Norwich versus Millwall: Opening Day Defeat

Score: 1 – 2

Possession (%): 59 – 41

Passes: 424 – 284

Shots: 15 – 15

xG: 1.04 – 2.09

Base formations In Manning’s first league game, City’s new head coach started five rookies in a 3-4-2-1 base formation. Given Millwall’s physicality and direct style of play, Manning chose Topic over Nunez as the host’s double pivot.

Alex Neil’s visitors started in a 4-4-2 formation, with Ivanovic and Coburn in the front two.

Ben Lee’s tactical analysis of Norwich City’s 1-2 defeat to Millwall. From Norwich’s custodian restarts, Kovacevic (1) moved alongside Darling (6), while Cordoba (33) moved to the left.

Schlupp (27) advanced towards the last line, while Stacey (3) prepared to drop deeper on the opposite side, resulting in an effective back four.

In response, Millwall switched to a 4-1-3-2 high pressing formation, with De Norre (24) moving into the second line of pressure and Mitchell (8) staying deep to occupy Forson (18) and prevent Norwich from creating a last-line overload.

Norwich City 1-2 Millwall: Ben Lee tactical analysis (Image: Ben Lee)

With Darling (6) playing the first pass back to Kovacevic (1), Millwall’s press began with Coburn (19) jumping to press City’s new goalkeeper.

But with Stacey (3) dropping deep on the right, Norwich had a 4v3 second-line overload. As a result, when Neghli (10) jumped to press Topic (22), Cordoba (33) was free to receive out wide.

Ben Lee’s tactical analysis of Norwich City’s 1-2 defeat to Millwall. Norwich’s first-half pressing weakness allowed them to easily transition from their deep build to settled phases of possession.

On the other side, Kovacevic (1) created a first-line overload that occasionally forced Azeez (11) to jump to assist Ivanovic (9) in the press. However, this freed up Stacey (3) to receive on the right, allowing the hosts to escape the press yet again.

Ben Lee’s tactical analysis: Norwich City 1-2 Millwall (Image: Ben Lee) Despite both wing-backs advancing into the last line during open-play deep build-up phases, the hosts were able to avoid Millwall’s first phase of pressure.

For example, when Ivanovic (9) jumped to press Medic (5), City’s double pivot created a 2v1 against De Norre (24), allowing Topic (22) to receive on the half-turn. The Serbian midfielder then passed the ball to Cordoba (33) in space on the left.

Ben Lee’s tactical analysis of Norwich City’s 1-2 defeat to Millwall. Neghli (10) dropped to the last queue to prevent a last-line overload and to block a passing lane for Crnac (17) in the right half space, allowing Cordoba (33) to advance.

Norwich City 1-2 Millwall: Ben Lee tactical analysis (Image: Ben Lee)

Once Norwich moved into settled possession, they created a clear 3-2-5 structure as the wing-backs moved into the last line on either side of Crnac (17) and Forson (18) in the half spaces.

In these phases, Millwall transitioned between a 4-1-4-1 mid-press and a 4-4-2 mid-block. In their mid-press, Ivanovic (9) occupied one pivot while De Norre (24) jumped to press the other, and Mitchell (8) stayed with Forson (18) between the lines.

Norwich City 1-2 Millwall: Ben Lee tactical analysis (Image: Ben Lee)

Cordoba (33) remained an easy out-ball for the hosts in the first half, as Manning’s men were able to advance and push Millwall back into their 4-4-2 defensive block.

But Norwich often lacked any real threat in these phases, with both players in the half spaces struggling to receive on the half-turn between the lines.

On City’s left, for example, Crnac (17) often received the ball with his back to goal instead of turning into space and playing a ball in behind for Sargent (9).

Norwich City 1-2 Millwall: Ben Lee tactical analysis (Image: Ben Lee)

On the opposite side, Forson (18) was often tightly marked by Mitchell (8), who did well to prevent the Ghanaian from turning to play a through ball for City’s number nine.

Norwich City 1-2 Millwall: Ben Lee tactical analysis (Image: Ben Lee)

In one instance, however, Norwich did manage to find Forson (18) in space to receive on the half-turn when they shifted the ball quickly from left to right, opening a gap between Mitchell (8) and Azeez (11) as they moved between pressing roles.

Ben Lee’s tactical analysis of Norwich City’s 1-2 defeat to Millwall.

This was a movement that the hosts could have used more frequently to get Crnac (17) and Forson (18) into dangerous positions rather than receiving with their backs to the goal.

Millwall went long in their deepest build-up, so Norwich’s back five occasionally stayed deep to compete for aerial duels against a 5v4 last-line overload.

Ben Lee’s tactical analysis of Norwich City’s 1-2 defeat to Millwall. When Millwall played in their own half, they were able to exploit a flaw in Norwich’s press. During these phases, City switched to a 4-4-2 formation, with Crnac (17) advancing alongside Sargent (9), and Schlupp (27) taking up the second line of pressure.

However, these jumps temporarily freed players to receive in space. In one instance, the visitors found Doughty (14) on the left, who avoided Forson (18) and passed the ball across to Neghli (10) as he dropped into the right half space.

Ben Lee’s tactical analysis of Norwich City’s 1-2 defeat to Millwall. Schlupp (27) stepped out to press Neghli (10), leaving Crama (4) completely free on the overlap before Cordoba (33) could move out wide to close him down.

Ben Lee’s tactical analysis of Norwich City’s 1-2 defeat to Millwall. Indeed, in the build-up to Millwall’s opening goal, the visitors started out of the back and went long to Coburn (19). The forward flicked the ball to Ivanovic (9), who found Crama (4) wide open, with Schlupp (27) pressing infield.

Alex Neil’s team then scored from the resulting cross, making it 1-0.

Ben Lee’s tactical analysis of Norwich City’s 1-2 defeat to Millwall. Norwich had a similar issue transitioning from their 5-4-1 mid-block to their 4-4-2 mid-press, with Millwall in settled possession in City’s half.

As Crnac (17) jumped to press from the front, Schlupp (27) moved into the second line, and Tanganga (6) clipped the ball wide to Crama (4).

Ben Lee’s tactical analysis of Norwich City’s 1-2 defeat to Millwall.

Crama (4) also caused problems for Norwich when the hosts were defending deep, with Schlupp (27) occasionally failing to close him down, especially as he tired in the second half, allowing Millwall’s right-back to cross into the box unchallenged.

Ben Lee’s tactical analysis of Norwich City’s 1-2 defeat to Millwall. After initially struggling to prevent Norwich from gaining settled possession, Alex Neil’s half-time adjustments saw the visitors press much higher than in a standard 4-4-2, with Mitchell (8) joining the second line earlier and the full-backs backing up the press out wide.

Norwich City 1-2 Millwall: Ben Lee tactical analysis (Image: Ben Lee)

As the game progressed, Millwall also targeted space to the side of Norwich’s settled rest defence with fast transitions and out-to-in runs in behind.

Towards the end of the game, for example, the visitors found a second goal after Doughty (14) easily regained possession and found Langstaff (17) running in behind between Medic (5) and Darling (6) on the Croatian’s blind side.

Ben Lee’s tactical analysis of Norwich City’s 1-2 defeat to Millwall. The resulting goal would be the winner for Alex Neil’s side, as an improved second-half press made Norwich’s build-up more chaotic and thus more suited to the visitors.

This problem was exacerbated by Liam Manning’s side’s persistent pressing issues, as well as some poor decision-making and defending in crucial moments.

Manning was always going to take time at Norwich, but he’ll be eager to work out these issues ahead of City’s first league cup game at Vicarage Road.

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