In the 22nd of a series of pre-season reports, HarryFromBath assesses the mood around the Championship clubs by delving into their forums, looking here at how things have progressed for the Canaries. All of the teams in the division have been covered apart from Saturday’s first opponents of the season Blackburn Rovers, for whom there will be a full match preview later today.
"It’s difficult to know where to pitch us until the real stuff starts and we can see how we compare against other sides, but as it stands I can't look above mid-table”, "The squad has some depth and is fairly solid across the board but it lacks real quality”, "My heart says top ten but my head says 16th.”
"Let’s not forget last season was so abysmal we finished below Ipswich.” There is a strong consensus among City fans that the coming campaign will be as mid-table as one can get. Many expect their squad to take time to adjust to this summer’s loss of key performers James Maddison and Josh Murphy.
"We are always going to be a good technical side with the players we've got, but unless we have that fight, we won't get the points we need to succeed”, "I can't see us progressing with inferior players and a weaker squad to what we had last season so it's an underwhelming mid-table finish at best.”
"We will struggle. We didn’t score enough goals last season but we had the players to do it. We look like we have signed finishers but if the tactics are the same, this season will be much like before with slow build-up play, lots of passing around at the back letting opponents get in position and defend.”
"How much has Farke learned?”, "We need to look at Farke. I thought we underperformed last year with what we had at our disposal. Has he learned? Can he turn a bang average squad into promotion hopefuls through masterful tactics and man-management? One season in and I have no idea.”
"Still a lot of smoke and mirrors surrounding Farke. I'm just not convinced.” Canaries have doubts over their managers ability to get the best out of his squad, with many frustrated by their lack of incisive play. The 47-year-old enters his second season at Carrow Road having arrived in May 2017.
"My biggest worry is not the players, it is Farke. He has to play in a more attacking and direct way and get this team scoring goals”, "Farke is my biggest worry. If he plays like last season, we will be mid-table if not worse”, "It is now up to him to produce on the pitch as well as he talks off it.”
"This season is going to be a big test of Farke's style of football. I think he is the problem but am happy to be proved wrong”, "Can Farke get a team playing beyond its collective capabilities and turn a mid-table squad into promotion contenders? So far you would have to say ‘no’ on that.”
"How much will we miss Maddison?” No fewer than 14 players of varying importance have moved from Carrow Road either permanently or on loan this summer as the club have sought to reduce their wage bill. The departure of 21-year-old midfielder James Maddison to Leicester will be most keenly felt.
Many feel that the loss of Maddison, along with wingers Josh Murphy (to Cardiff) and Alex Pritchard (who switched to Huddersfield in January) has greatly diminished their attacking threat. "The time to say ‘well done’ is when we see that their replacements actually start performing on the pitch.”
"Flogging off the family silver and bringing an assortment of journeymen, loan players and unknown hopefuls is hardly a cause for congratulations before a ball has been kicked in anger. It could all be fine, but don't get your hopes up too much until you see what happens over the first 10 games.”
The retirement of playmaker Wes Hoolahan marks the passing of an era for many Canaries. "My big worry is we have sold our two best attacking players from last season and we have no more Wes.”
"I'm yet to be convinced that the replacements are able to fill their boots, but am hoping that maybe they will be able to implement whatever plan Farke has to benefit as a team. Fingers crossed, as long as the plan is not ‘let’s pass the ball about in our own half for as much of the game as possible’.”
Other less lamented departures from the first-team squad are midfielder Marley Watkins (to Bristol City), defenders Marcel Franke (to SV Darmstadt on loan with an option to buy), and Sean Raggett (on loan to Rotherham) and winger Yanic Wildschut (to Bolton on a season-long loan).
Striker Steven Naismith moved to Hearts on loan in January and will be there for the coming season. Goalkeeper Angus Gunn, a loan signing from Manchester City last season, is with Southampton while defender Russell Martin (on loan at Rangers for part of last season) is training with the U23 players.
Several younger players have been sent to lower league sides to gain experience, including winger Diallang Jaiyesimi (to Yeovil), midfielder Ebou Adams (to Ebbsfleet) and striker Tristan Abrahams (to Exeter). Midfielder Adam Phillips and striker Mason Bloomfield have joined Hamilton Academical.
"Overall a promising close season revamp.” City made six signings this summer while two players who were on loan elsewhere last season are expected to feature. Midfielder Moritz Leitner has signed a permanent deal having been on loan from FC Augsburg for the second half of last season.
For 30-year-old former Brighton keeper Tim Krul and one-time Blues striker Jordan Rhodes, on a season-long loan from Sheffield Wednesday, it is a question of whether they can recapture the form of old.
"Krul and Rhodes could be really good signings or both could be flops. Five years ago, we would have loved to have them but let’s see if they can find some form”, "I like the Rhodes signing and hopefully we can get him back to where he once was. If he finds his old form it would be a fantastic signing.”
"The other signings are alright, but nothing more”, "Will any of them replace Maddison? I don’t think so. Is the first team stronger than last season? I also don’t think so. Is the squad fairly strong and will it finish mid-table? Yes, to both”, "Who knows how the other forwards will adapt to this level?”
City have bought 20-year-old right-back Felix Passlack from Borussia Dortmund, 27-year-old winger Ben Marshall (who played on loan for Millwall for part of last season) from Wolves and two strikers, Emi Buendia, 21, from Getafe and the 28-year-old Finn Teemu Pukki from Danish side Brondby.
"Buendia is a wide player who comes in from the left and [January signing] Onel Hernandez wants to do the same on the opposite side”, "Buendia plays on the left and cuts inside. He and Hernandez on opposite wings could terrorise opposing defences. They need players to hold the fort behind them.”
"I feel Buendia could be the pick of the bunch while Passlack seems more suited to a wingback role than a traditional full-back”, "He has the credentials to be good but as with last season’s foreigners he will need time to adjust to the rigours of the Championship. Passlack hasn’t quite adapted yet.”
The two returning loanees are midfielder Kenny McLean, who was signed from Aberdeen in January and loaned back to the Pittodrie side for the remainder of the season, and midfielder or defender Ben Godfrey who played on loan last season under Paul Hurst’s management at Shrewsbury.
"I anticipate Kenny McLean being the standout player while little Buendia could be a revelation, but a great deal hinges on Rhodes hitting the net regularly”, "If McLean hits the ground running, Buendia adjusts quickly, Hernandez keeps his good form and Rhodes finds the net, we could make progress.”
The Canaries have had a busy eight-game pre-season schedule. They started with wins over King’s Lynn (2-1), Lincoln City (3-1) and Crawley Town (2-0). A quickfire series of three games in five days in Germany saw them beat Paderborn (3-2), lose to Union Berlin (1-2) and draw 1-1 with Wolfsburg.
Their final two games on English soil saw them win 3-1 at Luton before finishing off with a 1-0 defeat away to Charlton on Saturday. Canaries weren’t too bothered about the loss, with the winning goal for the Addicks coming from a deflected strike from the boot of Jake Forster-Caskey.
"Today’s shape at Charlton looked too open with Trybull and Leitner in central midfield. I must say I'm less confident if we line-up in a 4-1-4-1, I just don't think it really suits the players we have”, "The German tour suggests that 4-1-4-1 will be the formation of choice this season. 3-5-2 will be Plan B.”
The starting XI (above) at the Valley was described on the City website report as being a 4-1-4-1, "with Teemu Pukki playing just behind striker Dennis Srbeny”. The two keen debates are whether the team should play three or four at the back, and how much midfield protection they require.
"The biggest influence on Farke is Thomas Tuchel who deployed the 4-1-4-1 regularly at Dortmund. Tuchel would use the wing-backs for width. The wide midfielders tucked in providing overloads in the centre of the pitch. Tuchel’s holding midfielder dropped very deep to build attacks from the back.”
"I can see Farke doing this also.” Canaries also worry about the lack of steel in the side. "I’m not a fan of how Farke set us up last season in the 4-1-4-1 formation. He seemed to want to stuff the team with lightweight playmakers while expecting the man in front of the back four to cover everything.”
"The impression I've had is that Farke likes to have as many ball players and one holding midfielder if possible. There's a part of me that feels we would do better with come grit and determination over technical ability. I fear that Farke will want to play Leitner in midfield who could become a luxury.”
"Trybull is not strong enough to play the holding role which is essential to address the weaknesses in the backline”, "I have also thought Trybull looked unconvincing in a couple of our other pre-season games. We need Ben Godfrey there as well because Trybull on his own leaves us a little exposed.”
"I've seen comments elsewhere about how Farke has sorted out our leaky defence but I am far from convinced that he has done when we've played a back four. We look solid with three centre-backs but once we move to a back four we start to leak goals and give the opposition far more chances.”
Centre-backs Grant Hanley and Timm Klose are a solid unit but the inexperience of right-back Felix Passlack and the poor form of left-back James Husband are a concern in wider roles. "We do look a bit sketchy at left-back and I'm not sure why we haven't brought in quality cover for this position.”
One Canary proposed the line-up above in a recent discussion about giving the team more steel and a stronger defensive balance. "Hanley and Klose are the nailed-on centre-backs, but I can also see Ben Godfrey suiting a back three. He is naturally comfortable on the ball and can step out with it.”
"Ipswich’s new man seems intent upon filling the squad with League One or lower players. Unless he is a genius at spotting lower league potential capable of making a mark at Championship level, this would seem a very risky approach, especially as he has never managed at Championship level.”
Paul Hurst’s appointment has not gone unnoticed. A number of Canaries have highlighted his lack of Championship experience while others have drawn unflattering parallels with Brian Clough. "He has a very direct style which will be familiar to Ipswich fans. It will be interesting to see how he gets on.”
"Hurst comes over as either over-abrasive or naive. He has already criticised his players in public on a couple of occasions and openly discusses individuals. He seems to think he's some sort of latter day Clough, without the pedigree of course.”
"Their chap seems to come from the Brian Clough school of football management whereby he has his set ways and is not afraid to upset players in order to adhere to them. His initial approach was to instil a strict training regime - surprise, surprise - and steamroller over any dissent.”
"Farke had had the best part of the season to equate himself with his players, Cloughie Mark II has only just met his. There's a difference between self-belief and conceit. I see him as veering towards the latter which doesn't sit well with somebody who has yet to manage a Championship game.”
"Clearly he's no Clough and rather more a little man who makes a lot of noise”, "The whole thing seems like a car crash waiting to happen. I would be extremely worried if I were a Binner [Ipswich supporter to Canaries], especially if Waghorn is sold and replaced by lower league triers.”
Not everyone agrees with this view. "Hurst has an excellent reputation as an emerging manager and seems a solid appointment. He knows the lower leagues well so I would assume he has purchased decent players. His performance with Shrewsbury last season suggests he will get them well drilled.”
"The Binners will be in the money, once they sell their ‘best’ player. Can anyone else hear that barrel being scraped out?”, "Maddison is an incredibly talented 21-year-old with the world at his feet and Martyn Waghorn is a bang average 28-year-old journeyman coming off one decent season.”
"Decent business by Ipswich for Waghorn, although he doesn't fit into their new way of playing.” Many were impressed by figures being reported around Waghorn’s possible sale. "One thing we could learn from that lot down the road is how to sell a player, £8 million for Waghorn is ridiculous.”
"Good money for Town, likely to keep their buying power afloat for 10 seasons”, "They thought this would be a new era under Hurst and he would be backed to the hilt, yet they're still scraping around the footballing bargain bin trying to cobble together from cast-offs, loans and freebies.”
"If £8 million is to the be the figure for Waghorn, then fair dues”, "He certainly did well for McCarthy and you sometimes get a player that is ideal for manager’s way of playing”, "Quite a few of us had a chuckle at the idea of Waghorn and Garner as a strike force. They both outperformed our strikers.”
Canaries have doubts about our "bargain-bin” acquisitions. "It does seem that the Paul Hurst revolution down there is becoming the equivalent of our own last season but with an English league emphasis instead. Let's hope that it is as underwhelming as our own season turned out to be.”
"Relying on Ellis Harrison from Bristol Rovers to replace Waghorn would be a big risk in my book. He's 24 and has been playing at that level for a few years and even last season was not prolific. It’s a big ask for him to come in and score 15-plus in the Championship looking at his past record.”
"I assume Harrison has attributes they like as his stats don't jump off the page. Even with £8 million to spend those goals and assists will be hard to replace. Relegation beckons”, "It looks like they have already spent more in transfer fees on their new striker than we did on either of ours this window.”
"Hurst will look to do things differently. Signing Harrison from Bristol Rovers for under £1 million and could sell Waghorn for £8 million, you can't argue with the business sense there. If he settles in and gets a few in their first few games it’s very tidy business from both a financial and a football angle.”
"It’s worth noting that Evans effectively subsidises them to the tune of £6 - £8 million a year just to maintain the squad they currently have. If our gates hold up that basically should put our sustainable wage bill on a par with them, but if they drop off is good old Delia going to do the same?”
"Getting in the top half at the end of the coming season is a realistic target. There is nothing wrong with wanting top six but this squad is mid-table at best”, "A consolidation season for me. If we buy well next summer, it will have been a decent season looking at how I currently rate the squad.”
"For me it’s a squad with a lot of unknowns but some real potential”, "If we are lucky with injuries and get a reasonable start all things are possible, but I wouldn't put any money on it”, "It is pretty much on a par with last season. Trade the creativity of Maddison for a goalscorer in Rhodes.”
"Well we are about to find out! To me that squad looks nailed on for mid-table. There’s too much in there to be dragged into a relegation battle but not enough quality going forwards to challenge the top six”, "There are too many below average players on paper in the squad to call it a strong squad”
"We have a squad full of players who still have to prove themselves. Hopeful only because it’s a new season coming up and we surely should be better than last year, but until the signs are there we can be competitive I won't be laying any plaudits on this squad and its manager yet. Prove me wrong.”
There are two active Norwich message-boards. Some in-depth discussion and analysis can be found on Pink ‘Un while additional comment can be found on the cheerfully coloured Wrath of the Barclay which operates in thread mode.