Good post off the official site ...

I have to confess that I have not seen much of Norwich this season. I also have to confess that I don't like the idea of the short term fix of sacking managers and I do like the concept of continuity in building solid foundations for a football club. I also think that Nigel Worthington was fundamental in turning round a very poor playing staff having taken over from Hamilton, in broad terms I have always been a Worthington supporter.

However, I like many others, watched in something approaching disbelief the final 75 minutes of the Burnley game.

I have never seen so little happen in a supposedly important fixture. I was extremely concerned by the lack of passion, aggression, commitment and technical ability on display.

As a qualified coach I was amazed at how little idea and organisation was on show from set pieces. I was extremely disappointed by the fact that the defenders are clearly instructed to "take no chances at the back" and consistently released the ball a second or half second sooner than truly necessary, ensuring that they merely launched aimless long balls in the direction of the strikers. At best the full backs, who did not venture forward for the entirety of the game, despite the Burnley forwards offering a very sporadic threat, sent the ball "safely", but unproductively "down the line" and almost always bypassing the midfield. Whilst Gary Doherty had a decent defensive game, his two massive sky high "hoofs" towrds the end of the game seemed to be sending a very clear message to somebody.

Unfortunately for the pattern of play we were treated to, McKenzie fairly often makes hopeless balls look ok, by harrying defenders or winning flick ons from aimless Green punts. Sadly this only encourages the back five to continue pumping these long balls. Earnshaw looked a lost and sorry figure and understandably over-played or hung onto possession when the ball occasionally reached his feet. This will no doubt cause him to be labelled greedy or to upset his teamates, but he sees the ball so infrequently, and he is so clearly keen to impress and show what he is capable of, that you can understand why he turns into defenders or beat his man inappropriately.

Green has clearly been told not to throw the ball, or at the very least the defenders are not encouraged "to invite trouble" by showing for the ball short. In Charles Hughes terms I suppose this is a risk, as is playing through midfield, playing one twos anywhere other than the opposition penalty box, fullbacks attacking, or the goalkeeper throwing the ball out. It does however improve the entertainment on offer.

Frankly, the Norwich showing on Friday was so poor to make me feel that the players themselves were sending out a message. Certainly they were not trying to impress in front of the TV cameras and their confidence must indeed be paper thin, if they fail to recover after conceding a goal to the mighty Burnley, who looked utterly clueless in the first 15 minutes.

The lack of technical ability in the midfield was almost impossible to believe, the movement was incredibly limited and the thought of runs beyond the forwards is clearly not on their agenda or, one has to suppose, that of the management, unless the players are deliberately disobeying instructions.

I have written before, rather defending Worthington, of the need for greater athleticism in the modern game, but this clearly cannot be at the expense of ball retention. Simply having Paula Radcliffe in the side to chase down lost causes all day is surely not an option, rather better to have and keep the ball and not have o chase it down at all.

What disturbed me more than anything, was the apparent absence of pre-constructed moves from set "coaching positions" in the attacking half of the field. It would be normal for all players to have a clear idea of what they were trying to achieve from, say, a throw in 15 yards into the opposition half. It is understood that the intended "play" may well not always come off, but from set positions - including obviously corners, free kicks and throw ins - the players simply did not appear to "have a plan" or be aware of what they were trying to achieve. Given that American Footballers have to store hndreds of such "plays", despite an arguably limited brainpower, I would imagine that Norwich City players - and management - could manage to conceive and execute a few on occasions, but it would appear that no such joined up thinking existed.

The entertainment on offer was of a truly appalling standard and I find this extraordinary as - at the risk of upsetting people - Norwich fans generally don't have high expectation. They don't expect to win the Champions League, certainly not the FA Cup, or even every home game, in fact the average Norwich fan has survived many a barren year on the comfort received from bar room buddies in pubs or occasional acquaintances who say "aah yes, Norwich, they always play good football", or "they know how to play the game the right way".

Norwich have a reputation for footballing entertainment, but I cannot imagine that, that reputation, or the enthusiasm of the paying customers, will be preserved by the paucity of entertainment currently on offer.

Posted By: meeky on March 29th 2006 at 13:24:47

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