Iwan Roberts on Norwich, Stoke’s promotion hopes and a scare

I don’t understand why not because I don’t see a single club that stands out. This time last year, after nine games at Leicester, it was a case of Leicester and another. But I don’t understand that now. Sunderland are up at the moment but they have had a few minor problems, as have Burnley.

I think Norwich fans can definitely whisper the P-word – you just can’t shout it from the rooftops.

We played nine games and I always said that after ten games you can think about where you are in the league. They are currently seventh, four points behind the top two and are therefore in the race.

I think Johannes Hoff Thorup has done an incredible amount for someone so young, just in his second job, with everything he had to endure – he came to a foreign country, a club he certainly didn’t know much about it before he walked through the door.

He has analyzed the squad of players he has, a few have left, he has brought in some and so far everyone he has brought in, whenever I have seen them play, have done a really good job and they look like real ones Player.

To be fair, he did an incredible job in a short space of time.

Norwich fans must be excited, they must be optimistic, with 15 points in nine games and second top scorer in the Championship. I think these are really promising signs.

I guess they probably didn’t want the international break, but if you want one, now is probably the best time to do it as they were able to give players like Angus Gunn a few weeks to recover from the muscle injury he sustained against Hull had to get fit.

Also Marcelino Nunez – it’s a shame he’s injured but he didn’t miss any games for City because of the break.

Marcelino Nunez celebrates his brilliant goal against Hull (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

I think since he’s been at the club he’s been outstanding and you get the feeling he loves the football club, he loves the place, he loves Norwich – after that brilliant goal against Hull he ran to the fans behind the goal and he kissed the badge and looked like he really loved it.

I think he’s capable of playing a bit further forward, a bit more attacking, or if you ask him to play a more disciplined role. He’s at a good age where he understands the game, better than he probably would have four or five years ago.

Hopefully both he and Angus have had a few weeks of intensive treatment at Colney and are both ready, because you’re talking about two key players in the backbone of your team.

Angus Gunn – crucial to the cause (Image: Daniel Hambury/Focus Images Ltd)

You simply have to have Angus fit if you want to be a serious contender for the automatic or top six. Neither can be ruled out at the moment, the way things have gone.

But you need your number one goalkeeper, you can’t leave him out for a long time.

No disrespect to the other goalkeepers at the club, but I don’t think any of them are anywhere near as capable as Angus.

George Long would be his successor – is he a capable deputy? I think the jury is still out on this one.

My pick for £5 million

Former Canary Ben Gibson (Image: PA)

Stoke are next up for City this weekend, so there will be a reunion with Ben Gibson, who left Carrow Road to join the Potteries in the summer.

In 2015, a national newspaper journalist asked me who I would buy if I had £5 million to spend on a player – and I said Gibson.

I had seen him quite a lot when he was younger at Middlesbrough and he was a big, strong and confident player. As a left-footed central defender, he provides this balance – which is quite rare. A few years later he obviously signed for the club. I think he’s probably an old-fashioned centre-back. I think he is more than happy with everything that lies ahead. Anything staying on the ground, playing between the lines, between him and the left-back and him and his central partner, means he has to turn and he’s struggling and I think he would admit that.

I’m sure he’ll be looking forward to the game, but I do think Norwich could highlight the lack of pace in the opposition’s defense given the speed he has in the forwards. I watched Stoke play in a dour 0-0 draw at Swansea the other day and they aren’t the quickest.

I would definitely prefer Josh Sargent over Gibson.

Something we shouldn’t forget, by the way, is that everything came together for Stoke in their last home game earlier this month when they beat Portsmouth 6-1 – coincidentally their biggest home win since their 5-0 win over Norwich in 2006.

Don’t look now, but…

Stoke are one of the richest clubs in the Championship, they had good success in the Premier League, but they haven’t even come close to that success since.

Their stadium is fantastic when it’s full – but I’ve always loved their previous home, the Victoria Ground – although I probably had my scariest moment in football there.

When I was at Leicester we beat them in the 1996 play-off semi-final – the first leg drew 0-0 at Filbert Street. I was injured but I went to Stoke with the boys and sat in the dugout. It was goalless at half time and then we got a penalty which Garry Parker scored in front of 5,000 Leicester fans and that’s how it ended.

At the final whistle we all sprinted to the left where the Leicester fans were cheering. We were there for a few minutes and then we turned around and there were thousands of Stoke fans about 15 meters away – and all that separated us from them was a line of police and police horses. And you weren’t talking about young Stoke boys, you were talking about grown men and they wanted blood.

That was scary. We got out okay – through the corner and then through some kind of corridor and away.