Five straight wins, one defeat in nine (with seven wins in that run) and a clinical cutting edge that is making Norwich fans purr; Alex Neil is quickly proving his worth to the City promotion fight. From stumbling and dwelling in seventh position and out of the FA Cup to lower league opposition under club legend Neil Adams, the Canaries have torn the Championship apart since the Scotsman took over and are now residing at the top of the form table. And, with the East Anglian Derby this weekend, confidence is brimming at Carrow Road.
Important results against promotion rivals Bournemouth, Wolves and Watford should instil a belief that City can now beat anyone in this league; Ipswich are no exception. From being seven points ahead of Norwich and seemingly uncatchable in second place, the Tractor Boys have sustained injuries which have inflicted hurt on their current form. A blip meant the gap has narrowed to a solitary point, partly due to Norwich’s resurgence.
We’ve now gone from a manager in Adams who seemingly had no plan A at times in to a man with a plan for every eventuality. Neil – chopping and changing a winning team – has shown his bravery and knowledge of both the opposition and his own squad; one cannot simply rely on playing to the strength of one’s own team all the time, because it just doesn’t work in the Championship. Instead, Neil exploits the opposition’s weaknesses: he changed a team who put in a dominant performance in a 2-0 win against Wolves to a team designed to exploit Watford’s back three – and it worked. Such a bold decision deserves commendation and has subsequently drawn comparisons to Paul Lambert from some quarters.
Ultimately, some may not enjoy likening the two, but the fact remains that Lambert was the best Norwich manager so far this century; if Neil lives up to the incredible amount of hype surrounding him at the moment, then he may well challenge Lambert for that title. A bold statement, but Norwich have hardly had an exceptional 15 years. Three promotions, yes, but three relegations and a play-off final loss somewhat epitomises the club. Hardly the West Brom ‘boing boing,’ admittedly – but the fact that Norwich have failed to stake a claim as a consistent fixture in the Premier League (as Swansea and Southampton are currently doing) has led to a turbulent time in Norfolk with a short-termism approach. It seems like Norwich are constantly either battling relegation or fighting for promotion.
Being able to adjust between a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-4-2 has been one of Norwich’s more pleasing attributes this year. Despite being more dominant, solid and balanced in the 4-2-3-1, one can see the reasoning behind playing two upfront in the Championship. Certainly, Alex Neil agrees with this; he primarily equips the five-man midfield but isn’t afraid of playing two upfront, either in front on a diamond or a flat four. At Blackburn and Wolves he played with five outright midfielders, but usually Gary Hooper drops in the attacking midfield role and plays behind the front man. He changes it – like mentioned earlier – depending on the opposition.
Whilst the phrase ‘never change a winning team’ has been a frequently-uttered phrase in recent times – every time those that have said that phrase have consequently been proven wrong – it should really be a phrase left behind in the times of outside wing forwards and 2-3-5 formations. Squads are there for a reason; Neil is using our squad to its full potential at the moment and long may it continue. Bradley Johnson has thrived this season and should walk the Player Of The Season award. Wes Hoolahan, for instance, has played a nominal part in the first team so far this season, but has shown his quality with two critical assists in two games. Seb Bassong is another who has been brought in from the cold and now Norwich have four clean sheets in the past six games, having only kept seven during Adams’ reign of 24 Championship games. Surely it is no coincidence that the Cameroonian has added solidarity to a back five previously devoid of confidence? Steven Whittaker and Lewis Grabban have been rejuvenated by the managerial appointment, with the latter ending a goal-scoring drought that had stretched back to the 5-0 win over Huddersfield on December 13th. Neil makes use of the squad much like Lambert did, with his managerial ingenuity proving an instrumental asset in the Championship. Potentially, it could be the difference between the play-offs and the automatic positions. There is really no time to relax for the Canaries who must sustain this unsustainable form, and with the biggest game of the season approaching quickly, Alex Neil must once again perform a tactical masterclass.
