I think we may see more variation this season. DF has had two seasons in the Championship and we've now added 10 new players with only 3 leaving so far. At home against lesser sides we could use 2 strikers to break down packed defences with more crossing and a double pivot to strengthen the defensive screening when we haven't got the ball and providing penetrating passes forward when we have it. Away we could increase our counterattacking capability with the pace of Placheta and Hernandez without having to overcommit the FBs. Another option is 3 at the back and so on.
There's no doubt in my mind that we have more strength in depth than we've had over the last 2 years.
We'll need it with 46 games in a condensed season plus however many tournaments there are. And I think you've got it spot on about Skipp.
The advantage for Skipp lies in the extra games (46 vs 38) as well as the cup games. He and Sørensen and Sitti are all new to the team, so each has a chance to earn a starting place when the league games start. Tettey has already said that this is his final season and he can pass his experience on to the others. Much will depend on how they develop but the first two have looked good in the pre-season games. I think Sitti may have stayed behind to go out on loan, but we'll have to see. EDIT: Sitti played in today's U23 win over Ipswich in a friendly. Nizet scored the winner in the 90th minute. https://www.canaries.co.uk/News/202...ner-over-ipswich-town-in-pre-season-friendly/ As for competition in the squad: "Farke wants to foster cut-throat competition up top this coming season, but in the right setting will also look to perm his front men. "You need sometimes two strikers on the pitch, and we showed that in our title-winning season when maybe in a game we switched to 3-5-2 or a 4-4-2,” he said. “The lads will be prepared for this.
I can remember Srbeny coming on in the closing stages of matches when points were being dropped, which is what DF seems to be referring to here. But that's hardly "perming" frontmen, is it? And I certainly don't remember any league match starting with two up front. That said, as Connor Southwell found out, what DF calls flexibility is mostly detectable only with the equivalent of an electron microscope. "Very detailed" is how young Sørensen described DF's method of working in his interview the other day.
I think there were a lot of games in our title winning season when we became very strong in the last 10 / 15 minutes. Yes some of those late goals were due to tactical changes, including substitutions, but for me a lot of it was because of our teams fitness levels, which were really good for a championship team. Part of our problem was when we got to the PL nearly every team could match us for fitness
I doubt we'll see two strikers from the off, but there are other possibilities. Against MK Dons Sinani played as a striker while against Dresden he played WR and was very effective at creating a threat as well as providing the assist for Hugill's goal. I'm hoping DF will use the options he has and shape the team and the tactics to suit the opposition. Hugill would have been a useful option against the likes of West Ham or Burnley last season whereas Pukki suits games where we look to counter-attack most of the time. Similarly, the midfield and even defence can be chosen to suit the opponents. With so many games crammed in some degree of rotation makes sense. Earlier substitutions would help as well. Also, players get frustrated if they're left out all of the time.
City leading 2-0 at halftime of the first game against Darmstadt. Placheta and Pukki with th goals. Stream available on the Pinkun.
There are simply too many games in too short a time for there not to be more rotation. If not players will either be collapsing or injuring themselves left right and centre
So now we move on to Luton in the cup with more than half of the squad away on international duty. Those left: GK: Barden, McCracken RB: Mumba, Thomas CB: Zimmerman, Klose LB: Quintilla, McCallum DM: Tettey, Sørensen, Sitti CM: Vrančić, Rupp WR: Placheta, Martin AM: Stieperman, Dowell WL: Hernandez S: Hugill, ? That line-up shows what strength in depth we now have. SW has done a great job.
Summary of Germany camp from GG. Plenty of positives to be had. https://norwichcity.myfootballwrite...ver-now-all-eyes-now-turn-to-kenilworth-road/
Take part in EDP survey on this page. https://www.pinkun.com/norwich-city/norwich-city-pre-season-survery-2020-1-6815252
