You can spout your nonsense as much as you like, but I would have thought no posts on a dedicated stats thread for nearly 18 months would be a strong indication of the general level of interest in the subject.
I assume " normal football threads" is in reference to titled threads that do not allude to stats, unlike the very definite thread that has stats in its title.
Ben Lee's latest analysis focussing on Norwich's use of double false 9s and a midfield box: https://ncfcanalysis1.wixsite.com/ncfcanalysis/post/a-double-false-9-and-a-midfield-box
Ben Lee analyses tactics not stats. I like his explanations which have helped me understand Wagner's tactical focus and how it plays out on the pitch.
Things like this remind of a podcast with Steve Morison from a few years ago (I think it was this Tifo interview? Can't find the right timestamp.). I'm probably going to butcher the exact story, but he spoke about the reputation he developed with the Norwich fans for being a lazy striker, because he wouldn't press opposition CBs in the way that Grant Holt would. His problem with it, was that he was under strict instructions not to. The Hughton gameplan at the time was not for him to press. So Morison ended up in a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation where following the manager's instructions was giving him a harder time from the fans, and winning fan approval by pressing would find him dropped for not following instructions on the pitch. In another way, it reminds me of the early days of Farkeball where the squad were learning to play out from the back. It was new, it was so clearly deliberate, but it took aeons before the majority at Carrow Road understood that and weren't crying for them to clear the ball the moment an opposing attacker approached them. I think fans are more educated about tactics than ever before, and things like Ben Lee's blog certainly help. And indirectly that smarter fanbase can have benefits on the pitch. Having two defined playing styles in a short space of time certainly has accelerated that.
I always felt that Morrison was unfairly scapegoated by the fans, though I didn't realise the tactical problem back then. Had Ben Lee been around then, Farke would have found acceptance of his tactics would have happened earlier. One of Lee's best analyses compared the tactics of Farke and Wagner and explained why the latter's tactics could have a better chance of survival in the PL. Farke was very much an idealist whose tactics worked well in the Championship but failed in the PL. As someone put it, we were the ManCity of the Championship, but the, well, Norwich City of the PL. Trying to play the big boys at their own game didn't work. Wagnerball puts the emphasis on attack, but without leaving the defence over exposed. It's less about possession and more about pressing, forcing turnovers and attacking. The main difference is having McLean drop back into a back 3 when we go forward, while also acting as a deep playmaker and linking up with Sara as the forward pivot. The difference this season is having the right players to make it work. All of Ben's previous articles can be found here: https://ncfcanalysis1.wixsite.com/ncfcanalysis
Chris Sutton on Adam Idah's chance now: "The major source of the frustration with him is that we have seen him do it before. There was a spell in the Premier League when he showed it. He's just given Virgil van Dijk the run around for portions of an international fixture. There is no debate about his quality. I have always watched him as someone who is capable. For the first time, it feels as though the debate has shifted from 'when is his time' to 'this has to be his time'. With Josh Sargent sidelined and Hwang Ui-jo waiting in the wings, Idah has to own the moment. It's about time Idah came to the fore in the view of supporters, and it's hard to argue with that. Hwang has been brought into challenge him, he has to use that as further fuel to find an extra gear. Idah should come back with vigour and an oomph at the opportunity in front of him after his Ireland outing. For the first time, he has a chance at a really good run of games. There is a real need for him to take it. He cannot keep letting these moments just pass him by, or they won't continue to pop up. If he cannot take confidence in giving van Dijk the runaround, then where is that ever going to come from? He should come back thinking he can make light work of the Championship." https://www.pinkun.com/sport/norwich-city/23784684.chris-sutton-backing-adam-idah-take-city-chance/
Interesting comments from Narcis Pelach on how the club wants "to become a well-rounded side capable of coping with all facets of the game": "I think we have put in place what we want to be. We made the point in terms of personality - we want to be the main team and go for the game. We want to play with an arrogance and we don't want to be fearing or scared opponents. That doesn't mean we need to attack all the time. At the same time, football-wise, we want to be complete because in one game, there are a thousand games. We want to be good in defence. We want to be good in attack. We want to be good in counter attack. We want to be good in counter pressing moments. We want to be good with set plays. To put one quick example, Manchester City are the best at doing one thing - it's very clear. We want to be a versatile team that is able to compete in every moment of a game". This could be the key difference between Wagner and Farke, whose ambition was to achieve 'possession based football' like ManCity. By contrast, Wagner wants "a versatile team that is able to compete in every moment of a game" and he describes Pelach as the 'missing piece' to achieve just that by focusing on defence to counter whatever threats other teams create. It will be interesting to see the team's response after Rotherham. https://www.pinkun.com/sport/norwic...is-pelach-interview-work-ethic-identity-aims/ Alternative source: https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/n...eft-huddersfield-town-to-head-to-carrow-road/
Sara Championship player of the month, and now Rowe Championship young player of the month. Congratulations guys.
But I bet he spends a large amount of his time poring over stats! Neither qualitative nor quantitative analysis on their own provide the whole picture; you need both.
Wagner clearly values him. We're thinking some of our players are old, but Jamie Vardy is still starting games for Leicester at the age of 36!
New 'Head of Technical Scouting': "Robbie Thelwell has come in from Aston Villa to take up the role with Norwich City. He comes in to replace Josh Appleyard, who moved onto Newcastle United earlier this year. Thelwell brings with him a good amount of experience from his time at Aston Villa, where he spent three years after joining from Wolves, where he was a first-team technical scout." https://the72.co.uk/2023/09/19/norw...intment-as-new-figure-joins-from-aston-villa/
Norwich City Under-21s began their Premier League Cup campaign with a 2-2 draw against Wolves at the Lotus Training Centre. Borja Sainz played 45 minutes, as he continues his recovery from injury, while there were opportunities for both Caleb Ansen and Uriah Djedje who made their first competitive starts at this age level. https://www.canaries.co.uk/content/u21s-report-v-wolves
Ashley Barnes will be out for a month after sustaining a knee injury in the Canaries' defeat by Leicester on Wednesday. A scan has shown a medial ligament injury, but no surgery is required. Canaries manager David Wagner said the injury will keep Barnes out of action until after the October international break.
Other team news from the presser: Marcelino Nunez (ankle) set to remove the protective boot start of next week. Wagner indicated prior to the Stoke win would be in a protective boot for ’10 to 14′ days but no surgery required. Could be available after the next international break. Borja Sainz (ankle) played 45 minutes for the Under-21s on Tuesday in his first outing since injuring ankle ligaments in pre-season. Will feature later on Friday for the development squad at Everton. Then Wagner indicated some ‘minutes’ against Fulham next week in the League Cup Jacob Sorensen (pelvis) returned to training within the last seven days. Unlikely to be involved this side of Cottagers’ cup tie Wagner indicated no fresh injury concerns from those on duty against the Foxes in midweek. Josh Sargent underwent surgery on Sept 4 for an ankle ligament injury. Stitches removed this week. Original timescale for a return unaltered. Christmas, early January.
