Paul Lambert was the happiest former Celt after today’s action with Norwich moving into third place in League One with an impressive 3-0 home win over Huddersfield.
The on-loan Celts are disappearing fast with Simon Ferry helping Swindon Town to a 2-1 home win over Brighton that takes Danny Wilson’s side into a play-off place.
Ben Hutchison failed to make the bench for Swindon as did Darren O’Dea at Reading and Cillian Sheridan with Plymouth.
There is risk and understanding in all loan deals but only Ferry has benefited from regular football during his loan spell. Hutchison’s ‘chance’ at Celtic has probably come and gone but both O’Dea and Sheridan have hopes of a Celtic career which hasn’t been advanced by their loan deals.
At Carrow Road Lambert seems to be getting on top of things despite taking over after the season had started.
Haunting him through the season will be Norwich’s 7-1 home defeat from Colchester when he was in charge of the visitors, although that result clearly put him in the frame for the Norwich gig Colchester are just three points behind with a game and hand and the threat of action from the Football League hanging over Lambert’s departure to Norwich.
In midweek Norwich had lost out on penalties to Southampton in the Johnston’s Paints trophy with today’s match goal-less at the interval before goals from Wes Hoolahan, Chris Martin and Gary Docherty earned the points in front of 25,000 fans.
After today’s win the former Celtic captain said: “I thought the players were extraordinary. Particularly after Southampton. To go out there; the long journey back and everything. I thought they were extraordinary.
“What was said in the dressing room stays there, but I wasn’t too disappointed. Sometimes you have to ride a storm before you can come through it. But it’s not about me… it’s the lads that have to do it, they have to come through it.
“They’re the ones that have done it, they’re the ones that have given the club back that winning feeling.”
