Leroy Lita at Euro 2007
There he is, fighting against the relegation in Coca Cola Championship together with the rest of Norwich City players. He is still scoring the same way he did when he was in the Premier League with Reading or for England’s U-21, but he simply is not lucky enough to play in a club where he can show his true value. Let’s make it clear, Norwich City is not bad, although the 2008/09 season appears to be another failure for the Canaries when they had a solid boosting campaign but just can’t start playing in a consistent fashion. They are the only ones, along with Wolves, to bag five in a league game (5-2 at Carrow Road), when Lita scored his hat-trick. However, immediately after this good result and the step in the right direction, Canaries made two steps back and ruin it all.
Earlier this season, Lita failed to push through for the starting place with his Reading. Since Dave Kitson moved to Stoke City this summer, it appeared there will be enough of the room for him. Strangely enough, manager Steve Coppell gave the chance to Kevin Doyle and the rookie Noel Hunt. At the end of September, Lita realized he didn’t belong at Madejski, while Norwich manager Glen Roder was eager to bring a quality striker in his inefficient squad, so the loan came through on 1st October.
And then BOOM. Lita had an excellent start, scoring 6 goals in 11 games already. His loan is prolonged up to 31st December, and Glen Roeder keeps on stating he would like to buy him off in January.
Let’s just hope that U-21 European Championship top scorer in 2007 will once again be available for some Premier League outfit in order for his undoubted qualities to be under the spotlights rather than his temper, fights, strippers and other things we hear about him. He is still young, he will live through this, but one thing is sure – he is an excellent footballer.
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If he really have the quality, he surely will be spotted by the football club in premier league.