Addressing the lack of creativity

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 4,620]

We've scored just three goals in four games and two of those have been aided by opposition howlers.

Aside from the penalty, the only chance we created today was the ball chipped in to Aarons at the far post, and that wasn't exactly easy. 

It has been a similar story all season. We haven't created many chances in any of our games this season, which is concerning considering we have a few creative, technical attacking midfielders and a couple of dangerous wingers.

What's the solution? Do we continue in the same style that we're used to and hope things click? Do we tweak the attacking midfielders? Change formation?

Alternatively, do we change something in attack and drop Pukki, who still doesn't look anything like his best? Idah was threatening as a sub against Huddersfield and Preston, whilst Hugill looked the most likely after his introduction against Bournemouth and Derby. 

These are a big two weeks for Farke on the training ground. I sympathise with him in that he doesn't know which players will be available for the next match until, potentially, one day before the game, but this is where a head coach really needs to show his worth and get the best out of the tools at his disposal.

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

There's surely a strong case for Hugill to start in the next game. In the short spell he had he actually got on to a couple of the floated crosses we were launching in and nearly scored too. I don't think Pukki won a single header from any such cross.

But yes it is worrying how teams can just get 10 men behind the ball and nullify our attacking threat. However still time for things to be improved IMO. 

Buendia was far from his best today, Stiepermann rusty but showed some signs of good link up player, Hernandez very quiet. These are players who can create chances at their best even when facing sides who park the bus - we've seen it before. Do we need to change our style completely or do we just need these individuals to start playing to the standard we know they can? 

Hopefully something gets better soon because the discontent in the support is starting to grow. 

[cambridgeshire canary 7,799]

Just now, Hank shoots Skyler said:

There's surely a strong case for Hugill to start in the next game. In the short spell he had he actually got on to a couple of the floated crosses we were launching in and nearly scored too. I don't think Pukki won a single header from any such cross.

But yes it is worrying how teams can just get 10 men behind the ball and nullify our attacking threat. However still time for things to be improved IMO. 

Buendia was far from his best today, Stiepermann rusty but showed some signs of good link up player, Hernandez very quiet. These are players who can create chances at their best even when facing sides who park the bus - we've seen it before. Do we need to change our style completely or do we just need these individuals to start playing to the standard we know they can? 

Hopefully something gets better soon because the discontent in the support is starting to grow. 

Indeed. Hate saying it but Pukki is dusted.

[Adelaide Canary 12]

Some ideas 

1) replace farke 

2) invest in some decent quality to replace whats being lost properly rather that with speculative punts (which are then loaned out) or with cheap potentially Injury prone backfill (or replace Webber first if that's a dependency) 

3) new investment with a proper ownership structure that will show some of the ambition that the club deserves 

 

All three unlikely I know!

 

[Fuzzar 1,861]

If a team sets up like Derby did, then Hugill would be the better choice up front. 

[Dean Coneys boots 1,531]

Teams have totally sussed out how to negate us. We have no cutting edge and pukki offers nothing with crosses pinged in desperately.  It’s very poor 

[Indy_Bones 444]

I've been saying for weeks that Vrancic needs to be playing alongside Skipp/Tettey/Rupp, and he showed again today exactly why that is, the ball to Aarons was great vision and excellent technique and on another day that's a goal, and that was within minutes of him coming on.

We don't need TWO defensive midfielders ffs, let Skipp handle that side of things, and let Mario play the sort of balls our forwards love to work with.

Vrancic HAS to start next week, as even though neither of Rupp or Skipp were poor today, it's the loss of creativity that's killing us and our strike force.

[Mr Angry 2,019]

I think we need to change the way we create chances-the one touch passing today was better than the last few matches but didn’t ultimately lead to clear cut opportunities. We looked more likely to score when Idah and Hugill came on so I think we should play to their strengths. One or the other of them would have been on the end of some of the crosses we have delivered in the last 4 league games. It seems strange that we are crossing more without someone up front from the start who can benefit.

[Petriix 3,219]

There were a number of times today where the ball was with our defensive midfielders or centrebacks inside the opposition half with several attackers making runs to get in behind the defence and the ball was never played. They kept trying to thread it through on the ground and giving it away but seemed reluctant (or lacked the vision) to play a ball over the top. There is a real lack of imagination in the current team. We are simply not creating chances.

[Capt. Pants 5,013]

Drop Hernandez too. Works hard, likeable lad but zero quality and end product.

[Yellow Fever 4,415]

Start Vrancic for creativity and vision. Hugill or Idah and drop Pukki. Pukki is at the moment a busted flush, lacks confidence and always at present 1 touch too many.

Quicker in attack and more direct.

[seanthecanary 168]

I think looking at the starting 11, there was plenty of creativity in the side. I think it's just lack of confidence. It's not surprising the players confidence is shot, that's what happens when you lose 13 out of 15 league games, scoring just 4 goals along the way. Something needs to change but there is still a lot of football to be played yet and we all know that if you can pick up a head of steam in this league, momentum can carry you a long way. 

[TeemuVanBasten 3,328]

19 minutes ago, Yellow Fever said:

Start Vrancic for creativity and vision.

I think we should spend some serious money, circa £6m-£8m perhaps, on a younger and more mobile Vrancic and then keep Vrancic as an impact sub.

Lets actually reinvest some capital. 

Vrancic out of contract at the end of this season and not getting any younger, lets actually go out there and bring in some quality.

Lets purchase, with actual money, a new playmaker. Not a 19 year old who may be good in 2 years, we've got tonnes of those. A 23 year old, possibly Dutch, good hair... we should send our finest scouts on a voyage, across the seas, to find a player fit to grace our fine Norfolk turf. Lets send a carriage to Cambridgeshire to bring our famous son back to Norfolk to present a shirt to a a new hero. 

This is the club of Hoolahan, where is our Hoolahan? We as fans of Norwich, this famous and proud passing team, demand a player we can get excited about. You can't find a Hoolahan, they are very rare, but we can find somebody exciting and special.

In Hugill it will become clear that we have our Holt, or new number 9, you wait.

But we have no Wes, we have no magic. We need a wizard. 

Edited October 3, 2020 by TeemuVanBasten

[Michael Wynless Jones 161]

There's plenty of creativity in our squad, but they are not utilised at the moment in a way that allows them to use their qualities to the max. We're not playing the quick counter attacking football that we were 2 seasons ago. 

[Dean Coneys boots 1,531]

It’s also having to play in front of teams parking the bus who have learnt how to cancel us out. Press hard and push up and we are stifled every time 

[seanthecanary 168]

Just now, TeemuVanBasten said:

I think we should spend some serious money, circa £6m-£8m perhaps, on a younger and more mobile Vrancic and then keep Vrancic as an impact sub.

Lets actually reinvest some capital. 

Vrancic out of contract at the end of this season and not getting any younger, lets actually go out there and bring in some quality.

Leitner is leaving, lets purchase, with actual money, a new playmaker.

This is the club of Hoolahan, where is our Hoolahan? We as fans of Norwich, this famous and proud passing team, demand a player we can get excited about. You can't find a Hoolahan, they are very rare, but we can find somebody exciting and special.

In Hugill it will become clear that we have our Holt, or new number 9, you wait.

But we have no Wes, we have no magic. We need a wizard. 

If we were to change manager (not saying we should or shouldn't) could you see the new man bringing in players like Leitner and Trybull from out of the cold? 

[TeemuVanBasten 3,328]

Just now, seanthecanary said:

If we were to change manager (not saying we should or shouldn't) could you see the new man bringing in players like Leitner and Trybull from out of the cold? 

No idea, possibly.

Slate wiped clean etc.

But lets go and buy somebody special in midfield, lets actually do what we're so obviously crying out for which is to buy a midfield maestro, a talisman, a new Norfolk Zidane. 

[Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB 1,223]

1 hour ago, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

We've scored just three goals in four games and two of those have been aided by opposition howlers.

Aside from the penalty, the only chance we created today was the ball chipped in to Aarons at the far post, and that wasn't exactly easy. 

It has been a similar story all season. We haven't created many chances in any of our games this season, which is concerning considering we have a few creative, technical attacking midfielders and a couple of dangerous wingers.

What's the solution? Do we continue in the same style that we're used to and hope things click? Do we tweak the attacking midfielders? Change formation?

Alternatively, do we change something in attack and drop Pukki, who still doesn't look anything like his best? Idah was threatening as a sub against Huddersfield and Preston, whilst Hugill looked the most likely after his introduction against Bournemouth and Derby. 

These are a big two weeks for Farke on the training ground. I sympathise with him in that he doesn't know which players will be available for the next match until, potentially, one day before the game, but this is where a head coach really needs to show his worth and get the best out of the tools at his disposal.

Not arguing with what you are saying but are you excluding the Hugill header as a chance, seemed a smart save from Marshall to me and for a millisecond I thought I was going to see the net bulge and a potential £35 heading to the CSF, unfortunately it was no to be......

[ron obvious 1,711]

2 minutes ago, TeemuVanBasten said:

No idea, possibly.

Slate wiped clean etc.

But lets go and buy somebody special in midfield, lets actually do what we're so obviously crying out for which is to buy a midfield maestro, a talisman, a new Norfolk Zidane. 

There's this Duda bloke who's highly rated. Should be able to get him for £20m or so.

[Thirsty Lizard 3,215]

It's funny, because before today's game it was obvious to many on here that the answer to the lack of creativity was to play Emi and drop McLean..........................

[baldy09 196]

We still need players of Cantwell abilities if not we will suffer with this creativity, at this moment of time im stuggling to name another in this current squard who can match him

[Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB 1,223]

2 minutes ago, Thirsty Lizard said:

It's funny, because before today's game it was obvious to many on here that the answer to the lack of creativity was to play Emi and drop McLean..........................

A fact very conveniently being forgotten it would seem, personally I think Todd should have played instead of Emi..........

[Tilney87 0]

It was obvious to me today that we have the creativity, Quintilla & Aarons getting the ball in the box, some link up play which was just unlucky, problem was we didn’t have enough attacking bodies up/in there....

If teams want to sit back and ‘park the bus’ we need to be ready to make changes at 50 mins, HT or even earlier. Get Hugill and Idah up there with Pukki, play Buendia in the hole, get Hernandez on the end of through balls down the middle!!  If they want us to attack have a go, throw it all at them we’ve got the attacking talent... Dont play with 2 DM’s with limited creativity on the deck, and keep putting in crosses to a 5’9 out of sorts Striker up there against 3 6ft + CB’s... I mean we all love Farkeball but sometimes Tony Pulis ball, if it gets results is fine by me!

If we can score first they have to change their game plan thus opening up the game, probably in our favour.....

[Thirsty Lizard 3,215]

6 minutes ago, Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB said:

A fact very conveniently being forgotten it would seem, personally I think Todd should have played instead of Emi..........

Emi was a mixed bag today - did some good things - some poor things - and sailed a bit close to the wind with his discipline. Understandable enough given that he hasn't played a competitive game for a long time, but his performance was certainly no better than Cantwell's against Huddersfield or Preston. 

[Samwam27 606]

Farkes gone from one extreme to other, now trying to pack the midfield to make it solid, but losing the fluidity.

Was going to start a thread about needing to play Hugill instead of Pukki, but everyone's all over that.

Perhaps this is till work in progress but our formation, our setup, our style has changed and it doesn't suit Pukki, who's still nowhere near his previous best. 

I like the idea of Rupp Skipp (although would like to see Sorensen to partner Skipp) which allows Quintilla & Aarons to whip those crosses in. BUT we need to drop Pukki and start with Idah or Hugill who will benefit much more from this style of play than Pukki. Sorry Pukki, but we have to play the best players and for me Hugill needs to be given his chance with how we're now setting up.

Jury still out about Buendia. If Cantwell does go, and seems likely, and with Dowell out, we do need new flair. If Buendia stays he may get his spark back once the window closes 

[Indy_Bones 444]

2 minutes ago, Samwam27 said:

Sorry Pukki, but we have to play the best players and for me Hugill needs to be given his chance with how we're now setting up.

So your answer is to drop our 30 goal striker (11 in PL) for the guy who scored half of that, just because Farke has decided to spend the last year changing how we play and it no longer suits said 30 goal striker, rather than playing the way we did last time, with Pukki running on to balls played by Vrancic, Buendia, Cantwell and Stiepermann, with balls across from Argos, Aarons (and now Xavi instead of Lewis) at a low height for him to place home.

Turning into yet another RvW situation, where the striker is being blamed for the sh!t supply they are getting thus leading to no goals, instead of looking at WHY this is happening and changing things accordingly.

[ron obvious 1,711]

1 minute ago, Indy_Bones said:

So your answer is to drop our 30 goal striker (11 in PL) for the guy who scored half of that, just because Farke has decided to spend the last year changing how we play and it no longer suits said 30 goal striker, rather than playing the way we did last time, with Pukki running on to balls played by Vrancic, Buendia, Cantwell and Stiepermann, with balls across from Argos, Aarons (and now Xavi instead of Lewis) at a low height for him to place home.

Turning into yet another RvW situation, where the striker is being blamed for the sh!t supply they are getting thus leading to no goals, instead of looking at WHY this is happening and changing things accordingly.

I would agree, but it depends on Emi, Marco & Mario being at the same level. I think Todd's gone.

Strangely I think Mario's the one who still seems to have it, he was the pick today.

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 4,620]

1 hour ago, Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB said:

Not arguing with what you are saying but are you excluding the Hugill header as a chance, seemed a smart save from Marshall to me and for a millisecond I thought I was going to see the net bulge and a potential £35 heading to the CSF, unfortunately it was no to be......

I wouldn't call it a chance; maybe a half-chance but no more. 

 

39 minutes ago, Indy_Bones said:

So your answer is to drop our 30 goal striker (11 in PL) for the guy who scored half of that, just because Farke has decided to spend the last year changing how we play and it no longer suits said 30 goal striker, rather than playing the way we did last time, with Pukki running on to balls played by Vrancic, Buendia, Cantwell and Stiepermann, with balls across from Argos, Aarons (and now Xavi instead of Lewis) at a low height for him to place home.

Turning into yet another RvW situation, where the striker is being blamed for the sh!t supply they are getting thus leading to no goals, instead of looking at WHY this is happening and changing things accordingly.

Let's be honest though, this is not the Pukki of 2018-19 and the first half of 2019-20. That was a confident Pukki at the top of the game, whereas this is a Pukki with no confidence.

Maybe the reason he isn't getting the service is because he isn't making as many of those runs as before, due to a lack of confidence and/or lack of belief that he'll receive the ball? Maybe those behind him aren't playing the passes for the same reason; they'd rather play it safe and/or they don't believe Pukki will make the run?

[Indy_Bones 444]

Gets little to no supply, nobody on the pitch that picks out his movement and he's having to drop deeper,  whilst being given crosses not suited to him, but yet it's all Pukki's fault and he's lacking in confidence!

Pukki has somehow become RvW version 2, as it's easier to criticise the striker rather than genuinely looking at the reasons WHY he's not scoring.

[Yellow Fever 4,415]

5 minutes ago, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

I wouldn't call it a chance; maybe a half-chance but no more. 

 

Let's be honest though, this is not the Pukki of 2018-19 and the first half of 2019-20. That was a confident Pukki at the top of the game, whereas this is a Pukki with no confidence.

Maybe the reason he isn't getting the service is because he isn't making as many of those runs as before, due to a lack of confidence and/or lack of belief that he'll receive the ball? Maybe those behind him aren't playing the passes for the same reason; they'd rather play it safe and/or they don't believe Pukki will make the run?

I think its a mixture of things but principally we stopped playing Mario and Marco early days in the PL and Pukki had little to zero service since. Results reflected the change too!