From Primary to Secondary

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In seasons gone by, whenever Norwich played a team higher up the league it always felt like a big challenge and ''could we do it?'', especially away from home. You know, the usual pessimism that comes before any difficult game. (Even though, I think, we tended to struggle more against the so-called lesser teams!). Trips to the likes of Everton or Southampton were big days out against Prem teams where we didn''t expect to get anything from the game.

As last season wore on and we became the team at the top - i.e. the team to beat, that pessimism was gradually replaced by confidence ahead of every game - ''we will win it!'' In the end we feared no-one. Or need not have done. Even at Everton I thought ''we could get something here''.

Now that the intial euphoria of promotion has worn off, and I''m looking ahead to next season, It''s starting to dawn on me that we''re back where we were 3 or 4 years ago, psychologically. Suddenly, despite all the success, we''re the underdogs again, looking up towards the top of the league...!

Its exciting, sure, but it takes me way back to the time when I moved from primary to secondary school, as an 11 year old. I well remember going from being in the oldest year to being in the youngest year again. All the confidence of knowing my way around, being one of the oldest replaced with awe as I looked up at the older kids and didn''t know my a**e from my elbow.

Fortunately I didn''t get relegated from secondary school back to primary school, but grew into the new surroundings and after a few years was looking down at the new kids coming in again.

Hopefully NCFC can do the same. Really, deep down, when Arsenal come to Carrow Road I know we shouldn''t expect anything. We should shrug our shoulders and enjoy the game, sing whether we''re winning or losing. But it doesn''t work like that does it? We''ll be there, hoping and wondering if we can cause a shock, just like we did a few years ago when the league leaders came to our place. Remember Man City (2-0) or Portsmouth (1-0) back then...?

...Maybe, just maybe...!

Ama

[YankeeCanary 0]

Oh that your analogy could be applied Ama. The difference is, of course, not only were you growing in secondary school but the big boys were moving out. Not the case here.