1 week Ago
After Norwich City's substandard 2-1 defeat to Plymouth Argyle, Connor Southwell delivers six things you might have missed from Home Park. Yet again for Norwich City, the main bugbear on the long road back from Devon to Norfolk was more defensive frailty. The trend has been constant all season—teams do not need to work hard to score against them.
There is a major disparity between their underlying defensive numbers and the actual goals conceded column. Plymouth scored two with their opening three shots on target, capitalising on defensive errors to win for only the second time in nine Championship games. In 23 of their 40 Championship games, opposing teams have outperformed their expected goals, meaning they are scoring from low-quality chances.
That speaks to a quality and structural issue in their defensive set-up. Both of Plymouth’s goals were scored from an expected goal rate of 0.69.
That raises questions about the goalkeeping performance, which has been lacking throughout the campaign. It took just 10 seconds between Jack Stacey taking a throw-in inside City’s half to Ryan Hardie netting Plymouth’s second goal. That softness constantly gives Norwich a mountain to climb—this was the second away game in succession in which they found themselves two goals behind within 30 minutes.
These defensive trends have to change. It’s becoming increasingly clear that the answers do not lie within this current group. If you are a team inside the bottom three, there is little to provide more optimism than a game against Norwich City this season.
This is the fifth game of the Championship season that Norwich have faced a side starting the day inside the bottom three, and they’ve failed to win any of them under Johannes Hoff Thorup. Defeat at Home Park means the record stands at: played five, won zero, drawn three and lost two. They’ve scored three goals, all courtesy of Josh Sargent, and conceded seven.
It is another damning record that speaks volumes about their mindset. Prior to this game, Plymouth Argyle were seven points adrift after Derby County’s win over Hull in midweek, with an inferior goal difference adding to that uphill struggle. Inside Home Park during the opening 20 minutes when City had control and seemed to be finding their rhythm, there was a tetchiness and a first goal would have seen them turn on their side.
Instead, two goals injected energy into their performance. Plymouth were better structured, played with more edge and could even have won the game by a more significant margin. Thorup dismissed any suggestion pre-match that his side struggle against back five – but recent results against Derby, Oxford, Preston, Plymouth and Sheffield Wednesday suggest otherwise.
It was an afternoon of few bright sparks for Norwich City, but Jacob Wright’s second-half performance was undoubtedly one. The Manchester City loanee replaced Jack Stacey at half-time in a move that saw him become the deepest-lying midfielder, pushing Kenny McLean to left back. Johannes Hoff Thorup singled him out for praise – and the numbers show why.
During his bright 45-minute cameo, Wright had 59 touches of the ball. He completed 46 of his attempted 53 passes, with all of his 24 passes between five and 15 yards finding their desired target. His eight passes into the final third were bettered only by McLean over the 90 minutes, and his six progressive passes were also behind only the Scot.
Wright offered some metronomic qualities as City searched for a route back into the contest, albeit in a game state that saw Norwich exposed to more of the ball. What isn’t measured by numbers is his constant desire to take possession. His movement and ability to create angles for his teammates are major strengths of the teenager.
This performance was another reminder of Wright’s qualities and raises questions about why the England youth international hasn’t played more than 72 minutes against Sheffield Wednesday in the last four games. Wright made it clear post-match that he wants to stay permanently at Carrow Road. He is the future of this new idea under Thorup.
Marcelino Nunez started alongside a key Norwich City trio for the first time since October. (Image: Jeremy Landey/Focus Images Ltd) It may be only a footnote given the nature of Norwich City’s defeat in Devon, but this was the first game since October that Kenny McLean, Marcelino Nunez, Borja Sainz and Josh Sargent have all started a Championship game together. That is a gap of 30 games, five months and 17 days since that key quartet last started in a 1-1 draw away to Stoke.
Including Angus Gunn, that goes back a game further to a 4-0 victory over Hull. It has been a season of inconsistency, injury and unavailability for Norwich’s key men. Sargent has missed 14 of their Championship matches, Nunez has missed 14 of 40, McLean has been absent for 12 matches, whilst Sainz has missed the fewest, being absent for six games.
In total, of the 120 league matches they could have played collectively, that quartet have missed 46. That is 38.3pc of the campaign, that is before the constantly disruptive issues throughout the squad are taken into consideration.
Of the 11 games those four have started together, Norwich have won four, drawn four and lost three – taking 16 points at a rate of 1.45. Of the remaining 29 games, City have won nine, drawn eight and lost 12, taking 35 points at a rate of 1.
21. Following Norwich City away since relegation from the Premier League has been tough. (Image: Jeremy Landey/Focus Images Ltd) Since relegation from the Premier League in 2022, watching Norwich City play away from home has been a thankless task containing few moments of joy.
In the 66 games on the road, Norwich have recorded just 19 wins. That is a win percentage of just 29pc. The breakdown of seasons shows this regression has continued with every season—in the first year under Dean Smith and David Wagner, Norwich won nine on their travels.
The second year under the German returned six wins, with Johannes Hoff Thorup overseeing just four this season. Norwich have drawn a game fewer on their travels in these three campaigns, with the current total of six matching the previous two campaigns. As for defeats, the numbers make for ugly reading.
City’s loss to Plymouth was their 10th away from Carrow Road of the season, and their 29th since relegation from the Premier League. That means their defeat percentage across the three seasons, with three more to come in 2024/25, sits at 44pc. Of the 198 away points on offer since relegation, Norwich have taken 75.
As per the excellent @NCFCnumbers on X, Norwich have failed to win a game from behind on their travels in 22 attempts dating back to December 2023. It is a narrative that has to change next season. Those numbers have to reverse, even if just for the hardy souls chewing down the miles to constantly offer support across the country – as 1,100 did in Devon on Saturday.
Despair for Norwich City head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup. (Image: Jeremy Landey/Focus Images Ltd) Norwich City's starting XI on Saturday included two players out of contract this summer in Angus Gunn and Emi Marcondes plus five who will enter the final year of their deals in July. Only four players that started at Home Park are contracted beyond the end of next season - it didn't feel like a City XI that was looking to the future.
After the game, Thorup candidly admitted that ruthless decisions needed to be made ahead of next season - but the fans need to see some red meat from here that the wheel is beginning to turn. Among the bright sparks at Home Park were Ruairi McConville and Jacob Wright off the bench - two teenagers who should form part of what comes next. Kellen Fisher was the other standout performer across the piece.
Others like Oscar Schwartau have seen their game time drop - the teenager has played just 70 minutes in the last eight matches. Amankwah Forson, albeit returning from a lengthy injury absence, hasn't featured at all since his heroics against Coventry. Onel Hernandez and Jacob Sorensen are making matchday squads and have been handed minutes, but both are out of contract.
Thorup offered a defence of the Dane earlier this week, but if his future isn't at Carrow Road, then he should be below others in the pecking order and only play if an absolute necessity from here. It's time to offer opportunities in the final six games to those who will be here and form part of what comes next..
