Dilemma for Whites boss ahead of Wigan clash
4:00pm Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Sport By Marc Iles
OWEN Coyle heads into this weekend’s must-win derby with a tactical dilemma playing on his mind.
Much feted for bringing attacking football back to the Reebok during his first two years in charge, it has perversely been with a more defence-minded approach that the Wanderers boss has managed to turn the tide of poor results that have dogged his side since the start of the season.
The introduction of a five-man midfield, anchored by Nigel Reo-Coker behind Fabrice Muamba and Mark Davies, gave the Whites a degree of solidity and protection for the back four that has at times been sorely missing.
And while it has been done with a large degree of hindsight, that might go some way to explaining the fierce reaction among fans to Coyle’s decision to revert a 4-4-2 system in the second half at a chilly Carrow Road on Saturday, which coincided with Norwich striding on to score the game’s only two goals.
Neighbours Wigan Athletic arrive in town this weekend – bringing with them the worst goal difference in England’s top four divisions. But will Coyle curb his natural attacking instincts and resist the urge to play two up front on home turf, in favour of a system that has looked solid in recent weeks, if rather unspectacular at times against the Canaries?
The motive behind Saturday’s tactical switch was simple. Norwich were down to two makeshift centre-halves, and the only surprise might be that Coyle didn’t call on the physical presence of captain Kevin Davies any sooner than the 53rd minute after seeing Zak Whitbread and Daniel Ayala limp off.
Coyle went for the throat, but, just as it had against Newcastle United on Boxing Day, the withdrawal of Muamba served to destablise rather than strengthen, prompting a flurry of debate among the club’s supporters.
Neither Reo-Coker nor Mark Davies had been at their best before the substitution, and their below-par performances certainly played their own part in Wanderers downfall as Andrew Surman and Anthony Pilkington ran in goals in the last 20 minutes.
But it was the absence of Muamba in the last half-hour that has been the topic of most discussion around the message boards and pub tables over the last few days.
The former Arsenal trainee has often been a casualty of changing systems under Coyle and has been replaced 37 times – more than any other player in the current squad – since the Scot took charge in January 2010.
But while that same change worked to his advantage on four occasions last season – against Blackpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa at home, and Birmingham City away in the FA Cup quarter final – this season it has been far less successful for the Wanderers boss.
Muamba’s importance in midfield might be summed up by the fact that the scoreline has worsened, from a Whites perspective, on eight of the 10 instances in which the former England Under-21 ball-winner has been sacrificed for a more attacking option this season.
The statistics for the rest of his one-and-a-half seasons under Coyle, however, paint a different picture, with Wanderers’ position deteriorating only five times in 27 instances.
And while a good number of those examples are only for a few minutes at the end of a game, the trend still suggests that Muamba’s role is more vital in the current five-man system than perhaps he gets credit for.Reo-Coker and Mark Davies have stood out with their match-winning performances since the Christmas period but Muamba – as ever – has rather ducked under the radar with his quietly effective style.
The 23-year-old sat out of the 3-1 victory at the DW Stadium in October and, should Coyle choose to go 4-4-2 at the Reebok, it is likely he would step aside for Kevin Davies, Ivan Klasnic or newly-sgned Marvin Sordell.
The attacking approach certainly worked on that occasion and, buoyed by a packed-out home crowd, it must certainly be a temptation to the Whites boss to follow suit.
Whether Coyle sticks or twists could well prove to be one of the biggest decisions he makes this season.
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