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Canary On The Wire

For Fox Sake

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I do apologise for not putting this into Morty''s Fox thread, it is just that I have put a lot of time and research into this post and don''t really want it to get lost among the incessant arguments. Probably over-valuing the worth of this post.

CUSDP: ''You get more time on the ball in the Prem than in the Championship''I have heard that statement so many times, and it is an absolute myth. I''m sorry, but it is.In

the Prem you do not see the same visible ''rush'' to close players down

that you see in the Championship, which deceives your average football

fan into thinking players have more time on the ball. The reality is

that top Prem defenders have greater positional sense, and are initially

tighter to their opposite numbers, meaning there is no need for that

rush to close down.However this does not mean I am anti-Fox. Let''s look at some stats.Jonny Howson (2013/14) average passes 45.3 per game. Completion rate of 84%David Fox (when playing for Lambert''s Norwich in 2011/12) average passes 52 per game. Completion rate of 83%Bradley Johnson avg passes 43 per game. Completion rate of 77%Leroy Fer avg 43 passes per game. Completion rate 84%Alex Tettey 43.6 passes per game. Completion rate 90%This suggests to me that our centre midfield benefits greatly from Tettey''s excellent passing.David Fox''s stats are equally impressive given he averaged a greater number of passes per game than any of our midfielders.There is not much in terms of passing between Fox, Fer, and Howson.However: Tettey averages 1.1 key passes a game (passes leading to a clear cut chance)                Howson averages only 0.7 key passes a game.                Fer averages 1 key pass a game.                Johnson averages 0.8 key passes a game.                Fox averages 1.4 key passes a game.Including tackling into this analysis:Tettey wins 2.1 tackles a game, and gets dribbled past 0.7 times a game.Howson wins 1.6 tackles a game, and gets dribbled past once a game.Fer wins 3.2 tackles a game, but gets dribbled past 1.7 times a game.Johnson wins 2 tackles a game, and gets dribbled past 1.5 times a game.Fox wins only 0.7 tackles a game, and gets dribbled past 1.1 times a game.With

Fox narrowly the second best passer, the best key passer but the

poorest in the tackle, it would suggest to me that playing a DM who

isn''t often dribbled past, with extremely impressive passing (Tettey)

behind an all action box to box CM (Fer) and a deep lying playmaker CM

(Fox), would mean that Tettey and Fer should offer Fox enough protection

to allow him to make those all important key passes. As effective at

carrying the ball as Howson is, it would appear that his contribution in

midfield pales in comparison to our other midfielders.This says

to me that a 4-3-3 formation with a 1-2 midfield three (DM Tettey,

CM-CM Fer Fox), with wingers ( LW Redmond (Pilks if fit), Snodgrass RW)

in support of a lone striker is the way forward.Oh my god, we have found a solution! I hear you cry.Not so.Trouble

is neither RvW or Hooper (in my view) are suitable to play the lone striker in a

tight and pacey league, due to being ''off-the-shoulder poachers'' who

need either a supporting AM or a target man alongside them to compete in

the Prem.Here''s the unpopular opinion.If we played this

4-3-3, but with Elmander on his own up top, I firmly believe we''d

create more chances, score more goals and keep the ball better than we

do currently.Sorry Johan haters, it would be a means to a successful end in my book.

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So you''re suggesting drop Howson for Fox?

The player most Norwich fans I''ve seen say has been our best this season.

Elmander up top on his own, as well, for me is just not going to work. He''s a work horse, a Heskey, a Holt minus the goal threat. Elmander had one season where you might consider his goal return just about enough for one man up top. But dropping one of the goal scoring midfielders, and playing our least likely to score striker up top.

That''s not really a solution is it?

P.s I like Elmander, he should be playing. But not upfront on his own.

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[quote user="Canary On The Wire"]Cheers Morty, not sure if sarcastic, but I''ll take it![/quote]
Lol, no, honestly, it wasn''t.

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Are people still harping on about Fox ? This is getting boring.Face it, Hoots sees him as not good enough so hes off. Quicker you get over it and get on with your lives the better.

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A well thought out thread mate.

My point about fox is that he should''ve featured more. Once in a year in a team that struggles in centre mid isn''t good enough.

As for time on the ball, a friend of mine that has played in both, said he had more time on the ball because the opp let''s you play that bit more in the prem.

Part of getting time on the ball, is of course also down to you''re own intelligence in creating space.

I''m only going by what he said, but a top thread which shows fox should feature more.

Keep posting !

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Trouble is GP, though he''s grabbed himself a couple of vital goals (And they have been hard to come by) Howson hasn''t actually done much.No assists from his 13 appearances with an average rating of 6.67, only averaging one shot a game.

Howson is our hero, is a little bit of a myth if you ask me.Of course, I could be wrong.But with Fer''s average a 7.03 and even the oft-dribbled by Johnson managing a 6.8(Overall ratings based on all offensive, defensive and passing stats as compiled by statistical analysers Whoscored.com)I think Howson is a functional ball carrier and not a lot else. Sorry.

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Thanks CUSDP.Certainly if your mate is an Championship/Prem footballer (which as I know you''ve been ITK in the past I don''t doubt)then I will bow to superior knowledge on that one, I''ve always considered it a myth but I''ll hold my hands up, having not played at either level!

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I also like Fox, and I think he should be a valuable member of our squad. However, I don''t think we should build a team around him, but he''s a useful player and for some games would be a perfect addition to our midfield, as he offers something that none of the others, bar Fer can produce. I think the telling fact from COTWs analysis is that we really miss Tettey. Any of the other 4 CMs alongside Tettey allows them to do what they do best, in a 2 or in a 3.

Fox is probably most useful in those game when we seem like the most likely team to win but just can''t get that goal. At the moment we lack midfield options from the bench that are going to get our team moving forward from deep positions....BJ won''t pass or dribble his way out successfully very often, Fer, Howson and Wes tend to lose the ball by trying to do too much with it in our own half. Fox doesn''t do this, so would actually increase the speed of our attacks and get our more pacey players like Redmond, Murphy etc in the game more quickly

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[quote user="HampsteadCanary"] Fer, Howson and Wes tend to lose the ball by trying to do too much with it in our own half.  [/quote]

When do you ever see Howson do that?

 

He is very sensible with his use of the ball.

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[quote user="Canary On The Wire"]Trouble is GP, though he''s grabbed himself a couple of vital goals (And they have been hard to come by) Howson hasn''t actually done much.No assists from his 13 appearances with an average rating of 6.67, only averaging one shot a game.

Howson is our hero, is a little bit of a myth if you ask me.Of course, I could be wrong.But with Fer''s average a 7.03 and even the oft-dribbled by Johnson managing a 6.8(Overall ratings based on all offensive, defensive and passing stats as compiled by statistical analysers Whoscored.com)I think Howson is a functional ball carrier and not a lot else. Sorry.[/quote]I agree. It''s not that I dont rate Howson (i do) but i dont think he''s all he''s cracked up to be.

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In my opinion we are in right track here as we have two options.

4-3-3

or

4-2-3-1

In first we lack deep lying playmaker and for second we lack advanced playmaker whose name would be picked first in team selection. We have Fox and we have Hoolahan and for the rest two spots we have Fer/Howson and Tettey/Johnson who are similar with eachother. In Hughton''s books either Hoolahan and Fox are not good enough.

In my opinion this lack of trust is biggest of Hughton''s problems and he should give these two players more chances.

I personaly think Howson is decent player, but he is overrated. Same somewhat goes for Fer, but he is completely different level as complete midfielder than Howson is. Howson probably is better dribbler and has better attitude but in other areas they are either equal or Fer bests him.

Tettey in other hand is so underrated among the fans that it hurts. Previous season in my opinion he was the reason why Johnson shined as his mobility gave Johnson so much time to do his job as a enforcer. Fer doesnt give same cover and this is somewhat reason why people have jumped over Johnson this year even thought he have played couple good games among bad ones.

I personaly think we should play with trio Fer- Tettey - Hoolahan always when they are fit. 3 completely different player to cover different roles.

In 4-3-3 I see same problem that neither RvW and Hooper are that good to play completely alone, but in my books this is quite easily covered by dropping Snoddy and replacing him either another striker or a Pilkington or Redmond. Another problem in 4-3-3 is our right back as if we have two incutting wingers or even false winger in other wing and all of them advanced positions, width and closing is done by fullbacks and where Olsson has speed to get down, Martin and Whittaker will struggle and neither is a good crosser.

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I really think we miss Tettey more than we realise - he was superb before his injury

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think those stats on tettey''s 90% pass completion doesn''t tell you the full story.

does it take into account he passes no more than 5 yards or backwards.

No wonder its so high

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A deep-lying playmaker is definitely something we''ve been lacking and I''m sure Fox would be good at this within the present set up. In games where we''re likely to be playing higher up and under less threat, ie at home against weaker opposition, we could do with someone to pick the up those long opposition clearances and restart the attack. At the moment we''re often forced to play it back to our keeper meaning we don''t keep the pressure on, we need our more creative players to come back to help out or our keeper has to kick upfield.

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JonnyH, this is what I was getting at! Fox, Tettey and Wes would certainly provide enough creativity (and bite) to break down opposition teams when we ARE on top and need a goal. We have options, but Hughton does seem not to want to use them. Games like Cardiff, Hull, Palace (at home in the 2nd half) would have been taylor made for Fox to take the pressure off and get the ball moving quickly up the pitch, whether long or short balls

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