Six things we didn’t learn from Norwich’s defeat at Swansea

[Curious Canary 0]

1. Where was Olsson?

On the bench only 4 days earlier for the Chelsea game.

Not mentioned by Alex Neil’s in Fridays “latest squad news”.

Result: no natural replacement for Brady.

2. Hoolahan or Naismith, not both?

If we play a target man striker then only one can play central, the other has to go wide.

Not convinced that it’s going to work, we have other options wide (Redmond and Jarvis).

Maybe better off sharing the 90 mins between them.

3. Why are we so naive?

Another 5 bookings for us, only 2 for them (and 1 of them only in the last minute).

Swansea 14 fouls against Norwich’s 15.

No need to cheat, just do what every other team does:

- If you commit a foul hold a part of your anatomy and imply that it’s the other bloke’s fault.

- If you are fouled hold a part of your anatomy and imply that the other bloke is a mad man.

4. Why is there a lack of discipline in defence?

When a full back goes forward the midfield has to try to keep a shape, and the defence has to move across. Too often it just doesn’t happen.

5. Does previous player syndrome only ever work against us?

Fer provided the assist for Swansea’s goal.

Jarvis didn’t get the chance against West Ham.

How about Dorrans and/or Mulumbu at West Brom?

6. Can we ever settle on a consistent formation?

Not at the moment it seems.

It depends on who we are playing, injuries (recently we are getting more than our fair share but we are not the only ones), suspensions, player form, integration of new players.

If only we had a system where we could slot players in so they knew their roles in a consistent shape, whoever was playing. By all means change it mid match when you can see what is required.

It would help if players could form partnerships on the field, the two centre backs, full back and same side midfielder, striker and secondary striker.

[Dr. Ink 0]

Point 1 is interesting. I too have been wondering why Olsson has not been given a run this season. The few times he has played he has been fine. By using Olsson, Brady can play further forward (with Jarvis as backup). With Brady left and Redmond right, we can accommodate both Naismith and Hoolahan.

It''s been a very frustrating period, and I am seriously losing faith in AN''s ability to pick the best team.

[ellis206 0]

[quote user="Dr. Ink"]

Point 1 is interesting. I too have been wondering why Olsson has not been given a run this season. The few times he has played he has been fine. By using Olsson, Brady can play further forward (with Jarvis as backup). With Brady left and Redmond right, we can accommodate both Naismith and Hoolahan.

It''s been a very frustrating period, and I am seriously losing faith in AN''s ability to pick the best team.

[/quote]Really? Did you see the horror show between him and Bassong away at Newcastle, what about him getting dispossessed against Spurs leading them to run through on goal? What about the same thing happening against West Ham and we very nearly conceeded a 3rd goal? He''s a bang average championship left back.I said at the start of January that leftback was more important to fill than right back, now we have a potential crisis at leftback if Brady is injured and Pinto has been costing us goals left right and centre.Couldn''t get worse than Martin they said, Martin needs replacing asap they said............

[Curious Canary 0]

The first reason for a sub is to cover injury with round pegs in round holes.

The second reason is to give some tactical options, so:

Ruddy > Rudd

Pinto > Bennett (Martin to RB)

Martin > Bennett

Klose > Bennett

Brady > ?

Redmond > Jarvis or Dorrans

O’Neil > Mulumbu or Dorrans

Howson > Dorrans or Mulumbu

Naismith > Bamford or Jarvis or Mbokani

Hoolahan > Jarvis or Bamford or Dorrans

Jerome > Mbokani or Bamford

The obvious choice was to put Olsson on the bench instead of Mulumbu.

It also meant that O’Neil or Howson or Redmond could have been replaced by Olsson with Brady moving up.

Instead we are forced into Martin at RB. When did Martin ever play RB?

Whether Olsson is worth his place in the starting eleven is a different issue.

And yes ellis206, we do appear to have more RBs than LBs so Pinto was perhaps both the wrong player signed for the wrong position.

[Tumbleweed 106]

The principal thing we didn''t learn from the defeat at Swansea is what our first team is.

Its staggering that we cannot actually write down any guaranteed starters except maybe for Klose and Howson and that in mid March we still have no idea what the first choice line up would look like.

Without a settled team we will always struggle, regardless of which division we are in. AN needs to understand that "team" has a different meaning from "collection of players".