Norwich City have surprised everyone this season as not many fancied them to compete for the automatic promotion spots. However, Daniel Farke’s men currently occupy the top place on the table and look like strong contenders to move to the Premier League.
The manager has had to make one critical decision in the past few months. At the beginning of the season, Timm Klose was the preferred starter at the back along with Christoph Zimmermann. However, ever since Klose got injured in December, the German has found it hard to get his place back in the starting eleven.
Farke has gone on to use the relatively inexperienced Ben Godfrey ever since, and the 21-year-old has done well more often than not. However, the defence is still the Achilles heel of the Canaries as they have the worst defensive record among any of the top 9 clubs. They have been able to cover it up as they are also the top scorer in the Championship at this point. So Klose still makes a case for himself in our opinion
However, Ben Godfrey and Christoph Zimmerman seem to have a better understanding between each other, and it seems likely that Farke is going to persist with the duo up until the end of the season. Klose would be disappointed meanwhile as he would have in all probability continued in defence if not for his injury.
Nevertheless, that is a hallmark of a top team, and Farke would be glad that there is such competition for places. Players who are currently out of the team are worthy of replacing the regular starters at any moment. That keeps the first team players honest and on their toes.
Godfrey also looks much calmer in possession and that allows the Canaries to build up from the back. Plus centre back partnership is often about having an understanding between the two players and Zimmermann has looked comfortable with Godfrey on his side.
However, given Klose’s experience, we still believe he will have a part to play in bringing promotion glory to the Canaries. The former Wolfsburg defender is the classic no-nonsense defender, and Farke can use him as a substitute to see out games when his side are leading. The competition for places is always a good sign for a team and we feel that it is one of the key reasons why the Canaries have done well.
