According to Johannes Hoff Thorup, his Norwich City team is eager to play Portsmouth and, if possible, would have
started right away following the QPR loss over the weekend. The Canaries are hoping to make up for their 3-0 loss to
relegation-threatened QPR in the city on Saturday when they visit Fratton Park.
The outcome put the Yellows in 10th position and six points outside of the playoff spots, but Thorup is adamant that
he doesn’t have to change the course of events. “We don’t have to change everything just because we lost one game,”
he told the Pink Un when discussing his team’s selection at Fratton Park.
We are in a good place and they are trying everything they can, so it’s also down to me to show that commitment to
the team. It’s all about balance.”
Thorup is known for playing an attacking brand of football with a huge emphasis on short passing and dictating
possession. He insists that style is here to stay but adds that he is working to make his team more pragmatic at times
due to football being a results based business. Thorup added: “It still comes from the same structure and exactly the
same things, but as a coach you need to be a bit pragmatic, because we are here for results. Sometimes we need to
take a step back to be able to develop. It’s about building new variations. Not a new style of play, not at all, and we
need to be even more clear when we are building.”
Norwich have been a mixed bag this season, which is reflected by their league position. At times they have been
formidable going forward and they are the top scorers in the league with 35 goals. However, at times their defensive
frailties, particularly from set pieces in recent weeks, have cost them results. Overall, the Canaries have conceded 30
goals – the most of any team inside the top 17 places.
Thorup insists this is something he is working to resolve ahead of Portsmouth: “The players have been very, very
solid defensively on set pieces. Now we’ve had a couple of games in a row where we’ve conceded set pieces, but a lot
of teams in this league are very good at them and it’s not the game of every player we have. But we have also given
throw-ins and free kicks too easily at times. We won’t get carried away with that side of the game or change the way
we work.”
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