Behind Enemy Lines

Last updated : 06 December 2005 By Russell Claydon

So, Ipswich got a draw against Wolves and although it’s only a point most would concur that it’s what is known as ‘a good point’ inside the football sphere. However, the down-in-the-doldrums syndrome continues to plague Ipswich fans as we approach Christmas. So how is the festive good spirit going to raise a smile at Portman Road this year? Well, maybe we need just look up the road…

Have you ever felt like your somewhere you REALLY shouldn’t be? You’re walking nervously, full of tension, constantly peering over your shoulder to see who’s noticed you or how people are reacting, although nobody knows. It doesn’t feel right and you can only keep thinking with a guilty conscience to where you SHOULD be.

On Saturday, I should have been at Portman Road, but instead I found myself at Pride Park…..the trouble was it was the one day in the season that Norwich City also found themselves at Pride Park, I really was behind enemy lines and felt very uncomfortable…

Before you start asking questions of my allegiances, it was purely in the name of journalism, due to some radio work I was doing. I was nervous that I might actually have to say something good about ‘them’ but thankfully I ended up totally enjoying my day, in stark contrast to our friend Delia (chuckle, chuckle).

My recipe for disaster began to turn sweet as soon as the team sheets arrived; no Huckerby for the Canaries, I had to report, what a shame! 16th in the table and only 1 point collected from their last 6 away, very disappointing.

In the first minute Tudgay tested Green from the right-hand side of the area and this was to set the tone for the match.

Idiakez turned in a magnificent performance and underlined why premiership clubs are after courting him through the January transfer window. Prior to the game Norwich’s leading man, Dean Ashton, had been linked with a move to Villa but I had more than a hint of a smile suppressed inside me when I reported at half time that the former Crewe man had been obsolete during the first period.

At half time a Derby fan in sitting just in front of the Press area informed me was surprised that I wasn’t working for Norwich and informed me that I had been put in the away end of the press section. His surprise turned to total shock when I told him I actually edited an Ipswich website! It wasn’t a footballing irony to rival what was unravelling on the south coast that day but he certainly found it entertaining, telling all his fellow Rams around him.

On loan Middlesbrough defender Andrew Davies scored either side of half-time for Derby, (the guy in front of me turned round on each occasion with a thumbs up for me!) Idiakez the provider on both occasions (If only Burley had brought players of his calibre instead of the likes of Finidi!). Norwich didn’t look in the game right from that first minute and were the epitome of un-cohesive football, Doherty and Davenport, amongst others, gave lessons on how to make the ball look like a hot-potato and young Henderson fluffed a one-on-one with minutes left on the clock.

But the crowning moment for me was the warmth with which the Narwich fans stayed with their team. The Derby fans chanted: “Premiership, it messed you up.” To which they replied: “We want Worthy out.” And their only applause at the end was directed to their former full-back Ed ‘worthy’; one player they clearly hadn’t wanted ‘out’.

In the after match press-conference, Worthington looked so frail and ill none of the press dared probe too further into the failings of the odds-on favourites for the division at the start of the campaign. However, Worthy himself needed little prompting to start laying into his own players saying that their heads were still in the Premiership and how on the pitch they were only watching out for their own backs. This kind of talk announces a club with deep problems.

After the apprehension I had felt before the game all I felt after was smug delight. We’d managed to get a point out of the Wolves fixture that I hadn’t thought we’d get but more importantly, after all the doom and gloom at Portman Road, things had now gained a little more perspective.

I had witnessed first-hand what a mess our rivals are currently in, perhaps even so much as to put some festive cheer into any Ipswich fan this Christmas. Norwich were meant to be the sensible ones a year ago; go up to the Premiership, don’t spend much, do a ‘West Brom’ and go back up, this time ready for the challenge after previous experience. Or is it now do a ‘Norwich’; go up to the Premiership, mess your players up and come back down, with your parachute money and just keep on falling and falling and falling…….

The south –coast drama is currently better than Eastenders and Corrie put together but it’s ‘the Delia-drama’ that’s putting a smile on my face this Christmas period. In a time when things at home aren’t going brilliantly, it always worth reminding yourselves of those less fortunate that yourselves I’ve always been told…. If only to cheer yourself up on this occasion!