Team Focus: Canaries Flying High Thanks to New Found Firepower

When Neil Adams replaced Chris Hughton at the end of Norwich City’s doomed Premier League campaign there were, understandably, question marks raised. Anybody looking in from the outside at Carrow Road could have been forgiven for asking ‘Neil who?’

It didn’t help Adams’ cause that the Canaries couldn’t be saved from returning to the Championship but now, at the end of September, they sit on top of the table with an eight match unbeaten run – the defeat coming in the opening game of the season.

That 1-0 reverse at Wolves, who are still feeding off the newly-promoted buzz and lie in third, led to doubts over Adams’ future. Was he the right man to carry out the arduous task of manufacturing an immediate return to the Premier League?

Now all is well and Adams, whose only previous managerial experience was at the club’s academy, suddenly appears an astute appointment.

They are only six points away from the lower half of the table, an indicator of how it remains far too early in the season to definitively declare a prolonged stay at the summit, but the problems which relegated them have been answered comprehensively.

Already they have scored 20 goals, the division’s highest. To give that some context, they managed only 28 last season. The barren Ricky van Wolfswinkel no longer casts a bleak shadow in Norfolk.

Much of that has been down to Lewis Grabban, a summer signing from Bournemouth, who has scored six. Grabban is currently taking four shots on average per game, a slight rise on last season where he netted 22 times. Only Blackburn’s Rudy Gestede has a higher average of attempts.

But the 26-year-old also contributes so much more at the tip of a 4-2-3-1 (though there has also been a brief glimpse of 4-4-2 from Adams). Grabban is very strong at holding up the ball and playing onrushing midfielders in and, though prone to drifting offside a little too often, has become one of the league’s most potent forces.

Van Wolfswinkel, the club’s £8.5m record signing, has made two starts in Ligue 1 since joining Saint Etienne on loan, scoring one goal. Grabban cost around £3m.

Cameron Jerome, meanwhile, has already found the net five times. Impressive when you consider he has made only three starts, though he did notch a brace in consecutive games against Brentford and Birmingham.

In the centre they have also retained the core of last year’s squad – though Leroy Fer’s move to QPR was a blow. Wes Hoolahan, frozen out of the team for much of last season by Hughton following suggestions he was agitating for a move, has a wonderful knack for seeing passes few others can. He has managed three assists to date but along with Alex Tettey and Bradley Johnson in holding roles behind him, Norwich have a nicely balanced midfield.

Perhaps most important of all, though, is that Norwich are now a team with plenty of mettle. One goal down to the basement dwellers, Blackpool, on Saturday they needed to show a resolve they were often bereft of last season. Led by Grabban, they took control and ended up 3-1 winners.

“We have tremendous spirit, hunger and quality,” Adams said. “When you go behind and you’re behind the barrel of the gun, you see those characteristics. We scored three goals from not that many chances. It’s always good to know when we put our foot through the gears we can really play. Lewis Grabban is a quality forward and he didn’t let any of his missed chances get to him – that’s the sign of a top striker.”

There is an onus on retaining possession and the likes of Hoolahan like to control the tempo – their 79.8% pass completion rate is the fifth highest – but their game is based more on high-intensity and that has led to them taking more shots than any other side in the division at present with 19 per game, some way ahead of the second most trigger happy team, Brighton, who currently average 16.9.

Another notable facet of their season so far has been their impressive performances on the road. The defeat came at Molineux but since they have beaten Ipswich, Cardiff, Brentford and Blackpool, keeping clean sheets in Norfolk and west London while scoring 11 goals – the same amount Wolves have amassed in all of their games so far.

On the basis of the past few weeks, the unknown manager could yet be an inspired selection.

Is Neil Adams the right man to guide Norwich back into the Premier League? Let us know in the comments below