The #NCFC timeline last night from 8pm onwards was not for the faint-hearted. In fact, if for any reason you’d been incommunicado from the outside world but had accidentally stumbled across ‘Norwich City’, you’d assume this was a football club in crisis.
As it transpired, City’s only crime was to draw a game of football against a team who were highly motivated, quite good on the night and who are, in fact, the division’s draw specialists.
While the draw against Boro just about scraped into the ‘point gained’ category, last night’s was the very epitome of it. Millwall had the better chances, looked the more threatening, and had more shots on target.
Gary Rowett described his team’s performance as “excellent” and was right. They did to City what Barnsley and Middlesbrough have done in the last 10 days and, arguably, did it better.
What all three had in common was a plan to deny City the chance to settle and slip into those fluid passing rhythms that make Farkeball what it is. Not rocket science, but as others have found, when City are in full flow it’s not a plan that’s easy to enact.
Each of the three did slightly differently but the common theme was to not allow our players the luxury of a third touch and to ensure that any pass made in the attacking half was made under pressure. The combo of City dipping below their best – which will happen more than once in a 46-game season – and a couple of less-than-perfect playing surfaces have created what Twitter (and probably Canary Call) seems to have deemed a crisis.
But it’s not. We’re just not playing particularly well at the moment, at least not in an attacking sense. The ebb and flow of our attacking thrusts has gone from silky to staccato and, it’s true, we do look a very different outfit to the one that had us all drooling after offering up a footballing masterclass to Bristol City.
I was probably more guilty than anyone of clambering aboard HMS P1ss The League after that game but in the real world, we were never going to soar off into the sunset while the chasing pack just gazed on in envy. Never going to happen.
We’re not Wolves of 2017-18, or even Leeds of 2019-20 come to that. This will likely go the wire, and we shouldn’t expect or assume anything less.
The Championship comes with few guarantees and just because we had a nicely remunerated season in the sun and we play some beautiful football at times, we have no divine right to pitch up at places like The Den and expect anything other than a rough ride.
And besides, the hand-ringing and teeth-gnashing is ignoring the fact that we now have a defence that is statistically the third best in the division and, in reality, is the best we have had since the days of Edworthy, Mackay, Fleming and Drury.
Last night’s performance level wasn’t a million miles away from the one that was produced at the same venue in the early days of the Farke/Webber era. That day City had 72 per cent of possession, compared to 64 per cent last night but the big difference, aside from Farke playing a lone Harrison Reed as the shield, was a back four that read, Pinto, Martin, Franke and Husband.
What we have now, even with a rookie left-back who is clearly still finding his feet, is a back-four that looks worthy of the name and a keeper who has been there, done it and is at the top of his game.
For those who are unaware, here are a couple of stats from the ever-excellent @ncfcnumbers:
All of which explains why, even in the midst of a dip in form, City have been able to dig out two points that just may, in the final countdown, prove invaluable.
Even on the very bad days, with Krul being afforded the protection of the Championship’s two best minders, City are capable of getting something from a game.
I’ve waxed lyrical of late around Grant Hanley’s newly discovered ability to make a pass and burst into space, and Ben Gibson’s wand of a left foot but essentially their raison d’être is to defend and they’re doing an outstanding job with the minimum of fuss.
So, as we all get a little twitchy and uppity because we look a little toothless going forward at the moment, it’s worth noting that with this defence and goalkeeper playing at their current levels, we always have a chance of earning at least a point from every game.
Emi’s absence is of course a painful one in an attacking sense but I’d argue injury or illness to any of that defensive triumvirate would be every bit as damaging.
Friday will offer an altogether different challenge; one in which our opponents will set out to play themselves rather than disrupt. Swansea will look to wrestle the initiative from us and look to impose themselves through keeping hold of the ball – the complete antithesis of the last three games.
As a result, Teemu Pukki and co may find themselves with a modicum of extra room to work in, albeit against the statistically meanest defence in the division. And it will be played out on a surface that was relaid only three weeks ago and so should theoretically be far better than those at The Den and Oakwell.
It all makes for a very different type of challenge; maybe one more suited to Farke’s squad.
So, an important few days ahead, not least at Colney where Team Farke has work to do to rekindle the attacking spark that has been dimmed of late.
But we’re still top and will be even if the unthinkable happens on Friday night. Watford and Bournemouth (who have just sacked Jason Tindall) are both finding the going tough, so let’s keep our heads.
And…
Me too.
It was predictable that Millwall would offer a physical challenge and so it was disappointing that Sorensen did not play and Maclean too (though that may be as a result of after effects of covid). I was heartened when Maclean was booked to the extent that it showed he was up for the battle.
I was also disappointed that Cantwell falls over so much – perhaps a pair of ordinary boots with proper studs might do the trick. After his man of the match performance against Cardiff, he has not been at his best. One incident which showed the lack of confidence in attack was when Pukki broke away and passed to Cantwell. The moved fizzled out unlike the fantastic goal they combined for against Manchester City las season.
As for Swansea, I think City have to establish control of midfield which has been lacking in the last three games. If that means leaving out Giannopoulos and Rupp or Placheta, so be it.
Well written piece nicely putting things into perspective.I must admit I found last nights game a frustrating watch but like you pointed out as a defensive unit we look as solid as we have done for some years and I’m sure the scoring touch will return.I am a big Mario fan but not sure he is a number 10 and the position is up for grabs imo and up to farke to find the best solution which I’m sure he will.OTBC
I haven’t seen the high(?)lights from the game, so I can’t comment on the performance, but I’ll take that point any day. A win at Swansea would be priceless, so fingers crossed. However, having watched MOTD last night, I’m not sure I want to return to the nightmare that is VAR. There were decisions in at least two of the games that were an absolute joke, and are ruining the game. I learned something as well, that I hadn’t heard before. Apparently, if you try not to make a tackle, and the player goes down with minimal contact, it’s a red card for “denying a goal scoring opportunity”. They get the penalty, so why is that not a goal scoring opportunity? However, if you wipe out the attacker in an attempt to play the ball, it’s a penalty and a yellow card! Where is the logic? If you try not to commit an offence, it’s a worse punishment than doing something that potentially could injure someone badly. It’s not just VAR (though that compounds errors), it’s the insane messing around and tweaking the laws of the game. It’s almost enough to make me give up football.
Well said Jim.
I’m glad you incorporated the word *almost* into your final sentence but believe me I feel just the same as you.
I suppose you mean yesterdays Wolves-Arsenal and Manu-Southampton? I didnt understand at all how they suddenly changed again rules. That VAR is mess in premier league mainly because suddenly maybe depending who sits in var room rules changes or everything is manipulated to make decisions to get results what someone wants. Corruption because of sport betting has very much destroyed love of professional football. During summer time when most leagues are in summer break, you hear often news how especially in Asia finnish league games are heated in betting market. Then it start police investigations, we do have bad history about that. Its not worst one, but it would be very naive to believe that this awful problem would not be also in premier league. Other thing what I really hate about premier league var system, is that cm thing was it offside or not. In football scoring goals is already very difficult, so rules should be made it easier and not even more difficult. Also handball rule has changed during the season. Finnish league clearly best referee is man originally from Saudi Arabia, he does not have so much preconceived opinion about players and teams. Of course there is no var system, but some kind of would not be impossible to correct clear refereeing mistakes.
Thanks 1×2. Yes, those were the two games, and I don’t know when the rules were changed regarding the red or yellow card thing when they also give a penalty. If a penalty is not a goal scoring opportunity, I don’t know what is, so why the difference. It’s common sense, but as Dion Dublin said on Match of the Day, common sense is not written on paper.
As for the corruption bit, I don’t know if there is any in the PL, but decisions like these leave them open to suspicion that there could be.
Hi 1×2
Corruption exists in football, cricket, particularly boxing and even tennis if you can believe it – darts and snooker are hotbeds of bent betting too.
Horse and greyhound racing? Don’t make me laugh. I used to go out with a girl about 40 years ago who paraded the dogs around the track at Walthamstow Stadium and she was in on it too in a limited way.
There’s nothing like a litre of milk to slow the favourite down and there were many more tricks too that as an enthusiastic dog owner I’m glad I’ve long forgotten except for the one that involved over-tightening the muzzle so the dog was distressed to the point where it couldn’t stay in its lane and would thus be disqualified.
Personally I wouldn’t even bet on a fishing
Had the dubious pleasure of watching the game on ifollow with the home commentary which was given by 2 Millwall “geezers”. OMG no BBC impartiality they were encouraging Millwall players to leave their foot in, rough us up stop us playing.
Anytime a Norwich player went down under a heavy challenge and the referee gave us something they were affronted at the softness and at the end when 2 of their players went down theatrically in the box for penalty claims they were incandescent with rage that they had been robbed.
It was like watching a game in the home end circa 1980 without the swearing.
As to the match we are disjointed – the squad is full with several players coming back from injury and the dreaded effects of Covid – that has brought the issue of rustiness and players are not on the same wavelength yet. Placheta, Vrancic and Pukki are not reading each other whilst Giannoulis is giving the ball away too easily. Benefit of hindsight Sorensen should be playing while Giannoulis acclimatises to the team and the Championship. However give it a few games and we will be a machine again – trouble is Swansea and Brentford might be above us by then.
Anyone take a draw on Friday?
We are top of the League, say we are top of the league!
We’ve 5 points more on the board than any other team which is a greater lead than in any of the other 4 divisions, (points count unlike games in hand)
Middlesbro and Millwall are both hard to beat, Millwall draw most games, 14 to date which is 3 more than any other league team this season.
Lose at Swansea and we are still top!
We came down bottom, 13 points adrift of Bournemouth and Watford, look at both those teams, Managers gone, 13 & 8 points less than City, same number of games played, losing regularly
The Championship is tough and we are doing brilliantly plus I hate the Prem and VAR so if we do capitulate, (we wont) I’ll still be happy.
As dear Capt’ Tom said ” Tomorrow will be a good day” RIP
There’s no two ways about it, last nights performance was very lacklustre. You can say Millwall did a number on us, which for 25-30minutes of each half I would agree. Their press was good and aggresive and unsettled us. but in each half they couldn’t maintain it and that’s where the frustration comes in, we were far from our best in taking advantage.
Was this simply a case that Emi was missing and we don’t win games without him, do we? Of course, no team won’t miss their star man, he is at the heart of so much of our best play. But should we have enough without him? I think so,
But I think when we really needed a big game from Cantwell to fill the void, he had one of those very disappointing just one extra touch sorta games, hius constant falling over wasn’t buying the free kicks just making him look a plank. . I think Cantwell is a fabulous player and thats why I think in Emi’s absense it was so disappointing to see him turn in a shocker
He wasn’t alone, we could easily have won the game inspite of being well below par. Pukki on another day will finish one of his handful of chances. But he is only just coming back from injury.
Rupp i think still looks rusty and the mayor not starting also I think has played a part in our lost momentum. I’m still not sure if Placheta is a footballer who’s fast or a sprinter whomight be able to play football
The defense of course has improved, but not only are they good, but they have another important quality, they aren’t half lucky! Some of the chances coughed up (The most notable being that last kick of the game!) last night,you could only thank your lucky stars that there was no PL striker on the end of them.
This might all sound glass half empty, but if you don’t play well, taking a point is a good habit. To not play wellbut still have good chances to win is also good. To keep another clean sheet is great. To be top of the table is very great. So panicking? Not me. It was the second difficult game with a second not brilliant performance on the bounce, I think a good high press will always cause us trouble, but to face these frequently and still more often than not come out on top, shows the qualityof the group.
Looking forward to the game on Friday where we should see two teams playing not one vs a spoiler.
Bah!
Morning Gary, not much more than a 5/10 for anyone last night. Clearly Farkeball is not suitable for ploughed fields. As you rightly say we don’t have a divine right to winning the league we have to earn that by a combination of street smarts, agression and plain old nasty stuff as well as the beautiful game. We go again Friday against a very good team. It is really on a par with the game at Elland Rd in 18/19 and gives a great opportunity to lay a real marker and statement of intent to the chasing pack.
It struck me last night that if we don’t improve soon we’re in danger of swapping our “best team to be bottom of the Premier League” tag for one reading “worst team to be top of the Championship”. Still, given the choice I’d take the latter.
I struggle to understand some football fans (not just ours) who think every game should be a feast. Even Pep’s Barcelona didn’t play like Barcelona in some games.
Top of the league, not losing and a strong squad. We’re doing ok
Hi Gary
I followed the game via the pinkun and Clinton Morrison on Sky and the overall opinion was Millwall did an excellent job on city and possible could have won the game.
Rowell in his ore match comments said that his set up would be similar to the first game and not give city and time or space that was achieved but also there was a reference to the pitch maybe not prepared as they usually would to stop the passing game.
A lot of comments last night was going back to no plan B and cities lack of using the subs earlier maybe the Subs call was right it would have rested a couple of the lads and given the team a bit more energy in the ladt 10 to 20mins.
But an away point is always good better than a loss.
As for Tindall I always thought he was living on Howes team and maybe didn’t have the know how to change a losing run around and it was good to see Rhodes do city a good turn.
Onwards and upwards
OTBC
Stay Safe and keep Healthy 🙏
I have seen only highlights of game. There was 1 thing what bothered me a lot and it was Kieran Dowells mistake. Only thing what saved Norwich was Millwall player unbelievable bad shooting technicality. Dowell should not get away from that. Dowell has played also in premier league, in Norwich games I have seen him playing he has been bad every time. Norwich have gifted him by wearing nr 10, its special gift for player who are expected to be something special or best player of team. Playing in premier league does not tell much about players quality, Dowell is good example. In international games those players are forced to play in different level, be more active and honestly you get surprised and you wonder how on earth they are playing in premier league? In premier league there is top players, but surprisingly many players who should not play in same level with those top players.
0-0 is not bad result in Norwich situation. Next game is against Swansea, Swansea is not playing like Millwall and Boro. Yesterday also Bournemouth played and lost.
Couple of points. Firstly, that pitch last night – sticky, to say the least. Certainly not designed to facilitate smooth, one touch Farkeball. In retrospect, good job Emi was “resting” – he could have pulled something.
Secondly – so many having a go at Gianoullis: the guy has barely been in the country a week, and gets thrown in at the deep end. Of course there were a few errors, but fewer against Millwall than Middlesborough, and, for me, he more than showed he could be a real asset to the club.
Pip pip!
💚💛💚💛💚💛
A good positive swing Gary. However, the fact is that in the last three games, against some determined but very limited opposition we have barely registered a shot at goal.
Excellent defensive work by the likes of Hanley Gibson and skipp has papered over the cracks but had zohore not inexplicably missed a nod in at the back post or Dowell had registered his first assist following his stupid blunder in the last second we would have lost. To milwall.
A fourth no show running at Swansea and your report may take a different slant.
Couldn’t agree more Gary.
Every team in this division is going to have a wobble, and if this is ours, the critics should look at what’s going on at Bournemouth – thank you Jordan Rhodes last night.
Oh; and even Watford lost on their own pitch this week.
O T B C
We remain in a good position. The rule of thumb is two points per game for the whole season gets you promoted. We are at 2 points per game. We have drawn two tough games which is disappointing but not a disaster. We are in a dip in performance levels for a number of reasons but remember form is transient yet talent is permanent. We still have a talented squad.
The Swansea game will be a different sort of test. We will no doubt miss Emi but others need to step up. There are some selection dilemmas. Sorensen at left back? McLean in for Rupp? Who plays number 10? Hernandez or Placheta for the other birth in the midfield three? At least we have those options unlike earlier in the season when we could not field a full bench of subs.
Pukki is due a goal so let’s hope it comes on Friday and that Krul keeps his run going.
OTBC