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Rob Butler, Chris Reeve and Joe Dean discuss the Canaries' FA Cup defeat at Liverpool - could City have done more to get a positive result?
Plus, striker Adam Idah is rumoured to be on his way out of Carrow Road. We got some of the fans' thoughts on that big story.
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Norwich City may not have suffered the ignominy of defeat to sixth-tier opposition this weekend, but they did succumb to a much more routine defeat at Liverpool. Is there ever anything good to take out of a 2-5 loss?
Well, in case any Norwich fans needed a healthy dose of realism coming into Sunday’s game (and they probably didn’t), their opponents had played 16 at home this season, drawing two – against minnows Manchester United and Arsenal – and winning the rest. Oh and they scored 3+ goals in 11 of those 14 wins too.
As is obligatory for these 'Haves' v 'Have-Nots' contests, there’s also a comparison to be made between the relative financial clout of the two sides, and the combined transfer fee of the five players Jurgen Klopp brought off Liverpool’s bench was roughly equivalent to City’s total transfer payments in the last 10 years.
Indeed, the Canaries' 5-2 defeat at Anfield came in a week when the ever-growing chasm between first and second tier was starkly exposed. The other two Championship sides to visit Premier League opposition last week lost 0-5 and 1-6.
We’re really clutching at straws now, so it feels like an apt moment to bring in the weirdest fact of the weekend. Norwich City, with their famously dreadful record against Liverpool, now have a six-game goalscoring streak at Anfield, the longest of any side to have played there 6+ times this century (we’re trying to maintain positivity here, so let’s gloss over those results).
Perhaps more relevantly, for all the (justifiable) complaints about their defensive fragility this season, the five they shipped at Anfield ended a run of nine games where they’ve conceded no more than once. Only the miserly defence of the 2020/21 season has gone on a longer run than that in the last 20 years.
And finally; not a stat, but a question. Has any Norwich player’s first four goals for the club been quite as aesthetically pleasing as Borja Sainz’s? His long-distance piledriver on Sunday added to the one he got against Sheffield Wednesday. Throw in the mazy dribble and finish at Craven Cottage and the beautifully curled effort against Huddersfield, and it’s quite the gallery the Spaniard has to his name already.
Maybe the reminder that, even without Rowe and Sargent, the potential within this squad for that kind of moment of brilliance is the real silver lining to an otherwise cloudy afternoon.
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for your views on the rumour that Norwich City striker Adam Idah could be set for a move away from the club. Italian club Hellas Verona are reportedly interested in signing the Irish international on loan.
You also got in touch about Sunday's defeat at Liverpool in the FA Cup.
Here's what you had to say:
Toby - Always rated by our head coaches but never gets in the side (Idah), I’m sure he's a great lad but time for him to move on. What an opportunity to play in Italy.
Elliott - Wouldn’t mind Adam Idah going out on loan if he gets regular game time, the Italian first division could suit him really well. Problem is, I don’t think we can trust Ken Aboh to step up, he hasn’t even signed a contract yet. Most people haven’t even seen him play so who knows if he can step up?
Tom - Adam Idah has unfortunately been mismanaged by the club during his development. After his FA Cup hat trick, he should have been sent out on loan to build confidence and experience, unfortunately that wasn’t the case. We’re left with an under confident striker with raw talent being left to feed on scraps. Unfortunately, a move is probably right.
Kieran - Loaning out Idah without a replacement lined up would be a potential season-ruining moment. Fans trying to hype up Aboh - a guy who hasn’t even signed a professional deal let alone played a senior game yet just because he scored lots of goals in the U23s - as his instant replacement, could only hurt the young man in the long term.
Tomasso - Apart from an FA cup game a few years ago, Idah has not done much. Get rid and try and get money for him. His five-year contract was a joke.
Clive - There must be a manager that Ben Knapper wants but can’t have until end of season or he is totally out of his depth.
Jake - I really like Idah, but if he wants more game time there's only so much we can offer him. If a move gets Ken Aboh on the pitch I would be all for it.
Darren - We didn’t lay a glove on Liverpool for most of the match. The Sainz goal showed that we could have pushed harder. The issue with losing possession comes down to a tactical lack of movement and no players up the pitch. On Idah- letting him go would be a mistake. He’s only 23 and has all the attributes, but needs to be number two behind Sarge.
Grapeo - Having two goalkeepers on the bench was a joke, it goes against everything we’ve heard from Knapper. It just looked like two old friends got together and organised the game. We would have probably been beaten but we didn’t seem to have a go. On Idah - he’s been here too long and needs to go somewhere else and play. Knapper has got to start talking to the fans.
Andy - We were always going to lose, should have gone there to have a right go. Idah should go for his own development. He has been here too long and has not progressed to the standard we all expected. Squad needs a total rebuild before we look to go up. Squad is simply at Championship standard and fans expectations are not realistic.
Doan - On Idah, it's about time. The poor guy has been sniffing around the first team for three years. He has potential, but has been horribly mismanaged by Farke, Smith and Wagner. Should have gone out on loan years ago. On Liverpool - the goals we scored were amazing, defensive work less so. I hope Sainz does not go way of Tzolis or Rashica (flash in pan)
There's plenty to talk about in the world of Norwich City, as usual.
Get all the latest news and opinions on the BBC's Canary fanzine show The Scrimmage.
You can listen live on BBC Radio Norfolk at 18.00 GMT on Monday.
Host Rob Butler is joined by Chris Reeve and Joe Dean.
Image source, Getty ImagesIdah came on as a substitute in Norwich's 5-2 FA Cup defeat at Liverpool
Norwich were beaten 5-2 at Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round.
What did you think of City's performance?
Could they have done better?
Or, is a heavy defeat to be expected at the Premier League leaders?
Plus, there's rumours that Adam Idah could be going out on loan ahead of of Thursday's transfer deadline. The Irish international has been linked with a move to Serie A side Hellas Verona.
Would you be happy to see Idah leave?
Or, should City do all they can to keep him?
Image source, Getty ImagesHere's the answer to our regular quiz, which is devised by BBC Radio Norfolk's Chris Goreham.
A reminder of the question:
Name the last 5 Norwich City players to score for the Canaries at Anfield (before yesterday's two goals in the 5-2 loss).
The answers:
Lukas Rupp 2022
Milot Rashica 2022
Teemu Pukki 2019
Russell Martin 2015
Bradley Johnson 2013
Well done if you got all five correct.
Norwich City are out of the FA Cup.
The Canaries were beaten 5-2 by Liverpool at Anfield, the Reds will face Watford or Southampton in the fifth round.
Former City winger Lee Croft was BBC Radio Norfolk's expert summariser here's what he had to say at full time:
"It's a big scoreline but they've (Norwich) scored two goals, the second one being a great finish and they defended resiliently for the majority of the game."
He continued, "They just need to take this result now, move on and kick on in that league campaign. They're close to the play-off spots and that's what needs to be the main aim now."
You can hear more from Lee Croft by listening to Canary Call with Rob Butler on BBC Sounds here.
The draw for the FA Cup fifth round has been made.
If Norwich City can get past Liverpool on Sunday in the fourth round, they will face Watford or Southampton at Carrow Road.
Norwich City head to Anfield on Sunday for an FA Cup fourth round tie against Liverpool (14.30 GMT).
The Canaries haven't beaten Liverpool for 30 years, but we've already seen one East Anglian side involved in a shock in the last 32 of the competition. Maidstone United will be in the hat for the fifth round draw following that remarkable victory over Ipswich Town.
You can listen to live coverage of the Canaries at Liverpool with BBC Radio Norfolk on FM, DAB, Freeview and BBC Sounds.
Image source, Getty ImagesNoriwch City haven't beaten Liverpool since April 1994. The two meet at Anfield on Sunday in the FA Cup fourth round (14.30 GMT).
Here's all the stats you will need ahead of the game (provided by OPTA):
Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 18 meetings with Norwich in all competitions, since a 1-0 home loss in April 1994 (Won 16 Drawn 2). It’s their longest current unbeaten run against any side
Having won their first three FA Cup games against Liverpool between 1909 and 1951, Norwich have been eliminated from their last three ties against the Reds, most recently in the fifth round in 2021-22
Liverpool have progressed from 11 of their last 12 FA Cup ties against teams from a lower division, failing only against Wolves in January 2017 in this run, losing 2-1 at Anfield
When outside the top-flight themselves, Norwich have been eliminated from their last 12 FA Cup ties against top tier opponents, since a 1-0 win at Stoke City in January 1982
Liverpool have only won two of their last eight FA Cup home games against sides in the second tier (D2 L4). Indeed, three of their last four home defeats in the competition have been against Championship sides
Here's our regular pre-match quiz. The question has a Liverpool theme ahead of Norwich's FA Cup tie at Anfield:
Name the last 5 Norwich City players to score for the Canaries at Anfield.
Get thinking and send your guesses here.
This week, BBC Football expert Chris Sutton is taking on Justin and Arni from indie band The Vaccines to predict the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Liverpool host Norwich City at Anfield on Sunday (14:30 GMT).
Sutton's prediction: 4-0
If you look through the history books, it is 30 years since Norwich won at Anfield - in the last game played in front of The Kop when it was still terracing.
I played in that game and it won't surprise you when I say I ran Liverpool ragged that day. Jeremy Goss got our winner, with another of those spectacular efforts he scored so many of around that time - the ball bounced just outside the box and he lashed it past David James.
As much as I'd love to see another Canaries win, it is hard to see a repeat of that result on Sunday. Norwich play counter-attacking football home and away these days, so they will just be looking to hang on in there.
The problem with that is, whichever team Liverpool put out, they will have too much attacking quality.
Still, Norwich will have their chances and watch out for their young winger, Jonny Rowe. He's a wide player, but he finishes like a centre-forward and he could nick them a goal.
Justin's prediction: 4-0
This is one-sided on paper, and I have a feeling it will be the same on the pitch. Liverpool seem to be getting a lot of goals, so this is the first big scoreline I am going for.
Arni's prediction: 3-0
A similar score from me, too.
Norwich City haven't won against Liverpool for 30 years.
City last beat the Reds in April 1994, a Jeremy Goss goal enough to separate the sides on the day the old Kop stand had terracing in use for the last time.
Since then, the two sides have met 18 times with Liverpool winning all but two of those games.
On Sunday they head to Anfield for an FA Cup fourth round tie which also doubles as the first date of Jurgen Klopp's farewell tour, he will leave the club at the end of the season.
Canaries head coach David Wagner says his team have nothing to lose and will "go for it".
Norwich City head coach David Wagner says Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is like "a family member".
The two go head to head on Sunday when the Canaries travel to Anfield to face the Reds in the FA Cup fourth round (14.30 GMT).
Norwich City head coach David Wagner has given his thoughts on the news that Jurgen Klopp will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season.
The two are best friends and first met while playing for Mainz in Germany. They also coached together at Borussia Dortmund.
The Canaries take on Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday (14.30 GMT).
Image source, Getty ImagesWagner and Klopp are meeting as opposing managers for the fourth time
David Wagner and Jurgen Klopp are close friends and will go head to head in an FA Cup fourth round tie between Norwich City and Liverpool on Sunday (14.30 GMT).
The two Germans played together for Mainz, Wagner was best man for Klopp's wedding in 2005 and the pair worked as coaches for Borussia Dortmund from 2011 to 2015.
Canaries head coach Wagner has spoken about how the two met in the official Liverpool programme:
“It was back in 1991 and I’d just switched (as a player) from Eintracht Frankfurt to Mainz when I went into the dressing room for the first training session, and Jurgen was already there. He’d joined Mainz the previous year."
He continued, “We started talking and quickly became friends because he was, and still is of course, a good guy. I realised this very early on after meeting him.
“We played together at Mainz in the German second division and usually had to battle against relegation. It was often a struggle to stay in the league but more often than not we’d win the last and most important game.
“When I retired (from playing) I probably only had two, what I would call ‘real’ friendships from my 12 or 13-year playing career and Jurgen is one of those guys. One of the big reasons we got on so well was a similar sense of humour - we laugh about the same jokes," Wagner said.
In his pre-match press conference ahead of the game, Klopp said he and Wagner have spoken a lot about Sunday's game. It's the fourth time the two have met as opposing managers.
"We have conversations about it, he's asked for massive rotation! He's doing a really good job (at Norwich) but he has a really difficult job. They started the season well but lost most of their offensive unit (due to injury).
"Now they are in touching distance of the play-off spots. I am interested in everything he is doing, it's cool to have this game."
If there's a winner on the day at Anfield, it's likely to be the last time the two meet with Klopp as Liverpool manager. On Friday he announced he is leaving his role at the end of this season.
You can listen to full live commentary of the cup tie with BBC Radio Norfolk on FM, DAB, Freview and BBC Sounds.
David Wagner has been speaking to the media ahead of Sunday's FA Cup fourth round tie against Liverpool at Anfield (14.30 GMT).
On Friday, Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp announced that he was leaving his role at the end of this season.
Here are some of the key points:
Jonathan Rowe has broken a bone in his hand. He will miss the Liverpool game on Sunday and possible the Coventry match on 3 February but may be back after that. He doesn't need surgery
On Rowe: "He is super-cool and very mature, this means he can handle injury situations"
Josh Sargent will not be involved against Liverpool, Grant Hanley is back in the matchday squad though
On Klopp: "I wasn't surprised. When he told me I was happy because I know how hard the decision was. It shows a lot of personality and bravery. Only he knows what's best for him"
"It it is more than friendship, he is like a family member." Wagner spoke about his close relationship with Jurgen Klopp
Wagner said George Long is set to start in goal for Norwich on Sunday
Image source, Getty ImagesAhead of Norwich City's visit to Anfield to play Liverpool in the FA Cup on Sunday (14.30 GMT), Reds manager Jurgen Klopp announced on Friday that he will be leaving the club at the end of the season.
Klopp took over as boss in October 2015 and his contract was due to run until 2026.
He led Liverpool to their first league title in 30 years in 2019-20, having won the Champions League the previous season.
"I told the club already in November," the German told the Liverpool website.
