In the spirit of ‘giving youth a chance’, as many hope Stuart Webber and City’s new head coach will do, and to reduce the team’s average age MFW is offering its floor to two new ‘trainees’ (not *really* trainees). First up we welcome Connor Southwell.
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Stuart Webber continues to piece together the cogs as he looks to build a cohesive piece of clockwork by August.
Webber’s current insurgence has recently shifted further into gear with the departure of seven senior player and he continues to finely piece his jigsaw together while maintaining openness with supporters. Refreshing is a word that immediately springs to mind.
When Webber was appointed a month previous, it was clear he’s a man who knows his football. Russell Martin drew comparisons with Paul Lambert, which when delved into more isn’t as far off as it seems.
Like Lambert, Webber arrived at Norwich following a thumping defeat from his previous employers. Although Webber has a significant ascent to be talked about in the same vain as Lambert.
As supporters begin to get dizzy with the inevitable merry-go-round of speculation that is churned up at this period every close season, Webber begins to get busier. I’d be startled if he’s had a more overloaded summer than the one that’s rapidly approaching.
The hustle and bustle of the summer is bound to make it an exciting one for Canaries supporters; however, it’s also a crucial time for the football club. This season has been like the metaphoric rollercoaster, simply much flatter and more underwhelming. This summer’s recruitment is pivotal, most noticeably in the defensive areas where options have been substandard and impoverished.
Talking is one thing however, perhaps the most famous line from the script of the 2016/17 performance will be words ushered by dictator like Chief Executive Jez Moxey at the AGM. “Promotion, Promotion, Promotion”.
Thankfully, Webber seems more pragmatic and less arrogant. Talk of “philosophies, models and openness” marry with a much more modern approach, something that will hopefully clean the staleness which has grasped its hands around the neck of the club.
Talk is cheap. The club desperately needs a doer. A person who will simply keep their head down and work smart; the club has lacked a hard and smart grafter at senior level. For a professional club, Norwich’s approach has been, at least as an outsider, seemingly amateurish, both on the footballing side and recruitment side.
But this isn’t an article hailing Webber as the saviour, it’s simply highlighting the prominent issues that are becoming painstakingly apparent time and time again. Issues of recruitment: the height of the gap between the club’s academy and first team and addressing the underwhelming campaign and imbalance in the senior first team.
Webber simply has four months to prevent Norwich City Football Club becoming part of the furniture of the Championship and prevent it falling into the same bracket as clubs such as Leeds, Nottingham Forest and Ipswich. At those clubs, the pennies have dried up. Without promotion in the next campaign, Norwich getting promotion to the Premier League could simply be a fantasy.
Webber’s remit is to get promotion. By hook or the crook, that’s the aim. The head coach will orchestrate most of the key decisions on playing staff. Webber and co need to be absolutely certain that the new head coach has a clear playing style, is hard working and knows the boundaries of his role.
Webber has spoken in various conversations that Norwich’s squad is too vast. However, I would argue it’s lopsided, not vast. For example, Harry Toffolo remains as the clubs only permanent left back. While the club currently have four senior number tens at the club, spearheaded by Alex Pritchard and Wes Hoolahan. The squad must be younger, fitter and require more variety.
Tactically, Norwich became predictable and stale. Under former boss Alex Neil, City changed formation only once this campaign, a five at the back system being deployed away at Brentford on New Year’s Day. If Norwich can play multiple systems with competence, not only does it offer a wider range of tactics and approaches, but will also aid the development of younger players, the Murphy’s being a fine example.
Webber has spoken at length about European models. If Jacob and Josh Murphy experienced different tactics, they would become more rounded and intelligent footballers. I’m not for one second implying City operates with a different system each week, but the head coach must be open to the idea of tactical change. In England, managers are scared of change and fixated on instant wins.
Once Chelsea operated with a 3-4-3 system, suddenly all Premier League teams were attempting to emulate it. Norwich needs to be open but also creative when creating this “model”.
Webber faces multiple challenges in the infancy of his Norwich career. It’s finally welcoming to see the club adopting an approach which moves away from an omnipotent ‘dictator’ like Moxey and towards a more continental approach adopted by an increasing amount of clubs in English football. Norwich is evolving into a more modern, open football club.
It’s time to give the football club a chance for redemption.
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Thanks to Connor. A fine debut. We’ll be hearing from him again.
Good debut article, regarding Stuart Webber I believe that it will show to have been an inspired piece of business by the board. Webber has been schooled in the new age of technical football, one of a group inspired by Damien Comoli and Ade Boothroyds approach to data driven analysis of players and the application of sports science in the development of those players.This group includes two of the head coach possibilities, Gary Monk and Uwe Rosler. Others who share the same philosophies are Brendan Rodgers, Karl Robinson and Mark Warburton. It is important that we as a club are at the front end of this coaching revolution. The days of the autocratic “I’m in charge of everything manager are drawing to a close”.
A thoughtful piece Connor.
Your formation comment is pertinent – Alex Neil seemed almost completely obsessed with 4-2-3-1 and there was rarely any variations.
That said, most coaches will tell you, formations don’t win you games; players do and it’s the application of any particular framework which is critical. But, as you point out, the ability to vary from the norm is important too.
Good debut article. My hope is that we get a coach who can think on his feet also. Lambert is mentioned so will use him as a explanation. If something he had set up wasn’t working after say 2o mins, he had the gonads to change it, unlike the next two who sat their bums on what was becoming a electric chair.
Formations are part and parcel of the game, but it is more often that a piece of skill that opens the defence up to score. The game has become too centred on technical formations, I often wonder what players make of being shown a flip book of what they are supposed to do before entering as a sub. It still is more about knowing your players and what they are capable of.
Excellent debut Connor – and welcome!
I have no idea how old you actually are, but your thoughts seem very mature.
When you say the head coach should be hard-working, I would take that as a given. However, when you add that he should understand the boundaries of his role, you smack the nail on its head.
As #1 Andy Delf says, the days of the autocratic manager are indeed drawing to a close. Espeecially at NCFC by the feel of it.
And to anyone who thinks we might exploit the Paul Lambert situation at Wolves, I would respectfully suggest that is a non-starter.
DEFENCE DEFENCE DEFENCE! You are so right about our team being lop-sided. The LB situation is disastrous and I’m sure will be addressed along with the rest of the back line in the summer. I simply do not want to hear of any more midfielders being even looked at. My VERY simplistic view of the summer and next year should be.
Complete new backline (apart from Pinto) New ‘keeper, possibly on loan as they tend to play with personal pride and not as lazily as outfield loanees may be, (good luck there Stuart!)
Only minor tinkering with the attack.
Use Wes only when strictly necessary (impact sub, suspensions, injuries etc). Pritchard and Maddison are the future.
Get both the Murffs into the gym for some serious beefing up and stamina training.
Oh, and get David Wagner in. As spoken about in the Pinkun debate, Webber and Wagner don’t need “getting to know each other” time, it will soon be August.
“Alex Neil seemed almost completely obsessed with 4-2-3-1 and there was rarely any variations” (Gary, 2)
This inflexibility is one of the criticisms often aimed at Alex Neil. Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t Webber explain the success at Huddersfield down to the fact that they set out to play a certain way and stuck to it regardless of whom they are playing?
Our problems under Neil were largely due to underperforming players, some tough luck with injuries at various stages, particularly to Howson, Pinto, Dorrans, Oliveira and Thompson, and unusually for us a lot of red cards. In fact I guess our indiscipline will see us fined this year. Diljks, Naismith and Oliveira were all red-carded for violence of one kind or another, as technically was Brady – although that was more ill-timed than ill intent.
And above all we simply never defended well from front to back AS A TEAM. It was never just about the central defenders.
The truth is there was no evidence that given the way the squad performed changing from 4-2-3-1 would have made any difference.
Good stuff, Connor.
As well as the points highlighted by other commenters, you make an important one about the balance of the squad. At the moment it manages to be both too big overall and crazily thin in certain areas. That fact is certainly not lost on Stuart Webber.
Great read and above all very pertinent observations all round.
Can’t remember who the manager was possibly Bill Nicholson, Alex Ferguson, or another great manager but his idea was set up the team ashe wanted to play and was quoted as saying wht worry about the opposition let them worry about us.
Very simplistic I know but also correct if you spend to much time thinking what the others are doing it is less time spend on your own preparations.
Most coaches know the way they want to play wether that suite the way city supporters want is another matter I just hope that once he is appointed the old mantra of playing the city way doesn’t come out, it is great to play attractive attacking football scoring loans of goals in the end it is all about winning, so lets see who comes in and I bet there will be loans of moans and groans as not all supporters will be happy but lets at least give them backing at the start of the season.
#5 Bob: I agree with everything you say, but:
I would imagine that Jacob and Josh, as the natural athletes they undoubtedly are, do not have stamina issues.
As for beefing up, that’s one for the sports scientists, but I wouldn’t want either brother running at me at full tilt whatever their weight.
I played at a carp level but eleven stone did me fine – I still weigh that today.
Adding bulk can be counter-productive if it isn’t properly directed: Wes, Hucks or Disco Dale never seemed to have needed that treatment.
#6 Keith B – Webber did say something similar although, as we’ve just witnessed, and also alluded to by Connor, playing one way and not worrying about the opposition, will only get you so far. For example, being great offensively is of little use when you don’t have the ball!
Martin #9: When you played at a carp level, did you come across Declan Rudd?
Thank you for your nice comments guys. Glad it’s been enjoyed and raised discussion amongst readers.
#11 Stew: my reel favorite player is Mark Rivers. Watching him always brought a big bream to my face. I was hooked on him.
He was our dace winger – although he often skated on thin ice.
My favourite Chub was Flecky, Pike Walker was a good manager – a ray of sunshine.
I’ve had a whale of a time making this comment – it could be like it all summer:-)
Let’s hope that some of the debuts by NCFC’s new signings this summer are of a similar quality to this by Connor…..well done young (???) man!!
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Well done Connor. Regarding having the versatility to change formations I 100% agree with you. Webber has spoken before about having a definitive “Norwich way” of playing so it will be interesting to see how that works.
One point that’s not often brought up when talking about transfers – As noted by Stone, we now have to move people on before we can purchase. We don’t have the wage budget.
“It’s not a ‘we need to sell players to reduce the wage bill, it’s we need to sell players if we want to change things'”. -Stone
So Webber’s first goal must be to offload players. I had a lot of problems with McNally in the end, but he knew how to get a good price for a player. Let’s hope Webber is as shrewd. It’s one thing scouting new players. What’s his record on moving them on? Anyone?
I can’t help but think those are the only players who will be wanted and whose wages can be met. Howson, the twins, maybe Naismith etc… We’re running remarkably short on salable assets compared to previous years.
#9 MP – Look at the video of the Scotland under 17 game against France and see how difficult it is to knock Maddison off the ball. It was the same when he scored a ‘wonder goal’ in one of the qualifiers for the finals and I saw it for myself in a few of the under 23 games I was able to get to at Carrow Road and yet he is almost 5 years junior to the Murphys. They could certainly improve by following his training/weight building regime.
~17 Ed. I think you mean Middleton! (Though I think Maddison is an awesome talent too.)
Middleton always reminds me of a young Rooney – power and guile. There are several others who will be pushing towards the first 18 in one or two years time.
The formation discussion is at times misleading. Neil did have subtle changes from the 4-2-3-1, but it was barely noticed due to the use of the same players & little change (and success) in our play. Certainly his problems ran far deeper than formation.
In terms of Keith’s interesting point, there’s a difference with regards to a style of play and formation. We know a Guardiola team will always play possession football, but their formation may change within that style. I suspect we’ll have a HC who will play a high tempo, pressing style & there’s numerous formations you can use within that.