The 2018-19 Season

Imagine if they could stay up with a win or draw but then losing would cost us the title/autos...

What a dilemma that would be for Lambert and co.

 

DF could be near a new contract:

"Daniel Farke is on the verge of signing a new contract extension with Norwich City reports the Daily Telegraph. The Canaries’ Head Coach is out of contract in the summer but according to this report, is moving closer and closer to signing a new two and a half year extension, along with his First Team Assistant, Eddie Riemer."

Now that would be great news .if confirmed!

 

https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/robin-sainty-post-preston-column-1-5894399

 

Teemu Pukki has been hailed as the best striker in the Championship after he helped Norwich to a comfortable 4-0 win over Bolton.
The Finn scored twice to take his goal tally to 23 for the campaign and he has now produced the highest number of goals and assists of any player in all four divisions.
Both his Norwich boss Daniel Farke and Bolton counterpart Phil Parkinson were in no doubt of his quality after the match.
"When you have a goalscorer of that quality you have got a great chance," Parkinson said of Norwich City's chances of Premier League promotion.
"He is the best in the division. Some of their final third play was out of the Premier League, not the Championship."
Farke was also quick to praise Pukki after his in-form marksman netted for a sixth successive game. "I work every day with him and see his quality," said Farke. "His goals come at key moments but his workload for the team against the ball was outstanding. "He is so important to linking the play. How he assisted for Marco Stiepermann's goal was world class with his movement and then to have the anticipation to cut the ball back.
"He created so many gaps for his team-mates. I am very happy we have him."
Of Parkinson's praise for his star man, Farke added: "I appreciate his opinion because he is an experienced coach."

https://www.skysports.com/football/...emu-pukki-hailed-best-striker-in-championship

 

I'm liking the sound of that, Phil baby

 

Here's one I made earlier.....

 

*Stat fan alert*

 

Not surprises we topped the "passes made" stat this weekend. It's probably been posted elsewhere, but Trybull completed 153 passes against Bolton. No Norwich player has even attempted that number of passes since the stat was widely available.

 

A bit of fun - http://norwichcity.myfootballwriter...job-is-yours-whats-your-chosen-city-first-xi/

 

Some interesting thoughts from Will Jennings in today’s MFW – In a Sheffield pub, the evening before that magical night when City toppled Leeds United at Elland Road, a friend of mine made an interesting point. If you were to offer Daniel Farke the choice between Stiepermann or James Maddison in that number ten role, there’s a considerable chance that he would opt for the German.
Despite Maddison’s brilliance last season – without him and Angus Gunn, there’s a genuine chance that we may not have even been in this league this year – there is no doubt that Stiepermann’s style is more conducive to the football Farke wants to play; a philosophy based on a combination of pace and possession and one that continues to achieve phenomenal results.
So, all hail Marco, a player who more than makes up for his aesthetic limitations in what he provides this team in terms of execution and efficacy. Without him, the notion that City would be anywhere near the top of the table appears preposterous.
I must agree that some of his play has been exceptional
http://norwichcity.myfootballwriter...dude-no-one-has-a-more-key-role-in-farkeball/

 

I just added my tenpenneth:

OK I agree Stiepermann has been a revelation this season and he has been a key component in the team, but to suggest we could not possibly be near the top without him is what perhaps is preposterous. Have we learnt nothing from this season? I’m sure you were all saying such things when Lietner was making us really purr earlier this season before injury robbed us of him for a couple of months.
For me our squad is blessed with such depth, that just as when Lietner, Vrancic and Klose got injured, there are players who could step up and keep us motoring.
If Stiepermann got injured, do you all think that none of: McClean, Vrancic, Buendia or Cantwell could step in and offer the team plenty enough to keep us challenging? Maybe they don’t offer exactly the same threat. But a threat and quality they all possess.
Stiepermann is probably the best player at what he does for the role he is playing, but the set up is adaptable (Again repeatedly evidenced as our other midfield personnel have chopped and changed) and McClean might add more goals, Buendia too if played centrally.
But I do think it is silly to simply say Stiepermann is better for this team then Maddison is/was or could be. There are parallels, both sometimes hang on to the ball too long, both have an eye for a pass, both have good close control and can drive forward. But Maddison has a better shot, better delivery and I think is such a good player could easily adapt to be as important if not more so in this team.
Some might suggest that Maddison limited the team, but only Farke limited last seasons team, turning it into the Maddison show. I would guess Simply because the rest weren’t ready to play this way. Stiepermann was here, if he was the answer then why did he not usurp Maddison from the team?
I don’t want to detract from Stiepermann, he has been great, but Maddison has not played in this team and whilst I can’t say with certainty he would enhance it. I believe he is good enough and adaptable enough that he would.
Bah!

Bah!

 

Cracking response General and I pretty much agree with you. IMO, the rest of the players weren’t at the required standard at the end of last season and that is probably it became the ‘JM Show’. If you look at the early results this season, we struggled and then got battered by Leeds, before it finally clicked when we scraped a 1-0 win against Boro. 3 defeats in 25 games tells its own story.
Could JM have fitted into this year’s team – I’m pretty sure he could have. As you rightly say, we have coped brilliantly with injuries and I’ve been incredibly impressed with both Vrancic and Trybull slotting seamlessly into midfield – McLean also impressed on Saturday

Edit - Loved this from Chris Goreham - 'When the shell shocked commentator from BBC Radio Manchester asked me in the queue for the half-time cups of tea at Bolton whether the first half had been Norwich’s best 45 minutes of the season it was difficult not to sound a little bit smug with a reply of “it was probably one of them” but the truth is that on several occasions since they hit their straps in the autumn City have taken a number of Championship rivals to the cleaners with 20 or 30 minutes spells of scintillating attacking football.
There’s real depth to the quality of City’s goals and I am finding it increasingly difficult to do justice to them during commentary.'
https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwi...-it-s-hard-to-commentate-on-norwich-1-5896875

 

But because JM was here last year, Steipermann's only excursions were at LB or occasionally, if I remember right, LM. Square pegs, round holes all over again.
Play him in his most effective position and.....BAM - a star is born!

 

Indeed Cromer and I remember many on here and other social media wondering where the goals were going to come from following JM:s departure - it looks as though we could be nearer DOUBLE last year's pathetic GF total by May 5th .

 

DF dilemma - https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwi...-davitt-column-daniel-farke-dilemma-1-5898281
#greatdilemnatohave

 

OK, I’m going to predict that the automatic promotion places will be between NCFC, SUFC, LUFC and WBA.
IMO, the gap to 5th and GD is too great to make up when looking at the remaining fixtures.




Our game against Reading isn’t in pink, as Basil will be ineligible to play in that particular tie!!

 

I've only just seen this tweet -

 

Just seen this - Norwich are a superb team who play excellent, possession-based football. They can be patient when needed, but possess the dynamism to attack relentlessly and at pace against opposition who sit off. Defensively organised too, Norwich have all the tools to cement automatic promotion.
Norwich City have been a surprise package in the Championship this season – surprising not just with their results but with the manner in which they’ve achieved them. With German coach Daniel Farke at the helm, Norwich have surpassed most pundits’ pre-season predictions of mid-table and impressed with their style of play.
https://www.tifofootball.com/video/norwich-city-tactics-under-daniel-farke/

Edit - A MUST read for all fans - http://norwichcity.myfootballwriter...de-but-success-this-season-would-top-the-lot/

 

I've just watched that intelligent analysis of our tactics and it's excellent. The mobile visual charting clearly shows how our tactics work and are executed. The brilliant thing is that whoever comes into the team fits immediately and keeps the system going. Highly recommended!

Meanwhile here's an analysis of the remaining games for the top 4 teams:

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sp...ws/west-brom-leeds-norwich-promotion-15858374

On paper, we have the least challenging games over the final 13 and, like Leeds, have points in hand. That makes the two teams favourites overall and the bookies reflect that. At least we have our fate in our own hands at the moment.