It does seem a bit like that, but I was referring to his potential for the future. None of our 4CBs or Andalou are left footed. A right footed CB has to try to clear the ball around the opposing player, whereas a left footed player can take a touch to the left and then clear the ball. That's a big advantage. Ideally we'd want two left footed players and two right footed players. If Famewo can make the step up, that could be a big advantage both now and in the future.
I'm sure you're right, but while we're struggling to name a starting eleven plus bench (without two or more GK's on it!) that's really not something overly high in my list of priorities at the moment. For now, as long as he can defend / head / tackle / clear the ball, he'll do just fine
With only one fit CB at the moment and Klose out for the season, I certainly hope we're looking at possible free agents at the moment. It may depend on whether DF and SW feel Famewo is ready for the step up yet. David Freezer is suggesting a possible tweak to a 5-4-1 formation with Lewis, Godfrey and Andalou forming a back three: "Going to Bournemouth is hardly the ideal next test. Only the top six scored more than the 56 managed by Eddie Howe's team as they secured their fourth season of mid-table safety, although they did finish 14th and with a goal-difference of minus 14. We know City aren't going to park the bus under Farke but could they switch to a 5-4-1 on the south coast and still try to play their style, just with added defensive focus, in an attempt to avoid being 3-0 down within minutes of the second half starting? Assuming Grant Hanley isn't available but that one of Alex Tettey or Tom Trybull will be, a back three of Jamal Lewis, Ibrahim Amadou and Ben Godfrey, flanked by Philip Heise and Max Aarons as wing-backs, should at least provide a more solid base to build on, even if it does sacrifice attacking intent. A midfield four of Marco Stiepermann, Mo Leitner, Tettey or Trybull and Emi Buendia should then have enough balance to fight for the ball, while still having the attacking ability to get forward to Teemu Pukki when possible." That seems a bit extreme to me, though I like the idea of a back 3. Perhaps a 3-4-3 would have a better balance with either Cantwell or Roberts instead of the out of form Stiepermann?
I don't get this refrain about "the out of form Stiepermann". Compared to last season, can anyone tell me who isn't "out of form"? Only Lewis I would say, and arguably Cantwell (but he's missed several good chances). McLean, Leitner, Godfrey, Aarons, Buendia, Pukki are every bit as "out of form" as Marco is. It's the Prremier League for heavens sake: better players, better coaches, better defending, better attacking. Most of our team are having to learn that what worked, and what we got away with, last season, doesn't work so well in the EPL. Nothing to do with "form" and everything to do with being in the higher league. Rant over!
Perhaps I should have said 'one of our most out of form players', Robbie. Krul looked good against tough opposition and I thought Trybull and Leitner were doing all right until Trybull's injury. Buendia has four assists and, as you say Cantwell is much improved and Pukki has played well for his 6 goals, but just hasn't had much service recently. IMO, Stiepermann is the player we'd miss least, especially if Trybull is back to replace McLean, so that Leitner can get forward to support the attack.
The fact that Marco's stats don't include any assists is as much a reflection on Pukki as on him. Two examples: against Villa, excellent cross from the left which Pukki simply (and astonishingly) failed to make contact with; against Man City, Buendia (rave comments about jink over defender) to Marco for defence splitting, perfectly weighted pass to Pukki, who pulled it wide. Against Villa, Marco was our best midfielder apart from Cantwell. How good Marco looks depends crucially on other players; he's the hub for our play but if the receivers go missing or misfire he apparently carries the can.
Having looked at free agent CB's on Transfermarkt, I mentioned Collins partly because his was about the only name I recognized, and he did pretty well for Ipsquit in the games he played last season. He's also good in the air. https://www.transfermarkt.us/transf...ettbewerb_id=alle&seit=0&altersklasse=&plus=1 A side note: I see Max played on the wing yesterday in a 5-3-1-1 and looks to have played well.
Great article from Gary Gowers on From today’s MFW - So it is with perfect timing that Webber has given a ‘season-update’ interview to the club’s official site, where he describes the impact of the injury crisis better than I ever could and where he crucially repeats the “can’t get too high and we can’t get too low” mantra. Quote 1: “We’ve got to stay level, that’s the supporters as well”. As ever, it’s a fascinating read from someone we’re so lucky to have and, as per, he articulates where we are and where we are heading with huge dollops of realism. If you haven’t it’s here. So, rather than listen to the wailers, the doom-mongers and those who await the arrival of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, I’m going with Webber’s take on it. Quote 2: “We need everything to point in the right direction for us to be successful, but we’ve already proven that we can at least compete in games at this level and we’ll give ourselves a chance.” And for now, that’s good enough for me and me!!! http://norwichcity.myfootballwriter...-the-supporters-as-well-and-so-say-all-of-us/
Yes I read that yesterday, JMF. I agree with that and with Sainty's warning about not changing our style of play to 'parking the bus', like both Hughton and Neil did. The demise of Huddersfield is also testament to that. I don't think that anyone on here has suggested that. The strength of this squad lies in possession based attacking football. The injury crisis has certainly compromised that in recent games as we've had to play out from the back less and gamble with long kicks, which clearly hasn't worked, as it doesn't suit our players. Trybull returning could help that, but unti we have two CBs again we need to strengthen our defence and our ability to play the ball out from the back. Playing Lewis inside as part of a three at the back would strengthen both the defence and our ability to play out from the back. Heise could play the Lewis role while Aarons and Leitner would have more freedom to support the attack, with Cantwell and Buendia dropping back to defend when the ball is lost. It would be a tweak rather than a major change, but one which would make us stronger at the back while also enabling us to get the ball up to the attack more.
It seems an obvious point, but it can't be, because so many people don't seem able to grasp it: being defensively solid is not synonymous with parking the bus. To suggest that the choice is either attack, attack, attack or packing the penalty area from kick off to final whistle is subscribing to a ludicrously false dichotomy. As I've pointed out before, when Liverpool came up short two years ago, they didn't look to strengthen what was already one of the most potent attacks in the EPL; they bought a goal keeper, a defensive midfielder and a CB! Contrast that with Arsenal, who for years have kept signing better and better attacking players only to drop out of the top four simply because they can't defend. At the top level, successful teams score lots of goals and concede relatively few. What successful teams have in common is that they take defence seriously; until we start taking it more seriously we will not get to where we want to be.
I'm not sure who you're referring to Robbie, but I agree with you. My problem is that we haven't been able to play our football in the last 3 games. Against ManCity, we tweaked our style to allow more counterattacking tactics which worked. We played out from the back with clever passing and got the ball forward to the attacking players without compromising our defensive cover. It's about balance and we can get that back with some tweaking, especially in away games like that at Bournemouth coming up and then the challenge of ManU at home. Play our style, but with a formation that suits the players available.
Week off with no City match? Allbeit the 'afternoon all' from DF at 13:00 perhaps suggested it might go ahead. Bah!
Sorry, should have made it clear that I definitely wasn't referring to you Rick. I actually think the club bears some responsibility for this, because ever since Bowkett came out with that "never again" comment about Hughton's second season, the stress has been on playing "entertaining" football and the idea perpetrated that anything, even relegation, is better than the Hughtonesque alternative (hence the appointments of Adams and Neil, and then Webber and Farke and "the new philosophy"). Hence, also, Webber saying we will continue to be "true to ourselves" and let's all hope it will prove to be enough; and if it isn't, then we'll settle for more entertainment in the Championship and give it another go. You just have to look at the teams who consistently achieve success at the top level to recognise the falseness of that dichotomy. Are Liverpool boring? Were Ferguson's Man U boring? Are Guardiola's teams boring? No they are not, yet conceding fewer goals than their rivals underpins the success of each and every one. To repeat: successful teams take defence seriously; we need to take it more seriously than we do.
I thought that was what you meant, Robbie. There also seems to be a notion with some people that 'we shouldn't change what worked in the Championship', but that was with Zimmerman being fit and a reasonably settled defence most of the season. The PL is a very different situation.
