Neither coach would be happy with the chaos. It was clear that this was a tie between two incredibly well-drilled teams led by exciting young head coaches. Ben Lee breaks down Norwich City's 3-3 Championship draw against Middlesbrough.
Ben is a City season ticket holder and author of the NCFC Analysis social media account, who unpicks games with an analytical report highlighting tactical strengths and weaknesses.
This is what Ben made of a Carrow Road Championship classic.
Norwich versus Middlesbrough: Adjustments, patterns, and transitions
Score: 3 – 3
Possession (%): 50 – 50
Passes: 518 – 520
Shots: 9 – 14
xG: 1.10 – 3.86
- Build-up adjustment.
- Early pressing change.
- Incisive attacks in transition.
- Settled-play patterns.
Base formations
After a 1-0 win against Sheffield United, Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough made the trip to East Anglia to face a Norwich side set to go a year unbeaten at home if they avoided defeat once more.
Carrick made one change to his side as Dijksteel replaced Ayling at right-back in the visitor’s 4-2-3-1 base formation, while Johannes Hoff Thorup named an unchanged eleven following his side’s comeback draw at Preston earlier in the week.
Middlesbrough tended to allow Norwich to play out from goal-kicks relatively unchallenged, instead waiting for City to advance before applying pressure.
In these deep build-up phases, it soon became clear that Thorup had altered his side’s structure. Rather than creating their usual 2-3 build-up with two inverting full-backs, the hosts reverted to the same 3-2 structure we saw at the start of Thorup’s tenure.
Performing his old hybrid role, Doyle (6) shifted into a back three while Fisher (35) overlapped on the right. In midfield, Marcondes (11) advanced, leaving McLean (23) and Slimane (20) as the double pivot. Perhaps not expecting this change, the visitors initially pressed from a 4-2-3-1.
This pressing structure could have been used as a means of occupying the inverting full-backs and single pivot in Norwich’s usual 2-3 build-up. Instead, while Azaz (20) did block passing lanes to McLean (23), the wingers weren’t tight enough to Slimane (20) and Doyle (6).
When they managed to force Norwich back towards their own goal, however, Middlesbrough occasionally transitioned into more man-orientated pressing situations.
On one occasion, Azaz (20) jumped alongside Conway (22) to apply pressure to both centre-backs; McGree (8) followed Slimane (20) on the left, Doak (50) pressed high on the opposite side, Hackney (7) jumped onto McLean (23), and Morris (18) occupied Marcondes (11).
Early in the first half, in the build-up to Norwich’s first goal of the game, Doyle (6) advanced on the left, allowing Marcondes (11) and Sainz (7) to create an overload in the half-space.
City’s left-back then played infield to Sainz (7), drawing van den Berg (3) out of position, as Marcondes (11) advanced into space to receive a through ball from the winger. The host’s new Danish midfielder then returned the ball to Sainz (7), who finished a chance worth 0.03xG.
Beyond Norwich’s deepest build-up phases, Middlesbrough dropped into a 4-4-2 mid-block with Azaz (20) joining Conway (22) up front, as City’s 3-2-5 structure became clear.
Thorup’s reversion to this shape could have been a reaction to the threat posed by Liverpool loanee Ben Doak (50), given the 3-2 rest-defence should reduce the space to attack in behind. But it also may have been an attempt to draw the visitor’s wingers away from the half-spaces.
But rather than both wingers pressing high in a 4-2-4 mid-press as often happens with a 4-4-2 mid-block, when Conway (22) and Azaz (20) pressed from the front, Doak (50) jumped into the first line to go man-to-man against City’s situational back three, almost creating a 4-3-3 shape.
Behind this initial line of pressure, McGree (8) shifted infield to occupy Slimane (20), while Morris (18) tracked McLean (23).
Middlesbrough initially transitioned between their 4-4-2 mid-block and a 4-2-3-1 high press, but following their first-half equaliser, they reacted to Norwich’s adjusted structure by remaining in a 4-4-2 shape in every phase of City’s build-up, including in the deepest phases.
This changed the dynamics of the visitor’s press as Conway (22) and Azaz (20) pressed high rather than the latter occupying McLean (23). Instead, Hackney (7) and Morris (18) waited for the front two to press before jumping onto City’s double pivot.
In more settled phases of possession, with Norwich in a clear 3-2-5 shape with a midfield box, the hosts created numerous effective patterns of progression.
One example saw Duffy (4) draw the winger to press before finding Crnac (17) out wide after he switched positions with Fisher (35). With the visitor’s left-back pressing out wide, Fisher (35) advanced in the space he vacated to receive a through ball from Crnac (17).
Another pattern saw Norwich shift from one side to the other before the wide centre-back either played a line-breaking pass into the half-space or straight to the winger out wide.
In one instance, Doyle (6) found Sainz (7), who waited for the visitor’s left-back to press before playing infield to Marcondes (11). The Spaniard then advanced into the space behind to receive a return pass. The subsequent attack saw City’s number seven hit the post with a curling effort.
But Norwich were often overly direct in the first half. Post-match, Thorup explained this opened his side up to dangerous transitions. Indeed, as Pep Guardiola’s assistant Juan Manuel Lillo once said, “the quicker the ball goes forward, the quicker it comes back.”
In the second half, however, City’s approach became more optimal as Thorup’s men played with control and patience. In one instance, Cordoba (33) waited for Azaz (20) to press before finding McLean (23) in space behind.
City’s captain then waited for Hackney (7) to leave Slimane (20) before finding him free in the right half-space. The Tunisian midfielder then played a brilliant through ball to Fisher (35) overlapping into the final third.
But when the cutback from Norwich’s promising right-back was intercepted by Morris (18), Middlesbrough reminded the hosts of their quality in transition.
Azaz (20) dropped to receive, while Doak (50) ran into space behind Doyle (6); meanwhile, Conway (22) and McGree (8) attacked the space on the outside of Duffy (4) before Cordoba (33) conceded a free-kick out wide.
In Middlesbrough’s deepest build-up phases, they created a 4-2-4 shape with Azaz (20) and McGree (8) dropping into the half-spaces, while Doak (50) and Conway (22) remained in the last line. In response, Norwich pressed high from their usual 4-3-3 setup.
When the visitors played out to their left, Sainz (7) pressed the goalkeeper from the side, Crnac (17) pressed the receiving centre-back, and Sargent (9) occupied the ball-side pivot. Behind this initial line of pressure, Slimane (20) jumped out wide to the full-back.
As is a common strategy for Norwich’s opponents, Middlesbrough attempted to access the half-spaces before McLean (23) had time to shift across to back up the pressing wide midfielder.
On the visitor’s left, McGree (8) occupied the half-space while Conway (22) moved over to the left to pin Fisher (35) back. But City’s right-back often jumped into midfield anyway, and Duffy (4) did well to track the centre-forward out wide.
But if Sargent (9) was caught pressing too high, Hackney (7) became free to receive behind the first line of pressure, and Middlesbrough were able to escape to the far side of Norwich’s press, where Dijksteel (15) advanced to create an overload out wide.
Like Norwich, in settled phases of possession, Carrick’s side created a 3-2-5 structure when Borges (30) advanced into the last line on the left and Dijksteel (15) created a back three.
In these phases, City transitioned between a 4-3-3 mid-press and a 4-5-1 mid-block, but it was often far too easy for the visitors to access McGree (8) or Azaz (20) between the lines.
The ease with which Middlesbrough created chances and the lack of control for much of the first half are both areas Thorup and his backroom staff will surely look to address.
But while neither coach would be happy with the chaos of Sunday’s game, it was clear that this was a tie between two incredibly well-drilled teams led by exciting young head coaches.
You can read all Ben's previous analysis of Norwich City games via his social media accounts.
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