• You may have to login or register before you can post and view our exclusive members only forums.
    To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Friday Night Lights - Norwich (H) - Pre Match

Status
Not open for further replies.
Also if the Wembley atmosphere is anything to go by, Anfield will be absolutely rocking. First game at home as Champions of Europe for the sixth time on a Friday night. Expect it will be a proper cauldron. Early goal and it could be incredible.
 
Also if the Wembley atmosphere is anything to go by, Anfield will be absolutely rocking. First game at home as Champions of Europe for the sixth time on a Friday night. Expect it will be a proper cauldron. Early goal and it could be incredible.
They're doing a full Kop 6 times mosaic on Friday I believe.

Love the fact that we're carrying on being unbearable into this season too. There's gonna be fucking FUME on Twitter about it. Can't wait, esp after the nobheads all moaned about the national anthem booing, which both us & Everton have done for as long as I can remember.
 
It should cripple a few of Norwich's players who have never played in the PL before.
 
Quote:
[xtable=border:0|cellpadding:6|cellspacing:0|100%x@]
{tbody}
{tr}
{td}On the only previous occasion that Liverpool started a league season at home against Norwich City, the Reds won the top-flight league title ahead of Manchester City in 2nd (1976-77). Liverpool beat Norwich 1-0 at Anfield on MD1 that season.{/td}
{/tr}
{/tbody}
[/xtable]
 
Quote:
[xtable=skin1|border:0|cellpadding:6|cellspacing:0|100%x@]
{tbody}
{tr}
{td}On the only previous occasion that Liverpool started a league season at home against Norwich City, the Reds won the top-flight league title ahead of Manchester City in 2nd (1976-77). Liverpool beat Norwich 1-0 at Anfield on MD1 that season.{/td}
{/tr}
{/tbody}
[/xtable]
Ah ... and it all starts again.
 
Quote:
[xtable=skin1|border:0|cellpadding:6|cellspacing:0|100%x@]
{tbody}
{tr}
{td}On the only previous occasion that Liverpool started a league season at home against Norwich City, the Reds won the top-flight league title ahead of Manchester City in 2nd (1976-77). Liverpool beat Norwich 1-0 at Anfield on MD1 that season.{/td}
{/tr}
{/tbody}
[/xtable]

And City did not enjoy any success in Europe that season either I guess
 
Norwich 2019/20 season preview

GettyImages-1164547839-50f7068.jpg

By Michael Potts
Tuesday, 6th August 2019 at 8:46 am

Norwich have a love-hate relationship with the Premier League. Four out of the Canaries’ six seasons in the top flight have ended in relegation. Once Norwich reach the promised land, they struggle to stay there.However, this Norwich side has plenty to get excited about from a neutral perspective given their sizeable combined total of goals scored and conceded last season mounting up to 150.

The Championship winners are led by an attack-minded boss preparing for his debut season at the top of the English game and boast a range of exciting talents ready to make the step up – but can they translate their second-tier superiority into top-tier success?

Where did Norwich finish last season?

1st (Championship). Norwich weren’t supposed to win the league last season. They were tipped for mid-table or an outside bet for the play-offs at best, but Norwich fully bought into Daniel Farke’s philosophy and it paid dividends. Teemu Pukki led the line with 30 Championship goals while Mario Vrancic, Onel Hernandez, Jordan Rhodes and Emiliano Buendia all chipped in with at least eight goals to cement Norwich as the most fearsome attacking unit in the division. The Canaries weren’t without fault. They shipped an alarming number of goals for a title-winning side, but a never-say die attitude saw Norwich come back with late goals from losing positions to earn 24 points across the season.

Who is Norwich’s key player?

GettyImages-1162013224-be53507.jpg

Teemu Pukki. Every Championship-winning side boasts a talismanic striker, though very few translate their second-tier dominance into top-tier form. Flick through the list of Championship Golden Boot winners since 2005. Not all were promoted despite their best efforts, barely any actually cut their teeth in the top flight: Nathan Ellington, Marlon King, Jamie Cureton, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (twice), Peter Whittingham, Nicky Maynard, Danny Graham, Rickie Lambert, Glenn Murray, Ross McCormack, Daryl Murphy, Andre Gray, Chris Wood, Matej Vydra… can Teemu Pukki break the mould?

He bagged 29 last season which puts him second-highest on the list after Murray’s terrific 30-goal season with Crystal Palace. The most remarkable aspect of Pukki’s feat was that he still had time and chances to record nine assists on top of his mega-goal tally. Pukki signed on a free transfer from Brondby last season and will enter the Premier League campaign with terrific confidence he can step up again. The 29-year-old – who failed to light up the Scottish Premiership with Celtic several years ago – isn’t the most physically intimidating striker at 5ft11 but he is comfortable playing with his back to goal to assist others and quick enough to burst in behind defenders. He is a perfect fit for a counter attacking system and if Norwich are to survive, they’ll have to make the most of that style and Pukki himself.

Who is Norwich’s biggest summer signing?
Sam Byram (£750k). In stark contrast to Aston Villa, Norwich will back their Championship heroes to carry momentum into the new season. It’s an admirable approach in a wild marketplace, but are the Canaries’ players ready to step up a level in union? Right now, Byram is the biggest money spent by Norwich, but that will surely change before the campaign begins, though he is by no means a poor signing, and sub-£1m for a potential Premier League starter is a clear win. The former Leeds man was a sensation in the Championship after breaking through their academy to nail down the starting right-back spot before his 20th birthday.

He moved to West Ham during a period of uncertainty over the new stadium, a weak sole excuse for his personal dip in form, but the discontent couldn’t have helped him settle into new surroundings for the first time in his career. Byram has a second crack at the top flight with Norwich and will be determined to get his career back on track.

Who is Norwich’s manager? Meet Daniel Farke

GettyImages-1164589658-a50bfc7.jpg

Farke’s appointment felt like a mid-life crisis moment for a side whose previous manager lists reads ‘Alex Neil, Neil Adams, Chris Hughton, Paul Lambert, Bryan Gunn, Glenn Roeder…’
Fed up of the monotonous stable of repeating names just looking for their next pay cheque, Norwich went outside the box and plumped for a candidate whose only management job was that of Dortmund II. And man, it worked. The German 42-year-old cleared the decks in 2017/18, he swept away the deadwood and rebuilt his squad from the ground up. A testing debut season saw Norwich finish 14th, but he was afforded time and patience, and now the top brass are reaping the benefits after waltzing to the title in 2018/19.

Farke plays a possession-based attacking game. Norwich played the second fewest long passes in the Championship last season and the third highest number of short passes.
He encourages his full-backs to fly forward – leading to the emergence of terrific right-back Max Aarons – but may need to rein his side back if they want to prevent being cut to ribbons by Premier League danger men.

The fans say…

JON PUNT, ALONG COME NORWICH
What is the mood like among fans going into 2019/20?

It really couldn’t be more positive. Outsiders might look at Norwich’s lack of transfer activity as a negative, but the club have been merrily signing up last season’s heroes onto longer term contracts and just about everyone is delighted. These boys earned a crack at the top flight and now we’re assured they’ll be given their chance. Alongside that, the atmosphere fostered between the fans, players and club is as unified as many can remember. Togetherness can be key when mounting a survival bid, and the hope is everyone stays on the same song sheet when an inevitable drubbing or two comes our way.
Who will be your key player this season?
Emi Buendia has the raw talent to make it to the very top. The fact this talent has started to be refined under the coaching of Daniel Farke stands the young Argentine in excellent stead for the coming season. Buendia, like Wes Hoolahan before him, holds the key to the door in the attacking thirds and is a vital component of the side, his ability in tight pockets of space and tireless workrate should see him make a seamless transition into the top flight.
Any young talents to look out for?
Where to begin? Norwich’s academy production line was electro-shocked into life when Sporting Director Stuart Webber walked through the door. He placed an emphasis on creating pathways for young players to break into the first team. That paid dividends last season, with four academy graduates regularly featuring and the pick of that crop has to be the EFL Young Player of the season, right back Max Aarons. I wouldn’t sell him for four Aaron Wan-Bissakas.
Norwich scored a lot of goals last season but also conceded plenty. Does that concern you going into the top flight, and can neutrals expect high-scoring games to continue?
Norwich kind of solidified the defensive side of their game in the second half of the season so it doesn’t concern me greatly. The positive to draw from those high scoring encounters was the way in which we won games. So many late goals gained us valuable points, which speaks volumes of the team’s fitness, conditioning and desire.
Daniel Farke is still relatively unknown to fans who don’t look beyond the Premier League. Does he have what it takes to succeed in the Premier League?
Farke’s possession based style and attention to detail should adapt well to the Premier League. City performed admirably in the cups at both the Emirates and Stamford Bridge in 2017/18, with the more technical players shining. The key will be around adapting our style when we’re not allowed to completely impose ourselves on a match, or if we see a lot less of the ball than we are used to. The team showed last term they have the ability to counter quickly, we may need to rely on that more heavily this time around.
Where will you finish in the Premier League?
15th – provided we can build momentum after a difficult first six games.

===================
Squad depth:
t5i2ymofct8fkuzpscnx.png



MVP: Emiliano Buendia
The 22-year-old has been a revelation since joining Norwich a year ago. The devastating Argentine winger stands tall on the field and is often the man Norwich turn to in order to lift them up. His ability to carry the ball and create for team-mates is unmatched in the Norwich squad.


ns9cx7dg9lnomlwhiwxa.jpg



Dortmund Mark II
After Jurgen Klopp's success at Liverpool, Huddersfield owner Dean Hoyle went back to Klopp's previous club Borussia Dortmund to find his next coach. He couldn't get Thomas Tuchel from the first-team, so he took David Wagner from the B-team, Dortmund II. Wagner was a massive success, and so when Norwich needed a new coach they followed Huddersfield's lead and picked up the man who replaced Wagner: Daniel Farke. Incredibly this trend looks like continuing as Huddersfield have appointed Jan Siewert, another former Dortmund II coach.

The level-up: Farke's Revolution
Everyone loves him now but things weren't always so rosy for Farke. After his first season in charge many players weren't happy. They had dropped down the table and his training sessions were said to be too intense. But Farke knew that all revolution is greeted as hostile at first. He also believed firmly that his work would pay off eventually if his players stuck at it, and in 2018/19 that is exactly what happened. Norwich exploded on the Championship. Not only did they win it but they won it in serious style.

Keeping things short:
In 2016/17, Norwich played 19,862 passes in total; this was the 7th most in the Championship. 3,493 of those were long balls - 18% of their total. Then in 2017/18 under Farke, Norwich played 22,263 passes; this was the third most in the division.

In 2018/19 they were again third with a once-more improved 23,305 passes. Moreover they had whittled their long balls down to just 2,833 or 12% of their total passes. With Farke at the helm Norwich play it shorter, faster and better.

Pre-season form:
Norwich drew their opening pre-season game against Arminia Bielefeld before impressively beating Schalke. They followed this with a loss to Brentford and then thrashed Luton 1-5. Atalanta doused them 1-4 straight after but they closed out with a 1-0 home win against Toulouse.

The one to watch: Max Aarons
dh9cqeay8zwsxf5cawea.jpg

The young right-back has been a revelation under Farke and many hope he can take the Premier League by storm

  • Age: 19
  • Position: RB
  • Nationality: English
  • Key stat: No defender created more goals for Norwich last season than Max Aarons, who registered 6 assists in 2018/19.
 
So in short, another German-style short-passing and pressing team, I imagine kind of like Southampton under Hasenhuttl. They should be fun to play against; they will try to defend and hit us on the break, but won't be cynical long-ball merchants. The main attacking threat seems to be from the right with two of their best creators – Buendia and Aarons – linking up on that flank. I imagine Van Dijk and Matip will deal just fine with Pukki, but we'll need to be fully concentrated and not allow their creative players space and opportunities down the right.

I would still like Keita to start; he has a great burst of speed that he uses to appear out of nowhere to press players and win the ball back – like he did for his 1st-minute goal against Huddersfield last season. I think Norwich players would find a player like him very intimidating and he will force a few mistakes.

4-3-3:
-------------------Alisson-------------------
------------Matip-------Van Dijk----------
Trent-----------Fabinho----------Robbo
-------Henderson----------Keita---------
Salah------------Firmino-----------Origi

Subs: Adrian, Gomez, Lovren, Milner, Wijnaldum, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Brewster
 
Last edited:
I worry that when our fullbacks are on the attack the central midfieders will not cover the space vacated allowing Norwich's flank players to exploit it. That has been our main vulnerability and I didn't see anything in pre-season to suggest that has yet to be sorted.
 
Last edited:
I hope the 6 times celebration is for Friday's game only. It's a new season now, time to look forward.
 
I hope the 6 times celebration is for Friday's game only. It's a new season now, time to look forward.
It will be, it's the first competitive game at Anfield since the final so wouldn't be entirely surprised if they parade the cup around afterwards, but then Klopp has made a few comments about that not being relevant now cos it's the past, so perhaps not.
 
Can't we loan Suarez from Barca? Heard they're skint and he loves scoring against Norwich. Win win
 
I worry that when our fullbacks are on the attack the central midfieders will not cover the space vacated allowing Norwich's flank players to exploit it. That has been our main vulnerability and I didn't see anything in pre-season to suggest that has yet to be sorted.

Only 2 months since we won the CL with the same team and squad. And you're worried sick before the ball has been kicked for the new season ? Against a promoted team at home ?

Get a grip.
 
Any news on Delia?

Ronny Deila went on to coach Vålerenga after his sacking in Chelsea. Vålerenga is a bohemian club in East of Oslo. They have the best supporters in Norway i think. Anyway, He has not been an instant success but try to build up the club who should have huge potensial as the only capital elite flight club... however They struggle to engage the capital and will again end up around 6-8
 
Pretty horrific that we are one bad injury away from relying on Origi week in week out.

Praying for another injury free season for the big three
 
I'm surprised we continue to see Origi covering Mane. He doesn't do a bad job, but it takes him away from the area he has recently excelled at, goal poaching and he's not exactly slick in his link-up play.

I do wonder if Chamberlain or Shaqiri can adapt and do a better job if Mane ever does get injured.

A Mane injury is the biggest threat to our title challenge, IMO. Thankfully he's made of rubber.
 
I'm surprised we continue to see Origi covering Mane. He doesn't do a bad job, but it takes him away from the area he has recently excelled at, goal poaching and he's not exactly slick in his link-up play.

I do wonder if Chamberlain or Shaqiri can adapt and do a better job if Mane ever does get injured.

A Mane injury is the biggest threat to our title challenge, IMO. Thankfully he's made of rubber.

He’s our best attacking player imo.
 
I'm surprised we continue to see Origi covering Mane. He doesn't do a bad job, but it takes him away from the area he has recently excelled at, goal poaching and he's not exactly slick in his link-up play.

I do wonder if Chamberlain or Shaqiri can adapt and do a better job if Mane ever does get injured.

A Mane injury is the biggest threat to our title challenge, IMO. Thankfully he's made of rubber.

Agreed - i rate Origi when he plays through the middle and can get a chance to make space in the box. I often think he makes poor decisions around runs to make and options to give when out wide and we are on the counter attack - and they are very different to what Mane would do. If we had a better LB back up option I wouldn't be against Roberton playing LW and a covering LB being deployed if it came to it.
 
Mane is an option for the game tomorrow according to Klopp. Looks fit and sharp.
Will probably be on the bench.
 
Pretty horrific that we are one bad injury away from relying on Origi week in week out.

Praying for another injury free season for the big three

Origi did a solid job last season so I don't see why he can't continue that, all we need from him is a few important goals here and there but
he'll never be a 20 goal a season player because his movement is awful.
 
3 key players out for Norwich. Zimmermann Klose and Tettey

All defensive players.
 
Nah I'm at a festival running some ridiculous techno event in Groningen so will be seeing how far I can stream in the corner of our venue for
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom