HOLT'S ABSENCE CRITICAL IN NORWICH'S CUP EXIT

HOLT’S ABSENCE CRITICAL IN FA CUP EXIT

In Victorian times cricket grounds where Gloucestershire were playing regularly changed their admission prices according to whether or not W.G. Grace was playing. ‘Admission 3d. If Dr. Grace is playing 6d’ read the signs.

I wonder if, following the furore regarding prices for Norwich City’s 5^th round FA Cup tie with Leicester City last weekend, the Premier League club should have taken a leaf out of the Gloucestershire book. Instead of their blanket £25 charge for adult admission perhaps it should have been ‘Tickets £15. If Grant Holt plays £25’.

For on the evidence of last Saturday a current Norwich City team without their talismanic centre-forward is certainly a far less potent machine than when he is causing mayhem in the opposition ranks. Which, ironically, is presumably the very reason that he did not play; because City manager, Paul Lambert (in whom, of course, we trust) wants Holt at his fighting best for the imminent visit of Manchester United to Carrow Road.

Lambert made a value judgement. In today’s world of Premier League financial necessity a ‘result’ against the champions is more important than FA Cup progress.  Sadly, though an easily defensible view, this unromantic stance is not entirely in keeping with that held by all of The Canaries’ supporters, many of whom were desperately hoping for a Cup run the like of which they have not seen since flat caps, wooden rattles and cardboard cut-out trophies. With Premier League status looking almost secure for next season was this not the time to go all out for success in a competition which offered a genuine chance for the club to grace the new Wembley Stadium for the very first time?

In the manager’s defence that is not to say that Norwich lost to a sharper, hungrier Leicester side just because Holt was absent. He did not set out to lose and the side Lambert fielded might well have contained the necessary strength to win the game had its members performed at their best. But they did not. Instead they were well below par and one was left wondering why.

As soon as a Holt-less team is announced there is a tangible disappointment in the crowd. Not only will the warm-up be less entertaining without him teasing his pals but who's going to get in the referee’s ear, you wonder, who’s going to grin at the linesman and ‘wind up’ the opposition’s back four? And, crucially, who will lead the huddle? When the teams came out on Saturday I watched with interest those last few exciting moments before kick-off. As stand-in skipper, Wes Hoolahan, was tossing the coin the rest of the side went through their usual routine of mutual high-fives and occasionally applauding the opposition before gathering for the ritual ‘huddle’. There were, however, no arms round the shoulders initially as the lads waited, almost embarrassed it seemed, for Wes to complete the formalities on the centre-spot; they just stood in a loose circle. When Hoolahan did arrive they joined up but just for a very few brief seconds. There was barely time, I imagined, for the surrogate to say ‘I’m a highly-skilled Leprechaun with a brilliant left foot’ before the group broke and the game began.

I just knew then it was all going to go wrong. Before every game I watch those huddles and I try to imagine the power of the words spoken in that most private of team moments. And always I think of Holt and of how his ordinary Cumbrian vowels will inspire his team-mates. I love it when the gathering seems to go on just a little longer than it should, keeping referee and opponents waiting before the yellow circle breaks and battle commences. There’s almost a suggestion that the Holt-led huddle is saying ‘Up yours! We’ll play when we’re ready!’

It could just be my imagination but I genuinely do think this ‘Holt influence’ on others is significant. Home fans are galvanised by him and without his lead were significantly quieter on Saturday. Away fans dislike him and allow their focus to be distracted from supporting their own side. Officials are constantly aware of his presence while his colleagues do seem palpably motivated by his driving example.

In a purely footballing sense what Norwich lacked on Saturday was perhaps Holt’s hold-up play. Whenever the likes of David Fox and Elliot Bennett, ball at feet, looked up to assess their options what presented itself to them was limited. Instead of a centre-forward ‘showing’ for the ball, making runs into space or, crucially, towards them, demanding a pass, they saw just a jumbled blue and yellow picture and opted, more often than not for a hopeful ball vaguely in the direction of Steve Morison’s shaven head. Unfortunately few of his subsequent aerial flicks found a team-mate. Instead of Holt retaining possession in an advanced position we saw the ball given away. On the few occasions passes were directed to Morison’s feet his heavy first touches were disappointing and, as they did throughout the game, eager Leicester players won the ‘second ball’.

Paul Lambert has done more than enough in the last two and a half years to earn the right for his team selections to be unchallenged by me or anyone else. Disappointed though I and many City fans are by our cup exit there is, I hope, no suggestion that the manager was wrong to leave the captain out of the side, though I wonder if, with hindsight, he wishes he had at least had the big man on the bench.

The most poignant question in the wake of the game is, I suggest, just when did Norwich City last have such an influential player?