CHRIS LAKEY Glenn Roeder has revealed that in-form Clinton Morrison could have been a Norwich City player rather than lining up against the Canaries this afternoon.

CHRIS LAKEY

Glenn Roeder has revealed that in-form Clinton Morrison could have been a Norwich City player rather than lining up against the Canaries this afternoon.

The Canaries boss was rebuffed by Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock on transfer deadline day in November when he tried to tempt him to allow Morrison to join City on loan. The timing was perfect - for Palace, with Morrison embarking on a scoring spree which has seen him score eight goals in the last 10 games to help Palace fly up the table.

Roeder isn't the first Norwich City manager to try to tempt the 28-year-old Republic of Ireland striker to Carrow Road: Nigel Worthington agreed a £2m deal with Birmingham in August, 2005 - only for Morrison to opt for a return to Selhurst Park.

“He's a very good player,” said Roeder yesterday. “Ironically I asked about him on transfer deadline day and since I asked about whether he was available, he (Warnock) put him back in the side and he hasn't stopped scoring. When the window closed Neil and I had a conversation about a couple of players - he asked about a couple of players here, I asked about a couple of players there and one of them happened to be the lad we are talking about.

“He hummed and hawed, gave it a little bit of thought and decided to keep him as he has a good goalscoring record, as he has proved.”

Roeder took over at City less than three weeks after Warnock had headed south to Palace, but both have used their experience to good effect.

Roeder has had 15 games in charge of City where, after a draw and two defeats in his opening three, he has led the Canaries to just one defeat in their last nine games, with the last six unbeaten.

Warnock has also had 15 games in charge and, after two draws and two defeats, Palace are unbeaten in a dozen matches. It's a far cry from mid-October, when both teams were in the relegation zone: Palace are now seventh and City 20th.

On current form over the past half a dozen games, both teams are in the Championship top four, with Stoke top, followed by Palace, Bristol City and the Canaries.

While Roeder has a way to go before Norwich can reach those dizzy heights for real, the City boss said he isn't surprised Warnock has made his mark immediately.

“He has obviously done what I thought he would do at Crystal Palace - he has been successful in his managerial career so I am not surprised that Crystal Palace have significantly picked up under him, not at all,” said Roeder.