Coming into this game, I felt, based on form at least, that Norwich would be in for an even contest. Huddersfield were coming off the back of an inspiring win at Brentford (after not winning a single game in November) whilst Norwich were much the same following our promisingly ground-out victory away at Wigan. Much of the build-up was focussed on a certain Grant Holt, who despite my fears, was really kept rather quiet by the Norwich defence, and the other Norwich old boy – Jacob Butterfield, remained rather anonymous in midfield.
I wasn’t enthused upon hearing that our line-up was the same as the previous game, with the absence of Redmond from the team sheet again being something most fans would question or at least pick up on. The presence of Stephen Whittaker in the back four again was a subject of worry for me, as was the lack of width our four central midfielders offered, but given our performance last week, I was prepared to hold my tongue and give it a go. As it turned out, things worked out in the end, but the match produced several talking points I’d like to highlight.
Firstly, the employment of Bradley Johnson in a more offensive role paid dividends, as he offered a completely different style of attacking play many would not have expected a player like him to be capable of. It seemed that much of the Huddersfield back four were unprepared to deal with a player who was different from the “twinkletoes creativity” many expect from an advanced midfield and instead found themselves confronted with a player who was prepared to challenge for every ball and every header. This combative nature helped to draw defenders onto Johnson, freeing Olsson and Whittaker to get forward more than usual. Johnson also happened to be in the right position for both of his goals, and they were relatively uncomplicated finishes for him, but that said, in his old deeper role, he would never have been present there to score.
Secondly, the introduction of Nathan Redmond changed the game. The evidence for this was to be found just one minute into the second half, where his run pulled Huddersfield’s left back wide, allowing Gary Hopper to make a smart flick for Bradley Johnson to score – All without touching the ball. Redmond also contributed to the scoring himself, with his header being an extremely well placed finish. However, Redmond’s best quality was something Norwich had sorely lacked in the first half; a willingness to take players on and cross the ball. On several occasions I had the pleasure of seeing Redmond take on and beat multiple players down the right, succeeding in delivering a ball into the box many times as well. The switching of Redmond to the other wing also allowed a change in rhythm, with much of Norwich’s play flowing through him.
Finally, and on a slightly lower not, the four man midfield system doesn’t work. That much was clear just from the evidence of the first half. This system relies on fullbacks getting forward to cover the spaces where wide players would normally be, however Olsson and Whittaker didn’t show a willingness to do this, and thus Norwich’s wide play was extremely limited in the first half. Olsson and Whittaker’s unwillingness to bomb forward was understandable however, whilst they were expected to get forward and deliver balls goalward, they were also expected to track back and ensure the Norwich back four didn’t lose its shape and leave Cuellar and Martin isolated. Olsson and Whittaker were, in fact, actually being asked to play two positions, something no player, of any quality, can be truly expected to do, and so this goes partway to explaining the lack of width Norwich had in the first half. This helps explain the noticeable impact Redmond had when he came on, as he was our only wide asset for the entire second half, and the amount of ball that flowed through him demonstrated exactly how important width is to a team. It also goes someway to highlighting the need for a creative midfielder, a feature lacking since Hoolahan’s injury. Our four man midfield meant we were forced to play the ball through the middle, and even though we outnumbered Huddersfield on the pitch, Norwich lacked the creative spark to play a defence-splitting pass. This weakness was evidenced by the introduction of Hoolahan, who with his first contribution produced a fantastic assist for Grabban to smartly finish.
So, where to from here? The future looks largely bright moving from this game, as the only place you can really go off the back of a 5-0 victory is up. The difference Nathan Redmond made to the game will hopefully state the need to Adams of width to midfield, and the hopeful abandonment of the narrow midfield. Redmond’s contribution should also state his own value to Adams, as he is a player who is noticeable by his absence from the team. I only hope we can keep hold of him in January when the inevitable Premier League club comes calling. The introduction of Wes Hoolahan back into the team can only be a positive thing as well, as he offered a creativity we have been lacking these last few weeks. It is strange how Hoolahan’s injury at Fulham has coincided with our slide In form – we are a visibly better team when he plays. John Ruddy’s performance has not gone unnoticed, with a number of saves early on proving he is responding positively to those doubting him. His save to deny Nakhi Wells on 15 minutes could be argued to be a crucial moment in the match. Whether Adams learns the lessons of Huddersfield and tweaks his system remains to be seen, but the future looks promising for Norwich, and the return of Ryan Bennett in the coming weeks can only serve to bolster our defensive options.
