Aaron Wilbraham backing Norwich City in Hull tussle

The former striker enjoyed spells at the Canaries and Hull during his 23-year professional career and will be watching closely as they face off on Saturday lunchtime in Norfolk. 

Both teams made managerial changes in the summer, with Tim Walter replacing Liam Rosenior at the MKM Stadium and Johannes Hoff Thorup succeeding David Wagner after City's play-off drubbing at Leeds. 

Walter and Thorup are two coaches with an attacking mindset, and Wilbraham isn't expecting that to change in this encounter. 

"They've both started well, but it's a tough league this year, the Championship. It's going to be difficult to pick up results.

"They are ninth and 10th at the moment and have near identical records, even down to the goal difference, with Hull having conceded one less than Norwich. Both had good results over the week and I think they will both go on to have good seasons.

"Once Norwich got beat in the play-offs, everyone knew they would probably make a change. The new manager has come in and implemented his style. He has started really well.

"I think it will be an open game on Saturday, but it will depend on how much energy the lads have got into them. There is no reason why both teams can't go into it feeling confident. I don't see either side sitting off; they will both try to control possession and attack.

"That should make for an entertaining game." 

Saturday's game marks 11 months since City last tasted defeat in NR1, a run of 22 matches that is the longest unbeaten run at Carrow Road in over 50 years. That was extended with a 1-1 draw against promotion favourites Leeds United earlier this week. 

With such a run can come extra pressure as opponents aim to become the side to break it, but Wilbraham isn't surprised that Carrow Road has become such a fortress for the Canaries from his experience as a Norwich player. 

Wilbraham played 20 times in a season-long stint at Hull in 2004/05. (Image: PA) "It always plays on your mind as an opposition player that they are going to be strong," Wilbraham said. "Sometimes, the longer it goes on, it can inspire the away team to try and be the ones that break it so it does add pressure on Norwich in trying to keep it going.

“It works both ways. Norwich is a difficult place to go and get a result, it always has been, I'm sure Hull will be aware of that.

"When you go and see the sea of yellow that the supporters create, it can be quite intimidating. It's about how they deal with that and whether Hull can relish that." 

Wilbraham spent the 2004/05 campaign with Hull after a long spell with local side Stockport County that enabled him to remain at home and develop in a comfortable environment. 

His move to Humberside saw him step into a new set-up and whilst there were challenges during his year with the Tigers, he believes it was a period that helped shaped the success to come with MK Dons, Norwich, Crystal Palace and others. 

"I had eight years at Stockport County, including my YTS from 16 to 24, and my move to Hull was the first time I'd stepped outside my comfort zone," the 44-year-old said. 

"I'd been comfortable at Stockport as a local player and having all those years there, then all of a sudden you have to move house for the first time, walking into a new dressing room and looking back, it was a huge culture shock for me.

"There was pressure as well because I felt like I'd signed for a big club who had just been promoted from League Two. There are two daily newspapers in Hull constantly writing stuff about the players, and I was in my shell a little bit, but I still managed to have a successful season.

"We got promoted, but I got injured early on, which is why Peter Taylor wanted me to play some games when the loan to Oldham came about. I went for a month, scored some goals and then came back.

"He used to have an away team full of all the six-foot lads, and we'd try to battle a result, but at home, he played Stuart Green, Nick Barmby and silky footballers, which seemed to work. We got promoted. I look back on it as a success but definitely a learning curve." 

Wilbraham became a Premier League footballer during his stint at Norwich City under Paul Lambert. (Image: PA) Wilbraham's move to Norwich came at a different stage of his career, and the Canaries handed him a chance to play in the Premier League after entering his 30s. 

The vast majority of his Carrow Road spell came as a supportive presence to provide competition for talisman Grant Holt, and he explained how becoming a nuisance to ex-City boss Paul Lambert in matches against his teams prompted him to swoop for him at Norwich. 

"It was totally out of the blue," he reflected. "I was at MK scoring double figures each season and seeing other people getting moves, but I realised that I'd scored five times against Paul Lambert.

"I scored two against him at both Colchester and Wycombe and against Norwich in the season before in a 1-1 draw, so I'd obviously stuck in his mind. He took me in as a back-up to Grant Holt to keep him on his toes because I'm a similar type of target man.

"I relished that challenge to pushy Holty. Being 31, it was great to be involved in a promotion run in the Championship."

Games between former clubs always provoke extra feeling for players with feet in both camps, but Wilbraham is backing Thorup's side to emerge victorious this weekend to continue their uplift in form. 

The former Norwich City striker was popular during a short stint at Carrow Road. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd) "Both teams will go into this game feeling really confident," Wilbraham said. "On the back of two results, it's always tough - and I know this as both a player and a manager - into that third game in the week when it goes Saturday, Tuesday and Saturday.

"That third game can sometimes end up being a bit flat from either one or sometimes both of the teams due to the minutes they've played, so sometimes it will come down to who can freshen up the squad better.

"With both teams being confident, it should make for a good game. It could make for a stalemate or a 3-3 draw. I reckon a 2-1 Norwich win."

- An in-depth chat with Aaron Wilbraham reflecting on his Norwich City spell will come during the upcoming international break