Over the past few days a couple of the dark clouds hanging over Saints have disappeared with not so much as a raindrop landing on us. The first cloud was of course the charge hanging over Tonda Eckert which basically went away and the second cloud was those horrible fuckers from down the M27. The one remaining cloud we have is our away form, which currently reads two draws and two defeats from four games against teams who are not going to be challenging the top two come the end of the season.

On paper, this visit to Carrow Road is our toughest away game yet, despite the fact that Norwich have had a disappointing start of the season under Philippe Clement, in his first full season as Norwich manager. Last year he replaced the hapless and hopeless Liam Manning in between our win at Carrow Road in the Carabao Cup and our League game at the same venue in November.

Clement did very well last year to turn them around after a free falling start to the season and over the second half of the season, Norwich showed form that would certainly have got them in the playoffs. This season there was an expectation of carrying on that form and hitting the ground running, but it hasn’t happened with three wins and six defeats in their opening nine games, including losing the last four. They have been letting in an alarming amount of goals, so many that I had to check if they had re-signed Angus Gunn , seeing as they are topping the division in that particular stat, which is all the more surprising given that last year, Clement really tightened up and made them much harder to beat. Starting badly is not exactly a new thing for Norwich as they were spectacularly bad under the Liam Manning last season. I would still anticipate them being near the playoffs come the end of the season but I do wonder about Clement. It was a surprise when he went to Norwich and it was seen as a bit of a coup for the club when he went there. I do wonder if he is as enthusiastic as he was last season, and whether he’s got one eye on the exit door should another opportunity arise.

The way that they tried to beat us last season at Carrow Road was to kick the shit out of us and with a sympathetic referee, and Saints not really being up for the challenge, they managed it. They were helped on their way by a winning goal slapped into the net with the hand of Makama. It didn’t help us of course, but it did raise a smile when West Brom scored a goal with a handball at Carrow Road earlier on in the season.

The main issue with that game at Norwich was the fact that we had 25 minutes to get back into the game after the handball goal… and we did absolutely nothing, barely getting into the Norwich half of the field. Yes, the handball goal was annoying, as was the mental gymnastics that went on from a lot of people of a Norwich persuasion, in trying to justify it. Another amusing/annoying thing from that game was Adam Armstrong missing an early penalty, just three days after a penalty masterclass of his had been broadcast on Sky Sports. It does make you wonder if the Norwich keeper had watched it. I’m sure he had.

Then there was the Harry Darling incident. He didn’t get booked for scything down Leo Scienza for a penalty and then he kicked the same player when he was on the ground later on. Kenny McLean, Pelle Mattsson and Kellen Fisher were all guilty of roughhouse tactics as well, so I am expecting the same today, especially given the slow start that Norwich have made. Hopefully we get a referee who is prepared to make decisions.

Saints are a much better team now, than what they were back then. However, we haven’t proved it in away games so far this season, so that needs to change. We are also a better team with regards to not taking any shit.

I don’t anticipate too many changes from the team for this particular game. Cam Bragg will of course be suspended and it should be one of Matsuki or Fellows who comes into the starting lineup. There is the question over whether Captain Jack stays in the team or whether Nathan Wood’s added physicality is the way to go in this particular game. Norwich have quite a few injuries so a few of the villains from last year will not be playing, including Kenny McLean who actually played in the World Cup and people still wonder why Scotland are shit.

This is a huge game for us with regards to the away form and getting that sorted out. Hopefully we give ourselves a chance by not playing in the blue kit, which across the men’s and women’s teams, still has a 100% defeat record. Saints are in red thankfully and team news and oooof. Called it wrong as it’s rotation time – Zach Abbott at right back for his debut, Lewis Dobbin up front and Sam Edozie on the left.

It’s a disjointed start from both teams and the first chance comes when a long ball forward is flicked on by Kvistgaarden and then played out to Schwartau, who is shown a very easy path onto his good foot, courtesy of Abbott not being anywhere near him. He tries to curl it for the far post but instead, smashes it high and wide of the far post. He really should have done better with that from about fifteen yards out.

Pelle Mattsson spent the whole of the corresponding fixture last year kicking the shit out of us and not much getting given and no yellow cards. This year he goes in on Dobbin and it’s not really a foul but the ref gives it. What goes around. The ultimate payback is in the hands and trusty right foot of JWP from just to the left of centre but there’s not quite yet the level of expectation and his effort clears the wall but Gramshaw watches it fly a couple of feet wide.

There’s something a bit passive about the way we are defending. Mattsson puts a cross into the box and it’s met by Kvistgaarden but all he can do is head it straight at Peretz. The bigger issue is that Flynn Downes has gone down and he’s not getting up, so probably an hour earlier than usual, Caspar Jander is on.

To say that Saints create a half chance would be stretching it a bit as Big Kev hits a big diag over everyone and Azaz gets there first but runs out of room and can only smash it into the crowd. His partnership with Dobbin is interesting in that it’s like two false 9s. The proper 9 on the pitch is Kvistgaarden and he bundles his way past JWP on the wing, despite being flat on his front at one point and keeps the ball alive and gives it to Brooks, who tees up Wright, whose first touch make space but then his finish is shite and straight at Peretz.

Zach Abbott has been looking like a fish up a tree at right back and then he turns into Trent Alexander-Arnold and swings over a beautiful cross which connects with Azaz’ forward run and Finn tries to cushion volley it at the goal instead of putting his foot through it and it goes comfortably wide. Azaz is showing quality elsewhere though, picking out a diagonal run from Matsuki and his effort is blocked and goes into the air to make it easy for the keeper.

Another Mattsson carthorse foul, this time on Azaz and another free kick. Manning smashes it into the wall and Jander plays the rebound out to Azaz on the right. The magic man sits a defender on his arse before standing up a cross which is nodded back by Stephens and goes out as far as Edozie, whose drilled effort as well saved by the keeper

Half time and that’s been pretty mid to be honest. We have got better as the half has gone on but there needs to be subs. Abbott has looked a bit of a liability and having picked up a yelow card, he probably should come off. If it was down to me I’d have Bree on at half-time and save Larin and Leo for the hour mark. Tonda had half read my mind, with Abbott not emerging for the second half and it’s a double yellow-carded-full-back change with Ryan Manning off as well. Onwards Bree and Welington.

After breaking up a Norwich attack, Stephens finds Azaz as we play out and the mercurial one floats a lovely ball to Edozie, who shows good strength to hold off his nemesis Jack Stacey. See you later you big fucking donkey and Sam is gone, leaving him for dead before cutting in and playing a lovely ball across which is flapped out by the keeper and half cleared and it ends up with Jander twenty yards out and his effort is saved really well by Grimshaw but drops for Matsuki to slam in from close range. In the usual fashion for defenders who are piss poor, they all appeal for offside with that pleading look on their faces. Get in. 1-0.

Having taken the lead and dominating, Saints do that thing they do and stop pushing forward allowing Norwich to get a foothold again and win a corner. In it comes, there’s a clear foul on Stephens as the ball gets headed down and eventually it’s flicked goalwards by Cordoba and Dobbin is on the line to block it away. Norwich all appeal for a penalty because of course they do.

Handball merchant Makama is on for Norwich as he has a shot after a rare JWP error and it’s another corner. We don’t deal with it and there’s a big swing and deflected over the bar. Norwich sub Musaba (I thought that was a character from The Lion King I have to say) is a unit and he can run and he cuts past Bree on the left, and drills in an effort which is going in at the near post and Peretz makes a decent save. It looks like the best that Norwich can come up with. Edozie is off for Larin and Dobbin is off for Mubama as we go double big unit.

Running the show still, despite playing his first significant minutes since the tail end of last season is Caspar Jander. He bins Mattsson in midfield and wins the ball and it goes out to Azaz on the right. Jander continues his run and Azaz’ low cross meets Jander’s run superbly but on the stretch, he can only put it over the bar. He immediately signals cramp and wants to come off but we have no more subs, so get on with it boy.

So, what does Jander do in the last few minutes. Wins three tackles in a row and runs the ball out of danger and ultimately, just dominates. It’s quite jaw dropping. Like the Visitors on Sunday, Norwich aren’t going to score if they play all night and the ref puts them out of their misery.

Final whistle – this is what happens when we don’t play in blue. What a fucking great win that is. Well, we got the away win monkey off the back and that’s the final cloud lifted. Also, we did it with half of the first team rotated or injured. When you look at that second half, it took performances from the likes of Welington, Dobbin and Edozie to get us over the line. Also, Casper fucking Jander. Jesus, what a performance that was. Winning tackles, driving forward, tidying up behind other players, looking after the ball, getting shots in, getting on the end of crosses, running out with the ball to run down the clock. Absolutely outstanding. You’ve got to find a place for him in the team going forward, but then you’ve got to find a place for Flynn Downes and JWP as well. It’s a nice problem to have.

It was a very scrappy opening half hour with not much on show from either side but from then, Azaz started getting on the ball and we started to play a bit. JWP’s getting closer with his free-kicks but no goal before half time. Once we went ahead there was a similar feeling to Sunday in that the opposition didn’t seem to have a goal in them. Musaba on the left was a bit lively but we restricted him to one shot and last year’s nemesis Makama just looked big and awkward as Big Kev sorted him out.

It was interesting to see the use of former Norwich loanee Lewis Dobbin tonight as well. As everyone knows, he hasn’t found a place to fit into the team as of yet and hasn’t played well enough for the bench to justify being given many opportunities. He had literally been relegated down to a player who made the match day squad and maybe played one or two minutes at the end of the game or not at all. Today he was used in what we believe is his best position, which is part of a two-man attack. He and Azaz were the pair up front in the first half and in the second half he was up front with Larin before he tired and had to be replaced. There was some really good turns, taking advantage of defenders expecting him to run back towards his own goal. For the first time, I see some promise in his performance and he certainly has something to build on. As well as all that, he of course was in the right place to clear one off the line as well.

On the other hand, Zach Abbott did not have the best of debuts and didn’t look very comfortable at right back. He put in a couple of decent crosses but overall it was a bit of a train wreck. He didn’t have the defensive intensity to stop any crosses coming into the box and looked very very awkward throughout. The early booking he picked up always meant that he was always going to be substituted at half-time, given what happened with Cam Bragg on Sunday.

I loved the winning goal today, bearing in mind the opposition and the players involved. Sam Edozie’s Saints career has never really recovered since Jack Stacey hitched a ride on his ankle three years ago and put him out for a couple of months, when he had just begin to show some sort of consistent form for the first time in his Saints career. To see him sit Stacey down on his arse and put the cross over that ultimately lead to the winning goal was one of those lovely karma moments. Following his cross, it was a great shot by the returning Caspar Jander and any goal that Matsuki sticks in the net will always bring a smile.

We really had to dig deep today and Tonda had to make a lot of decisions with everything that was going on with the game. Flynn Downes getting injured after 20 minutes was not part of the plan and Jander playing more than his allotted minutes was also not part of the plan. It goes to show though doesn’t it, sometimes you have to throw all the sports science in the bin and just trust the players to get through it.

Like on Sunday, the end justified the means. There were certainly a few eyebrows raised with the team that was selected but the job got done and we won away from home for the first time this season. That’s why Tonda Eckert is a professional football manager and the rest of us aren’t. It’s okay to have an opinion of course, but you can’t really complain if the team get a result, whoever is playing.

It was largely thought that there would be rotation on Saturday at home to Bolton, rather than tonight but maybe Tonda once again knew something that the rest of us didn’t, as Bolton went away to promotion favourites Wolves and won yesterday, probably proving that Saturday will be the more difficult game of the two. We are five wins out of five at home of course and whilst that run will end one day, with two wins in a week we really need to go out and disprove that theory that it’s impossible to win three games in a week,Up the fucking Saints.