Norwich City: 5 Things Learned from Aston Villa Defeat

Norwich City fans will no doubt be disappointed with the result against Aston Villa. However, it is often said that you learn more in defeat than you do by winning. In a 3-2 loss, it is clear that Norwich has no problems scoring goals in the Premier League. But Norwich must ensure they improve the defence, because there is a danger of Norwich getting dragged into the relegation fight if they don't.

Anyway, enjoy the slideshow on my observations based on the game and what we learned. Hopefully the Canaries will learn quickly and put on a stunning performance against Arsenal in just under two weeks' time. 

It was an interesting experiment to switch back to the 4-4-2 system on Saturday. But the game really proved why the 4-4-1-1 system is better for us. On Saturday, the team were exposed by Aston Villa and we didn't get the best out of our best attacking players due to the tactical switch.

Bradley Johnson started the game but had to come off with a slight injury. David Fox came on as a substitute. Lambert should be applauded for trying something new, but in hindsight, his team was too attacking for a tough away trip to Aston Villa.

A lot of Norwich's success this season has been built on the central midfield partnership of Fox and Johnson and it's vital that the two players are on the pitch at the same time as much as possible this season.

Fox has to be the best passer of the ball at the club. This is both his short passes and those wonderful long-range cross-field balls. He can also provide excellent delivery from free kicks and corners. Some of his recent performances have been criticized, but he is the sort of calm, neat and tidy footballer that every good team needs.

Johnson offers that vital link between defence and attack. At times he is protecting the back four with some fine tough tackling, and the next minute he is settling up attacks or even scoring himself (as he proved against Blackburn).     

Andrew Crofts is a fine footballer who has done the club proud in League One and the Championship. But in the Premier League, Johnson has that little bit more class. Bradley Johnson should certainly be in the team ahead of Crofts. It is now clear why Lambert was so keen to sign Johnson in the summer and he already looks like a bargain buy.

It was an interesting experiment by Lambert, but we quickly learned that Wes Hoolahan is not suited to play as a central midfielder. The position does not allow him to cause enough damage as an attacking force and he won't give the defence enough protection. Really it is yet another reason why the 4-4-1-1 system suits us. Hoolahan needs to play in a position that allows him to focus on attacking and not having to worry about defence. Therefore, the role just behind the striker seems to suit him.  

Norwich City's back four had a rough game against Aston Villa. Leon Barnett in particular will be disappointed by his performance. The central defender sold John Ruddy short with an awful back-pass that gifted Aston Villa a goal.

Paul Lambert will no doubt be concerned by the amount of goals his team is conceding and the fact that Norwich are yet to have kept a clean sheet so far this season. However, those problems will probably have to be sorted out within the current team. The other options are either yet to feature in the Premier League or have already made errors this season. A return to the 4-4-1-1 system may at least offer more protection to the defence. 

Grant Holt has and will continue to play a big part for Norwich City this season. However, he may have to play that part from the bench. On Saturday, Paul Lambert made the decision to pair Holt with Steve Morison, but the experiment didn't really work. Yes, Holt did cross brilliantly for Morison to score. But too often Holt was drifting out to wide positions to receive the ball. Norwich City really need Holt in the box and they already have Elliott Bennett and Anthony Pilkington to provide width.

Part of the problem may be that both Steve Morison and Grant Holt are use to being the focal point of the attack. Morison for Millwall and Wales and Holt for Norwich City in the last two seasons. The bottom line is that Holt may need to accept that Morison is the man from the start and Holt can make an impact later on in games.

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