Oliver Norwood

[Moshe Gariani]

I just wish he'd hit a free-kick like Paul Watson.

That's to say, when those wide free-kicks are whipped in they HAVE to be aimed inside the far post so that if no one manages to get a touch, then the ball goes in anyway. Had he hit his free-kicks like that in the first half on Friday night we'd have been out of sight and on our way to another 4-0.

Nonsense. Plenty of goals are scored from crosses delivered beyond the far post. Just inside or just beyond can both work and is where the intelligent margin for error lies. No value in hitting the first defenders or being too close to the keeper.

Oliver Norwood kept Stephens and Kayal out of the Championship Team of the Year last season. Tony Bloom poached him from Reading.

I wish people would just revel in what is going on a bit more without desperately poking about to find something negative...!!!

 

[Icy Gull]

Those crosses of Norwood's on Friday were both quality balls that Duffy should have done better with imo. You are all forgetting that not so long ago we didn't haev a player who could clear the first defender and if the did they sailed out for throw in.

 

[Bozza]

Nonsense. Plenty of goals are scored from crosses delivered beyond the far post. Just inside or just beyond can both work and is where the intelligent margin for error lies. No value in hitting the first defenders or being too close to the keeper.

Oliver Norwood kept Stephens and Kayal out of the Championship Team of the Year last season. Tony Bloom poached him from Reading.

I wish people would just revel in what is going on a bit more without desperately poking about to find something negative...!!!

Rob Green was superglued to his line and each of those two free-kicks drifted over everyone and only just wide of the post. If either had been on target then they'd have gone in. As I said - Paul Watson was the perfect exponent of such a delivery.

Also, can you please post a link to the Championship team of the season that Norwood made because I've looked before, and again just now, and I can't find any obvious link to such a team. It's got to the point that I'm wondering if it's become some sort of urban myth.

Just who, other than Reading supporters, would put Norwood ahead of the likes of Kayal, Stephens, Barton, Clayton, Judge, Bannan and Lansbury from last season?

 

[Biscuit]

Those crosses of Norwood's on Friday were both quality balls that Duffy should have done better with imo. You are all forgetting that not so long ago we didn't haev a player who could clear the first defender and if the did they sailed out for throw in.

Very true. We now have Norwood, Skalak, Knockart all lining them up. It's brilliant to see.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

I would quite happily suggest over half the teams in this division would take Sidwell and Norwood as their starting midfield pairing.

We are SO lucky.

 

[Biscuit Barrel]

Watson at Port Vale for example, 2002!

Agree about Norwood's free kicks on Friday. They were close to being good but whilst that, from a distance might look good, they needed to be better and, as you say, should be directed to be inside the far post.

If I remember correctly, that free kick was simply curled into the top corner and meant as a strike on goal.

 

[Stat Brother]

Very true. We now have Norwood, Skalak, Knockart all lining them up. It's brilliant to see.

3 points people need to remember:-

1 - The Albion is a second division team.
B - Those 3 players are all 25 and can be argued not yet in their prime.
3 - The Albion is a SECOND DIVISION TEAM.

Getting pissy about free kicks after watching Gary Gardner made to look like Ronaldo, by Dale Stephens, seems somewhat churlish.

 

[drew]

If I remember correctly, that free kick was simply curled into the top corner and meant as a strike on goal.

It was, I wasn't trying to imply the intention was to curl it to the far post as I and some others were suggesting Norwood should have done. It was a great free kick by Watson but there were plenty of others where he played great balls in for Zamora.

 

[Bozza]

3 points people need to remember:-

1 - The Albion is a second division team.
B - Those 3 players are all 25 and can be argued not yet in their prime.
3 - The Albion is a SECOND DIVISION TEAM.

Getting pissy about free kicks after watching Gary Gardner made to look like Ronaldo, by Dale Stephens, seems somewhat churlish.

I'm certainly not getting pissy - it was just a comment based on my recollections from his contributions on Friday night. His first free-kick was briefly discussed by those around me in the WSU and how Watto would have been hitting the inside of the far post. Then there was what seemed like a carbon copy later in the first half.

I'm very happy to have Norwood as part of our squad - he's been a very decent addition.

I'd like to see this team of the year he featured in though - does anyone have a link?

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Also, can you please post a link to the Championship team of the season that Norwood made because I've looked before, and again just now, and I can't find any obvious link to such a team. It's got to the point that I'm wondering if it's become some sort of urban myth.

Just who, other than Reading supporters, would put Norwood ahead of the likes of Kayal, Stephens, Barton, Clayton, Judge, Bannan and Lansbury from last season?

Norwood was statistically the 2nd best Championship player last season according to Whoscored.com

https://www.whoscored.com/Regions/2...ayerStatistics/England-Championship-2015-2016

He also made their team of the season https://www.whoscored.com/Regions/252/Tournaments/7/Seasons/5827/Stages/12497

 

[Exile]

I just wish he'd hit a free-kick like Paul Watson.

That's to say, when those wide free-kicks are whipped in they HAVE to be aimed inside the far post so that if no one manages to get a touch, then the ball goes in anyway. Had he hit his free-kicks like that in the first half on Friday night we'd have been out of sight and on our way to another 4-0.

Respectfully disagree. Whilst we'd all have been happy to see them sail directly in, both were EXCELLENT free kicks. The second one (that bounced) was brilliant. Both should have been converted.

Not necessarily pointing the finger at Norwood for the defeats but at the flaws in the OPs analysis. That said, from what I've seen, he is fourth choice for a reason. With the defence, I'm happy that Goldson and BFG are more than adequate replacements to come in for Duffy/Dunk but I don't see the same for Norwood as a replacement for Stephens, Kayal and Sidwell.

Very strongly disagree with this one - Norwood is far more comparable in quality to Kayal and Stephens, than Uwe is to Dunk and Duffy. Replace Kayal or Stephens with Norwood and the balance of our CM is DIFFERENT. Replace Dunk or Duffy with Uwe and we are WEAKER.

 

[drew]

The problem with his free kicks on Friday was that no-one (eg Duffy, for it was he they were designed for) got on the end of them.

Are you saying Duffy needs to learn to jump higher?

 

[Bozza]

Norwood was statistically the 2nd best Championship player last season according to Whoscored.com

https://www.whoscored.com/Regions/2...ayerStatistics/England-Championship-2015-2016

He also made their team of the season https://www.whoscored.com/Regions/252/Tournaments/7/Seasons/5827/Stages/12497

That looks like some weird statistical interpretation. Preston's Pickford best goalkeeper? Preston's Gallgher best right winger? Sam Vokes best striker? I think they tell you all you need to know about that team!

I can't find any team of the year, picked by a human, that has Norwood in it.

 

[Exile]

That looks like some weird statistical interpretation. Preston's Pickford best goalkeeper? Preston's Gallgher best right winger? Sam Vokes best striker? I think they tell you all you need to know about that team!

I can't find any team of the year, picked by a human, that has Norwood in it.

Pedant! It's A 'toty' and he's in it.

And FWIW, Pickford WAS the best keeper in the division! He's possibly the best in the Premier League on current form.

 

[Bozza]

Respectfully disagree. Whilst we'd all have been happy to see them sail directly in, both were EXCELLENT free kicks. The second one (that bounced) was brilliant. Both should have been converted.

2 free-kicks, no connections, no goals, 2 goal kicks. That's all you need to know.

They could be equally excellent and provide an additional goal threat in that if the rest of your team **** up and fail to convert, then there is a decent chance of the ball going in directly.

I'm going to leave this one now because it's boring and was only an observation that I nearly didn't bother to type last night.

 

[Bozza]

Pedant! It's A 'toty' and he's in it.

Please list your best central midfielders from the Championship last season, stopping when you get to Norwood.

 

[Exile]

Please list your best central midfielders from the Championship last season, stopping when you get to Norwood.

Ha. I never said he was in MY team of the season.

FWIW, my choices at CM would have been Kayal and Stephens, but I'm biased and have not seen nearly as much of the other teams' players as the people who compile these things.

 

[KingstonSeagull]

I know he is (rightly in my opinion) criticized for giving the ball away too easily at times and trying to be over intricate but I make that 3 of our 5 away wins in the league with him in the starting line up and believe he came off the bench in the other 2. Not bad for someone who we class as our 4th choice central midfielder!

I think you have got the name wrong, the BBC live text last night kept referring to him as Jordan Norwood (Denver Broncos Wide Receiver)

 

[Bozza]

Ha. I never said he was in MY team of the season.

FWIW, my choices at CM would have been Kayal and Stephens, but I'm biased and have not seen nearly as much of the other teams' players as the people who compile these things.

But based on what you did see, and I know you're a keen observer of the game - where would you have him? If I'd asked you this question in May, would he have been in your top 10 for example?

I wanted to know who had chosen him in their team of the year and it seems that no one has (or no one that anyone can link to) but a statistical model did. That's fine, and an interesting talking point. I'm not convinced by anyone claiming he was one of the best 2 central midfielders in the league last season though.

 

[Withdean11]

Two of our goals last night came from the result of a Norwood set piece.