Match Zone

Stiepermann The Difference For Norwich As Wigan Pitch Up

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What a dilemma to have? Two in-form strikers and your team on the verge of a fifth win in a row.

I’m sure that Daniel Farke has already made his mind up about what he’s going to do this afternoon against Wigan Athletic and if I was a betting man I’d have a fiver on Farke not changing it.

Earlier in the season, the City Head Coach was trying to play both Teemu Pukki and Jordan Rhodes but that was at the expense of solidity in the middle.

By dropping one of them (Rhodes) and bringing in the currently free-scoring Pukki as a lone striker and then plugging the midfield with Marco Stiepermann, Farke seems to have struck upon a formation that is solid and scores goals.

Having said that, the last four wins have only been attained by the margin of a single goal. It’s a tight league and the margins are small at times but who in the Canary nation cares about that?!

Stiepermann’s impact has been nothing short of revelatory. There we were thinking that he was a utility man, and mostly a left sided one at that, and he’s suddenly making the difference playing as a number 10.

His physical size, liking of a tackle and an ability to pass and ghost past opposition players has been a surprise to the majority, I’d say. What his inclusion in the side has done is to, as Farke described it yesterday, “dominate the midfield.”

That is allowing others to get further up the field and suddenly we have four or five players in the box attacking. If this keeps up, Farke might just have found the magic formula that turns a capable squad into a regular winning team.

The imminent return to fitness of Onel Hernandez, Ben Marshall and Kenny McLean will add further strength and options to the side. Had he not been a victim of illness then I would’ve thought that Marshall might have played the last four games instead of Todd Cantwell. Todd has been excellent though, again underlining the depth and quality in our squad.

Today’s visitors, Wigan, won’t be frightened and I imagine that they will come to win, which should make for an entertaining game.

See you there…

OTBC

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Editor - a forty something Canary, who has been following Norwich for 30 odd years. Family man with wife, kids, dog and a love of sport. Fan of Boxing, Vale 46, F1 and Rock.

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