Norwich City's build-up play was unimaginative, often aimless, and usually ineffective. Ben Lee breaks down a 1-1 Championship draw at Stoke City.
Ben is a City season ticket holder and author of the NCFC Analysis social media account, who unpicks games with an analytical report highlighting tactical strengths and weaknesses.
Ben gives his take on events in the Potteries.
Stoke versus Norwich: Comfortably second best
Score: 1 – 1
Possession (%): 58 – 42
Passes: 454 – 344
Shots: 23 – 6
xG: 1.85 – 1.32
· Unimaginatively ineffective.
· Aimless in possession.
· Passive pressing errors.
· Easy control for Stoke.
Base formations
Making the trip to The Potteries, Liam Manning made five changes to his Norwich side, as Fisher, McLean, Schwartau, Gibbs, and Makama came into the visitor’s 4-2-3-1 base. Mark Robins made just two changes to his side, as Seko and Jun-Ho came into Stoke’s 4-2-3-1 lineup.
In Norwich’s deepest build-up phases, Darling (6) – positioned alongside Kovacevic (1) – would play the first pass back to City’s goalkeeper, with Medic (5) wider on the right.
In response, Stoke were ready to press high from a 4-1-3-2 structure. But with Stacey (3) typically positioned higher than Fisher (35), the host’s left winger was often slightly deeper than his teammate on the opposite side.
On one of the few occasions Norwich played out short, Mubama (9) jumped to press from the front before Manhoef (42) pressed Fisher (35) as he received from his right.
The ball then made its way to Schwartau (29), who, occupied by Stoke’s right-back, chipped the ball in behind and straight to the host’s goalkeeper.
But it was rare for Manning’s men to even attempt playing into the midfield third via short passes. Indeed, the most frequent build-up ‘pattern’ was a long ball from Kovacevic (1) to Makama (24) or Sargent (9) in the last line – which seldom resulted in a City attack.
In one instance, Norwich failed to capitalise on a clear 3v2 overload when Jun-Ho (10) jumped to press from the front, leaving Medic (5) free to receive from his goalkeeper. But City’s Croatian defender took a poor touch, allowing Jun-Ho (10) time to catch up with him.
As a result, Medic (5) was forced back to Kovacevic (1), who, pressed by Mubama (9), chipped the ball beyond a wide 2v1 overload on the opposite side and straight out for a throw-in.
But on one occasion in the first half, Norwich had the bravery to play out with control and managed to access Gibbs (8) in space between the lines.
The move started with Kovacevic (1) passing to Darling (5), who quickly played across to Fisher (35). Both City defenders were pressed, but they played out to Schwartau (29) against the touchline, who also received under pressure before finding Gibbs (8) free in the left half-space.
This was one of the only occasions in the match that saw Norwich access space between the lines with control, slick passing from deep, and bravery to keep playing under pressure.
Moving into settled possession, Manning’s men transitioned into their usual 3-2-5 structure. Fisher (35) shifted into a back three while Stacey (3) overlapped into the last line on the right. In response, Stoke created a 4-4-2 mid-block, but Thomas (7) dropped to stay tight to Stacey (3).
When Norwich played across to Fisher (35), Stoke’s mid-press began as Manhoef (42) jumped to City’s left-back and Mubama (9) pressed from the front. Thomas (7) remained deep on the opposite side to prevent the concession of a last-line overload.
But in one instance, when the visitors played back across to their right, Thomas (7) jumped to press Medic (5), leaving Norwich’s right-back free behind him. The ideal pattern in response would have been for one of City’s pivots to drop to offer a bounce pass out to the free man.
Instead, however, the visitors were forced back to Kovacevic (1), who then went long into the last line yet again.
It then took just two headers before Manhoef (42) played through to Jun-Ho (10) running in behind into a 1v1 against Kovacevic (1). Luckily for the Canaries though, their goalkeeper was quick off his line to prevent Stoke from taking the lead.
But Norwich frequently failed to break lines of pressure to progress from settled phases of possession into the final third. Instead, they were often forced back to Kovacevic (1), who would then go long into the last line. This unimaginative build-up play was rarely effective.
The one saving grace for Manning’s men was a spell of slick passing in the build-up to their goal, when McLean (23) temporarily dropped into the back three as Fisher (35) moved into the last line and Gibbs (8) dropped into City’s double pivot.
Norwich finally broke the first line of pressure to find Mattsson (7) behind Stoke’s front two. Under pressure from Seko (12), City’s Danish midfielder played a quick one-two with Sargent (9) before passing to Stacey (3) overlapping out wide.
The subsequent cross from Norwich’s right-back was converted by Makama (24).
But much of Norwich’s deep and settled build-up play was ineffective, and, for the most part, they failed to take control of the game. This wasn’t helped by their struggles without the ball.
In Stoke’s deepest build-up phases, the hosts played through a 4-2-3-1, while Norwich pressed from a 4-4-2 structure. Gibbs (8) joined Sargent (9) to press from the front, the wingers were ready to press out wide, and the midfielders would jump onto the pivots.
But their press was loose, and the visitors were often late to complete jumps, leaving players temporarily free to receive without pressure. In one instance, in fact, Norwich left Rigo (19) totally free to receive the ball behind the first line of pressure via Tchamadeu (22).
Stoke’s right-back then advanced beyond Schwartau (29) to receive a return pass before playing a ball in behind.
Norwich’s passivity without the ball allowed Stoke to advance with control far too easily, occasionally with a 4v2 first-phase overload when a pivot dropped to support the build-up.
In one instance, for example, Norwich pressed high on their right but allowed Seko (12) to receive the ball and play it back to Johansson (1). The hosts then accessed players in acres of space on the opposite side.
With Norwich quick to drop into a mid-to-low block, they handed Stoke easy control of the ball in settled possession. In these situations, Robins’ men also created a 3-2-5 structure, with Cresswell (3) staying deep on the left and Tchamadeu (22) advancing on the right.
The passivity of Norwich’s defensive block, the time they gave their opponents in possession, and the space between the lines made it easy for Stoke to advance.
They were able to access the space between the lines via the wide areas before playing into a 2v1 overload on the far side. They also progressed even faster when their pivots managed to break lines of pressure centrally.
There was only a brief window of defensive organisation before half-time in which Norwich managed to prevent progression and force Stoke back by staying tight to central players and pressing with intensity from the front.
But Norwich were not able to demonstrate this out-of-possession control consistently, and they certainly failed to control the game with the ball. Their build-up play was unimaginative, often aimless, and usually ineffective.
City may have left the Potteries with a good point, but they were comfortably second best.
You can read all Ben's previous analysis of Norwich City games via his social media accounts.
Web: NCFC Analysis
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