David Wagner hails Norwich response to Plymouth pummelling

By Sports Desk September 30, 2023

Norwich head coach David Wagner was pleased to put a painful defeat behind him as his side recorded a comfortable 2-0 win over Birmingham at Carrow Road.

The Canaries went into the Championship clash on the back of a 6-2 drubbing at Plymouth last weekend, having also lost to Fulham with a much-changed team in the Carabao Cup in midweek.

Wagner was impressed with his side’s response to the setback with second-half goals from Gabriel Sara and Jonathan Rowe securing the points.

He said: “It is not a match I like talking about and it was good that we put it to bed.

“The Plymouth defeat showed what can happen when you lose your structure in a game – but I couldn’t be happier with the way we played today.

“We looked in control, we defended well and we created our moments. We scored two excellent goals and after that our game management was really good.

“There is no doubt we got what we deserved – there was a lot of focus out there, a lot of effort and most importantly of all we got the win.

“I think the players learned their lessons from the previous league game – there have been two good performances since then, at Fulham in the cup as well as today, and now it is time to look forward, with a busy spell of games coming up.”

The match was settled by two goals inside five minutes early in the second half.

Sara set the ball rolling for Norwich by heading home a Dimitris Giannoulis cross after 55 minutes and it was 2-0 just before the hour mark when Rowe burst through the middle and fired past the exposed John Ruddy.

Birmingham had their moments, with Jay Stansfield being denied by Angus Gunn just before the opening goal and Koji Miyoshi hitting the crossbar.

But they were second best on the day and have now gone five league games without a win after starting the campaign in impressive fashion.

“It’s frustrating because there have been some excellent performances in that spell,” said manager John Eustace.

“We didn’t deserve to lose at Watford and Preston and should have beaten QPR in our last home game.

“Today we were up against a top team, with top players, who will probably finish in the top two or three this season and that needs to be taken into account.

“We were perhaps a little too passive in the first half but we defended well and then created some good chances and could have gone ahead just before they scored.

“I was very disappointed with the way we defended for their two goals -it was so sloppy and not like us – and it was always tough after that.

“But overall it has been a solid start to the season, with just three defeats in nine games, and we now have two home games coming up which we are looking forward to.”

Related items

  • Under-fire Stefano Pioli respects Milan fan protests Under-fire Stefano Pioli respects Milan fan protests

    Stefano Pioli said he respects the opinions of Milan's supporters after thousands of fans carried out a silent protest during Sunday's 3-3 Serie A draw against Genoa at San Siro.

    With Milan enduring a second straight trophyless season, trailing champions Inter by 18 points, Pioli has come under pressure amid suggestions the Rossoneri have held talks with former Spain and Real Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui.

    Irritated fans unfurled banners demanding improvements to the team during Sunday's match, while the club's ultras stayed silent in protest throughout the game.

    Fans then left behind a banner which read "the sound of silence" as they filed out en masse from the Curva Sud shortly after Olivier Giroud had put Milan 3-2 ahead in the 75th minute.

    By the time Genoa pulled level late in the match, thanks to an own goal by Malick Thiaw, the stand was completely empty.

    "The fans have chosen this type of protest and we just need to respect them," Pioli, whose side have already secured their spot in next season's Champions League, said.

    "Our fans have been an added value in recent years. They will have their reasons if they chose this protest."

    Sunday's draw also means Milan are winless in their last four league matches.

    "The start was poor. We didn't have the proper concentration and unity in the opening 20 minutes and conceded an early opener," Pioli said.

    "Then, we created many opportunities but also made many errors. It's a shame we didn't win because it would have been important for the table."

  • Alonso says Leverkusen can still improve as unbeaten run reaches 48 games Alonso says Leverkusen can still improve as unbeaten run reaches 48 games

    Xabi Alonso believes his Bayer Leverkusen side can still improve after they extended their unbeaten run to 48 matches across all competitions on Sunday, equalling Benfica's European record.

    Champions Leverkusen thrashed Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 in the Bundesliga to match Benfica's 48-game unbeaten run between 1963 and 1965 – a record across all competitions in Europe.

    Alonso, however, still feels there is more to come.

    "Our level, our consistency throughout the season is great. But we are always moving forward. We are always concentrating on the work and improving," he said.

    Leverkusen, who are edging closer to an unbeaten season across all competitions, have two league matches remaining and are also set to face Kaiserslautern in the DFB-Pokal final on May 25.

    They also hold a 2-0 lead over Roma at the halfway stage of their Europa League semi-final tie, with Thursday's second leg offering them the chance to surpass Benfica's record on home soil.

    "It's a big challenge, we have two [Bundesliga] games left, it will be the perfect run. We will certainly try," Alonso said.

    "We still have games to play to achieve our big goals in all competitions. The next game is important for us, the second leg of the Europa League semi-final: a chance to reach the final.

    "In football it's sometimes difficult to stop. You have to prepare for the next game. The next game is a big game for us. Hopefully we have the chance to be in a European final again."

    Leverkusen will play Bochum and Augsburg in their final two Bundesliga games. 

    Should they progress to the Europa League final, they will then face either Atalanta or Marseille in Dublin on May 22, three days before the DFB-Pokal showpiece game.

  • Ronaldo delivers another hat-trick as Al Nassr ease past Al Wedha Ronaldo delivers another hat-trick as Al Nassr ease past Al Wedha

    Cristiano Ronaldo crafted a decisive hat-trick as Al Nassr hammered Al Wedha 6-0 in Saturday's Saudi Pro League meeting.

    Portugal veteran Ronaldo found the net twice in the first 12 minutes at Al Awal Park before completing his treble after the interval.

    Sadio Mane teed up Ronaldo's third finish, as well as an 18th-minute strike from Otavio, who returned the favour for the Senegal international to score on the stroke of half-time.

    Mohammed Al Fatil added a late sixth as Al Nassr recorded their seventh straight league win since their March 7 loss against Al Raed, moving them back within nine points of leaders Al Hilal.

    Jorge Jesus's Al Hilal swept Al Tauwoon aside in a 3-0 away triumph on Friday for their fourth straight victory across all competitions.

    Talisman Aleksandar Mitrovic opened the scoring at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium before Saud Abdulhamid and Saleh Alsherhi wrapped up a win that kept Al Hilal in charge of the title race.

    There was no such fortune for fifth-placed Al Ittihad as they fell to a third straight defeat in all competitions after a 3-1 loss away against Abha.

    Jota levelled after Grzegorz Krychowiak's 57th-minute penalty, only for Hassan Al-Ali and Fabian Noguera to power hosts Abha to a comfortable win.

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.