For this week’s preview, I’m delighted to be joined by Simeon Pickup, assistant editor of The Tilehurst End – an award-nominated, independent fan blog covering all things Reading. Following the handcuffed small talk, I delved straight into proceedings. The relationship between the two clubs (or at least the fans) has deteriorated somewhat following Reading’s relentless chase […]
Connor Southwell
Connor discovers his inner Gary Neville… and analyses how things have changed in City’s defensive set-up
Whilst football has evolved and reinvented itself in the more modern years with discussion over philosophies, brands and tactics, one survivor of the era before the globalisation and commerciality of the game is the art of defending. Whilst being a fan of Pep Guardiola’s rebrand and the Dutch with their free flowing football and false […]
A love of City that goes deep and goes far beyond the odd hiccup here and peak there
Every scribble of nonsense bearing my name carries years of generational weight. Football has always been, to my mother’s annoyance, a significant member of the Southwell ménage. Norwich City has been a mainstay between a cohort of people who are hopelessly devoted to the game. My grandfather’s voyage following the likes of Hartlepool United and, […]
Teething troubles? Or major flaws? The next few games will be revealing
I didn’t go to Millwall. I was sat in a caravan in Lincolnshire, desperately scrambling to find updates of events at The New Den. I ended up with Football Focus, as I was engaged in the vidiprinter awaiting news from South London. As the reporter described Norwich’s early dominance, I was overjoyed and my mind […]
Patience. Trust. Context. Three easy words to say (and write) but which are elusive after days like yesterday
I love Norwich City. Like countless others, I travel countless miles away from home to witness thumping upon thumping. I haven’t seen Norwich win on the road since Nottingham Forest in 2016. The humiliations test your devotion; sometimes they even make you question your sanity. My sister’s ears take a bashing regularly as I rant […]
QPR Preview: Ollie, ‘Arry, Bradley & Joey, that ‘bloody darts music’, flouncy answers and chip shops
Ahead of tonight’s QPR fixture, I caught up with LoftForWords.com’s Clive Whittingham, who gave me the lowdown on what to expect from The Rs …. Connor: Clive, it’s fair to say QPR have undergone a huge revamp on the pitch in the last few seasons. Is Ian Holloway the man to stabilise the club and […]
Oliveira v Jerome? Or a case of horses for courses? We’re lucky to have both
Hallelujah. Football returned on Saturday, and was confirmed by me finding myself with no voice come 5pm – all thanks to a certain Portuguese international. Few in the Putney End were aware of Nelson Oliveira’s antics and in honesty, I doubt many cared at the time, but on reflection, the exuberance of the ball hitting […]
Patience is going to be key. Let’s brace ourselves for a slow start and all see the bigger City picture
It’s easy to be mesmerised and uncontrollably excited following an unbeaten pre-season. When the new regime has bred positivity and optimism through supporters by almost clicking immediately, it’s hard not to be buoyant. As pre-season concludes and the ‘real stuff’ approaches, it’s like the countdown to Christmas Day; football fans emulating young children on December […]
Part Four: We’re in the grip of the inverted winger and ‘false 9′, the old-style striker a thing of the past
On the final stretch on this extravaganza of analysis, we arrive at the final third of the pitch. The players, who score goals, who become heroes and who fundamentally have the ability to win matches seemingly single-handedly. With the departure of Jacob Murphy, Norwich will need to call upon other cannons in their arsenal to […]
Part Three: The engine room’s still the engine room but it won’t be one that Y’Army are familiar with
In part three of his pre-season mini-series, Connor looks at the City midfield and how things are about to change… _________________________________________________________________________ With two high profile casualties of two of City’s engine room, a reconstruction under surgeon Farke is well under way. He has inherited a midfield that lacked movement and coherence and, despite the reinforcements […]
Part Two: #ncfc defenders will try the patience of the faithful but it’s something they’d better get used to
In part two of his pre-season mini-series, Connor examines defending 2017-style and how it will fit into Daniel Farke’s vision of a future Norwich City… __________________________________________________________________________ Defending. An art form once perfected on the Carrow Road turf by Duncan Forbes and David Stringer in their own inimitable, physical way has slowly evaporated. With the horror […]
Part One: No longer are ‘good hands’ enough to be a top keeper. Angus’s deft first touch will be key
In part one of a four-part ‘mini-series’, Connor examines the role of the modern day goalkeeper and how it fits into Daniel Farke’s brave new world. _________________________________________________________________________ It’s fair to say the days of the traditional goalkeeper are over. Gone are the days of the worst technical players on a school field being shoved in […]
Plenty of positives but friendlies are friendlies. Some much tougher pre-season tests await Farke’s squad
There is something magical about the complete irrelevance of pre-season in terms of being a football fan. While it gives you a look at the new produce Norwich have acquired from across the continent, it also poses more questions than answers. As I watched on at Crown Meadow, I was indulged by the complete irrelevance […]
Alex Neil to Preston? If so, there are still lessons to be learned in both Norfolk and Lancashire
When Alex Neil was dismissed in March, few foresaw the major face-lift that would occur in the corridors of Carrow Road. The brazen Scotsman will probably reflect on a robust tenure with hint of resentment at the nightmarish way it ended. However, it’s sometimes critical for football supporters to do something that doesn’t come naturally: […]
The reality is clear – if promotion is not achieved next season then the club will be in a financial mess
Sadly, there are too many Norwich City supporters who believe that, behind those closed doors, the football club is some sort of utopian fantasy. But, as with any operation led by human beings, the reality is riddled with mistakes and flaws. Football is like one huge game of poker. Except the risks are higher. And […]
Some say cheap. I say shrewd. Watkins, Vranic and Gunn just the start in a big shift in our club’s ethos
Last summer, Alex Neil described the incoming recruitment of players in June as “impossible”. A year on, and Norwich, at time of writing, look poised to complete their fourth signing of the summer. If you dissect the signings individually, it seems to be part of a somewhat wider scheme. A directionless club sitting in a […]
“All we are saying, is give youth a chance”. Will others follow the same path as the Murphy bros?
The shift in how young footballers are developed means they are now required to engage in a ‘footballing education’ before being considered for senior football. Jacob and Josh Murphy are examples of how, in more recent years, Norwich’s academy and youth development system have produced. I would argue however that the development of young players […]
So, how will a storming 20 months in the lower reaches of German football translate to the Championship?
So, City have dipped their toes in unknown waters as the revolution continues. Character after character was linked to the leading protagonist role at Carrow Road but an unlikely front runner finally emerged from the pack of managerial candidates; Rosler, Keller and Wagner all being left behind in the wake of an unknown quantity from […]
Let’s hope the Webber revolution offers us all a Norwich City that loses the ‘nice’ tag, Holty-like
Looking back, this current Norwich side had too many gifted footballers who lacked the physicality, desire and mind-set to scrap and battle. It’s notoriously harder to defend because it is exhausting physically and mentally and our soft underbelly and poor application was simply exposured too often this season.