Norwich City (H) | Mumba's Preview
Argyle face Norwich City at Home Park this Saturday, a game which could pit Bali Mumba against his former club.
The wideman spent last season on loan at Argyle from the Canaries, and after starring in the Pilgrims’ promotion, Mumba joined the Greens on a permanent basis in the summer, joining Argyle for a record-equalling fee.
Previously, Bali had joined Norwich in 2020, from Sunderland, and played eight games for Norwich’s first team, as well as having loans at Argyle and, previously, Peterborough United.
“It’s a big game for me,” Bali told Argyle TV, “because it's my first time playing against them since coming away from them. It'll mean a lot to me; I’m looking forward to it. I'm always up for games like this, when you're playing a team that you're familiar with.
“It's going to be a bit weird being on the other side, seeing familiar faces on the other side, but it’s definitely a game that I’ve been looking forward to and I'm excited for. Hopefully, I can put in a good performance and give Argyle something to smile about.
“It's a weird feeling, but you've got to realise the sport that we're in, you're going to get a lot of these days quite often, where you're playing against people that you know and people that you're quite familiar with.
“I've been with them in pre-season, so I know how they work and how they like to play. I guess that will help us when it comes to understanding them, when we have our meetings and watch clips. I'm guessing they know quite a bit about us; their assistant manager (Andy Hughes) used to be the loan manager, and used to come here to the games.
“My main focus is on us. I’m an Argyle player now, so that's sort of put behind me. I’m more excited to just prove a point and do well for us rather than thinking about all the good times that I’ve had with them.”
Mumba was a second-half substitute on Tuesday night, when an out-of-sorts Argyle were beaten 4-1 at Bristol City, which followed a much more narrow 2-1 loss at Preston North End the previous weekend.
When Norwich come to town on Saturday, Mumba and his team-mates are hoping for a reaction, at Home Park, which has experienced so many good days of late.
“On Saturday there is one thing on our mind,” said Bali. “The whole team knows it - and that is a reaction.
“Tuesday wasn't good enough. It was a game which we all know, that's not our level. That's not our standards. There’s no excuse about it. We just have to own up to it, we're all in it together, and we just have to move on and show a good reaction on Saturday.
“Everyone’s ready for it. There's been a good reaction in training, and I'm guessing, come Saturday, there'll be another positive reaction.”
