Norwich City Season 3 part 1 (2014-2015)

Starting the season with my trusty 4-1-2-1-2, our first trophy opportunity came in our very first game.

Our FA Cup win meant we got to play in the Community Shield against the mighty Man City. It was always going to be a huge ask against a team of their resources and ability, but any hopes of an upset that we may have had were dashed when Simao got himself sent off on his debut.  After being booked I instructed him to go easy, but he didn’t and a red card was the result. I gave him a warning after the match, as he had let his teammates down.

The league season proper started with a 2-1 win at home to Tottenham, Perisic (on his league debut) and Howson got the goals.  As per last season an encouraging start was then undermined immediately, this time by a 1-0 loss at Southampton.

Back to back 1-0 wins over West Ham and Stoke saw Traore and Carroll open their accounts for the season and gave the team some confidence and momentum.

                                   Lacina Traore: 6ft 8 of striker playing in green and yellow!

                                                 

Then it was August 31st and I had to register the squads for the Premier League and Europa League and of course my bloated squad size meant many good players couldn’t fit into the League squad and had to make do with the Europa league instead. 

We then made our Europa League debut with a spirited 3-2 loss at Udinese. Kweuke got his first of the season and Carroll got the other.

Meanwhile my hopes of giving fringe players a run out in a Carling Cup run went for a burton when, despite a fine Andy Carroll goal we went out 2-1 to West Ham at the very first hurdle.

Our 3^rd successive loss came this time in the league, 1-0 to West Brom. 

As October dawned winning ways were restored with a 1-0 victory over LOSC in the Europa League. Carroll grabbing the only goal of the game.

We were proving to be consistently inconsistent. An excellent 3-1 win over Chelsea (2 from Traore and 1 for Jon Viera)  

                                                               




followed by a 1-0 loss at Sunderland which saw Simao sent off again. I fined him 2 weeks wages which led to a blazing row from which I would not back down. If I tell a player to ease off and they continue to go diving in, they will not get very far in this football club. I consigned him to the reserves with a view to loaning or selling him.

                                       Jonny Howson: There from day one and still doing well for us

Straqualursi, Howson and the rapidly progressing Gael Kakuta scored for us in a 3-1 home win over Metalist and then back in the league Carroll’s goal was in vain as we lost 2-1 to Arsenal, before bouncing back with a 2-0 win at Cardiff (Perisic and Viera)

November started with a 1-0 loss to man City and found us resolutely mid table. At that point, I felt teams were very used to our wingless approach, and I felt that with players like Carroll and Straq in the team I should be maximizing the crosses we put into the box, and so I moved to a 4-1 (DM)- 3 (AML, AMC, AMR) - 2, with (gasp) wingers!

I trialled it in the Europa League against Metalist and on their patch we thrashed them 5-2.  Howson got a brace,  with Straqualursi, Perisic and Kweuke getting the others. I decided it was worth running with this formation to see if it was a one-off or had legs.

                                                         

Perisic was in fine form which was a good thing as Arshavin had clearly had an Indian summer last season and was in rapid decline. Nonetheless he could play right wing, as could Kakuta or even Perisic, so it did mean the winged formation was a credible option for us.

Next game up we came away with a 1-1 draw at Liverpool, with Perisic grabbing our goal.

Next came a 2-1 away win at Bolton (Carroll and Howson). This made it 3 unbeaten with the new formation.

We then fooled Swansea by reverting to 4-1-2-1-2 and thrashed them 5-1. Lacina Traore showed his class with a hat-trick, and Perisic and Jenssen grabbed the others.

                                                           

Meanwhile, as could have been predicted, 2 of my stikers were unhappy with a lack of playing time. Aboubakar politely asked to go on loan, and I offered him (but had no takers). Adelmilson threatened to leave without 1^st team football, and when I pointed out he hadn’t set the world on fire when I’d given him a go, he demanded a transfer. I accepted this, but set his asking price very high as I had resolved in my mind that he was a ‘keeper’. I had decided I would be selling at least one striker in the Jan transfer window and was almost certain who it would be.

                                 Ryan Bennett: Developing into a fine defender on very fair wages           

                                                

Back in the league, I decided to stick with 4-1-2-1-2 after the Swansea success, as it was easier to accommodate most of my key players. This led to a 1-1 draw with Blackpool (Howson), a 3-1 loss at Wolves (Carroll) before I woke up and smelt the Coffee.

Back to the winged formation but it was no magic bullet as Udinese beat us 3-0 at home. However we certainly created more chances with 4-2-4 and I made a decision that I would stick with it and give it a chance over a good run of games.

Heading to Loftus Road we beat QPR 4-1 (Carroll got a brace, Kweuke got one and Arshavin the other).

 

                                                             

A 0-0 draw with Villa was followed by a meaningless Europa League tie as we had already qualified.

Giving numerous fringe players a run out, we lost 4-2 at LOSC with Paloschi and Ryan Bennett grabbing the goals.

A 3-0 loss away to Man Utd took us to Christmas-time, and then our last two games of the year saw us manage back to back wins..2-1 at Tottenham  (Carroll x 2) and 2-1 at home to Newcastle (Perisic x 2).  In those victories I took a more attacking approach within the 4-2-4 and the results, and performance, boded well for the future. Although we were 9^th, I really felt this formation had plenty of goals in it, and I hoped that giving them more of an attacking brief could send us on a run that might see us pushing for (whisper it) a European place.