As City returned to competitive action against Luton Town, Norwich fans were expecting something new against Nathan Jones’ men, but did it come?
A first-round EFL Cup fixture without 17 first-team players, especially off the back of a humiliating end to life in the Premier League and a condensed pre-season, was never going to be the ideal first game back into competitive action for City.
However, this isn’t an article excusing the team for a below-par performance, even if it did include six debutants, four of whom were teenagers.
Instead, I want to focus on the tactical tweaks Daniel Farke has introduced during the closed season to gain a greater understanding of how the Canaries will approach this campaign.
The recruitment eludes to subtle adjustments. The introduction of experienced Championship target man Jordan Hugill and the hasty Polish winger, Przemyslaw Placheta, suggest City will introduce fresh patterns of play into their game.
The art of crossing has been highlighted as a potential area Norwich could not only improve in but utilise more effectively, especially with the introduction of the aforementioned Hugill and Placheta.
Norwich attempted 20 crosses against Luton, an increase on the 13.1 they averaged last season, suggesting this is an area Farke has demanded more productivity from to utilise the more physical forward line he now has at his disposal.
While Norwich’s 12 shots against Luton were not a massive increase on the 11.3 they averaged per game last campaign, there was a notable increase in the amount that were on target, rising from 50%, compared to the 30.2% they averaged in 2019/20.
While Lukas Rupp and Alex Tettey appeared more willing to fire efforts at Luton keeper James Shea, and Bali Mumba coming close with an effort early on, it was Norwich’s only goal of the game that got me intrigued me.
Kieran Dowell’s instinctive weaker-foot finish drew City level on the 81st minute and it immediately struck me as a goal that would have looked severely out of place last season.
While we all admire the intricate passing football where Norwich, to use an exhausted footballing cliché, ‘walk the ball in’, they can add a sense of unpredictability with an increase in the number of shots they attempt from outside of the box.
Another noticeable difference was the positioning of the midfield in build-up play. I’ve long believed a shift to a 4-1-4-1 would allow Norwich to create the passing triangles with far more ease, without the rotation in midfield which results in them being out of shape in transition, consequently exposing themselves to opposition counter attacks.
However, Farke stuck to his guns and deployed his usual 4-2-3-1 with the left-sided midfielder (in this case, Josh Martin) adding natural width to a congested midfield and the right-sided midfielder (Dowell) tucking in.
Little had changed in that regard, although Stiepermann and Hugill doesn’t appear to be a match made in heaven. This potentially could be down to the skillset they both have being somewhat similar in terms of physical dominance.
In the build-up, Tettey dropped between the two central defenders in almost a half-back position, allowing Lukas Rupp and Marco Stiepermann to find pockets of space in the half-spaces.
While there were moments when similar patterns were created last season, it appeared to occur more frequently. This benefits Tettey, who has a restricted passing range, but in theory, if (or when) Oliver Skipp and Jacob Sorensen fill this role, they should be afforded more freedom and expression in regards to their passing and technicality, potentially switching play to either wing-back or floating one over the top behind the opposition’s defence.
It is worth noting that I’ve only highlighted attacking areas that City are tweaking, improving or introducing. If they want to fulfil their expectations this season, they have to improve considerably in defence.
Improving their positioning when transitioning from attack to defence and addressing their vulnerability from set-pieces would go some way to making the Canaries more defensively resolute.
Time will tell if they have learned from the mistakes made in the last two campaigns, but one thing is for certain, this season won’t be as monotonous as the last.
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Billy is ½ of NCFC podcast The Revere End. You can follow them on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook @therevereend and listen to their podcast on Spotify, Apple and Google podcasts.
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An excellent read.
I just wonder if we lose any more of Aaron, Godfrey, Emi, Todd will the club replace them like for like or stick with what we have.
I don’t know for sure – nobody does – but I would reckon our spending is done.
And where would we get a like-for like for Emi from anyway? 🙂
Hi Martin
I should have said try and find like for like and yes it would be difficult to find another Emi,
Alex, I think management has already covered losing one or all of those players. We have four new defenders (2 being loans with a view to permanent) and six new midfielders (one is a loan). Losing Aarons/Godfrey from defence and Buendia/Cantwell from midfield is already planned as possible – indeed it will mean some tidy players struggle to get game time if some or all of them don’t go!
The money received for Lewis more than covers the total outlay for new players including loans. Although I don’t know how much Keiran Dowell cost. Anyone?
Finally just to agree, having both full backs committed to attack up in the final third sometimes left us too exposed at the back in transition. At school many years ago I was attacking left back but our captain always said I would be dropped if a goal came from the hole I left behind 😉
Hi Roger
Re Kieran Dowell: unofficial sources and the usual pin the tail on the donkey merchants came up with £2.5 million plus add-ons. All of them the same amount which is so unusual that it must be true!
Actually that sounds a very good deal to me from what I’ve seen of him so far.
Translate your schooldays at LB into mine on adult Sunday mornings and I can safely say: you were not alone with your captain’s *advice*. While mine came from the manager the principle was the same. Mind you even at that lowly level we operated LB up RB stays back and vice versa.
Same with the CBs when we won a corner – rarely did both go up together.
Hi Billy
It is interesting to look at recruitment for each season. Previously, the recruitment has been to fit Farkeball, technically adept players, good touch, etc. What it has meant is the squad has had a midfield that lacks pace and physicality. Our recruitment has changed somewhat. We now have more pace, a physical striker and the potential to change our style play to counter attacking or even direct toss it into the mixer.
I suspect with Gibson, Skipp and Sorensen we can tighten up our defence and with a counter attacking structure not have to commit both full backs into the final third to overwhelm teams with intricate passing. I’ve always thought our defensive frailties with Farkeball had its roots in our full backs being caught so far forward if we lost the ball. We were so vulnerable to quick, direct counter attacks.
OTBC
Once again Norwich City were found wanting at the back. Conceding three goals. against Luton on Saturday. Two of which were one on one. If Norwich are to progress in the Championship it really is time that Daniel Farke sorts his defense out. Giving away soft goals has gone on too long. This leaves the team and supporters feeling demoralised. Also it becomes almost impossible for the front men to get back three goals. If we carry on like this we will not do as well as expected in the Championship.