Friday 6 August: The Sun Online
Norwich City 2 Watford 3
WATFORD skipper John Eustace was on target as the Hornets made it four wins out of their last five visits to Carrow Road.
Mackay, a defensive stalwart for Norwich between 1998 and 2004, received a hero's welcome on his old stomping ground.
But the Watford boss thanked striker Graham, 25 this Thursday, for making it an extra special evening.
Mackay said: "Danny showed true quality with both his finishes. He deserves everything he gets out of the game because of the work he puts in.
"He is hungry to go onwards and upwards and he never gives defenders an easy time.
"I have set him a scoring target for the season but I'm not saying what it is.
"This result means a lot to me. I had more than six years here, my son was born here and I have a very close affinity with this club."
Mackay's men are among the bookies' favourites for the drop but they will have nothing to fear if they can repeat this electric form on a regular basis.
League One champions Norwich, who fielded six summer signings, were given a massive reality check on their return to the Championship.
The Canaries, who have now failed to win their first game of the season for the past eight years, went behind in the 14th minute thanks to a clever short-corner routine. Lee Hodson traded passes with Will Buckley and fired in a cross that Norwich failed to clear.
Eustace chested the ball down and wrong-footed Andrew Crofts before slamming a low drive beyond John Ruddy.
The Hornets doubled their advantage in the 24th minute with a stunning finish from Graham.
He knocked the ball to Marvin Sordell whose return pass sent Graham clear to beat the advancing Ruddy.
Norwich made it 2-1 seven minutes after the restart when Simeon Jackson's cute back-heel allowed Crofts to blast past Scott Loach from the edge of the box.
Graham's deflected right-foot shot in the 81st minute restored Watford's two-goal advantage before Michael Nelson gave the visitors a fright in injury time.
Canaries boss Paul Lambert said: "You can't defend the way we did for the first two goals. We came back strongly after the break but their third goal took the wind out of our sails.
"Stepping up a level you expect to get punished more often when you make mistakes."
Lambert was not helped by the fact he had to start Grant Holt, last season's 30-goal top scorer, from the bench.
Holt, who has been nursing a thigh strain, did get his chance in the 72nd minute and came close to scoring with a flying header.
Earlier in the day he was tried and convicted in his absence of a motoring offence and will be sentenced at Shrewsbury Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.
Friday 6 August - Daily Mail Online
Canaries hit bum note again on opening day
AUGUST football in Norfolk has become an ugly concept after Norwich City collapsed to an opening day home defeat for the second successive season.
It was not as catastrophic as 12 months ago when Colchester United, managed by Paul Lambert, walloped them 7-1 in an atmosphere of shock, disgust and torn up season tickets.
Yet the waves of optimism which had bathed the streets around Carrow Road prior to kick-off on Friday evening were just as surely swept away before half-time.
Watford were as clinical in attack as they were stoic in defence, but what was most startling was the flimsiness of the hosts' belief once John Eustace had put the visitors in front after 13 minutes.
Last season, incumbent Norwich boss Bryan Gunn even didn't make it to mid-August. He was replaced by Lambert, who led the club to the League One title.
If the echoes hold, Watford manager Malky Mackay could find himself in line for a return to the city where he is still idolised after spending six seasons as an uncompromising centre half.
Of course, the same sequence of events will not follow, despite Norwich's porous rearguard making life difficult for Lambert.
The frustrated Norwich manager said: 'We can't defend the way we did for the first two goals. We did quite well in the second half but you hav e got to defend set-pieces.'
New signing Simeon Jackson is unproven at this level, while last season's leading scorer Grant Holt, a substitute last night, is clearly blessed with more pace off the field than on it judging by Friday's driving conviction in his absence in a Shropshire Magistrates' Court.
Watford, by comparison, were compact and resourceful. The continuity helped. While Norwich had six new faces in their starting 11, every one of the players Mackay sent out was at Vicarage Road last season.
Mackay said: 'I was immensely proud of my players tonight. It's a very young group and they showed a lot of character tonight. We've got to strive for consistency now.'
Eustace had the first shot of the new season and then from a well-worked short corner, chested Don Cowie's cross cleverly beyond Andrew Crofts and swept a left-foot shot past Norwich keeper John Ruddy. Cue a cheeky chorus of 'We want seven' from the travelling fans.
That looked a possibility when Danny Graham played an intuitive one-two with Marvin Sordell midway through the half, then raced clear and casually clipped the ball beyond the advancing Ruddy.
It might have been worse for Norwich after 29 minutes. Sordell helped the ball on to Will Buckley, who brought a fine one-handed save low down from Ruddy.
At least it was better than 12 months ago when Colchester led 4-0 after just 22 minutes. It took a Lambert rollicking at half-time to get the home side going.
Within seven minutes of the restart, Crofts had given them hope, too. Jackson cleverly backheeled the ball into the path of the midfielder and a firmly-struck rising shot did the rest.
Watford ought to have re-established their two-goal cushion just before the hour when Ruddy spilled a Buckley cross straight on to the head of Adrian Mariappa, who headed inches wide.
But nine minutes from time, another mix-up left Graham in space and with the time to place his shot beyond Ruddy. Norwich captain Michael Nelson swept home a corner in stoppage time to give Norwich some hope.
But even Holt, who replaced Jackson with 19 minutes left, could do nothing to prevent the ghost of summer football past revisiting Carrow Road.
Friday 6 August - BBC WebsiteHornets start with a sting in the tail for CanariesTWO goals from Watford's Danny Graham brought Championship new boys Norwich back down to earth at Carrow Road on the opening day of the season.
John Eustace gave the Hornets the lead when he fired in low from Don Cowie's looping ball before Graham then doubled the advantage with a sidefooted finish.
Norwich hit back through Andrew Crofts' 18-yard drive but Graham restored the two-goal cushion with a guided effort. Defender Michael Nelson swept in during injury time but Watford held on.
It was an exciting climax to the match but Norwich's cavalier efforts came all-too late following a poor first-half display.
During most of the first quarter of the match all was rosy in the Carrow Road garden, as they dominated possession and came close to taking the lead when summer signing Simeon Jackson was prevented from finishing by Martin Taylor's strong and well-timed challenge.
However, the next goalmouth chance was converted, to the dismay of the vocal home support.
Cowie's short corner was played back to him and the Scot delivered a high looping ball that Eustace first chested down before firing low past keeper John Ruddy from 10 yards.
Moments later, luck eluded Norwich again when Andy Surman's 25-yard free-kick was whipped past the wall but failed to beat the palms of Loach.
The home side then fell further behind when Graham slotted in after playing a wonderful one-two with his impressive 19-year-old strike partner Marvin Sordell.
Norwich began the second half like they began the first, but fortune finally favoured them when Crofts found the target on his club debut.
Former Blackpool winger Wes Hoolahan drove inside from the left before finding Jackson who backheeled the ball into the path of Crofts. The 26-year-old did not break stride as he thumped in from 18 yards.
Pressure was piled on the Watford goal but the defence held firm and were given some welcome respite when Graham was found at the edge of the area and guided his low shot from the edge of the area past Ruddy.
It should have been game over, but in injury-time Nelson converted Crofts' right-wing cross to renew the Canaries' hopes. However, Malky Mackay's side survived the closing stages to hold on for their fourth win in five visits to Norwich, which took them, albeit temporarily, to the Championship summit.
Friday 6 August - The Guardian
Danny Graham shows poor Norwich that Championship life will be tougher
WATFORD have modelled their new away strip on the famous red-and-black stripes of Milan, and there were times last night, particularly in the first half, that Norwich were so poor Malky Mackay's young team were almost made to resemble the Rossoneri in action as well as appearance.
The problem for Norwich was that having come up as champions, manager Paul Lambert made seven signings over the summer, six of whom started. Unsurprisingly, they looked and played like a team of strangers.
Watford, in contrast, started with no new signings at all. They came perilously close to going into administration last December, but avoided both that and - remarkably, given the number of senior players sold to reduce their debt - relegation.
Further departures over the summer have left Mackay with a threadbare and painfully inexperienced squad who are among the favourites for relegation, though they were boosted yesterday when the club somehow found £500,000 to sign the 22-year-old striker Troy Deeney from Walsall.
Deeney was among the substitutes tonight, and saw an opening during which the visitors more than gave as good as they got, and it was no great surprise when Watford took the lead. John Eustace had already put one drive over the bar when he was allowed to bring down a high cross in the penalty area, evade Andrew Crofts' challenge, and drive a low shot inside the goalkeeper John Ruddy's right-hand post.
Surman's free-kick brought a good save from Watford keeper Scott Loach, but the manner in which Norwich conceded a second really did deflate the crowd. Lloyd Doyley pumped a ball up to Graham, the forward played a neat one-two with fellow striker Marvin Sordell, and with City centre-half Michael Nelson trailing ponderously in his wake, Graham ran into the area and beat Ruddy.
Only Ruddy's fingertips prevented Will Buckley making it three soon afterwards, but half-time gave City a chance to regroup, and seven minutes after the break Wes Hoolahan's driving run and Jackson's intelligent back-heel gave Crofts, running into space in the penalty area, the chance to drive a shot firmly beyond Loach.
However, Watford continued to expose City's defence and Adrian Mariappa looked certain to score when Ruddy's unaccountable fumble presented him with an open goal. Taken by surprise, the defender guided his header the wrong side of the post.
Lambert's introduction of last season's top scorer Grant Holt, who missed most of City's pre-season games with injury, was roundly applauded but it was Graham who had the final word, albeit with a gentle shot that should never have beaten Ruddy.
Nelson's injury-time strike gave City hope they hardly deserved, but it was too little too late. "It's a young squad, and a small one, but hopefully a few Premier League teams will see this performance, and the way we play, and be more inclined to loan us a player or two," said Mackay.
Lambert felt, rightly, that his team improved in the second half, but accepted they had not done enough to earn anything from the game. "We were decent after the break but we're in a higher division now, where mistakes are that much more likely to get punished."
Saturday 7 August - The IndependentGraham double reopens old wounds for NorwichWHAT is it about Norwich City and opening matches of the season? Last August the Norfolk club lost their first-day fixture 7-1 at home to Colchester United, a result that led to Bryan Gunn being sacked as manager a week later.
Paul Lambert, Gunn's successor, subsequently led Norwich to the League One title, but any thought of an immediate celebration of their return to the Championship quickly vanished at Carrow Road last night. Norwich never recovered after going two goals down inside 23 minutes as Watford, one of this season's relegation favourites, gave a performance to cheer their manager, Malky Mackay, who had been given a warm welcome by the home fans in recognition of his time here as a player.
Norwich were particularly tentative in the first half, looked shaky at the back throughout and rarely found any fluency, which may have been down to the fact that they had six new signings in their line-up. In contrast Watford's confidence was evident in their slick passing and movement whenever they pushed forward.
The home side went behind after only 13 minutes. John Eustace controlled Don Cowie's right-wing cross following a short corner before shooting home from 10 yards, the ball taking a slight deflection off Elliott Ward.
Watford supporters were soon chanting: "We want seven!" If that raised a smile around the rest of the ground nobody was laughing 10 minutes later as Danny Graham played a neat one-two with Marvin Sordell and chipped a shot past John Ruddy.
Ruddy, making his debut after arriving from Everton in the summer, must have wondered quite what he had let himself in for. But for the 6ft 4in goalkeeper's agility Norwich would have been three down inside half an hour. Sordell found space down the right before crossing to Will Buckley, whose shot was smartly saved by Ruddy at the near post.
Andrew Surman's free-kick, which Scott Loach kept out with a fine save at the foot of a post, was the closest Norwich came to a goal in the first half, but Lambert's men had a more positive approach after the break and were rewarded with a goal after 51 minutes. Simeon Jackson cleverly backheeled the ball into the path of Andrew Crofts, whose rasping drive from the edge of the penalty area found the far corner of the net.
Norwich played with more conviction in the second half and with 19 minutes remaining Lambert brought on Grant Holt, last season's top scorer.
One Holt header flew just wide of a post, but within nine minutes of his arrival Graham had restored Watford's advantage, beating Ruddy with a soft shot that crept inside the far post. Michael Nelson pulled a goal back for the home side with a close-range shot in injury time, but an equaliser would have been more than Norwich deserved.
Mackay said afterwards that he was proud of the character his team had shown, particularly after Norwich had reduced the arrears early in the second half, while Lambert blamed his team's defeat on poor defending for the first two goals.
"If you make mistakes in this division you get punished," he said.
By Tom Sharp
