Match Day Thread Sheffield Wednesday Vs Norwich, Sun 14th Mar @12:15

Paul Warne's comment wasn't based on one lapse in one game Rick. He had 30 games worth of analysis on which to base his critique.

If only we could be programmed not to leave a back door open, we'd be a whole level better.

 

5 clean sheets in the last 7 games. I guess we have just got lucky.
Warne also went on to describe us as the Man City of the Championship.and was being highly complimentary about our team . You have chosen to assume that when he said we play with "an abandonment" that he was being critical . which clearly he was not. You just can't admit that Farke has improved our defense compared to the last 2 seasons, even though the evidence is overwhelming, You have been proved wrong about Farke, McClean , Hanley and yet you like to portray yourself as being much better informed and knowledgeable than your average football fan.

 

You are like that one guy that you get cornered by at a staff party that likes to explain in great detail about his laminate flooring project.

" In the form of a lamina or laminae, so to speak ".

 

What does 'play with an abandonment' mean and how is it measured or is it just an everyday term a bit like 'being clinical in front of goal'. Why does one term hold value and the other not? Did he use the term specifically in relation to Luton goal chance ? Is 'playing with abandonment a good or a bad thing ?

 

If you listen to his interview it is obvious he meant it as a good thing.

 

It's irrelevant whether he meant it as a good thing or a bad thing. What's relevant is what he then went on to say -- quote:

"[Norwich] play with an abandonment. Their full-backs bomb on really high but they do leave the centre-backs vulnerable. I’m not saying Norwich are very open but if you are able to win the ball, you are able to exploit those areas down the sides of the centre-backs.” (my italics)

It's a weakness that we've seen exploited time and again in the last three seasons. An attempt to address it tactically has been long overdue but, as I said in my original post, it requires the players to implement it properly which, early on against Luton, they did not. If you watch the replay of the match, during that early period DF was doing his nut.

 

Not so. Whether I'm right or wrong will be proved next season, not this.

 

I'm sorry Robbie, but as usual you're talking nonsense.

The system we play is 1-4-2-3-1 like all systems it has strengths and weaknesses. A fundamental factor in the system is that the fullbacks must play very high and wide (right on the touchline) when the team is in possession. The consequence of this is you need to either have a defensive line of 2 CB's or a line of 3 (2CB's + DM or even the GK) and this can change regularly during a game for a variety of reasons. Another fundamental of the system is the need to play out from the back. By having the FB's high / wide and the CB's / DM's constantly playing the ball across the back this stretches the opposition midfield and makes them work really hard, which is fundamental to creating the pockets that the likes of Buendia find. Buendia, Cantwell etc would be nowhere near as effective if we didn't play the way we do, nor would they or the likes of Lewis, Godfrey and Aarons be of so much interest to top teams, if we didn't play this way. The opposition can counter this by dropping a forward into midfield to reduce the available space, but this reduces the oppositions attacking threat, which again can be an advantage. The weakness is it leaves some space out wide at the back and occasionally the CB's will get caught in possession / make a mistake, which the opposition may be able to exploit when the ball is in transition (In to Out) for example say we lose possession & they counter down the outside channels. No system / team is without it's weakness

The link posted by DD explains some of the advantages of our system https://norwichcity.myfootballwrite...fielders-now-become-full-backs-in-possession/

DF and a lot of top managers, such as Guardiola, believe that the strengths of the system out weighs it's weaknesses. If you don't then make the arguement for another system / what you believe we should do, but you can't play a 1-4-2-3-1 without the FB's getting high and wide (playing out from the back) when the team are in possession and it's not a case of a change of tactic, it would mean a wholesale change to the way we play and the way the club functions. A big advantage of the system is it produces the sort of players top teams want. You could of course adapt our formation for a phase in a game i.e. going 1-4-5-1 formation, which we have done at times, but our whole playing philosophy is based around 1-4-2-3-1, yes it leaves the CB's vulnerable at times, but this is a consequence of the system, not necessarily player error.

Rather than constantly being negative about what we do and moaning on the odd occasions that we get punished through weaknesses in the system, why don't you nail your colours to the mast and say what we should do ? If you think we should play 1-4-4-2 for example then make the case. If your happy with the system then you're just going to have to accept it's advantages and disadvantages.

 

I don’t understand this. What will “prove” you wrong, by your estimation? If we stay up in the Premier League?

 

It won't matter the goal posts will move several times before the end of this season, let alone the next.

 

There is no point trying to argue rationally with certain posters. Even putting them on ignore isn't helping as other rational posters seem compelled to try talking sense to them. At least it used to be humorous with certain Colchester or Tractor boy wind ups but this is like un-medicated dental visits.

 

It is all semantics with him. He will never, ever admit to being wrong, so moves the goalposts, just a little in order change the point of everything.

 

Some points very well made and the reason Robbie will not nail his colours to the mast is that he doesn't want to leave himself open to criticism. Instead he prefers to use this forum as a platform to preach to the great unwashed.

 

Your post, canario, is an eloquent apologia for accepting our status as the Crewe Alexandra of the Championship. The only omission was not pointing out that, irrespective of whether we win the Championship, get promoted automatically or through the play-offs, or even -- through some unlikely catastrophic collapse, or calamitous injuries to key players -- find ourselves still in the Championship next season, we have already met the club's official target of being "a top 26 club".

I understand perfectly well that the weaknesses I complain about are inherent in how we choose to play. Not in 4:2:3:1 as such, but in particular implementations of it, DF's included (many teams play it, but never commit both FBs forward at the same time, for example). That's why, from very early on last season I have been posting consistently about needing to change how we play if we are serious about trying to survive for more than a single season in the EPL. It's fine being "the Man City of the Championship" -- until we get promoted, when it quickly becomes obvious that we lack the quality of player to be Man City "B" in the EPL.

I've never made any secret of what I think we need to do, namely change our approach from a version of "attack is the best form of defence" to one in which the balance is tipped in favour of defensive solidity. In that sense I don't think the main lesson of last season has been learnt at all, as I'm afraid we will find out painfully again next season. If "nailing my colours to the mast" requires me to commit to an alternative formation, it would be what I suggested -- to much derision - last month (see the Stoke match thread), i.e. 3:4:3. That post, which was also a requiem for, IMO, one of the best footballers ever to play in a Norwich shirt, Mo Leitner, was misunderstood. It was not my recommendation as to how we should set up against Stoke, it was me saying "if we'd really learned the fundamental lesson of last season, this is how we would be set up against Stoke (and in that set up, Leitner, far from being "not required", could have played a central role).

lisboncanary said perceptively a while back that it's unrealistic to think we can keep yo-yoing indefinitely. A choice has to be made between seriously trying to survive for a period of years in the top tier, or simply enjoying being a top-half-of-the-Championship club.

 

Norwich So 11 games to go and we have 76 points, having averaged well over 2 points per game (2 points per game + 6, 1 up from last week or 2.17/game if you prefer). If we maintained our form so far this season for the remainder of the season, we would finish on 100 points. We sit comfortable at the top of the league, 10 points above a play off place and most pundits and professionals involved in the game expect us to be in the PL next season. Whilst I don't think anyone can reasonably accuse DF of being complacent there are signs that the club are starting to plan for this eventuality. We are 20 points above Bournemouth who are in 7th place and top of the form table with 18 points from the last 6 games and currently on a 7 game winning run. Our next game is against Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday, KO 12.15 pm and is being shown live on sky. Sheffield Wednesday are bottom of the form table with no points from the last 6 and it's difficult to anticipate anything other then a comfortable win, but you never know. It will be interesting if Jordan Rhodes plays to see how our defenders deal with him. Wednesday defender, Julian Borner who claims to be Marco Stiepermanns best friend and who DF apparently tried to bring to Carrow Road 2 years ago is suspended. Our next 5 games are Nottingham Forest (Away), Blackburn Rovers (Home), Preston North End (Away), Huddersfield (Home) & Derby away. It could well be the case that we have gained promotion by the end of this run of games, before the tougher games at the end of the season. Although we should fear no one in this league.

Watford who have 66 points and I see as our only real competitors for the league title are in 2nd, 10 points behind us, following their 1 nil win last Saturday against Nottingham Forest. Watford are 3rd in the form table with 15 points from 6 and have an away fixture against Cardiff who are 8th in the league and 4th in the form table with 14 points from the last 6. K.O. 3pm Saturday. Cardiff whose challenge for a playoff place has hit a bit of a blip recently, can hopefully get back on track with a win and do us a favour. Watford's following 5 games are Rotherham (A), Birmingham City (H), Sheffield Wednesday (H), Middlesbrough (A) & Reading (H). On the face of it their next 6 game look more difficult than ours, with a strong possibility of them dropping points in the Cardiff, Middlesbrough & Reading games.

Swansea sit in 3rd with 66 points having struggled to draw 1 - 1 away to Blackburn on Tuesday night. Blackburn were the stronger side and went ahead in the 38th minute with a Dack shot, assisted by Tom Trybull. Swansea equalised with a penalty before half time, their 4th in as many games, having been award none in the 25 games previously. Swansea are 9th in the form table with 10 points from 6 games and play Luton on Saturday in the early game, K.O. 12.15. Game is live on sky sports. Swansea's following 5 games are Bournemouth (A), Cardiff (H), Birmingham City (A), Preston North End (H) & Millwall (A). The Bournemouth and Cardiff games look tricky I can see them dropping further behind us and the chasing pack

Brentford have fallen to 4th with 63 points, but have a game in hand as a result of the late cancelation of last Saturdays game against Rotherham due to Covid. They remain 17th in the form table with 6 points from the last 6 games. They play Blackburn tonight, K.O. 7.45pm. Hopefully Blackburn and Trybull can do us another favour like they did with Swansea. The game is live on sky sports. For Norwich fans watching the game, Ryan Nyambe, the Blackburn right back's performance will be of interest due to the rumour that he has been earmarked as a possible replacement for Aarons should he leave in the summer. Brentford's next 5 games are Derby (A), Nottingham Forest (H), Huddersfield (A), Birmingham City (H) and Preston North End (A). A few weeks ago I would have said these all look winnable, now I'm not so sure

Reading remain in 5th with 60 points having comfortably beaten Sheffield Wednesday 3 nil, although, Wednesday's, Borner was sent off in 29th minute, hence his suspension for our game. Reading currently sit 5th in the form table with 12 points from the last 6 games. They are away to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, 3pm K.O. This is followed by games against Birmingham City (A), QPR (H), Barnsley (A), Derby (H) & Watford (A). Can't see them taking maximum points from these games.

Barnsley have 58 points and move back into 6th place, at Bournemouth's expense, as a result of their 0-0 home draw with Derby on Wednesday, that denied them their 8th successive win. Barnsley are 2nd in the form table with 16 points from the last 6 games and play Bournemouth on Saturday, K.O. 3pm. This is a key game for both teams who are fighting for a play off place. If Bournemouth, who are 7th in the form table with 10 points from the last 6 lose and Cardiff beat Watford then Bournemouth would find themselves in 8th. Barnsley's following Wycombe Wanders (A), Sheffield Wednesday (H), Reading (H), Luton (A) & Middlesbrough (H)

Barring a disaster I can't see anything other than a top 2 finish for us now, the only real question is whether we finish 1st or 2nd.

 

Sheffield Wednesday fans invited and the first post has been updated

 

Interesting the word invite originates from the mid 16th century: from Old French inviter, or from Latin invitare

To make a polite, formal, or friendly request to (someone) to go somewhere or to do something

 

That's not at all interesting DD. But what is interesting is the Latin word for sheath. It begins with the letter V and ends with an A.

 

You smutty scoundrel

 

Victoria is smutty?