And whilst all games in this division are always 'big games' - just as there are no more easy games in international football any more... – this Saturday's trip to Plymouth for Norwich and Town's home clash with Reading could be rather more important than most.

As it's not my brief to ponder events down the road, suffice it to say that Magilton can probably ill-afford to lose another home game.

Most of the time, you can get away with murder on the road if your home form is the bee's knees; if your home form suddenly becomes the bee's b... then you're in trouble.

For Norwich, Plymouth (a) has become something of a weather-vane fixture; just which way is the wind blowing?

For the hapless Nigel Worthington, the no-show at Home Park two long years ago all but signed his death warrant; for the famed 'Plymouth Brethren' of 11 months ago, that miserable afternoon all but ended the Canary careers of up to half-a-dozen players.

The jury is still out on Messrs Spillane and Martin. For the luckless Simon Lappin, he remains firmly in the footballing wilderness.

This time round the long haul down to the South-West will offer the chance for the masses to make an early judgement as to whether the 34-year-old Antoine Sibierski is, indeed, the 'last piece of the jigsaw' as far as the Canaries are concerned; that with a big, target man type now slammed into City's midst, the goals, the points and a first win will now follow. Because that's the big point.

Given that Norwich now have back-to-back home games against QPR and Sheffield United to follow, one of these games has to yield that first win if the Norfolk club are not to find themselves right back where Roeder started 12 months ago.

Not when the air remains thick with takeover talk.

That with every passing week and every dropped point, so the pressure on Delia Smith and her husband Michael Wynn Jones mounts – thanks for all those Cardiff memories, but let someone else come and play with your toys before we join Leicester and Leeds down below.

That's going to be the messageboard message if the next nine days don't deliver; the urgency will grow; the tempers will fray; the patience will dwindle.

Three points on the back of a Sibierski winner and everyone has more time, more hope, more heart.

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