I bet everyone reading this can remember their first car (and all the strange quirks it had).

Mine was an olive green Yugo which had the nickname Stanley.

I inherited the beauty in 1988 when my mum and dad got a new motor - and in so many ways I loved it.

Having a vehicle to call my own and the freedom to get out and about as an 18-year-old was special. 

In those days, cars from eastern Europe were a bit of a joke, so I had to put up with a bit of mickey taking (but I took it all in my stride).

On the whole I was pretty happy with Stanley apart from a smattering of technical manfunctions.

The issue which sticks most clearly in mind almost 35 years on was the dodgy starter motor which only woke up when I lifted the bonnet and gave it a whack with a hammer I kept in the boot (good job the boys in blue never pulled me over). 

My best mate Tony had a turquoise blue Fiesta for his first car and he also had some mechanical challenges to overcome.

There was a power issue which meant the radio, windscreen wipers and heater couldn't all work at the same time.

So picture the scene on a wet and cold night after a City home game when we headed home in the Fiesta.

Those were the days before smartphones, so the only way of getting other results and reports was the car radio.

Basically, we had to alternate between being cold, not seeing out of a rain splattered window and hearing Sports Report!

Where is this automative trip down memory lane going in a column about Norwich City I hear you ask (apart from getting used to being mocked about being a Canary fan?)

Well, over the past couple of weeks as I've pondered where David Wagner's team is as we enter the final third of the season, the words "stop/start" have come into my mind.

City had a six-game winning run in August and September and a nine-game unbeaten run which yielded 23 points from 27.

After that the Canaries had no wins in six, including four defeats.

Since then, the season has been all about signs of hope intermingled with reality checks about where the team really is.

And that's what has turned my mind to those treasured (and yet imperfect) first cars.

Think of the massive positivity from those four-goal away wins at Preston and Coventry as Wagner's reign got underway.

It was like taking to the road in that debut vehicle without a care in the world.

Then came Burnley at home and Bristol City away which was like the treasured motor juddering to a halt.

A whack of the hammer later and Hull at home got things up and running again.

But then the drab goalless draw at basement side Wigan resembled the old window wipers not functioning due to the car heater being on.

Having chatted to many City fans recently, the big frustration is just not knowing which team will turn up from week to week.

When the Canaries are good, they are really good. 

Apart from the newly-named Red Hot Chile Pepper's wonder strike, there were lots of other positives on Tuesday.

The tempo, the confidence, the goals, the drum-enhanced atmosphere and, most importantly, the three points.

Walking out of Carra at the end and the general theme of conversations was "keep this up and we've got a decent shout in the play-offs."

Unfortunately, too often the peaks are followed by troughs and the old uncertainties and doubts creep back in.

So finishing on the motoring theme, if Wagner can really take the wheel, fine tune those on the Canary bus, fix the nagging faults and the get the boys consistently in top gear, we can really start to dream (and maybe see if the old Yugo and Fiesta can be found for the trip to Wembley!)

 

One of the best ever

Wow, wow, wow!

One of the real benefits of being up in the top deck of the River End is that I got a fantastic view of THAT goal from Marcelino Nunez.

A good mate who normally sits elsewhere in the stadium joined me in the upper tier for the first time and before the game I'd recalled the perfect sight we had of that amazing Johnny Howson goal against Notts Forest.

As the Chilean's wonder strike flew past John Ruddy, we looked at each with a mix of disbelief and joy.

It has inevitably opened the debate on where Nunez's goal ranks in the all-time greats at Carrow Road.

And for me it's certainly among the very best I've witnessed in my 45 years at NR1.

Of course, Justin Fashanu's banger against Liverpool will take some beating.

As well as Howson, there's Robert Rosario against Southampton, Youssef Safri v Newcastle, Tettey v Sunderland and let's not forget Russell Martin in his 200th match against Brighton.

Which is your favourite?

Adam must take his chance

I really, really want Adam Idah to flourish for Norwich City.

He seems a great lad and there's never any doubt of how hard he works.

With Josh Sargent and Teemu Pukki facing more time out, this has got to be the time the striker really takes his chance.

The fact is that Idah is no longer a kid in footballing terms. He's now 22 and just a few months younger than Max Aarons, who has just made his 200th appearance for the Canaries.

On Tuesday Idah led the line pretty well, provided a lovely cushioned header to put Kenny McLean through and never stopped pressurising the Birmingham defence.

But frontmen have to be judged on goals and that's the real issue he faces.

Idah has five goals from 59 league games in a City shirt (yes, I accept 46 of them have been from the bench).

He got caught offside too many times on Tuesday and for a lad who is 6ft 3, he ought to win more headers.

Idah is obviously really well thought of at Carra - and he will undoubtedly continue to get all the support he needs.

Now let's see him rattle them in - starting against Cardiff on Saturday.