Norwich City: 5 Reasons Why the Canaries Have Nothing to Fear Against Newcastle

Newcastle United are the visitors to Carrow Road on Saturday, and they have certainly made a good start to the season. However, the defeat, last week to Chelsea showed that they are vulnerable and certainly not unbeaten. It's another home game for Norwich and an opportunity to contest for another three points to consolidate their position in mid-table.

It will be interesting to see how both sides line-up, but the Canaries certainly have nothing to fear. So with that in mind I have complied this slideshow.

The Toon Have Their Defensive Issues

How Newcastle will line-up at the back on Saturday is anyone's guess. Steven Taylor is said to be out for the rest of the season, and it was reported earlier in the week that they may be without a recognized central defender. However, certain players are rated as doubtful rather than completely out.

The ploy is probably designed to keep Paul Lambert guessing. However, the Canaries know that their opponents will have a make-shift defence. This is certainly something to take advantage of.

Not a Team Full of Stars

Norwich City may have been a bit star-struck with what they came up against last week when they played Manchester City. However, Newcastle is a different animal. Most people would have expected the team to struggle. Especially, when key players Jose Enrique, Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan all left.

Most of Newcastle's success is built on a strong work ethic and good organization. The one player that Norwich will need to work hard to keep quiet is Demba Ba, but there is nothing to fear.

Good Time to Play Them

Newcastle made a very good start to the season that saw them third in the table, only a few games ago. At that stage they were one of the few Premier League clubs to remain unbeaten. Unfortunately, they then came up against Manchester City and duly lost that game.

A second defeat arrived last week against Chelsea. This is a very important point in their season. They need three points to maintain their place in the top end of the table. A second consecutive defeat on Saturday may see them slipping to seventh.

Norwich City would rather play them at this stage in the season with a few problems then they would have earlier on, when they were flying. 

Past Success

The last time that Newcastle came to Carrow Road in the Premier League, it was Norwich that came out with all three points. The winning goal in that game came from Dean Ashton, after Youssef Safri had scored from 35 yards.

The Canaries will look to take inspiration from that game to engineer another famous victory against Newcastle.

Paul Lambert Will Demand a Reponse

Paul Lambert knows his side were outclassed by Manchester City, but he still hates losing and he will do everything to ensure it's not two back-back defeats. Recent history shows that when Norwich loses they usually respond in the next game.

Newcastle have made a good start to the season, but Lambert knows that Norwich are at home and the fans will expect the team to put on a performance.

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