One of my clients once decided to carry out a worldwide survey of its staff. As consultant to the project, I was to join the third meeting of the Working Party.
This sounded interesting, not least because the first two meetings had been in Rio de Janeiro and Singapore. So, what would be the location for the third meeting that I was to join?
Slough.
I felt a bit similar last night. Like many readers, I’d thoroughly enjoyed the Bowles family’s account of their adventures following The Canaries in Germany (one of my favourite countries). Now I was following City to…. Luton.
Actually, I felt a twinge of excitement. Not at visiting Luton, but because it was my first real chance to see our new-look squad.
It’s still pre-season, of course. Other MFW writers have eloquently described the limitations of pre-season games as an indicator of what’s to come, yet here we are, just 10 days away from the real action. Surely we’d see something of the set-up and personnel Daniel Farke envisages for Birmingham.
Well, some and some. We seem to have settled on a 4-1-4-1 formation – no messing around with different set-ups as we saw at this stage last year. And the full-backs – at least tonight – playing more like wing-backs and looking to be positive at every opportunity.
Positive was the operative word for the first half. As fans, we were all frustrated last year at the lack of drive in midfield and the sterility of much of our possession. It seems Farke shared our concern and is addressing it – both in the philosophy of our approach, and bringing in players like Kenny McLean and Ben Marshall who are prepared to impose themselves on the game.
Two reservations about the positivity. First, this was against Luton, who provided competitive but technically limited opposition. Second, we lost much of the momentum in the second half – especially in a 20-minute period when we allowed the Hatters to dominate. If we’re to improve on last season, that first-half philosophy has to stick for 90 minutes when the real action starts.
Personnel-wise, it’s still hard to guess which eleven will start at Birmingham. Surely Timm Klose, Tom Trybull, Onel Hernandez and Moritz Leitner won’t be held back as they were last night. On the other hand, a number of alternative players made a strong case for themselves last night.
Encouragingly, among those who caught the eye were some of our youngsters:
- Max Aarons, looking as composed and energetic as Jamal Lewis last year
- Todd Cantwell, now maturing into a impressive midfielder
- Louis Thompson, looking like the player we saw and admired a couple of years ago (delighted for him)
- Ben Godfrey, making use of his physical strength as a centre-back
All of them played the full 90 minutes.
Other clear positives include Kenny McLean, an all-round midfielder who should thrive in the Championship; Ben Marshall, who injected the kind of purpose we lacked last year; and Teemu Pukki (how did other clubs not see his ability? And frankly, who cares?)
Some deft touches and turns suggested Emi Buendia could be a force for us this year. And it’s good to see Grant Hanley back to provide his reassuring presence.
Speaking of which, we have ourselves a goalkeeper. Tim Krul was obviously keen to play, looked sharp and wasn’t afraid to let his defence know what he wanted.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was Marco Stiepermann. Last year I thought he seemed a good player looking for his best position. On the evidence of last night – and apparently other friendlies too – that position could be central.
There are bigger tests to come, clearly. Last year we looked much more secure with three centre backs – can we be strong with a standard back four, allowing a more adventurous approach up front? And can we sustain the positive mentality that we showed for the first 45 minutes at Luton through entire games?
Fingers crossed for Jordan Rhodes, of course. It was the kind of block tackle that can damage ankle ligaments, but it didn’t look over-serious. Hope I’m right on that one.
If we’re far from sure who’ll start at Birmingham, that highlights perhaps the most encouraging thing of all. The squad Stuart Webber inherited was unfit for purpose in many ways; not only was it overpaid and undermotivated, it was patently lop-sided.
The glaring and longstanding gap in central defence was fixed last summer; this summer, it was the turn of the attack to be rejuvenated. Suddenly – and while meeting our financial imperatives – Webber has assembled a squad of considerable quality and proper balance.
There’s competition for places everywhere, and it shows in the players’ performances.
It’s a big over-simplification, but in essence we can think of Maddison’s sale as filling the parachute payment hole. The sale of Josh Murphy (and I’m assuming Nelson Oliveira) will have financed the arrivals of Ben Marshall, Emi Buendia, Teemu Pukki, Jordan Rhodes, Felix Passlack and Tim Krul, plus the permanent signing of Moritz Leitner.
Looks like a remarkable piece of deal-making to me.
Some of the squad’s virtue remains theoretical until the Championship whistle blows, of course. Our game isn’t played on paper, or even at Luton; it’s played in front of full houses at Carrow Road (a major selling point for our acquisition of players, evidently), vocal and partisan crowds at Villa and Leeds, and of course at Burton and Rotherham.
And at Preston North End on a Tuesday night in February (that’s really on our schedule this year).
But whisper it quietly: some of the signs are encouraging.
I thought we showed promise for 35 minutes. The first 10 and pretty much the entire second half sans Hanley were pretty shambolic. Sideways, sideways, sideways. When presented with clear opportunities to break at pace, we put our foot on the ball and went back or sideways. We must mix it up. Far far too predictable.
Agreed Tony. It was a bit similar to last year in the sense that it was too slow and sideways at times last night. We won’t be able to break down a better team so easily and we seemed fragile at the back on the occasions that Luton attacked.
Having said that, the players/squad do look good. I firmly believe that we have a chance to do really well this season but it all depends on whether Farke has learned from his mistakes last season.
Sir John B knew what he was doing when he wrote “come friendly bombs and fall on Slough”. And that was in 1937 so holy moly knows what he’d make of it now.
One more shadow skirmish in the phoney war and it is indeed on to the “proper stuff”. I agree many of the signs are indeed positive. Krul is a very astute signing and I wouldn’t be surprised if Remi went on loan again although hopefully somewhere better than EFL1 – he’s already proved he can cut it at that level.
In a tongue-i.n-cheek way it’s a bit of a concern when your LB is possibly the quickest shifter in the squad although Hernandez can motor a bit too.
Let’s hope Jordan Rhodes’ scan comes out as positively as can be.
It’s worth considering that this was a supposed to be a friendly – after 3 up there was little need to exert ourselves in the second half. Nor was there any further need to encourage Luton to injure more of our players.
I would think this Saturday we’ll see more of the Norwich we know and love (though for many that seems to be quite the stretch these days) as they up the temp in prep for Birmingham on the 4th.
Though it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of pre season positivity the Tony Brown’s of the world will always find something to complain about – agreed sideways passing is of detriment to the forward play but maybe consider that’s because our runners aren’t doing their jobs or have been told to ease up in consideration of the above.
If by October / November we’re as tedious as we were last season then you can sit back in your recliner and allow a little smile to play across your face safe in the knowledge that farke was the wrong choice and ultimately you, the armchair coach, was right all along perhaps even scrolling Google search for that all important hidden-under-a-rock billionaire investor every Norwich fan seems to long for.
It’s fair to say that last night was a mixed bag – clear positive intent in the first half, but a regression to some stale passing in the second.
Let’s hope you’re right that the game situation led to us easing off, and that the first half is the true sign of things to come.
OTBC
This is too important for any self satisfied smile in November, Hillary, we need to succeed this season and if we are not in the top six or showing signs of getting there it will be time for change. With the available squad some good management will achieve that. No billionaires required for me just good management, tactics to suit the players available and sensible use of subs. OTBC.
So, when they announce a contract extension in September you’ll be a happy bunny?
To be frank, I really cannot see a sacking in November, like you suggest, unless, of course, Farke has seriously lost the plot.
Hillary,
I think it’s fair to say that a lot of us were concerned at the start of last year about the lack of experience both in the team and in management. That many of us felt that with experience, toughness, and knowledge of the league you can outperform expectations. See Millwall and Cardiff.
I think that was a fair criticism and I think many players new to the English game did struggle. Franke was shipped off, Vrancic took a long time bed in, even Zimmerman only played well when surrounded by experience, Srebny looked lost. Others were injured (by coincidence or lack of experience in a tough league, I can’t say).
Our best signings who actually went on to play a lot of games last year – Gunn, Reed, Hanley. The latter brought in because of the obvious defensive frailty.
It’s interesting that this year we have largely ditched the young and hungry plan. Four out of seven signings this summer are 27 or older and the average signing age is up. We won’t be growing Rhodes or Krul as players and benefiting from their sales.
I’m not knocking this, or going to get down on individual signings. But there’s been a shift in strategy that hasn’t been recognized by many.
I’m hopeful that it may bear fruit, but a lot of that depends on Farke.
Thanks, Dave. You’re absolutely right about half the new signings being 27 or older.
I’m not sure it’s quite the shift of strategy it may seem. On the evidence of pre-season – especially last night – Farke is bringing at least four of our young/Academy players into the first-team squad: Aarons, Godfrey, Thompson and Cantwell. Having lost Wes at the end of last season, the signing of some more experienced players will help balance out the impact of what would otherwise be a significant downward shift of the age profile.
I don’t think we’ve ditched the “hungry” part of the plan.
I suspect Krul and Rhodes are very hungry to get back to the level they reached 2 or 3 years ago, as I think were Vrancic, Trybull and Leitner last season.
Astute comments David. The signings of Marshall, Krul and Rhodes are all within the peak age range of their careers.
They are the sort of players we should be signing, combining experience and decent ability. I would even go so far as to say I am looking forward to seeing all three in action for us.
I’m slightly annoyed. I was determined that I would go into this season with the same mood of melancholy as I left last season. However, the signings (especially Krul and Rhodes) and the re-emergence of Thompson and Godfrey, are encouraging the madness of optimism to rear it’s ugly head.
Don; I feel exactly the same.
To get a keeper of Krul’s experience and ability on a free was remarkable, and allows Matthews to be placed on another loan for (hopefully) the last time .
However, as we frequently said last season, “it’s the hope that kills you”!!
O T B C
Not being at the game and only being able to read what is written during the in-game reporting in the Pinkun, it seemed MB and DF were quite happy with what they were seeing.
The Pessimists were out in force as usual and picking up on any word that showed City were having a slight dip in concentration during the game.
Personally, I am sorry to see both Raggett and Matthews going out on loan again. Raggett possibly needs game time at this level and more experience and should get that a Rotherham but Sky are reporting that City have a call back from January. With Klose out of contract next season and Franke possibly transferred back to Germany, this has to be the time he shows the powers that be what he can do.
Matthews – this is the conundrum. Plymouth have again lost their first-choice loaned in keeper, so this could be his destination as most Championship clubs will have their keepers in place by now. McGovern will leave at the end of next season unless we get a suitable offer now, so he’s like Klose and Pinto and will be off to pastures new.
Remi needs to show what he can do at this level, so a loan back to Plymouth isn’t on and just maybe a loan to the Scottish Premiership would be best all-round solution.
Back to the Pinkun report – reading it the 20 mins that City switched off was during Hanley and 2 others being replaced and it looks like their replacements thought the game was over and learnt the hard way. Let’s hope that lesson sinks in for the Charlton game – again via the Pinkun
Sounds as though the second-half switch off was much the same as happens in international friendlies when there are several substitutions made.
One thing strikes me about what’s happening now is that we are reaping the benefits of work done well before Webber and Farke came here. Godfrey came from York, Thompson from Swindon, Maddison from Coventry, and Lewis and Aarons were both snapped up via Luton. Somebody was obviously doing some excellent the groundwork at lower league level. Thank you!
There are others floating around too – Raggett and Philips out on loan, and didn’t we take on a promising ex-Everton scholar in the summer?
The only one of these who was ever available to Alex Neil as a genuine starter was Maddison, and he was still pretty green. Given the other options he had (notably Pritchard) and the demand for an instant return to the PL I’m not surprised he was reluctant to let him loose at the start of the 16/17 season. I know many disagree based on what he had become 12 months later, but that’s hindsight for you.
Didn’t Neil Adams have something to do with the 5 young players you mentioned?