[OldburyWBA]

Norwich City v Albion

Saturday 29th March 2025 15.00pm

Please use this board for all your Pre Match Chat. Opposition fans are reminded to abide by the site rules

[Aussie Baggie]

I know we're on an International break, but no chat?

What is everyone thinking about this game?

Norwich mid table but can still make play offs?

Away games are always difficult and a point is normally OK but do we settle for a point with the play off places so tight?

[Hull Baggie]

I know we're on an International break, but no chat?

What is everyone thinking about this game?

Norwich mid table but can still make play offs?

Away games are always difficult and a point is normally OK but do we settle for a point with the play off places so tight?

If we are serious about the play offs then we can't settle for a point. We have really difficult away fixtures at Coventry and Bristol City to come so failure to win at Carrow Road would IMO be a serious set back in our promotion challenge, especially as Coventry are away at Sheff Utd on Friday and Bristol are at Burnley in an early kick off on Saturday.

Sadly I think the draw will be the most likely outcome.
 Norwich have only lost 4 at home all season and we have only won 4 away.
With us creating very little in terms of real chances and Mowbray seemingly not sure of his best 11, I think another drawing away day is on the cards.

[liverbaggie]

I said in another post that all of our remaining games are must win matches.
Its so tight to get into the top 6 that we cant just rely on other teams dropping points, our run in is difficult, im hoping we can do it and im always positive but we may fall short if Tony gets it wrong
I feel that we are like the boxer whos ahead on points but gets knocked spark out in the 12th round, know what i mean?

[tegga]

With Coventry and Bristol having difficult away games, a draw for us would be good if they both loose.

[Norfolk Baggie]

As I reside in this part of the world now, some thoughts from me.

This is a key match for us to win if we are to make the playoffs.  Norwich are in variable form at the moment and fans are dissatisfied.  They do have good attacking options but also give away goals cheaply.  If are well set up we should win.  Next three games are pivotal for our season.

Parking- I would go for the Big Council Office parking NR12DW.  A fifteen minute walk to the ground and plenty of it.  Other parking on King St.  Do not chance it and park on the big Morrissons car park by the ground.  They do ticket.

Pubs- City pubs seem to vary on admission policies according to the match, so be careful with colours.  I would head for the Wetherspoon's (Queen of Iceni), ten mins from the ground with all the usual weatherspoons options.  Alternatively for a good real ale pub try the Murderers/Gardeners Arms in the centre.  Pig and Whistle is also ok but is largely a home pub.  The Compleat Angler was strictly not taking away supporters last I checked, but this was as a result of some incidents with Leeds fans a couple of years back. Lots of great pubs for anyone making a weekend of it.  PM me.  Similarly good seaside places to visit.

Be warm this weekend.  Looking forward to an away game that takes me half an hour to get to as opposed to the near three hours to the hawthorns every two weeks.  Still no one said you had to be rational about football....

[Hull Baggie]

With Coventry and Bristol having difficult away games, a draw for us would be good if they both loose.

I think we need more than a draw even if both Bristol and Coventry lose as we have to play them both away.
A draw would only put us 1 point above Bristol City and 1 point below Coventry.

[Atomic]

Do we really care? The club could do with the money admittedly but it won't kill us if we don't have it. Who wants to go up and win three or four games next season?

I hope we make the play offs then fall short.

A season in the  PL would be extremely miserable. What fan wants that?

[TheBaggieMan]

My opinion on promotion to the Premier League is that we are not, as yet, ready and settled into any regular winning system.
I for one would hate to see us probably get thrashed most weeks and, as Atomic says, ending up with an embarrassingly lower number of points than Derby historically or Southampton this season.

[KN22]

I think we need more than a draw even if both Bristol and Coventry lose as we have to play them both away.
A draw would only put us 1 point above Bristol City and 1 point below Coventry.

I think a draw would be a decent result to be honest. We are not brilliant and on their day Norwich are a capable side.

[Albionic]

I think a draw would be a decent result to be honest. We are not brilliant and on their day Norwich are a capable side.

We need to keep Josh Sargent quiet and we then have a chance of 3 points.

For a beer get to the Fat Cat (the one on west end street) which is a distance from the ground but well worth it !!

[NJS]

Also Borja Sainz  who is very tricky, sails past defenders and scores
This is not going to be easy

[Hull Baggie]

I think a draw would be a decent result to be honest. We are not brilliant and on their day Norwich are a capable side.

Not from a points perspective it wouldn't. If we can't beat Norwich away what chance would we have of beating two of the form sides in Coventry and Bristol City on their own patches?

As I said in my previous post 1 point wouldn't give us much advantage over Bristol and we'd still be behind Coventry (that's assuming neither side picks up anything from their games).

I totally agree that we aren't great away from home and I'm expecting a draw or a defeat but anything other than 3 points will leave us in a difficult position with those tricky away games to come.

[mulliganstired]

wouldn't mind a repeat of the 3-4 game a few years ago

[zippyandbungle]

Not from a points perspective it wouldn't. If we can't beat Norwich away what chance would we have of beating two of the form sides in Coventry and Bristol City on their own patches?

As I said in my previous post 1 point wouldn't give us much advantage over Bristol and we'd still be behind Coventry (that's assuming neither side picks up anything from their games).

I totally agree that we aren't great away from home and I'm expecting a draw or a defeat but anything other than 3 points will leave us in a difficult position with those tricky away games to come.

Well Plymouth beat us and Liverpool but it hasn’t done them much good.
We could lose Saturday but beat Bristol and cov…that’s football.

[Hull Baggie]

Well Plymouth beat us and Liverpool but it hasn’t done them much good.
We could lose Saturday but beat Bristol and cov…that’s football.

Very true and stranger things have happened but I can't see it myself ...unless we start creating good chances and more importantly start taking  them.

[zippyandbungle]

Very true and stranger things have happened but I can't see it myself ...unless we start creating good chances and more importantly start taking  them.

And that may all fall in to place in East Anglia .

[WBAinDEVON]

expect us to win this if we have any ambition at all, the next 5 games will determine our fate

[mulliganstired]

Brizzle often flatter to deceive and they have a tough run in.  Obviously we must go for wins every game now, but a draw wouldn't be a disaster.

[Hull Baggie]

Brizzle often flatter to deceive and they have a tough run in.  Obviously we must go for wins every game now, but a draw wouldn't be a disaster.

Our run in is just as tough, if not tougher and we are also very hit and miss.
 We are either playing sides with a chance of making the play offs or fighting to avoid relegation.
Sunderland might be the only team we play that may be on the beach as they are nailed on for a play off spot.

[ttree30]

We seem to be drawing as many games under the current manager as we were under the last manager.

Bookies rate Norwich fairly firm favourites to win, but I can’t see much in it either way.

I tend to agree that we need to start winning a few, including this one, if we’re going to stay in the top 6.

But gaining promotion in any sporting sense seems pointless - we’d surely be utterly annihilated in the Premier League. Even the “go up to come down with cash to strengthen” seems to be a busted model - the ladder really does feel as if it’s been pulled up.

I suppose parachute money would help keep us competitive at the top end of the Championship, but it’s hard to see it doing more than that.

It all feels a bit gloomy, but I think we have to enjoy what we have.

[HampshireBaggie]

I make this a must win and if we can’t, we don’t deserve playoffs.

[costa blanca baggie]

We seem to be drawing as many games under the current manager as we were under the last manager.

Bookies rate Norwich fairly firm favourites to win, but I can’t see much in it either way.

I tend to agree that we need to start winning a few, including this one, if we’re going to stay in the top 6.

But gaining promotion in any sporting sense seems pointless - we’d surely be utterly annihilated in the Premier League. Even the “go up to come down with cash to strengthen” seems to be a busted model - the ladder really does feel as if it’s been pulled up.

I suppose parachute money would help keep us competitive at the top end of the Championship, but it’s hard to see it doing more than that.

It all feels a bit gloomy, but I think we have to enjoy what we have.

This seems to be a common theme now. Why bother succeeding, only to surely fail in the future.

[frazzle]

We seem to be drawing as many games under the current manager as we were under the last manager.

Bookies rate Norwich fairly firm favourites to win, but I can’t see much in it either way.

I tend to agree that we need to start winning a few, including this one, if we’re going to stay in the top 6.

But gaining promotion in any sporting sense seems pointless - we’d surely be utterly annihilated in the Premier League. Even the “go up to come down with cash to strengthen” seems to be a busted model - the ladder really does feel as if it’s been pulled up.

I suppose parachute money would help keep us competitive at the top end of the Championship, but it’s hard to see it doing more than that.

It all feels a bit gloomy, but I think we have to enjoy what we have.

Feel the same. I really look forward to watching the games but I'm oddly ambivalent about promotion - I really couldnt care. I want the club to grow under Bilkul. I look forward to the games, but in terms of promotion I'm really not fussed. Bizarre.

[KN22]

We seem to be drawing as many games under the current manager as we were under the last manager.

Bookies rate Norwich fairly firm favourites to win, but I can’t see much in it either way.

I tend to agree that we need to start winning a few, including this one, if we’re going to stay in the top 6.

But gaining promotion in any sporting sense seems pointless - we’d surely be utterly annihilated in the Premier League. Even the “go up to come down with cash to strengthen” seems to be a busted model - the ladder really does feel as if it’s been pulled up.

I suppose parachute money would help keep us competitive at the top end of the Championship, but it’s hard to see it doing more than that.

It all feels a bit gloomy, but I think we have to enjoy what we have.

Have to reluctantly agree with every word. I look at the Ipswich squad and see real quality yet they are nailed on for relegation. Leicester and Southampton ditto. What is the point? Depressing really.