Sport
Could Norwich be the worst Premier League team in history?
Norwich were pretty bad two seasons ago. But this time they might actually be even worse, with some suggestion that they may actually prove to be the worst Premier League team in history.
Last Saturday’s 7-0 thrashing at Stamford Bridge came with Chelsea missing both Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner due to injuries. Their absence did not make a shred of difference to the Blues as Mason Mount’s hat-trick contributed to another disappointing day for Daniel Farke’s side.
Norwich have put just two points on the board – from recent goalless draws against Burnley and Brighton – and they are already five points from safety. It is difficult to see how they can survive. Indeed, after a quarter of the season they are on track to break historically bad records.
Farke was given a new four-year contract in the summer, reward for leading the Canaries back to the Premier League in style. But such a show of faith in the amiable German looks a mistake
Norwich are committed to an open, attacking style of play. That might work in the Championship – where Emu Buendia was the best player in the league – but it will not cut it at the higher level. Their average possession this season stands at 43.6 per cent. In most of their games, they are simply unable to get the ball. When they do have possession, they do not do anything with it
Farke appears not to have learned any lessons from Norwich’s experience last time and, if they do prove to be the worst Premier League team of them all, that lack of learning will have cost them. Then, they started the season with two wins from their opening five games, beating Manchester City 3-2 in a thrilling clash at Carrow Road having already put Newcastle United to the sword 3-1 at home.
That was as good as it got. A run of one win in four months left Norwich with too much to do. A mini-revival around the turn of the year was too little too late and they meekly surrendered to the club’s fifth Premier League relegation, finishing rock bottom after 10 successive defeats.
Norwich only scored once in that awful sequence at the end of the season and this time they again have big problems in front of goal. They have only scored twice in their nine league games to date and the Canaries have now drawn a blank in their last five matches in all competitions.
Teemu Pukki – their top scorer with 11 goals two seasons ago – has scored both of Norwich’s Premier League goals but the Finn is increasingly cut off by a lack of service. There is no real support for Pukki either, with summer signings like Milot Rashica and Josh Sargent making no impact whatsoever. It is unclear who was supposed to replace the creativity of Buendia.
Landing a loan deal for Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour, the rising Scotland star, was widely regarded as a coup for Norwich. But he has played just four games and has not even got on the pitch for over a month. Farke seems to have lost trust in Gilmour, despite his undoubted talent.
Gilmour should be a key cog in the Norwich machine. He at least looks to have a Premier League future, even if joining Norwich for a year on loan may prove to be a mistake. Looking through their squad, it is difficult to see many players at all who belong in the Premier League.
Defensively, Norwich have been a shambles. Building blocks appeared to be finally being put in place by the clean sheets against Burnley and Brighton, though it is worth noting neither of those sides are particularly prolific. But Norwich fell to bits against Chelsea – the Blues are not really known for being free-scoring under Thomas Tuchel either – with a lack of discipline on show.
Picking on individuals is like shooting fish in a barrel when Norwich, collectively, are so far from the required standard. But it was difficult not to notice Ben Gibson’s dross display at Stamford Bridge, with the centre-back needlessly getting himself sent off for two stupid tackles.
Gibson’s loss of control – he will now have to sit out the coming crunch clash at home to the similarly struggling Leeds United – was indicative of a lack of leadership that runs through the Norwich squad. Their senior pros are just not stepping up to the plate when they are needed.
A couple of years ago, Norwich mustered a pathetic 21 points, 13 points worse than Watford in 19th place. They ended the season with a whopping 75 goals conceded and just 26 scored.
Their target is no longer survival. It is to ensure they do not eclipse Derby County as the worst team in Premier League history, the Rams having managed only 11 points back in 2007-08.
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