Lambert keeping feet on the Ground

Despite Wednesday’s crushing defeat at Sunderland, the Canaries look to ensure Premier League survival sooner rather than later and they can rely on their potent strike force.

Norwich’s unbeaten start to 2012 came to an end at the Stadium of Light as they were blown away by Martin O’Neill’s resurgent team.

Jonny Howson 

The transfer window was a quiet one for the Canaries and the only major singing was that of Leeds United captain Jonny Howson looks a player ready to make the next step up and will learn under the tutorship of Lambert.

Despite the midweek blow fans can be confident that they will be watching Premier League football come next season. The main concern has to be at the back with only one clean sheet against Chelsea a couple of weeks ago, they have to ensure that they score more than the opposition to pick up the points. Unlike Swansea who defensively are very sound.

In Steve Morison and Grant Holt share a rare quality the fact that they can score in the top flight having done so down the leagues. Between them they have found the net on fifteen occasions and have been aided by Canadian international Simeon Jackson who has chipped in with four strikes including the winner at West Brom in the Cup last weekend.

Former Everton youngster James Vaughan has been unlucky with injuries this season and will be a useful player for Lambert to call upon as the season progresses.

At the back the centre half pairings of former Liverpool youth products Zak Whitbread and Daniel Ayala are improving and will only learn from their experiences this season. Encouragingly in between the sticks the future looks bright with three English keepers all impressing, most recently nineteen year Jed Steer who on debut produced a man of the match performance at the Hawthorns last week. 

Daniel Ayala

Lambert has the right mix of players with a British backbone the vast majority have come though the leagues together and slowly bit by bit he will add that bit of extra class or experience where required. This transfer window just gone was very much a case of if it isn’t broken don’t fix it.

A Champions League winner with Borussia Dortmund, Lambert as a player tasted success right at the top of the game. Now as a manager he is revelling in his first season in the top flight and is refreshing to see a team blended with youth and experience prosper proving that by sticking to your beliefs and through endeavour you can achieve.