looked like they wanted it more, as the old footballing cliche goes. That, for me, is mystifying. Where was our passion?

So, our friends in yellow and green can enjoy the bragging rights again. It’s now 15 years since we beat them, and it’s getting very tiresome.

I do wonder what Jim Magilton thinks when the East Anglian derby comes along. Remember, he was the last Ipswich manager to beat Norwich - and he was sacked the very next day!

Some people will tell you it’s written in the stars that we’ll meet them again this season, in the play-offs. Well, as I mentioned earlier, it’s in our hands to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Town fans had little to cheer about on derby day (Image: Warren Page)
Thanks to Coventry beating Leeds, our fate remains in our own hands. Six points between now and next Saturday before a break will strengthen that position. Second place with three games to go sounds good, doesn’t it?

There will undoubtedly be twists, turns, and maybe a few shocks along the way. Leicester and Leeds fans will be feeling the same as us - very nervous!

But it’s time for context. We are the envy of so many football fans the length and breadth of the country. It’s not so long ago that we were a bit of a laughing stock.

That’s how far we’ve come. Saturday was poor, but there is still so much to play for.