Norwich City currently sit second in the Championship, despite a dramatic late defeat to Newcastle this week.
Jonjo Shelvey ofNewcastle United and Alex Tettey of Norwich City in action on Wednesday
Following last weekend’s victory over Burton, Norwich City sat top of the table after nine games, but a mid-week defeat to rivals Newcastle has meant that the Canaries have slipped down to second.
You can’t argue with how Alex Neil has handled the pressure of the Championship, Norwich are a side with a lot of potential and one who can secure promotion this year.
However, after the 4-3 loss at St James’s, there are three noticeable problems that Norwich need to address in order to remain fighting at the top.
Defensive errors will cost Norwich if not careful
The Canaries’ defeat to the Magpies was very much down to their defence making too many mistakes, with the back four seeming to switch off against Rafa Benitez’s side. Norwich’s goals against record was a big problem last season, and played a big factor in their relegation from the Premier League.
The manager and board’s biggest mistake this summer is not bringing in a couple of good defenders to strengthen the squad. With only two clean sheets in the league, Neil will have to address his defensive issues in order to prevent conceding avoidable goals.
Neil needs to learn from his bad habits
Norwich manager Alex Neil
The Canaries have got a habit of leading games then going on to lose or draw. Against Newcastle, Norwich were leading at the death but ended up with no points on the board after being pegged back. Also at Ipswich, the Canaries were in front but ended up conceding with the result ending with a draw. This was another common occurrence last season.
The management team need to try and prevent this from happening, either by working on fitness or mentality or preferably both. Top managers don’t let their teams slip away on a regular basis, Neil is a good coach but this is a problem that has to be resolved.
The Canaries need to beat their rivals
Norwich lost 4-3 to Newcastle on Wednesday
Norwich are in a positive position of looking like one of the stronger teams in a league as unpredictable as the Championship, but problems with conceding and holding on to a lead will result in teams making you pay, especially those also pushing for promotion. The Canaries have got away with it so far and are well placed at the top, but can’t afford to lose too often against the likes of Newcastle who they will likely be fighting against come the end of the season.
Today’s game against Wolves could be a tough one. Their opponents could also be playoff material if they gain some consistency and Norwich will have to learn from their mistakes against Newcastle and bounce back. The Canaries have got a favourable set of fixtures coming up, with matches against Rotherham, Fulham and Preston. Reid’s next big test could be when his side face Brentford on 29th October.
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