Podcast: How do Norwich City improve their attacking output?

The Canaries' boss vented his frustration at their inability to construct more chances after their 1-0 defeat to Swansea in South Wales on Saturday in a performance littered with individual errors. 

City had big chances to rescue a point late on but, for extensive periods of the contest, failed to convert promising spells of possession into something more substantial. 

This was a topic discussed on our long-running Pink Un podcast with host Connor Southwell, Paddy Davitt and Sam Seaman discussing how City take the next step to ignite their attacking work in the Championship. 

**

CS: The conversation that we've had around structure and style of play - a lot of that group are still adapting to that. In terms of coaching, speak to people who have, they say that teaching a team to attack and score goals is the hardest bit. So maybe it's no surprise that is yet to come, Sam?

SS: It does feel like in the build-up and defensively, Norwich are looking pretty good and have adapted pretty well to life under Johannes Hoff Thorup, but I can see why people are concerned about the final third. A lot of it is about getting players used to it. You've got a few new players who are still learning how to combine with each other and each other's movements - that is a hard element to add to a team but also there are elements that don't feel like they are down to players getting used to the environment or the physicality of English football. Most of it has been simple passes, controlling the ball well in tight areas - just technical elements. The likes of Amankwah Forson, Ante Crnac and Oscar Schwartau, it doesn't feel like adapting or developing a tactical understanding; it's more about a poor individual performance where these players aren't showing the level of talent many expected when they arrived in the summer. There are concerning elements regardless of the transitional elements. 

CS: On that point Paddy, Norwich recorded more unforced errors - 33 times they were dispossessed and miscontrolled the ball - than in any game this season. At half time, the stats suggested they'd completed 53pc of passes in the final third. When you dig into those numbers, it underlines the whole conversation about individual quality, or lack of, in attacking areas. 

Johannes Hoff Thorup was frustrated by his side's attacking struggles against Swansea. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

PD: That underlines Johannes's annoyance with the performance because he knows those players are better in the facets you mention. When you know that you have the raw materials in terms of individuals on the pitch, both collectively and individually, in key areas of your offensive strategy, it is incredibly frustrating. I'm sure he will go away with his coaches and analyse that. Was it selection? Was it what he was asking them to do? Was it the way it was all melded together? Overall, a lot of their play in that first half was careless, imprecise and when you're a team that wants control with possession, it's going to break down inevitably. That's why he felt instead of Swansea beating them, they beat themselves. 

CS: On the right wing area, it feels like it's still up for grabs. How do you see that developing - especially with Kaide Gordon in the building? Norwich play it as an inverted role with Jack Stacey offering width. It does feel like that they need to find a resolution to it. 

SS: There are loads of different elements in play here. The wing backs felt like a way to try and get back into the game - I'd be surprised if he considered that in the longer term. He still believes that Crnac will come good and people are willing to give him time because he's 20 and has only just arrived in the country. He will impact things in the short-term and next few weeks - if anyone has an advantage, it's probably Crnac. Tactically, that does feel like an idea that could work with Thorup bombing down the right wing. Schwartau and Crnac suit that inverted role well. Crnac likes to come inside on that left foot and gets shots away. With Schwartau, there is a bit of a problem because he has more physicality than you'd expect from an 18-year-old, but I don't feel he's at his best with his back-to-goal. If they can find a way of getting him facing the play more often when he's looking at the opposition's goal rather than in a physical battle on the right. There are issues with both of them going into Watford, it's hard to know how it gets solved. Kaide Gordon is now part of the group and has had a few days training. Ultimately, it's a bit of a wildcard from Liverpool who they don't know quite know where he is at or whether he can be a key player for Norwich. There are options. Onel Hernandez hasn't started a league game either. Thorup has multiple options before he's exhausted his options. 

- You can listen to the whole Pink Un podcast via YouTube below or your preferred podcast player