Norwood & Style of Play

[blademan31]

What, exactly will we miss?

Does he score goals? Does he beat players? Does he carry the ball up the pitch? Is he a box to box midfielder? Is he good at crossing, from open and set pieces? Can he hit at goal from all angles? Does he get 'stuck in' to the tackle? Can he track and mark opposition players? Is he positionally adept?

These are all the things in the shopping bag of a midfielder in varying measures. Norwood has fuck all of any. All he does, is pick the ball up and lump it out to the wingbacks. Now if that's what you call 'class', I have no idea what you possibly made of Michael Brown.

pommpey

Michael Brown was also class, but a different player. If Norwood was getting into the positions Brown was then he's not doing his job.

This is why I believe we should still build around Norwood with mobility and power. Norwood can be the McCall to the Brown.

I see him as an important cog, he keeps the balls with clever little passes, finds space, keeps us moving, and gives us balance and organisation, similar to (obviously not as good as) someone like Michael Carrick who had few 'glamorous' stand out qualities.

I agree that he does look for that long ball to the full backs too often, but he's likely been told to do that, our formation has been set up for it, and if we had full backs whose first touch was forwards it would be a decent plan. But to say that's all he does is unfair