Ben Lee: Tactical analysis of West Brom win

The manner of Norwich City's 1-0 Championship win over West Brom is unlikely to be conducive to longer-term success, given the limited chance creation results in a greater reliance on moments of individual quality in both boxes. 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. This is what Ben made of late, late show against the Baggies.

Norwich versus West Brom: A different approach Score: 1 – 0 Possession (%): 43 – 57 Passes: 393 – 531 Shots: 9 – 16 xG: 0.97 – 1.22 Base formations After a disappointing set of results for Norwich before the international break, Johannes Hoff Thorup’s side hosted a strong West Brom.



The Dane switched to a 3-4-3 and made three changes to his eleven, as Gunn, Stacey, and Slimane replaced Long, Doyle, and Marcondes. Following a 1-1 draw against Hull City, Tony Mowbray made two changes to his eleven, with Styles and Fellows replacing Price and Johnston in the visitor’s fluid 4-3-3. Norwich City 1-0 West Brom: Ben Lee tactical analysis (Image: Ben Lee) In many of Norwich’s deepest build-up phases, particularly from goalkeeper restarts, Thorup’s men switched to a more direct approach than the style they typically adopt.

This was likely driven by the intensity with which West Brom often press, with the visitors going man-to-man all over the pitch against City’s 3-2-5 build-up structure. Such man-orientated pressure typically limits the creation of a free man and leaves the biggest spaces in behind. Norwich City 1-0 West Brom: Ben Lee tactical analysis (Image: Ben Lee) Transitioning into this man-to-man approach from a 4-4-2 out-of-possession base, with Molumby (8) joining Armstrong (32) up front, West Brom’s centre-forwards pressed high, while Grant (18) was ready to track the extra centre-back on Norwich’s right.

Fellows (31), the visitor’s right winger, dropped to stay tight to Fisher (35), who advanced out wide on the left. On the opposite side, The Baggies’ left-back stayed tight to Stacey (3). Norwich City 1-0 West Brom: Ben Lee tactical analysis (Image: Ben Lee) When Norwich did play out from the back, West Brom consistently pressed high.

On City’s right, for example, as Sorenson (19) received the ball, the visitor’s left winger pressed from the front, and Swift (10) advanced to press Slimane (20). With no free man ahead of the ball, Sorenson (19) was forced long, but his pass was easily intercepted by Swift (10). Norwich City 1-0 West Brom: Ben Lee tactical analysis (Image: Ben Lee) A similar situation occurred when Norwich played out to their left.

With Fisher (35) dropping to receive from Cordoba (33), West Brom’s right winger advanced to stay tight to City’s left-back. Yet again, the home side were forced into a relatively aimless long pass. Norwich City 1-0 West Brom: Ben Lee tactical analysis (Image: Ben Lee) But Norwich did have some success in these deep build-up phases when they played out with more controlled verticality in the form of direct ground passes.

Towards the end of the first half, for example, Duffy (4) dropped to receive to the left of Gunn (1) and was given too much time to pick a pass between the lines. Indeed, the Irish centre-back played through two lines of pressure to find Sainz (7), who was being tracked by Holgate (3). The Spaniard then found Sargent (9) dropping into his own half, who shifted the ball across to Stacey (3) overlapping out wide – completing one of Norwich’s few deep escapes of the game.

Norwich City 1-0 West Brom: Ben Lee tactical analysis (Image: Ben Lee) When Norwich advanced into settled phases of possession, their new 3-4-3 base formation saw them create a familiar 3-2-5 shape, but with two attacking wing-backs instead of inverting or hybrid full-backs, while West Brom set up in a 4-4-2 mid-press. When Cordoba (33) received on the left, he was pressed by Molumby (8), while Mowatt (27) jumped onto McLean (23) in the space behind. Norwich City 1-0 West Brom: Ben Lee tactical analysis (Image: Ben Lee) This man-orientated mid-press often forced Norwich back to Gunn (1) and into their deep build-up, but City’s highest-quality chance of the match did come from a settled-play progression.

McLean (23) picked up the ball from deep and carried it beyond the first line of pressure before finding Sainz (7), who’d inverted into the central channel to receive. With Bartley (5) initially following him, the visitor’s captain began to drop back into position, but not before Sargent (9) moved into the space behind to receive a through ball from Sainz (7). Norwich City 1-0 West Brom: Ben Lee tactical analysis (Image: Ben Lee) In the second half, perhaps the nicest build-up pattern of the game from either side saw Norwich create another promising attack.

Under pressure from one of the centre-forwards, Duffy (4) played through to McLean (23), who was pressed by Mowatt (27). But with Slimane (20) remaining close to City’s captain, they created a 2v1 against the West Brom midfielder. Slimane (20) and McLean (23) combined with a one-two before the latter found Sainz (7) running into space behind the centre-backs to complete a smooth settled-play escape.

Norwich City 1-0 West Brom: Ben Lee tactical analysis (Image: Ben Lee) Aside from Norwich’s switch to a more direct approach in possession, perhaps the biggest adjustment came without the ball, where City’s primary intention changed from relatively continuous pressure to a more passive setup designed to control space. The only time the hosts did apply significant pressure was in West Brom’s deepest build-up phases, where the visitors played through a 4-3-3 shape against City’s 5-2-3. Norwich City 1-0 West Brom: Ben Lee tactical analysis (Image: Ben Lee) As is the case with their typical 4-3-3 high press, Norwich’s wingers pressed from the front while Sargent (9) stayed tight to the pivot.

With West Brom playing out to their right, McLean (23) jumped onto Molumby (8) while Fisher (35) tracked Holgate (3) out wide. But The Baggies often played over City’s press, with the full-backs advancing towards the halfway line to receive chipped passes from the goalkeeper. Norwich City 1-0 West Brom: Ben Lee tactical analysis (Image: Ben Lee) In settled phases of possession, West Brom typically remained in their 4-3-3 structure, with Swift (10) and Molumby (8) advancing towards the last line and Armstrong (32) dropping deep, while Norwich transitioned between a 5-2-3 shape and a deeper 5-4-1 mid-block.

Norwich City 1-0 West Brom: Ben Lee tactical analysis (Image: Ben Lee) The advanced positions of the visitor’s number eights may have been an attempt to create a 3v2 against Slimane (20) and McLean (23), but City’s centre-backs did well to jump into midfield to prevent such an overload. When West Brom played to their right, for example, pressed by Sainz (7), Holgate (3) passed to Molumby (8) in the space behind the Spaniard as Cordoba (33) jumped to tackle him. Norwich City 1-0 West Brom: Ben Lee tactical analysis (Image: Ben Lee) But West Brom’s settled-play positions were fluid, and their structure often changed as players adjusted their positions.

On occasion, for example, with Norwich dropping back into their deeper 5-4-1 defensive block, Styles (4) inverted into a double pivot with Mowatt (27), while the visitor’s number eights advanced into the last line and Holgate (3) remained deep to create a situational 3-2-5. Norwich City 1-0 West Brom: Ben Lee tactical analysis (Image: Ben Lee) Styles’ (4) fluid role also saw the left-back advance and invert into the left half-space in the last line of The Baggies’ temporary 3-2-5 shape, with Swift (10) dropping into the double pivot. In one instance, Armstrong (32) dropped into space to receive the ball between Slimane (20) and McLean (23) before finding Styles (4) advancing into the penalty area from the half-space.

Norwich City 1-0 West Brom: Ben Lee tactical analysis (Image: Ben Lee) An early second-half substitution from Thorup saw Marcondes (11) replace Slimane (20), and Nunez (26) replace Crnac (17), as Norwich switched to three in midfield and two up front, with City’s intention remaining to control and block progression into dangerous spaces. Norwich City 1-0 West Brom: Ben Lee tactical analysis (Image: Ben Lee) Later in the half, however, a further substitution saw Wright (16) replace Sorenson (19) before City changed to their typical 4-3-3, creating a 2-3-5 structure in settled possession. Norwich City 1-0 West Brom: Ben Lee tactical analysis (Image: Ben Lee) This structural change saw Norwich take back control of the ball for much of the last 15-20 minutes, as they switched from out-of-possession to in-possession control.

But it was ultimately a fast counter-attack that won the game for Thorup’s men, with Sargent (9) picking up and converting a perfectly weighted through ball from Nunez (26). Saturday’s approach is unlikely to be conducive to longer-term success, given the limited chance creation results in a greater reliance on moments of individual quality in both boxes. But it was, perhaps, a necessary short-term solution to City’s defensive woes in a bid to retain at least a small chance of finishing in the Championship’s top six.

You can read all Ben's previous analysis of Norwich City games via his social media accounts. X: NCFC Analysis Web: NCFC Analysis.