Premier League season, 2021 / 2022

Sorry if already posted elsewhere.
The latest planning applications comprise a new recovery hub, administration and media facility.

 

It has been mentioned, but the model gives a much better idea of how it'll all look. I'm sure that makes recruiting players much easier.

 

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/58821131 So the 'not Saudi Arabian state' company which is owned by Saudi Arabia is going to own Newcastle United. Really puts how Norwich are so different from other top tier clubs into perspective. The arms race continues!

 

I like that each time we go up, we put a small pot aside to try to do something tangible with some of the money. Try to make or build something that will have lasting benefit to the infrastructure of the club. If not another few million would go on the ever higher wages and fees.

 

If NUFC become owned by any Saudi company then its very likely that a whole heap of dosh will be used to improve the squad. That could mean that NUFC become a stronger side and one that might now be pulled out of the relegation mire thus reducing our chances to survive. We play them away on 1st December but transfer window will not be open by then. Next fixture is 23rd April at home so it may well be done and dusted.

 

Update: NUFC takeover has already happened (today). Can’t see Steve Bruce remaining. £300m seems cheap, but Ashley will be pleased to see it go. Now the fun begins…………

 

I have nothing against Newcastle, but it would be quite funny if the January window is not enough to bed in reinforcements and they get relegated…

 

Colney's changes also include the new soccerbot video facility to improve players' skills and techniques. The video is well worth watching to get a feel of how it works:

https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/202...d-prove-to-be-a-game-changer-for-the-canaries

 

please log in to view this image

Yuck, thankfully can't imagine Canaries Trust being half as welcoming.

 

Yes, the toon army must be really desperate about getting rid of Ashley and just getting money for new players and hopefully buying success. It worked for ManCity, but many others have floundered once they got expensive players but lost their team.

 

Though I understand the position, I think Seaman is missing the point in this article:

https://norwichcity.myfootballwrite...ck-of-all-trades-but-can-he-be-master-of-one/

Normann is certainly a multi-faceted player, but that is what makes him such a special addition. Would you tell Buendia to reduce his defensive actions so he can concentrate on his attacking abilities? I wouldn't. Of all the new players he's the one who could make the biggest difference to our season.

Tettey and Skipp were very good at tackling and breaking up play but their passing and shooting abilities were limited at best. If Normann does prove to be PL quality in both attacking and defensive play then the new 3-5-2 formation makes sense and we do have a chance of surviving. Yes, it is a big ask but this is a league of big asks. This could be why Normann is playing and Sørensen isn't.

There are plenty of players who can sit deep in the DM role screening the defence. With 3 CBs though, there is scope for Normann's progressive passing and attacking abilities in a 3 man midfield. He has been the main difference in why we have been better in the last 3 games and hopefully that will develop even further to push us up the table.

 

If we continue with a back 5/3, where does that leave room to include Todd? 3 - 4 -3 is the only formation in which he can comfortably be included as far as I can see.

 

Different formation for home and away?

 

Yes, I’d say more like a 3-4-2-1, with him on the left of the two behind the striker

 

With a 3-5-2, Todd, Rashica, Dowell, Tzolis don't fit, and are basically all competing to be impact subs. Whilst at the moment we have two strikers with nobody feeding them. Surely at some point we'll look to start with a creative player? Even if that could be described as a 3-6-1?

 

McLean sees the 3-5-2 as a 'pragmatic' necessity at the moment:

https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/mclean-accepts-pragmatism-trumps-style-for-ncfc-8396448

It's possible we could see a more attacking variation against Brighton at home. McLean can also play as an AM whether moving forward from CM or in a 3-4-2-1 as Rob suggests. He and Lees-Melou played some effective through balls against Burnley which weren't picked up by the strikers and Normann tends to move forward like a regista when we have the ball, dictating play and picking out players in space. I saw one suggestion that Kabak could move up into a DM role when we have the ball and then drop back into the back 3 when it's lost. That could give Normann more license to move forward in a creative role when we have the ball, whether from a 3-5-2 or a 3-4-2-1 as Rob suggests, with Rashica, Cantwell, Tzolis or Dowell included beside Sargent with Pukki up front.

 

Michael Bailey has a more comprehensive article in today's edition of The Athletic. Apparently, when Werder Bremen tried out RB Leipzig's Soccer Bot, using their academy players, "one “blew away” the watching staff with his “effortless” ability to complete the challenges." That was Josh Sargent.

 

Sometimes the grass doesn't turn out greener, but the wage increase might be some consolidation.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sp...news/emi-buendia-norwich-aston-villa-21797938

 

A fun fact. In the EPL this season, any player that has played for us, with the exception of Pukki, has scored the same number of goals as Harry Kane. .

 

There are others who've scored more if you count the Bournemouth cup game.