It’s guest blog time and this time it’s the turn of Lewis Fuller, one of the 800+ who made the trip to Griffin Park on Tuesday night…
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It’s refreshing that Daniel Farke sees value in the cup competitions – “I like to have runs in the cup” – especially when you consider how it’s been belittled by City managers in the past.
With this mind I wasn’t overly surprised by the team when it was announced on Tuesday night with Angus Gunn, Ivo Pinto, Christoph Zimmermann, Timm Klose, Tom Trybull and Josh Murphy all keeping their places and playing their fourth game in ten days.
However, there was a still a buzz on the Griffin Park terraces amidst the renewed optimism. Who doesn’t love a cup run?
As it transpired the energy and fitness levels from minutes 1 to 94 epitomised the “Farkelife” transformation.
Marley Watkins – in his role as the lone striker – made great penetrative runs all game and it was one of these his run that resulted in the early penalty that Mario Vrancic rather coolly tucked away.
When he first signed for the club back in June, Farke described Vrancic as a “smart and technical” player and on Tuesday night he showed all of that and more with a cracking free-kick and some clinical decision making; qualities that in my opinion have been uncharacteristic of him this season.
The Canaries predominantly controlled the first half and most of the second, and when Josh Murphy sealed the game with that cheeky dink it was a much needed boost to his confidence following a few games in which he’s under-performed. It was a shame that Josh Clarke sealed a late goal to destroy our fourth clean sheet in a row.
It was a minor negative however and amongst many pluses it was Tom Trybull who summed up perfectly the recent Norwich upturn. Again his energy levels were terrific, and allied to his desire and commitment, the way he wins the ball back and constantly impacts on the game shows me signs he can be a great addition to the club. He has certainly warmed to the number 19 Norwich shirt.
After a patchy start, City fans are now understandably more confident and I have faith Farke and his team are quick learners who can adapt to English football. In particular, I’d like to see them continue to improve the fitness and energy levels.
So let’s hope this momentum and team chemistry continues to build as we head into the game on Saturday and the players can indeed go “hand in hand through their Farkelife”.
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Thanks to Lewis for his thoughts. Follow him on Twitter @epiclewis25.
Thanks for the insight into Tuesday’s game, I too am loving having a manager who wants to win cup games, it seems an increasing rarity in any division with promotion/survival or european qualification being the be all.
As you went to the game I was wondering; how was the midfield dynamic? Were we better with the ball with Reed in for Tettey? We actually won and with more possession, so possibly?
Did we look any less durable at the back with both Tettey and Stiepermann out for Reed and Husband? We obviously conceded after some changes were made but did the defence look significantly compromised in the absense of Klose? or was it just complacency near the end with a comfortable lead?
It sounds good that Marley played well, perhaps I and others were worrying over nothing with Nelson injured, maybe it is not only Jerome we must rely on to lead the line. After Marley’s performance is he pushing for a start ahead of Jerome?
I’m kind of expecting the same line up for Bristol as against Sheff utd, but would you say any of the players on Tuesday have done enough to force their way back into the starting XI?
It was a weakened Bee’s line up so can we read too much from this game?
Bah!
Was the last run in the FA cup a sort while back and we got to the semi final and lost to a smaller club called LUTON in 1959??
We’ve definitely lost to Everton at Villa Park more recently than that! That horrible game could have been the single greatest piece of evidence in the case for introducing the backpass rule.
Bah!
Hey,
Reed and Trybull had a excellent partnership in the middle of midfield, and kept the game ticking over well, To be honest it was complacency at the back and surprised everyone at the other end of the goal, wouldn’t say it was a massive problem although still not convinced by Franke
Whilst I wouldn’t say we were any less durable at the back, all things considering we played a poor Brentford team who made 8 changes, and if we played a Millwall or Villa then perhaps we could of been overrun, Vrancic looked weak defensively but contributed with two key moments.
As for the team for tomorrow I would also expect a similar team, Reed is a player who I admire and perhaps had unfair criticism as Frake played a 4141 he was left exposed earlier on in the season. I would have the same team but swap Marley for Jerome, think Jerome has lost confidence in recent games and Marley looks fit and stronger than ever.
“It’s refreshing that Daniel Farke sees value in the cup competitions – “I like to have runs in the cup” – especially when you consider how it’s been belittled by City managers in the past.”
As we discovered yesterday, when we all resorted to looking it up, our League Cup record in recent years has been better than we remember. So I don’t think many of our managers really have belittled it.
It is the FA Cup that we seem not to have bothered with, but because it comes in the second half of the season we tend to remember our failures then rather than what we’ve done in the autumn. It also comes on the back of a ludicrously busy December and New Year – 7 games in 30 days isn’t it? I’ll lay good odds now that however seriously Falke takes it there will be some very tired bodies rested in Round 3.
The whole competition has a much higher profile too, which is why our inability to have an impact in it is all the more galling. Matches are played at weekends. Some are even played at 3.00pm on a Saturday afternoon! And sometimes they are televised (in fact always televised if you are Man U).
Come January, let’s see how Falke tackles it then, especially if we’ve managed to climb the table and still have a chance of making an impact in the league.
A good article and an enjoyable read.
As I and and a number have commented previously patience is truly a virture and it come to those that wait, city now playing with confidence and the patience is being rewarded.
Farke will have another steep learning curve come 23 October at the Emirates so between now and then lets hope the confidence keeps building and and that the harpengers of doom and gloom have nothing to shout about.
I expected this season to be up and down and also we would have a few unexpected results the first being Sunderland followed by Millwall both loses then the really strange result drawing to Burton followed by an away win to Sheffield United and even a cup run beating Brentford, then next game away to Bristol is winnerable and that will be a very good September.
I expected a rough ride at certain points and so it is proving only 6 weeks in an lots of talking points we are having one HECK of a ride and long may it last.
It’s funny you say patience is a virtue. In reality our upturn in results is from change, not patience. Change in personnel, change in tactics.
Gone is the “possession based football” that that we were told we’d need to persevere with and had been the plan all through pre-season and early-season. Now that our possession has dropped our results have turned around completely.
I’m not saying this is a bad thing. It’s clearly working. But I don’t believe patience is what we needed. More a good old walloping.
Thanks for a insightful sum up, I have this feeling we may have a job hanging on to Mr Trybull in January if he keeps this up. If he is impressing the media it won’t be long before the Burnley’s Palace’s start knocking.
Things are starting to show of the new regime’s way of wanting to play, the players are buying into this better than I thought they would. The old saying of not being able to teach an old dog etc, is not proving to be a major hurdle, we did as expected have some teething problems, however there were some major players struggling with injury. It says a lot of how things are developing especially at the back, when a new signing cannot get into the side.
It has been noted that Brentford played a weakened side in the game, but we can only beat what is in front of us, and to show a reasonable professional way of beating them, (except one hiccup) is a major plus for me.
Now on to Arsenal at the Emirates (Highbury still sounds better) is a difficult ask , but who would not have a lingering hope of beating the odds, showing some of the past Cup glories can be repeated.
Memorable semi final in the league cup was at Chelsea for the first leg I think we won 2 – 0 second leg Carra rd winning again I think it was 3 – 2 then the wensum started to take part with a very thick river fog game abandoned can’t remember the replay score was Orderly Corp at RAF Stanmore Park couldn’t even get it on the radio duty Sargent didn’t like footy was a rugby fan.
I reckon the 1p5wich semi takes some beating…
Martin yes that was a good game but they didn’t have an Osgood or Hudson playing for them.