paddycanary

He is fundamental to Farke''s playing philosophy. Pray he stays fit & available. Other teams are surely going to mark him out for special attention after these recent set of results. If I remember correctly, didn''t a few people ''in the know'' mention that the German squad contingent were pleasantly surprised when he initially arrived on loan? Now we see why. He''s performing like a guy who wants & deserves to be in the division above. Hopefully with us!!

Assuming the unlikely situation that all senior squad players were fit & available, I believe Leitner would still be one of the first names on the list. He is fundamental to Farke''s playing philosophy and it seems like he has found his way in the ''hustle & bustle'' of Championship football. I think he needs a ''Tettey'' alongside him though to enable some freedom & flexibility in his measured approach. For argument''s sake, I think this might be Farke''s preferred first 11 currently: Krul Aarons Hanley Klose Lewis Tettey Leitner Hernandez Stiepermann McLean Pukki Do we have a backup 11? McGovern Marshall / Passlack / Pinto Zimmermann Godfrey Pinto / Aarons? Trybull Vrancic Thompson Buendia Cantwell Rhodes Only an injury or two away from problems in the full back areas. No room for poor Dennis Srbeny on this list! A positive for me is that I''d be happy to see any of the second 11 lining out. Decent recruitment on a shoestring. For RB, Passlack hasn''t really done enough, Pinto seems to be on the wane, Marshall was too loose and at LB, if Jamal gets crocked, we''ll have an issue. But generally feeling quite positive at the moment.

1-1

Bit of a crazy selection there Thirsty! What about: McGovern Passlack Godfrey Klose (Zimm if available) Aarons Trybull Vrancic Thompson (Marshall if unavailable) Cantwell Srbeny Rhodes Stiepermann, Buendia, Leitner, Marshall, Pinto/Klose, Oxborough on the bench Tettey, Pukki, Krul & Jamal all get the night off.

consecutive league wins gives a warm fuzzy feeling inside. very pleasant indeed, well done to the lads. hopefully momentum will breed confidence. Aarons looks to have solved a problem position, Lewis continues his rise, Klose & Zimm is solid, Leitner is becoming increasingly important, Tettey has found form, Stiepermann is reborn, Krul looks to be settled, Vrancic is back, McLean on the way, Buendia draws players to him, Cantwell stakes his claim, Pukki is the Terminator, Rhodes gives something else when on the pitch...amazing what a few points does for positivity! OTBC!

It was always likely he''d start Tettey; thought he might be kept in reserve. Had a feeling Stiepermann would be in there too - this could be a good game for his style. Little bit surprised he''s thrown in Buendia for such a difficult game; probably because Rhodes has been benched, which doesn''t bode well. Very bad news about Hanley - hopefully Zimm or Godfrey get bedded in over the next 10 or so games. OTBC!

[quote user="Ben"]"the emphasis is offensive"maybe have some of the German players swearing in German, that could be quite offensive if Boro have any German players[/quote] Gibt mir diesen Ball sie Schweinhund! Heraus!

Krul Aarons Hanley Godfrey Klose Lewis Trybull Leitner Hernandez Pukki Rhodes Time to have a look at the wing-back formation. If Klose is still shook from the Derby, in with Zimm or play Tettey in the same formation thus far. If Pukki needs a breather, one from Buendia, Stiepermann, Marshall, Tettey or Srbeny, depending on whether the emphasis is offensive or defensive at home against a well-drilled & confident side. Not forgetting the recent lesson dished out by Leeds.

tend to agree with indy bones there, if going on Nelson''s level of performance last season and Srbeny''s so far in this

All the best to Russ Martin, has left an indelible mark on the club''s history through these up & down years. No doubt he''ll be welcomed back in some capacity in the future unless he gets snapped up elsewhere. Deserves nothing but the best. As for Big Vince - In Ireland you would be called what is known as a gobshite. Spout your inane digital diarrhoea elsewhere. You gobshite.

Krul Marshall Hanley Klose Lewis Tettey Trybull Buendia Pukki Hernandez Rhodes Leitner, Stiepermann & Srbeny off the bench

an extremely satisfying performance & result away from home. lots of positives ahead of Sunday. Tettey & Trybull in tandem for the next few games with Leitner/Thompson off the bench? Buendia pushing for a start? Aarons giving a genuine option? Godfrey there & thereabouts. What about Stiepermann? Srbeny makes a claim. McLean & Vrancic to return soon. McGovern? for balance, two second string teams but a win''s a win. Well done to the lads for a superb effort and to the hardy bucks who made the trip!

[quote user="PurpleCanary"]This signing would give the squad and the fans a much-needed lift.[/quote] Perhaps he might help to elevate our standing in the league table

JF - Could you pick two evenly matched teams from the current squad to play against each other, everyone fit & including players out on loan, i.e. all senior players on the books? What about: Krul v McGovern Marshall v Pinto Klose v Hanley Zimm v Godfrey Stiepermann v Lewis Thompson v Tettey Leitner v Trybull Hernandez v Buendia McLean v Vrancic Jarvis (!) v Pukki Rhodes v Srbeny Tough one to call. Think my tenner''s on the team on the left. Honourable mentions for Passlack, Cantwell, Aarons, Oxborough and Morris. Think the senior loan players are Franke, Raggett, Husband, Wildschut & Naismith along with Russ & Oliveira frozen out. I''ve probably missed a couple

always delightful to see Man U get beaten, but 0-3 at home is all the sweeter. lovely

I take your point Diane but as per your list: Tettey - needs pitch time as evidenced recently (60mins?), but you''re right, he''s unlikely to start. Rhodes - Probably will be rested but his confidence needs goals and whoever''s up top will be facing another struggling team''s second string Buendia - would be great to get 70mins into his legs. Emi could become the matchwinner next Sunday! Most likely he''ll come on for the last 30mins Leitner - I still cling to the hope that he will prove his worth and minutes on the pitch is the only way he''ll adjust his game to the English Championship Marshall - He could become a very important player if he could find his rhythm & his best position/role on the pitch (in a problem position I might add) He might get a run in front of Passlack. There was some talk that he wasn''t too impressed with his treatment just before his substitution a couple of games back. Nothing like starting a game to have confidence shown in you. For a "start the youngsters and don''t get injured" 11, what about: McGovern Passlack Godfrey Zimm (c) Aarons Thompson Trybull Cantwell Pukki/Marshall/Emi Stiepermann Srbeny Difficult to see that side come away with a result. I wonder is DF still following his philosophy of giving cup games proper respect or is he now ''kowtowing'' to the perceived wisdom of these pesky extra games stepping on the toes of the real business. I for one would certainly enjoy progressing through a few rounds while giving fringe players game time. However, there''s no doubt that next Sunday & then Boro, Reading, QPR etc. should be prioritised.

It does seem to be looking more & more like this club is being ''left on the shelf'' financially in comparison to top-half Championship & lower-half Prem clubs. I believe Webber & Stone are doing a good job (from a business perspective) of sorting out the club''s finances, while I also believe that Farke is a good coach (possibly moreso with younger players). As regards being competitive on the pitch, this squad has mid-table all over it. Regarding sustainability, it probably is manageable, i.e. hover around mid to top-half Championship level, selling the best 1/2 players every summer. However I don''t believe that Norwich supporters are ready to settle for that. For the best part of a half-century, this has been a "top 25/30" club so this would signal underachievement for the vast majority of the fanbase. While I''m ever hopeful that the current model can turn things around, become more consistent and get some good results, I think I''m gradually sliding into the cohort who believe that, while we genuinely thank & appreciate the majority owners for their support & efforts over the last number of years, perhaps it''s time to cease losing ground on our rivals and (tentatively!) put the feelers out for owners with deeper pockets.

1-1 for me too. Cardiff game selection should be interesting; probably one and a half eyes on next Sunday. I wonder will Farke himself be pondering using three centre-backs? Right-back & central midfield look to be weak points at the moment. I''m starting to think that Pinto might be on the way out as a frontline option. Passlack doesn''t look ready, Aarons would be a risk (next Sunday) so Marshall as wing-back might go some way to solving this issue. Jamal would slot in at left wing-back nicely, I believe. Hard to see Leitner starting in this formation, but three from Tettey, Trybull, Thompson, Leitner, Godfrey (if not in at CB), McLean, Vrancic, Hernandez, Buendia & Stiepermann in front of a back three and supporting Pukki & Rhodes should be a match for most teams in this division. Probably shouldn''t draw conclusions from yesterday but it was pretty crushing. Are Leeds that good or are we just bang average. Tenth position could prove difficult to attain this year, never mind a push for top six. This division is becoming more & more about who has the most money rather than who gets the best out of their available resources. Possible team for Cardiff (still with 4 at the back): McGovern Passlack/Marshall Zimmermann (c) Godfrey Stiepermann/Aarons Thompson Tettey Cantwell Leitner Buendia Rhodes/Srbeny Pukki & Hernandez off the bench if the game is still in the pot at 70mins

I''d be very disappointed to see Klose move on at this stage. Himself & Hanley is a solid & experienced partnership for this level. He knows the club, knows the division, seems to be a popular figure and has leadership qualities. I assume he''s a high earner and I understand the logic of banking a couple of million now rather than nothing next May. However, I think he''s key to the much-sought after defensive solidity and if that helps to enable a top-six push (top-half probably the more likely scenario), then his staying might be worth the financial implications. He would need to be replaced, probably by a young ''up & coming, which would carry lots of uncertainties & variables. Perhaps the club are unwilling to offer him the terms on a new contract which he could attain elsewhere? Being objective, you can''t blame him for that - one last big contract and all that - but I can only see his departure as weakening the squad''s prospects for the season. Nicht gehen Timm!

Hard to argue with the result. And not necessarily a bad thing to have areas for improvement. Defence looks to be more settled - we need to stay injury-free here. Did Pinto go off injured? I still think Leitner will become important as he gets to grip with the style of the Championship - again, no injuries please. Buendia looks lively - could become a right menace to opposing defenders! Bienvenido! Pukki is looking like a very astute signing. Rhodes is proving a handful, creating space & a constant threat. Hernandez is exciting & unpredictable. Have faith in Tettey - he''ll see plenty of pitch-time this season. A couple of small negatives for balance: Thompson & Godfrey must be itching for minutes - they''re not just here to fulfill the ''home-grown'' quota I hope. Marshall is yet to find his feet & settle in - hope he shows some patience & determination as there was some suggestion he wasn''t too impressed with being hooked. He may find himself on the bench soon.

Where is Stiepermann''s most effective position? Can he be ''pigeon-holed'' or is his left-sided versatility his greatest asset? I think he''ll be starting plenty of games this season.

''Fructify'' is a word that should be used more often, like ''pugnacious'' and ''erubescent.''

Indy, nearly the same, I think we’ll beat Preston, lose to Leeds and draw with Ipswich to continue the inconsistency, giving pleasure & pain in equal measure

They never replaced John Polston

I believe Leitner could become an important asset over the season if he can stay fit & Norwich show some consistency. With some good coaching & a little bit of luck injury-wise, positional indiscipline around the defensive midfield area should improve (Thompson?). Of course he needs to pitch in defensively & track runners but he is a "Farke-philosophy" player. Jamal on the left flank will hopefully solve a problem. Right-flank looks problematic currently. None of Marshall, Pinto, Aarons or Passlack look solid or reliable defensively in the current formation. If Marshall is to be first-choice here, I think Tettey & Thompson (or perhaps Godfrey for increased flexibility) could shield and cover while simultaneously giving Leitner more freedom to look forwards rather than get sucked in covering marauding full-backs. The return of Vrancic should add another dimension to the midfield mix - difficult to see how to incorporate Vrancic, Leitner & McLean into the same 11 if all fit & available together, while remaining solid.