The 2018-19 Season

EDP prediction - https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/norwich-city-predicted-to-win-league-1-5899433

 

Damn, there are a lot of big games coming up in the league before things seemingly settle down for the last month.

 

Derby lost at home 1-0 to Millwall. That leaves them 12 points behind us in 7th place. Huge blow to them and they have a Derby at Forest on Saturday. They do still have a game in hand though but our chances of at least a play-off place are looking even better now.

 

I compiled an average report of the national press on Derby's match tonight:

https://www.not606.com/threads/fran...-tm-miss-chance-to-move-into-playoffs.372026/

 

Which Sky have moved to Monday!!!

 

That's funny. Good job, NickH.

 

The tifofootball vid was a really nice find. Thanks for that JM Fan.

 

Yes, I'll look out for that in future.

 

Good round up of the Q&A at the Farke Fan Forum last night...

https://www.pinkun.com/norwich-city/live-coverage-of-fans-forum-with-daniel-farke-1-5900526

 

Great rticle on Pukki - “The promotion battle is tough,” he said. “If there is no promotion, Pukki will surely get offers from clubs in the Premier League. I believe and hope that Pukki will become a Finnish striker in the Premier League in the footsteps of Mixu Paatelainen, Jonatan Johansson, Mikael Forssell and Shefki Kuqi.
“I hope it happens in the shirt of Norwich City, because that is the club where all the pieces of the puzzle have truly come together.”

https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/litmanen-on-pukki-1-5899788

 

I've been looking back at this and agree that the top 2 places will be filled from the current top 4 teams because of points and GD, as you say. I also think that Derby (7th) and Forest(8th) will take some points off the top teams (we've already played both). Also our remaining top 6 games are against 5th and 6th whereas other top 4 teams play each other. It's going to be interesting, especially as our injury problems are easing now that Leitner, McLean, Klose and Hanley are available again and Vrancic should be back soon.

 

Great article indeed. Litmanen knows what he is talking about:

“When Pukki moved to the tough and wearing Championship, many people were first doubtful. Pukki proved everyone wrong. At the moment Pukki’s football is a great combination of everything he’s experienced – the humbleness and unselfishness from Kotka, the scoring skill and easy touch he learned in Spain, the self-confidence from his time at HJK in Finland, the moral and defending from Germany, the tough physical lessons from Scotland, and the clinical finishing mastered at Bröndby. In addition to experience, the fact that Pukki has retained his good-spirited, optimistic self, has made him a marked man. A striker, who can become the top scorer and lead Norwich to the Premier League.”

Here's hoping!

 

A MUST read from Andy Head - http://norwichcity.myfootballwriter...he-days-of-4-4-2-and-4-1-4-1-is-so-last-year/
I particularly liked this excerpt -'James Maddison, for all his talents, is not great at closing down. Ditto Josh Murphy, Alex Pritchard and Nelson Oliviera. And as hard as it was to see some of them leave, Farke’s replacements have been spectacularly successful at fitting the stylistic model that has brought about results that the Maddisons and Murphys couldn’t.'

 

Andy's concluding paragraphs are even more telling:

"While I can pretend I saw it all coming from a bit of guesswork I did two years ago, the way that Stuart Webber and Farke have moulded this squad into what it has become and applied tactics which have delighted the senses is inspiring. And the best part is that neither man sees the current state of affairs as being anywhere close to the top of the mountain. The plans extend much further. Even at my most Nostradamus, I can’t see the vision that these guys can. I’m just delighted that I’ll be along for the ride to see it."

I don't think anyone saw how much last year's players would improve and how quickly the new players would settle in to this new sexy football style of play. If he's right and there's even more to come, then I also can't wait for that, especially if we make it to the PL.

 

Steve Bruce backing us - https://www.not606.com/threads/the-2018-19-season.364677/page-29#post-12586011
And this from MB - 'A scratchier spell followed – but it didn’t matter. Defeats were still sporadic and slightly freaky (it seems unlikely Daniel Farke will ever fully let go of that final game of 2018 and the floodlight failure accompanying it) and even now, Norwich City find themselves the other side of a fixture run where beforehand, supporters were simply hoping their side would still be in contact with the top two.
As it so happens, they are top – and off the back of a game that underlined how good this Canaries side really is.'

 

Just seen this from DDF - 'WhoScored.com report Godfrey’s average pass success percentage at 87.7 percent – only three players in the division average higher.'
https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwi...ar-mixing-with-top-european-talents-1-5903176

 

That's amazing for a CB who plays like he does. When you watch the Tifo video, it's obvious how important the diamond of Trybull, Godfrey, Zimmerman and Krul are in keeping possession as we move forward. That's the reason all 4 are first choice now and it isn't all just ticca-tacca passing as was demonstrated by Zimmo's exquisite long pass to Pukki for the 4th goal or Godfrey's surge the full length of the pitch. It enables movement all over as the FBs push forward and the attacking players interchange positions up front. It must be a nightmare to defend against, as Bolton found last week.

 

Surely that's not the same Godfrey that was being written off as a CB after the Sheffield U game.