‘Norwich Have Had To Change Their Style’
- This week’s Opposition View comes from Eastern Daily Press Football Editor, Paddy Davitt
- Davitt says defensive injuries have caused major issues for the Canaries this term
- Norwich visit King Power Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday (3pm kick-off)
- Free coverage of the fixture will begin on LCFC Radio with the Pre-Match Pint
The Canaries, under Daniel Farke, won England’s second tier in 2018/19 but have had to switch up their approach to games in order to deal with the rigours of the Premier League, according to Davitt.
Norwich currently sit 19th in the division after 16 fixtures, but enjoyed a stunning victory over Manchester City at Carrow Road back in September and have also beaten Newcastle United and Everton this term.
“It’s hard to pigeon-hole Norwich’s season, really, because the Manchester City win was mad,” Davitt told LCFC.com. “To do what they did to a team like that in the Premier League was incredible really.
“You have to treat that game in isolation, really, because they haven’t been able to get a result of that nature again, or get any kind of consistency.
“That win away at Everton, which was four games ago now, was the first win since they beat Man City, and they went seven Premier League games without a win and picked up one point.
“The only team they got a point off during that run was Bournemouth. They knew in the Bournemouth and Everton games that they wouldn’t have that much possession and they counter-attacked.
“If you’d have seen Norwich last season in the Championship, they dominated possession, and in the Premier League, it’s almost as if they’re moving away from the football that got them promoted.”
Up front, Finland international striker Teemu Pukki got off to an incredible start this term, scoring five goals in three Premier League appearances, including a hat-trick against Newcastle, to win the Player of the Month award for August.
“It’s not just Teemu Pukki’s goals, but it’s also what he offers to the team and their play,” Davitt continued.
“Outside the box, he annoys defenders and selflessly runs in the channels, so he’s absolutely crucial to them going away from home.”
However, due to a string of injuries to several key defenders, on occasion, Norwich have had to field a makeshift back line due to Farke’s limited options.
“Their injury situation has been horrendous,” added Davitt. “They’ve had games this season where they’ve had to play with defensive midfielders at centre-back, because they haven’t had enough bodies.
“Christoph Zimmermann was their key defender last season and he only came back four games ago because he had a bad foot injury.
“Timm Klose, another really experienced centre-back, has not played at all this season. He got a bad injury in the League Cup and he won’t be back until March.
“Grant Hanley is another one who’s another established and experienced player and he’s had his own injury issues and may only come back into contention this weekend.
“As much as they’ve tried to change the way they play, with the options Daniel Farke has had at his disposal, it’s been very difficult for him.”