The season 2020 - 2021.

And of course Rick. as often said, points on the board are better than games in hand. Who saw this coming - not me for a start. The ' how long do we give him ' thread is confined to the past!!!

 

Why is Tim Krul wearing a skirt?

 

Jack Wilshere has signed for Bournemouth. A great signing if they can keep him fit

 

Our defence this season has been solid this season despite losing Godfrey and Lewis. Hanley has improved dramatically and the left-footed Gibson has improved the balance despite Quintilla's injury. Another factor is the improvement in midfield where Skipp and McLean have performed so well:

https://www.pinkun.com/sport/norwich-city/spurs-loanee-oliver-skipp-grant-hanley-6913868

Interesting to see how this goes for the rest of the season.

 

McLean and Hanley have had their critics in the past, but have both been immense this season, especially the latter. Skipp will be very difficult to replace but I don't think it is a foregone conclusion that he will be returning to Spurs next season, in spite of what Mourinho has said publicly. Here's hoping anyway.

 

Mourinho is a shrewd character. He would not want Skipp to spend another season in the Championship but if he looked at his squad in the summer, and we have been promoted, he would probably think that another year at Norwich where, as a DM, Skipp would come under a lot of pressure from Premiership teams, would be better for his development unless he was going to get game time at Spurs.

 

I don’t think there is any doubt that Skipp has been a very important factor in us tightening up defensively. I think the signing of the left back is interesting in two ways. Obviously not will be good to have a recognised left back playing but it will also give us the opportunity to give Skipp a bit of a rest when required as now we can use Sorensen in his preferred position. I for one and interested in what he can do in that role. He could be a ready made replacement for Skipp next season.

 

Yes, I was wondering that as well. Sørensen has played mainly as a DM in the past but can also play as a CB and that could be the solution if Skipp leaves. Jakob's experience at LB will have helped that development but he needs more time in midfield to develop further and adjust to the English game, but his ability to drop back into defence could be very useful.

 

Farke hopes Pukki and Idah will be available for the Boro game, but Hugill will be about for several games most likely. Perhaps an opening for Soto or Omotoye? Can't say the latter impressed me today, he had very little influence or involvement after coming on.

 

Boro lost at home to Blackburn today, so we remain 14 points above 7th place with all concerned having played 25 games.

 

On Omotoye, I thought he worked hard off the ball, including a rough shoulder challenge on one of their CBs. He also got into some good positions but never received the ball. I had an inkling that he's learned a fair bit from Hugill. Early days though, as he's only 18.

 

I would do a cash plus player switch with Max .

Aarons is pretty much the finished article but Skipp has been magnificent from day 1 with us.

He's a Spurs fan so unlikely to move permanently but you never know.

 

Reading drew a blank at PNE keeping them 9 points behind us. Becoming a three horse race?

 

Bournemouth having only taken 1 point from their last 3 games and Reading's draw make them look more like play-off contenders. Brentford still have two games in hand and and Watford's win at Stoke on Friday make them both contenders for a top two place, so I'd say it's more like a 4 team race but Swansea's home match against Brentford could change the picture.

 

It was the not touching the ball that worried me. Other than chasing the odd lost cause, he never looked involved. Felt like we were playing with 10 men, either that he was never available for a pass or nobody trusted him with the ball.

They missed a late penalty too.

Form over the last 6 games:
Brentford 16 pts
Norwich 13
Swansea 13
Watford 12
Reading 11
...
Bournemouth 5 (19th for form).

I don't expect Reading to go the distance, and I don't think they have the funds for January investment to give them a boost, but I think at this point it's premature to rule them out.

 

I was looking at their chance of catching us, but they have a reasonable chance of catching the others if they can string some wins together. Our biggest advantage is playing everybody but Swansea at CR, which makes our match with Swansea on the 5th of February loom very large. After that we may have a better idea how things might end up.

 

6 points clear of 2nd place. 14 from 7th. Fairly safe to start thinking that at the very least well finish in the top 6.

Webber & DF look like hitting their target of being a top 26 club for the 3rd season running

 

Swansea and Brentford drawing 1-1 suits us very well and Boro losing 3-0 at home to Rotherham won't help their preparation for playing us.

On another note, Hanley pays tribute to DF for his improvement this season:

"I think he's been great for me, in terms of learning the game and playing a different style to what I've played before," Hanley said of Farke. "So in terms of that improvement and the demand on myself, I definitely feel like I'm a better player for coming to Norwich and I'm in the same boat as the rest of the lads and grateful for that opportunity."

https://www.pinkun.com/sport/norwich-city/hanley-grateful-to-farke-for-improving-him-7073320

 

Worth saying we’re always six points clear of third place and even if Brentford win their game in hand we’re five points clear of second.

So we’re building a healthy gap between us and the chasing pack. But, to be honest, I’m confident we can just focus on ourselves now: 92 points is the aim. So 39 points from 21 games. That’s 13 more wins.

And we cleared 39 points after 19 games in the first half of the season, though that includes a rubbish start.