Jackson blows his big chance in poor home loss to Portsmouth

Norwich lost 2-0 at home to Portsmouth today, and while the result was hard to take given the euphoria around Carrow Road 13 days, ago, I think it’s important we remember how far we’ve come in the past year.
Twelve months ago tonight I was sitting in a Travelodge in Somerset watching the X-Factor final while my missus was wolfing down a box of Tofifee (boy do I know how to party!) and I myself was digesting Norwich’s last minute 3-3 draw at Yeovil.
Yes, Norwich were relying on a last minute Gary Doherty goal to earn a point against Yeovil, a team now facing the cold reality that they could be playing League Two football next season.
Today we lost at home to Portsmouth, a team that were playing in the FA Cup final last season, a team that won the FA Cup two years ago, were locking horns with AC Milan at Fratton Park two winters ago.
When you think of it like that, this loss isn’t really that hard to stomach.
And, when you think that in the last 13 days we’ve hammered our nearest rivals, and gained a brilliant three points at one of our promotion rivals, to lose this game wasn’t that bad. To take six points from three games is a good total, and I don’t think there was a City fan at Carrow Road today who would rather have lost to Portsmouth than either Derby or Ipswich.
Back to today’s game – with Grant Holt suspended Simeon Jackson started up front with Chris Martin and it was the Canadian’s big chance in the spotlight. Could he provide the same threat in front of goal as the Carlisle-born striker Holt?
Well, not really.
And I have sympathy for Jackson, who was given a pretty poor service from midfield. He kept on making those runs and there just wasn’t that killer pass that he needed to get a decent shot on target.
When he did find himself in acres of space in front of goal in the first half it was no surprise that he fluffed his lines.
This game reminded of me of when Hull came to Carrow Road in September. City were all over the opponents in the first half, they really were, but despite winning loads of corners and piling on the pressure, Pompey’s defence was pretty solid and kept Norwich out.
Portsmouth created nothing at all and when Liam Lawrence won a corner in added time at the end of the first half, the limit of their intent was pretty clear. Lawrence took so long to take it that the ref gave up and blew the whistle for the start of the interval.
Pompey seemed like they were only at Carrow Road to head back down south with a point, but when David Nugent suddenly burst into life 20 minutes from time and slotted a pacey pass across the box for Dave Kitson, it was a case of déjà vu for City.
Just like the Hull game, we pressed for an equaliser but Jackson and Martin saw less and less of the ball and when Jackson was hauled off with 15 minutes and Oli Johnson made a rare appearance from the bench, you kind of knew that the Canadian had blown his chance.
David Nugent burst through in stoppage time, won a penalty, Leon Barnett was sent off and Greg Halford tucked away his spot kick. It finished 2-0.
Credit must go to Portsmouth – I mean how else do you play when you come to Carrow Road in 2010? Ipswich came and tried to play and got thumped. Teams like Hull, Pompey, even Middlesbrough, tried to nullify Norwich and that’s what teams have to do if they actually want to get something out of the game.
It works though – if you defend deep, play on the counter attack and frustrate Norwich you’re always going to stay in the game and that’s exactly what Portsmouth did.
Yes we missed Grant Holt badly today, we missed everything that his game brings – but Norwich need to realise that without him every move doesn’t have to consist of 15-20 intricate passes before fizzling out. It is actually OK to lump it into the box every now and then – other teams do it and it works.
When City ping the ball around the pitch, at times they’re as good as Arsenal or even Barcelona. That may sound a ridiculous comparison, but is there anything you see Messi, Wilsihere, Fabregas, Xavi and co do that City don’t produce?
Of course those other two teams are producing football at a far higher level, and they do it for much longer than Norwich, but sometimes the movement and energy that Paul Lambert has instilled in Norwich is that good.
And just like Arsenal and Barcelona, Norwich do sometimes slip up in their home games.