MATCH VERDICT: Norwich 2 Wanderers 0
5:00pm Monday 6th February 2012 in Sport By Marc Iles
WHETHER they are following Plan A or Plan B when players do not deliver, formations count for nothing.
Let’s be honest, Norwich should have been at least one goal to the good by the time Owen Coyle decided to change his team’s shape and switch to two up front – a decision questioned by many supporters as they made the treacherous and ice-plagued journey back from Carrow Road.
The Canaries had teased and troubled with their movement and fluid front line, and coped admirably with the loss of their two recognised centre-halves Daniel Ayala and Zat Whitebread.
Wanderers’ midfield, that had been so dominant against Arsenal and Liverpool, looked jaded so Coyle can hardly be blamed for looking to take the fight further up the field, bringing on the physical presence of Kevin Davies to share the workload with David Ngog.
The switch actually brought about the Whites’ most productive spell of the game. But perhaps the defensive frailty shown after conceding the first goal to Andrew Surman was also a reminder to the manager of why he had chosen to employ a five-man midfield since Christmas.
Recent success has come largely on the back of a settled line-up and formation, and more so in the middle of the park, where the muscle of Nigel Reo-Coker and Fabrice Muamba had set free the creative talents of Mark Davies. In Coyle’s defence, none of that trio were really on their game by the time Muamba was sacrificed on 53 minutes, but the way Wanderers folded after Surman’s strike doesn’t do his case much good.
Regardless of tactics, the defending shown for both goals was a throwback to the bad old days, and not something that can be seen on a regular basis again if Wanderers have aspirations to maintain their Premier League status.
It took a while for Surman and Anthony Pilkington to provide the finishing touches that had been missing in Norwich’s guile and industry, but there was plenty to admire from Paul Lambert’s side, who are making a mockery of those of us who predicted they would struggle on their return to the top flight.
Right from the off, the signs weren’t good. Norwich were quicker to everything and but for some wasteful finishing, could have killed the game before half time.
Adam Bogdan saved from Grant Holt’s scuffed volley and Simeon Jackson pulled a shot wide after good work on the left by Surman against David Wheater.
Tyrone Mears was making his first appearance in a competitive match after a broken leg sabotaged his early career at Wanderers. And while the full-back struggled at times, there were a few occasions when his defensive nous really bailed his out team.
Indeed, his crucial touch at the far post prevented Surman from getting a tap-in when Jackson had raided down the right from Holt’s flick-on.
Wes Hoolahan was one of the chief architects of Norwich’s victory over Wanderers at the Reebok earlier this season, and the former Blackpool midfielder was again at the heart of everything his side created. He turned Martin Petrov inside out on 24 minutes to put in a cross for Holt, whose clever touch gave Surman an easy chance from eight yards that he somehow managed to crash against the bar.
Petrov was just about the only Wanderer to get a shot in at goal all afternoon – crashing any number of volleyed efforts in on John Ruddy but never quite managing to get one on target. A deflected effort just before the break was as close as it got.
Things didn’t improve after the break and after Holt and Jackson had wasted a pair of glorious chances, Coyle decided he had seen enough, calling for Davies from the bench.
The skipper’s arrival unsettled the changed Norwich back line, and the Canaries were indebted to keeper Ruddy for a smart save at his near post from Ngog, and a scrambling effort direct from Petrov’s corner.Wanderers began to get more joy from the wider positions for the first time in the game and crosses from Petrov and Chris Eagles rolled along the six-yard box without a telling touch.
Just after the hour mark, however, Norwich rediscovered their poise. Shortly after Jackson had wasted yet another chance with a weak shot at Bogdan, he popped up on the right to beat Sam Ricketts and cross low for Surman, who reacted first to slot in the rebound after his first shot had bounced off Wheater.
Wanderers fell apart quickly. Holt missed a sitter from three yards and Mears made a spectacular clearance off the line, not knowing the linesman had already denied Steve Morison’s angled shot.
Five minutes from time, the game was wrapped up when Surman kept David Fox’s corner alive on the edge of the box, and when Russel Martin was given space to lash in a shot, saved by Bogdan, the Whites froze as Pilkington prodded home from close range.
Back in the bottom three, defeat for Coyle’s side in next weekend’s game against Wigan isn’t worth thinking about. But, rather ironically, given the debate that has gone on since the final whistle on Saturday about the five-man midfield, it would be a surprise not to see Wanderers go for the Latics’ throat and put two strikers up top.
Whatever the relative merits of either system, the individuals within the squad who didn’t come up to scratch know who they are.
The problem with setting high standards is they really do accentuate the poor performances.
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