The 2019-2020 season.

A couple of the points that caught my eye in ‘Paddy’s Pointers’ in the first of his pre-season reports – ‘
3. Bulky Buendia
The Argentinian has returned to City duty boasting a more muscular physique.
If that extra power can be harnessed but not to the detriment of the balletic grace and technical flourishes he left on the Championship title-winning campaign then Norwich may have the type of X-factor player coveted by Premier League rivals. A midfielder who can make the difference when the margins are so fine and the gulf to bridge, in so many respects, is vast.
One thing that has not changed since last season is the aggressive edge to Buendia's game, although given the rashness of his red card against QPR it should be duly noted there was no adverse reaction to two stiff challenges from Joan Simun Edmundsson that earned the Arminia man a deserved sending off.

4. Eye-catching Idah
The Republic of Ireland youth starlet must have savoured his second half cameo in Gutersloh. It has been a dizzying few weeks for a talented teenage striker who this time last year was simply trying to prove he could make the step up to development football. Idah has cleared every hurdle put in front of him since arriving from Cork; which is why he is now a fully-fledged member of Farke's first team pool at Carrow Road. There will be no loan moves any time soon.
Idah speaks with an assurance and self-belief that indicates he is unlikely to be fazed by the elevation.
That is an essential quality. Idah is not a tourist in the touring party. His aim must be to emulate the likes of Max Aarons and Jamal Lewis and make that transition from the development pool. To do that when the end destination is the Premier League makes it all the harder.
But Farke clearly feels the young man is good enough to try.’

IMO, both of the above stories bode well for the challenges that lie ahead

 

Adam certainly didn't look like an 18 year old on the pitch and came very close to scoring the winning goal. With Srbeny scoring an excellent goal and Drmic from the spot, suddenly our strkeforce is looking very healthy indeed. Idah should get good game time in the cups and for the U23s as well.

 

Paddy's glimmer of hope on Godfrey:

"Pictures of him on Monday at City's training camp without the protective boot on his left foot offer cause for optimism. This time last summer it was Lewis and Hanley on the sidelines nursing injuries."

He also has some good words about our new players:

"Josip Drmic and Patrick Roberts slotted seamlessly into City's attacking unit, while Ralf Fährmann looked composed and controlled before being left exposed by a makeshift backline. All three appear to possess the quality Norwich need to try and compete in the Premier League. There is also a thread of astute recruitment the like of which brought Emi Buendia and Teemu Pukki to the club.

Fährmann has a wealth of top flight experience in Germany while Drmic may have had his injury problems in recent seasons but even in a brief cameo in Gutersloh showed intelligent movement and cunning in how to manipulate his markers in tight spaces. Roberts was denied by a flying save and later drilled in the corner that led indirectly to Drmic's penalty."

Finally, he makes an interesting point on tactics:

"Farke revealed after Bielefeld struck late to snatch a draw he wanted to experiment in the remaining friendlies, to inject an element of surprise into how Norwich aim to attack the challenge of Premier League survival. He finished the first game with a defensive three and two wing backs and pledged to do the same again at a suitable opportunity."

That's what I'd like to see at Anfield.

https://www.pinkun.com/norwich-city/canaries-paddy-davitt-pointers-german-tour-1-6161571

 

Worth pointing out that whilst Godfrey didn't have a protective boot on, he was still on crutches. Definitely not training.

 

Very true, but we can hope that, like the boot, it's precautionary. They need to let the swelling go down before the scan. The result of that could be the difference between weeks and months.

 

Get the F in!!

 

Brilliant news!

We had a friendly game witha 4th tier German side today and Idah lead the line for 75 minutes, scoring a brace. Hernandez and Pukki scored the other two and Byram had an assist.

https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/canaries-sc-bonner-match-report-1-6163876

 

Good man Adam!

 

Great article from PD - https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/canaries-daniel-farke-premier-league-challenge-1-6164046
"Yes, of course we have had to get that message across. Winning the Championship title does not earn you one point in the Premier League," he said. "We know this. So we take the good things out of last season; the rhythm, our balance, our confidence, but it is also up to us to improve. "We have to improve in order to be competitive in the Premier League and we will give our best.
"At the moment you are more and more focused on working day-to-day but the closer that first game comes you can sense the excitement of the lads. "As a head coach you have to be more focused and concentrated and how you can help the lads in a tough first game and, to be honest, a tough first few games.
"We worked so hard to be allowed to play on this level and we are greedy to play on this level."
#gottalovethisguy

And another - https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/canaries-ben-godfrey-ankle-injury-boost-1-6163905

 

26 man squad including Idah, but 5 count as under 21 so aren't included.

 

That work towards ongoing continuous improvement and the hunger of all the players for PL football drives that 'greed' for success at the highest level. This is their moment and I'm confident they'll make it work - not all of the time, but more than enough to survive.

 

It's interesting that Srbeny has been playing in the Stiepi role so far in pre-season. Like Stiepi he's tall and powerful though his other skills are different. DF has improved those over time, including his movement off the ball (resulting in his goal on Sunday) as well as some clever touches to set up others. His reading of the game is also improved, with clever stepovers to allow the ball to run to better placed players. Certainly adds another option that we didn't seem to have last season and with Leitner and Vrančić also able to play there, I think that position is covered. I'd still like to see a CB/DM option added though.

 

Hard to say whether that's an intentional effort to teach him a deeper role, or simply him being fit and needing minutes somewhere. Looking at the team sheet from yesterday, Srbeny played the whole game, whilst Cantwell/Stiepermann, Hernandez and Roberts/Buendia all played, with a striker (Pukki/Idah) always on the pitch too. Leitner was the only sitting midfielder, so it looks like a 4-1-4-1. I can't see that tactic continuing into the PL season, so don't know whether that was used purely to get players on the pitch, or because there was an interest in seeing how Leitner with additional defensive duties, and Srbeny with a deeper role.

 

It is interesting seeing him take up that role. He came in as a Target man striker. I think he looked pretty comfortable there, from the clips I've seen.

 

Oooooh!

 

Yes that occurred to me as well, but barring injuries, it's hard to see Srbeny getting much game time. Playing deeper in a second striker or number 10 role seems to suit his ability to drive at defences. It's going to be harder to always play possession tactics in the PL and, as with Stiepermann, his height gives a possible target up the pitch. He made a clever stepover to allow the ball to run to Idah for the second goal and his movement seems more sophisticated than before.

DF talks about two players in every position and that would fit with the change, while still leaving two strikers plus Idah available. It may also have to do with Idah moving up to number 3 striker. Time will tell, but at least it makes two options available to DF.

Edit: It's also preferable to sending Srbeny out on loan.

 

Great ambition from TC -