I did mention Tettey's run in behind that earned the corner which produced our first goal against ManCity, Canario, and he does do his bit to support the attack. He's scored the occasional screamer and few will forget his toe poke winner at Old Trafford, but you seem to have done so. I suggested that we leave this one now, as you have done as well. Our views differ and probably always will.
Nobody is saying Tettey's game is perfect in every respect. This all started with your saying that Tettey's inclusion detracts from our attacking play. What exactly is that based on? Last season he made 30 league appearances in a team which scored 93 goals at an average of 2.04 per game and finished with a goal difference of +36. If you look in detail at the stats for last season, there is no evidence at all that Tettey's inclusion takes anything away from our attacking play. On the contrary, there is abundant evidence that, when he plays, the team functions exceptionally well. Every single player in our team has shortcomings of one sort or another but crucially, they function effectively as a team. The evidence suggests that they are more effective when Tettey plays than when he doesn't.
Interesting article by TK on Amadou - https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/city-keeper-impressed-with-amadou-s-response-1-6340176 I hope we get an opportunity to see him play in his preferred position later in the season and I see that he is here on a season long loan
Meanwhile, Alex explains the logic behind the new tactical tweak: "We're not going to stop passing the ball, you just have to make sure that defensively you are solid and it starts from there." Daniel Farke's search for the correct balance between defence and attack continues when Manchester United arrive at Carrow Road on Sunday, after seeing his team score just once in four games. Former Norway international midfielder Tettey continued: "With a little bit of a twist, of us being solid and knowing that if one is up there, they want me to drop in - but our philosophy is the same, our full-backs go high to get the opponents to drop. Then we can start the process of playing out from the back and finding space in behind the midfield. So it is the same thing, it's just a twist of doing the same things but the difference is being solid when we lose the ball and when we don't have the ball, knowing how to react and that's what we are trying to get into our game." Sounds good to me. https://www.pinkun.com/norwich-city/tettey-norwich-city-fresh-defensive-focus-1-6339204
Excellent Rick and sounds spot on to me as well. If we can score first on Sunday and the crowd cranks up the noise .......
Yes, but surely this should have been built into our play long since? I think we all know that successful teams found their game on solid defence. And I don't think it is anything in particular to do with our injuries at CB. Solidity is a function of the entire team, not just the CBs
You definitely need a good defence but if you focus too much on defence you risk becoming like Arsenal under George Graham, they won lots of games but they didn't win many friends. I love Farkeball it's a joy to behold!
And if you don't focus sufficiently on defence, you risk becoming like Arsenal under the later Wenger (and now Emery). Look at their attack -- Aubemayang, Lacazette and now Pepe. But any team facing Arsenal fancy their chances of beating them given how leaky is their defence. As I have often pointed out, when Klopp's Liverpool had the title denied them by Man City despite having the most dangerous attack in the EPL, they recognised that their defence was their Achilles Heel and went out and bought a better goalkeeper, a better CB and a better DM. There aren't just two alternatives, either George Graham or Farkeball, there are all sorts of shades in between; good teams get the balance right. IMO that's something we are yet to do.
I agree that ideally this is the way we should play in the PL. Unfortunately we've had 2 DMs and 3 CBs injured. Against ManCity we had Tettey and McLean in midfield providing cover for Godfrey and Amadou. Against Burnley, Palace and Villa we played Leitner and McLean in a 4-2-3-1 and were overrun by 9 goals to one. At Bournemouth we dropped Stiepermann and switched to a 4-1-4-1 with Tettey, McLean and Leitner in midfield and produced a clean sheet. It wasn't overly defensive, it was balanced: 4 defenders, 3 midfielders and 3 attackers. The difference was palpable. Suddenly we were solid, even when Godfrey went off, Tettey dropped back and Trybull came on. We still created 11 chances, which is reasonable for an away game in the PL. The 4-1-4-1 is DF's preferred formation and I hope we stick with it now. Tettey (or Trybull) shield the defence while Leitner and McLean work the ball up to the 3 attacking players, supported by the FBs who create space on the flanks. When the ball is lost, Leitner, McLean and the FBs drop back into a 7 man low block supported by the wide attacking players. Fingers crossed that this is the way we play against ManUtd.
When I said we haven't yet got the balance right I should perhaps have said "consistently right". I've no quarrel with most of your post Rick, what I'm saying is that being solid in defence is not an option to be taken up against this or that team; it is a requirement every match. Re. Burnley, Palace and Villa, it's as though DF just said to himself "OK, only Leitner and McLean are fit, but no problem, they'll play and no other adjustments are needed". If we attached the correct weight to being defensively solid every match, in games where the Leitner/McLean combination have to play, something else would be tweaked to add greater solidity than that pairing provide.
Again I agree Robbie. During the Burnley, Palace and Villa run I was advocating playing 3 at the back to compensate for the lack of midfield/defensive options. As you say, DF chose to carry on the same formation even though he didn't have the players to make it work. McLean and Leitner were not able to screen the defence. Other options should have been pursued. At the time those were limited to either Byram or Heise, if Stieperman was left out and Lewis moved inside. DF chose not to do that and we paid the price. Against Bournemouth he found another way which worked, at least defensively, producing the first point in five away games. Has the penny dropped? I hope so.
Yes but it wasn't just our midfield that change Krul played against Man City & Bournemouth. Of the other 3 games the only game he played in was Burnley.
But surely that's another reason why the balance needed shifting towards strengthening the defensive cover in those games. The 9 goals against and only Drmić's late consolation against Villa in reply suggests that the attack doesn't function well when the balance isn't right. As JMF says, the first goal can be critical. Our two wins came after scoring not one but two goals first while staying tight at the back. This analysis of DF's tactics against ManCity shows how that was achieved: "Tettey and McLean played with caution, remaining behind the ball with central defenders Ibrahim Amadou and Ben Godfrey to guard against counters. McLean in particular adopted false full-back and false central-defensive positions to encourage the build-up of possession from defence and free up Byram and Lewis to move forward early." https://www.coachesvoice.com/tactical-analysis-norwich-3-manchester-city-2/
Pretty much what I was expecting to hear from DF - "We will speak with the younger players because I was not overly happy," he said. "We started pretty well, we had the biggest first chance of the game from less than 18 yards, a shooting position without any pressure. You have to be convinced and focused in order to score and if the keeper produces a world class save then you take it. We cannot be happy to create a chance and not be greedy to use it. "The same happened before the first goal. It wasn't even a real chance. A cheap cross, we get the first touch and then we seem surprised the opponent is also in the box. That is an assist from us. "Our positioning on the second goal on the counter was a disaster, if I am honest." #aintthatthetruth Norwich City starlet Todd Cantwell miscued a big early chance against Manchester United!!! https://www.not606.com/threads/the-2019-2020-season.373974/page-54#post-13271836
Yes, I read that. But this wasn't the first time Max has been caught out of position. I think that unless we get wise to what the PL involves we will have a very bleak season. This from DF cuts to the quick: "They invest so much but this was a day when you have to say as a young player you must develop a bit more and learn some lessons. That is why the best teams in the world don't play with a lot of teenagers." We got away with it in the Championship, but now both the players and the coach need to get the balance between attack and defence right.
Good to see that Lewis is fit for Brighton, but perhaps he could pass this advice along to Max: "Obviously, I'd like to help the team a little bit more, especially in the final third of the pitch, but mainly I'm a defender and I have to help out at the back. We were a little bit disappointed with the United game because our performance against Bournemouth gave us a stepping stone to push forward." https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/canaries-jamal-lewis-fitness-boost-brighton-1-6352613
What a shame we can't swap social media popularity for league position. https://www.pinkun.com/norwich-city/farke-fifth-most-popular-in-premier-league-1-6353119
Has Heise been exiled from the first team or is there another reason he's playing for the U23's? Does anyone know? "Match fitness" doesn't sound like much of an excuse.
With Cantwell out today, might Heise be on the bench or even start, given his ability to play WL as well as at LB. Interesting that Tim Krul is now our highest ranked player on WhoScored at 7.23. Buendia is next highest at 7.18. Pukki has now slipped to 6.94 as third highest.
