Last Sunday at 4pm I had a sense of optimism and excitement overriding my system. It was the feeling of a new beginning under Adams and, after a fairly successful pre-season in regards to results and performances, I don’t think anybody expected to see our beloved Canaries go down to Wolves. It was more than just a defeat though; it felt like we were back to square one, a disappointing performance and a non-firing front line. What exactly went wrong and what can we change ahead of this weekends game against Watford?
Lets start with the defence: every team needs some solid foundations. The back four of Whittaker, Martin, Turner and Olsson was what had been used for the majority of the pre-season, and I’m not quite sure why. In my opinion, Whittaker is simply not good enough for Norwich City. I have watched him a lot now and he looks shaky every single time; he is a defender that cannot defend. Martin is one of my favourite Norwich players – a real leader who oozes professionalism both on and off the pitch, but he needs to be playing at right back.
If I were Adams, I would shuffle the whole back line around. Against Wolves, both Olsson and Whittaker were regular being punished down the flanks: they looked off the pace. I think Ryan Bennett has to come into this team alongside Turner. Bennett really impressed me last season, he is raw and gets the job done incredibly well. Although Martin looked good for most of the game, the goal was arguably his fault, and that cannot be ignored. Whatever Adams does though, I really hope Whittaker is dropped.
Now, on to the midfield. We shaped up in a diamond formation last time out, and it really didn’t work – we were far too narrow and all of our creativity was suffocated out of us. It’s always going to be tough to get the correct formula and it will take a few games to work this one out. The balance between attacking flair and a solid bank of four which is tough to break down is a fine one.
Redmond took a lot of stick in the last game and rightly so, but he is not a striker. He needs to come back into the midfield where he can run and create chances; it’s what he is best at. I would opt with a midfield four: it allows us to have more width which seemed to be the stumbling block last time out. I would like to see the addition of Josh Murphy as well; yes it’s a risk, but a risk I think Adams should take. Josh would relish the opportunity and undoubtedly create chances.
The front line of Redmond and Grabban didn’t really work and it will be interesting to see how Adams utilises Grabban against Watford. Grabban was most successful in pre-season starting out on the right flank and floating around the shoulders of defenders – there is sure to be change.
Grabban looks like a player who likes to work alongside another player and it could be Lafferty that fulfils this role. I can’t see Redmond starting up front again and I hope Lafferty makes an appearance; he looked superb all pre-season and also in the short time he was on against Wolves. It’s exciting because a lot of people were very sceptical about the Lafferty signing, but now it’s looking to be a shrewd bit of business.
It’s fair to say that change is most definitely needed, as what we saw against Wolves was simply not good enough. It’s not all doom and gloom though, as we still have the likes of Howson, Fer and Hooper to return. If these players are fit they could turn out to be massive for us this season.
Predicted Line Up :
Watford :
It was a fairly average season for Watford last year which saw them finish in 13th place. Troy Deeney was the key man for them, scoring a fantastic 24 league goals and will look to carry that form on this season. Norwich, of course, played Watford last season in the Capital One Cup which saw the Canaries win 2-3 in dramatic fashion.
Watford had a fairly poor pre-season winning just one of their six games but started the competitive campaign in ruthless form, beating Bolton 3-0. With the Italian flair that Watford have and the proven goalscorer in Deeney, Watford are going to be tough opposition for Adams’ men.
Verdict :
It’s going to be an interesting battle for Norwich who will want to turn their fortunes around and secure the sacred three points. It’s also a huge game for Adams, who is already under pressure from some City fans after the teams performance against Wolves. Watford will certainly provide a tough game but if the tactics are changed and the players perform to their full potential I have no doubt we will win this game. It also has to be said that a sell out Carrow Road will help the lads out no end. 27,000 fans getting behind the team is something that has to happen this season for a fortress to be built.
I’m looking forward to this intriguing encounter. Get behind the lads and Adams, good things will come, we are Norwich. OTBC!
