Norwich/Swansea comparison.

[unique 434]

Irrespective of their differing styles of football, both teams find themselves on 43 points with 3 games to play, having reached that total in two very contrasting ways.

Norwich have gained four points from the two clean sheets they have kept so far this season, Swansea have gained twenty-nine!

That is a stark statistic for which all sorts of reasons could be given:-

Swansea''s greater possession offers fewer opportunities to the opposition? Norwich''s more ''gung-ho'' styles offers less protection to the defence? Norwich have barely had a settled back four all season....Swansea have? Vorm settled into the Premiership far quicker than Ruddy, and has probably been one of the top two keepers this season? Rodgers appears to have a more cautious approach than Lambert?

Only two City players have made 28 or more appearances this season, Swansea have eight. Nineteen City players have made 8 or more appearances, only fourteen Swansea players have done the same.

As both clubs start to prepare for their second season in the Premier League, Lambert has far more experience in his squad than Rodgers.There is already speculation about clubs being interested in Vorm, which could have a considerable effect on their defence. We may lose Naughton, they may lose Caulker. Sigurdsson will be coveted by clubs willing to pay far a far greater salary than Swansea can offer.

[Gingerpele 0]

Good post.

I think it definatly comes down to both teams approaches working well. But really both teams could become very restricted next season, because to be honest both of us potentially have a lot of average players who have ''over performed'' (as much as I don''t like terms/analysis like that). I also don''t always agree with teams/players getting ''found out'' because surely the other teams know exactly how we play, before they play us once or twice. Its purely a question of which team players better/tactic works better against the other.

Its a good idea if you can counter the opposition, although when we''ve attempted that, in terms of tactics and/or selection it doesn''t work all that well, we play best when we play how Lambert likes to play.

As for why Swansea keep more clean sheets, a huge part must be because of their possession. I''m sure I read a stat that said in CL this season, before yesterday Chec had made something like 45 saves, Valdes 8. Teams don''t get enough chances against Barca, because they have the ball 70+% of the time. Same for Swansea. And why they don''t always win, is because they lack the cutting edge up front. Like us really, I can think of so many games, where a top quality striker would have won us the game easily, because we were on top and just failed to score (or failed to score more than once).

I do think we need more clean sheets, or we need to score more. We don''t score enough, to justify very few clean sheets (-13 goal difference...). If we want to improve, that is how. Its going to be harder to score more goals, because other sides already have well established defences, and we can''t afford a top quality striker. We can already cut through defences, just Holt and Morison between them are never going to score as many as we need to justify the ''poor defence''.

(P.S we have still had a fantastic season, that is purely how I think we can pick up a few more points next season, the aim is to surely improve in one way or another...)

[lake district canary 0]

The only two ways we compare to Swansea are:

1.   We were both promoted last season

2.   Both teams play with belief.

Other than that, we are like chalk and cheese. 

I know which team I would rather watch.   Following Grant Holt and co has never been dull.   Goals galore, scoring plenty home and away, defence struggling at times but we had plenty of injuries to deal with at the back.  Tactically ahead of alot of clubs.

 Swansea - simple - too many clean sheets. Become predictable and found out.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[unique 434]

I only got part way through my original post - hit the ''post'' button instead of the ''preview'' button - (how many posters have done likewise?) when intending to correct - there doesn''t appear to be an ''edit'' option.....hence no proper conclusion.

This messageboard needs updating.

[Jules 0]

It''s probably as well to remember that of our -13 goal difference -9 of that came from Man C. Obviously other teams have been well done over by Man C too, but it does somewhat distort our impressions. It''s not quite as bad as it looks. My main worry for next season may be that the goals dry up. Holty''s been amazing this season but he needs to be backed up by other strikers next season if we''re going to survive again. Morrison obvious got a few early on but his goals have dried up. Wilbrahamovic and Jackson have looked lively and worked really hard but I don''t think we can really expect that they will match Morrison''s goal tally next season. So for me the question is what does Lambert do about Morro? Stick or twist? If he''s on form next season there''s no reason we can''t do as well as this season. But Holty can''t be expected to bear the burden alone. Vaughan has a major question mark against him due solely to his ability to stay uninjured. Defensively I would hope that the combination of Bennett and or a fit Ayala and Whitbread will start to turn the tide and we can keep more clean sheets. Ruddy has been marvellous this season. What to do about the right and left back positions though? Naughton''s future is questionable. Hopefully Tierney will be fit. I''m sure Lambert will have it all sorted within a few weeks of the transfer window opening again.

[Gingerpele 0]

Goals could become an issue next season, I agree.

I don''t think Holty will do any worse, probably not any better though. I imagine his tally will be in the same region, between 10-15. Vaughan, if we all pray he stays fit for even half a season, and if he has the whole pre-season, I imagine he can add a few.

I don''t really think any of our players deserve to leave, but up front, we have Holt, Morison, Jackson, Wilbrahamovic and Vaughan. You would like to think, we are going to get one pretty good striker, and that surely means someone leaving? At the moment, unfortunately I think thats going to be between Morison and Jackson.

As for defence, if we have a choice between Bennett, Ayala and Whitbread all season we''d be ''fine'' but the problem is, two of them seem very injury prone. Whitbread has managed to play in a fair chunk of this season, and the second half of last season (he was injured for a while this season as well though wasn''t he..). But he just seems like one of those players, that when he gets an injury it is likely to spiral out of control. I''m sure what he has now, wasn''t supposed to be serious, but wasn''t it the Wolves game he get injured in? Thats a month out now...

And Ayala, two injuries keeping him out for months in one year. Well at least Whitbread, Ayala and Vaughan won''t get lonely in the injury room.

You know what, I don''t think i''ve ever heard Lambert moan about injuries, or even slightly use it as an excuse. He may have done, but when you think about it, having Whitbread, Ayala, Tierney, Vaughan all out for long periods at times over the season, Ward as well. Then a couple of minor injuries. It has left Lambert with few options at times, but unlike so many other managers, he doesn''t moan about having injured players...

[It's Character Forming 1,160]

Between City and Swansea it is interesting that neither has particularly relied on stars, whereas a lot of the mid-table Prem teams (and also the ones at the bottom!) have a couple of real quality individuals that stand out from the sort of players you see in the Championship.

 

I will be really interested in how Swansea get on next year because they have such a one-dimensional approach and I''m surprised they haven''t been found out more often this season, so I expect them to struggle.

 

For us goals are the single real concern.  Since Morison stopped scoring in January we''ve been short of goals.  If we''d started the season scoring the same number of goals that we''ve been getting the last couple of months, we''d have been in trouble.  I hope Vaughan can play for the rest of the season and get a goal or two - I''d be a lot more comfortable if he does.  Otherwise I''ll be anxiously hoping for us to sign a striker in the summer.

[unique 434]

The goals were flying in in the first part of the season when quality crosses were being provided by Tierney, Pilkington and Bennett.

Only Bennett has been playing regularly of late, hence the reduction in headed goals and fewer opportunities for Holt and Morison.