Swans v Norwich | Vital Football

Swans v Norwich

keith margam

Vital Football Legend
With eight of our first team squad away on International duty we hope it will not affect our up-coming matches. We face our toughest test yet with three top matches in a week. First up we are home to leaders Norwich Sat 24/11, home to WBA Wed 28/11, and away to Derby Sat 1/1.
Some would say that these results could be season defining.
Here are the locations of our international players this week and it shows how tough a job they’ll have with just the travelling, a few days before the Norwich game -
Nordfelt/Ollsson : Sweden - Turkey away 17/11, Russia home 20/11
James/Roberts : Wales - Denmark home 16/11, Albania away 20/11
McBurnie : Scotland - Albania away 17/11, Israel home 20/11
Montero: Ecuador - Peru away 16/11, Panama away 20/11
Celina: Kosovo - Malta away 17/11, Azerbaijan away 20/11
Carter-Vickers: USA - England away 15/11, Italy away (in Belgium) 20/11

I expect GP to rest some of these players if he can, but quite a few positions are worrying as they are key players.
 
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In contrast, Norwich have three players on International duty -
Jamal Lewis : ROI
Michael McGovern : ROI
Teemu Pukki : Finland
 
The club have revealed that Celina has a groin injury and did not travel to join his Kosovo teammates on International duty. GP is hoping he will be fit in time for this Saturday’s match.
 
Form Guide last 6 matches -
Norwich - L W W W W W - W5 D0 L1 F13 A6 Pts15
Swansea - L L W W L W - W3 D0 L3 F9 A7 Pts 9
 
With a plethora of wingers in the squad, need we be worried about James and Montero globetrotting and the risk of injury?
‘Twas ever thus, one might say, we’ve always had this problem with players called up to represent their country.
Another point, but a worrying statistic, is that we usually struggle for results immediately after International breaks.
Right, that’s the negatives out of the way. Here’s a positive.
We could and should have been on our fourth consecutive win, except for the Rotherham robbery (an over zealous ref - one nil up and cruising, totally outplaying the opposition, not scoring a second goal, and right at the death the ref takes over, bang bang two controversial penalties and no time left to recover the situation, three easy points snatched from our grasp).
 
Whilst the remainder of the Swans squad not on International duty were wrapping up warm for training sessions in Swansea, in contrast the Norwich squad were in warmer climes after jetting off to sunny Florida for a short break.
 
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McBurnie should be fresh and raring to go against Norwich on Saturday after being an unused sub in both Scotland’s games against Albania and Israel.
 
The Norwich team roll into town this evening ready for tomorrow’s match.
Logan Air is due to arrive from Norwich into Cardiff at 1900.
It makes you nostalgic thinking about it, our team used to fly everywhere for matches up until last summer. I wonder if we’ll splash out and fly up to Norwich for the reverse fixture?
 
In form West Brom won at Ipswich last night 1-2 and go second in the table behind Norwich. Guess who’s got the Baggies next?
Anyway before thinking about our next game we have to overcome Norwich this afternoon. There are no new injury worries after the Internationals so GP has almost a full squad to pick from, except for Tom Carroll and Luciano Narsingh, who are not quite ready.
 
How embarrassing was that. Not one of our players can hold their heads up after such a shocking display.
Some players gave up trying and that is inexcusable.
If that match is an indicator of how we stand in the promotion stakes, forget it, we’re going nowhere this season playing like that.
The defence was like a sieve and no protection in front of it from a non existent midfield.
How could Potter get his player selection and tactics so wrong for this game?
The much lauded Mulder and VdH had mares, Grimes is not a full back, Fer is only an impact player and certainly not a captain, Fulton was out of his depth, Celina can’t/ won’t tackle, Naughton can’t stop a cross.
And if you’d seen how poor Bony was when he came on as sub at Bolton, then
seeing him come on at half time today, you just knew straight away we would not get anything from this match. He is miles away from any sort of fitness or form, can’t tackle, can’t head a ball and can barely run.
 
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Possession: 56%-44%, Shots: 13-11, On target: 6-7, Corners: 7-2, Fouls: 11-13
Looking at the stats without seeing the game one would think it was a pretty even game and the result was probably a draw, but how deceptive these stats are.
Instead we were routed with fast and robust play and clinical finishing.
A high press and fast breaks from defence did for us and I hope GP has gone over this match in fine detail with the players and found a formation and tactics to counteract it.
 
Yes stats might have been in our favour but we don't do enough with our attempts on goal, corners etc and it proved the same again tonight against WBA.