2022-23 Season

Might need a trigger warning for anyone sensitive to strobe clothing

 

From the Presser:

“We’ll look in the market but for Tuesday we’ll have to look for other options within the squad. Sam Byram has trained, but tomorrow might be too early for him. There’s not an option to recall Bali [Mumba] until January.”

Elsewhere, Smith said that Teemu Pukki has a bruised foot and will have an x-ray this morning. “He played the rest of the game so we’re hopeful he’ll be okay,” Smith added. Adam Idah returns to training today as the swelling has gone down on his knee and Isaac Hayden is expected to join in soon."

Basically that means we have no DM, no LB and McLean will probably have to play out of position. Other than that, things are fine and dandy. What a mess this season is turning out to be.

https://www.canaries.co.uk/content/team-news-soerensen-out-for-a-number-of-weeks

 

Sending Mumba out on loan is looking like a mistake, we may have to draft Sean Stewart in from the academy.

Young Northern Ireland left back

 

Relax people. According to the Yorkshire Post, the US website FiveThirtyEight's supercomputer is predicting 78 points and second place for us this season; Watford to win the league with 84 points. Play-offs to be contested by Sheffield Utd, West Brom, Burnley and Blackburn. Huddersfield, meanwhile are predicted to finish 17th, with a 17% chance of relegation.

 

Another option would be Gibson or Núñez playing at LB. My preference would be a 3-4-2-1 with Núñez as LWB:

Krul
Omobamidele Hanley Gibson
Aarons Sara McLean Núñez
Sinani Cantwell
Pukki

Subs: Gunn, Tomkinson, Gibbs, Rashica, Hernandez, Dowell/Ramsey, Hugill

 

I use FiveThirtyEight during American elections and they are very accurate statisticians for that, but I have no idea about their sports predictions, especially over here.

 

Or use Hernandez at RB?

Has Nunez played at LB before? I thought he had played RB?

 

No, he hasn't played at LB before, but neither had Sørensen. That's why I prefer the option of him at LWB and Aarons at RWB overlapping and interchanging with Cantwell and Sinani to create movement up front.

 

Ah fair enough, I just wasn't sure I was remembering correctly.

Aarons was shifted to LB several times in a back five when we were chasing games so he could potentially be used there and then Hernandez/Nunez could go in at right back

 

My thought was that Núñez at LWB would allow him to cut in and create overloads with Cantwell.

 

Gibson is no stranger to LB (see Transfermarkt); he would appear to be the most likely stand-in. Personally I wouldn't want to see Núñez moved from central midfield to fill that gap.

 

Not ideal, but what is at the moment? Playing at LWB might be worth it if it means Sara can start as well.

 

Nunez has played RB before though and has the engine to play a WB role. Could be that he goes to RWB and Aarons goes to LWB?

Krul
Núñez O'dele Hanley Gibson Aarons
Gibbs
Sinani Sara Cantwell
Pukki

Could work

 

And a left footed on the left side defence. Possibly three at the back with wing backs.

 

Omobamidele played LB at least once last season I think? There's a few options left, but it's not ideal.

Bali Mumba can't be recalled before January unfortunately. At least Smith has confirmed we're looking at the market. What's Quintilla up to these days?

 

I believe he's joined CD Santa Clara, currently 11th in Portugal's Premier League (Liga Portugal).

[Edit] Yup, according to Whoscored, he was a second half substitute (65th min) in yesterday's 2:1 defeat against Boavista

 

I had thought about Gibson, not sure how i'd feel about him going up against a pacey right winger

 

He shouldn't need to, not single-handedly. Why is it that when our "pacy wide players" do their thing, they find themselves trying to find a way through a posse of defenders, while their opposition equivalents are just gifted one-on-one opportunities?

 

Because, in this league particularly, 95% teams will sit back on their 18 yard line against us whereas our defence are on the edge of the centre circle