There certainly should have been more surprise when the nominated defensive midfielder for the Premier League’s bottom side pirouetted between defenders and kissed the Burnley bar from a tight angle. But because that player was Mathias Normann, there was very little.
City’s latest Norwegian destroyer may have been brought in to fill the Oliver Skipp-shaped hole and protect a vulnerable defence, but when barges and tackles are combined with a desire to take every one of the Canaries’ set-pieces and a beautifully satisfying eye for a pass, there’s a feeling Normann is attempting to achieve every single thing required to keep his side in the top flight all by himself.
Even during the midfielder’s introductory interview with the club he outlined that “I like to tackle, win the ball, use my body, be on the ball, dictate the game.” While previous defensive midfielders – namely Skipp and Alex Tettey among swathes of disappointing replacements for the latter – have been defence-first, Normann possesses more finesse even than the best midfield enforcers.
Admittedly, the reliance on the Norwegian has been a worrying sign for the City attack – Normann’s two speculative efforts were the best chances created in a 2-0 loss at Goodison Park – but since the departure of Emi Buendia to Aston Villa Daniel Farke’s side have severely lacked a player willing to grab the bull by the horns and set about earning points.
Despite Farke pulling off a minor masterclass to earn his famously soft Norwich a point at Turf Moor that he described as “more valuable than a point at Liverpool or Chelsea”, many wrinkles are left to iron out. It’s simply not sustainable to rely so heavily on a single player as they did on Buendia last term, as was proven when the Argentinian went off the boil during the 2019/20 campaign.
Therefore Farke must decide which of Normann’s numerous capabilities are needed most, allowing his number 16 to flourish in that role and focus on the relevant duties.
City are not lacking in good long passers, and have one of the world’s best in Billy Gilmour as well as Pierre Lees-Melou, whose by-footed prowess wowed fans during pre-season. The gaping hole in pre-season was in the defensive midfield role, and Jacob Sorensen’s apparently fading hopes of a regular place in the matchday squad has exacerbated this issue.
For this reason, Farke must tap into Normann’s muscle and fight, aspects that may not have been constant in his first three games in a Norwich shirt but that have certainly appeared.
The Rostov loanee has won 1.6 tackles per 90 minutes this season, leaving him fifth in City’s standings, but he still trails the likes of Oriol Romeu (2.03) and Sean Longstaff (2.68), players who play in the same role for comparable opposition, significantly.
Normann’s passing numbers are also relevant when compared to his City competition. Although the 25-year-old has progressed the ball further than any other Norwich player (318.4 yards per 90), his pass completion rate has been just 69.7%. Gilmour boasts an impressive 85.3%, Lees-Melou 80.6% and Kenny McLean 74.5%.
The only blemish in Normann’s man-of-the-match performance on Saturday was his propensity to give the ball away with sloppy passes, an issue that Gilmour would surely combat.
While the excitement created by an all-action midfielder has provided relief from a largely underwhelming season, Stuart Webber’s transfer business was done with the aim of creating a team capable of competing in the Premier League.
Now Farke must decide which players are to play which roles in order to avoid coaching a club reliant on a few overly burdened stars.
Normann has been a good addition and whilst stats are useful they don’t tell the whole picture. Pass completion rates can be deceptive. If you are attempting more ambitious passes more of the time you are perhaps not going to have the higher completion rate of someone who chooses safer passes. His lower completion rate needs to be looked at with that in mind. Personally, I think we should start looking at dropping one defensive midfielder (keep Normann in there) if we are playing three at the back in order to make way for someone more creative like Cantwell. Perhaps start with Lees Melou, use McLean to come on when we need a boost of energy perhaps, although his propensity for coughing up cheap and dangerous possession worries me. The really good thing is that we now have options. It makes things very interesting. Does anyone else wonder whether Kabak would make a good defensive midfielder if we reverted to 4 3 3? Kabak, Normann (with licence to push forward a bit more) Cantwell, then Pukki, Sargent, and Tzolis or Rashica. Kabak and Normann would still be there to defend corners and set pieces. I guess one awesome slalom with the ball at his feet doesn’t make him a midfielder, but if Godfrey could be converted maybe Farke could work his magic on Kabak. We still have Andy O for cover and he will be an excellent player for us I believe. Despite the poor start (explicable under the circumstances) there are reasons to be, at least a little, cheerful.
Normann is certainly a multi-faceted player, but that is what makes him such a special addition. Would you tell Buendia to reduce his defensive actions so he can concentrate on his attacking abilities? I wouldn’t. Of all the new players he’s the one who could make the biggest difference to our season.
Tettey and Skipp were very good at tackling and breaking up play but their passing and shooting abilities were limited at best. If Normann does prove to be PL quality in both attacking and defensive play then the new 3-5-2 formation makes sense and we do have a chance of surviving. Yes, it is a big ask but this is a league of big asks. This could be why Normann is playing and Sørensen isn’t.
There are plenty of players who can sit deep in the DM role screening the defence. With 3 CBs though, there is scope for Normann’s progressive passing and attacking abilities in a 3 man midfield. He has been the main difference in why we have been better in the last 3 games and hopefully that will develop even further to push us up the table.
Normann, in a midfield 3, in 3-5-2, should be the free man in my opinion. He arguably makes Gilmour a luxury.
Gilmour and Normann in the same side is suicide.
I like the impartial analysis of Normann in this article but it’s another article that takes the easiest route of proposing questions and not offering the answers or solutions.
Of course Gilmour and Normann defaults to a necessity of a CDM that we don’t have, and consequentially an imposition of 3-5-2…. Which leaves no room for Rashica, Dowell, Cantwell or Tzolis…. And that to change away from 3-5-2 to a more attacking setup (chasing points during a game) requires complex substitutions and inevitably leaves round pegs in square holes.
The problem that Norwich have with Normann is that he is the first midfielder we should have bought and then we should have bought 2 others subsequently that would mitigate our reliance on him and supplement his wide ranging abilities.
Conour Hourihane, for example, could carry some of the passing burden, contribute goals, add top flight experience and leadership…. And the 3rd midfielder shouldn’t have been PLM because any viable scouting would have identified a lack of running stamina…. A necessity in this league.
In my opinion, what City must do in the next transfer window his cut their losses and hedge their bets for next season. Normann is the one signing I’d say has been worthwhile, Tzolis and Sarjent certainly ideal to build toward a future with…. But as much excitement as the Burnley draw generated, if DF doesn’t get a win from the next 3 matches I think his time is probably up…. And Chris Wilder, believe it or not, would be near the top of my list, along with Eddie Howe.
I want DF to be the man to succeed though, first and foremost.
But we have concocted a very mid-matched squad that I really don’t consider to be future proof anymore. I don’t think the Premier League is actually the sticking point, City without Buendia last season couldn’t function either, so DF remains in the spotlight.
It may well be that in January, we recruit whilst we can in preparation for next season, and hard decisions with players like Kenny McLean, Hanley or Gibson, Sorensen and Pukki will all need to be made. We SHOULD have had a template where those players were the basis, but in fact we’ve managed to engineer a scenario where Hanley, McLean, Pukki and even Cantwell are likely to be the fall guys.
Meanwhile, Kabak, Normann and Gilmour are loans and according to many, the lynchpins this season. A bit like Skipp and Buendia last time. History repeating?
If DF doesn’t get something from this group in the next few games then a different, Championship-proof replacement needs to be tried who might recover this season. But I hope it’s DF, and I too hope that Normann is the player that might just drag us over the line.