4pm local, 12 noon in the East (DST still hasn't started in Britain). FSC+ in the USA, SS1 in England. Are we playing for Europe or on cruise control since we are safe? Team news (via nufc.com): Still missing are Sammy Ameobi, Steven Taylor, Sylvain Marveaux, Leon Best and Peter Lovenkrands, while both Steve Harper and Nile Ranger are back in training but remain unavailable. United prepare to face the Canaries without Cheick Tiote and Ryan Taylor, although Danny Simpson has apparently recovered after picking up an injury. NCFC: City travel to Tyneside boosted by the return of Jonny Howson but are set to be without Marc Tierney, Daniel Ayala and James Vaughan. Ref: Phil Dowd NUFC XI: Krul - Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini (c), Perch, Ben Arfa, Guthrie, Cabaye, Gutierrez - Ba, Cisse. Bench: Elliot, Santon, Abeid, Gosling, Vuckic, Donaldson, Ameobi. NorwichCity XI: Ruddy, Drury, Morison, Whitbread, Surman, Pilkington, Fox, E. Bennett, Ward (C), Howson, Naughton. Thx, Jay!
Speculation has our formation: Jonas Gutierrez at LB, Hatem RM, Perch and Guthrie in CM, Yohan Cabaye on left side of midfield. According to @nufcfans on Twitter.
NCFC Bench: Steer, Crofts, Holt, Hoolahan, Russell Martin, Johnson, Jackson There's like four starters there.
2' Cisse breaks the high offside trap but fails to chip the keeper. And Perchy takes a knock. He's in midfield. Looks like HBA supporting Ba and Cisse.
Anyone have any streams??? There seems to be some confusion about when the game starts on a lot of the streams I'm finding (due to DST I guess).
12' Cisse shuts up the pundits saying a goal every other game is a bad buy. Gets across the front of Whitbread to knock it home.
I don't know which is more impressive? Cisse's goal, or that Jonas made a decent cross into the box to set up Cisse for the goal?
19' Willo goes on walkabout. HBA then Willo have possession in our box and the rest of the team just really stands there while they dribble. W finally dispossesed, but the shot went over the bar. Yes he should have lumped it forward, sideways or out of bounds.
24' Flying elbow by Cisse gives Whitbread a knock. Just a talking to. Zak's been winning most of the headers from our Double Dembas.
34' Huge handball in the box by Norwich. Dowd just gives a corner. The way that arm was up you could justify the penno.
41' Ruddy denies a streaking Cisse again. Someone needs to pour some cement in his gloves at the half.
Whistle goes for halftime after a late NCFC free kick is wasted. Don't need a repeat of Fulham or Wolves here. Need to press the advantage in the second half. We haven't had the quantity or quality of chances that the Fulham game afforded us in the first half. Cisse's first chip was just a little too soft and the second big miss was a good decision by Ruddy. They have Holt on the bench who put a double on us in their win in the reverse.
And another save in the same minute off the resulting corner. Tipped a ball over the bar from a header by Whitbread.
62' Theatrical dive from Guthrie or Cabaye after he is pulled back earns a card on Bennett. Santon on for HBA. Tactical switch as well. Santon LB now then, Jonas LW, Cabaye on the RW - Guthrie and Perch in midfield. Krul comes over to the bench area, may have been holding the hammy.
71' Shola begins to matter. Holds the ball down in the right corner, provides a cross to Cabaye that is shot at the keeper. Rebound not exactly set for Ba and Ruddy makes the diving grab.