Ollie Norburn

M

Middxile

Well-known member
I’m of the opinion that ON has added little to cthis team. He is off the pace in a foot race, and takes an age to move the ball on. Posh may considerb him to have been a good sell. He started the first few games well, but has become less influential as the season progresses. I doubt if NC is minded to play someone else in that holding role, as he was one of Neil’s early acquisitions, but I think that we need someone sharper in there. He’s ponderous.
 
he obviously hasn’t been outstanding but in my opinion he’s come into some unfair criticism because the tactics haven’t helped him at all. He plays so deep that with a back 4 he would be dropping into the hole between the centre halves when we have possession, however in a back 3/5 he just ends up in line with the central defender (Ekpiteta/Casey) and both doing essentially the same job 5 yards apart from each other. I think he would look a very different player in a 442 or a 433 but at the moment it seems like he doesn’t really know what his role should be. For me it’s no surprise that our best form seemed to be when Norburn was out and it was Dougall and another in there because I really don’t think you need that very deep lying midfielder with this setup, but instead need two who can mix it up and do both parts of the game. I’d be keen to see what Morgan and Byers could do together (assuming we’re stuck with this formation) or Norburn, Morgan and Byers in a 433 if not
 
I agree he seems to do enough to stop the usual fans turning on him, but he's not had enough impact on games like last Saturday imo. A true captain turns up and turns the game when needed. He hasn't done that.
 
bfc1993 said:
I think he would look a very different player in a 442 or a 433
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Completely agree.. None of the players know what they are doing in this formation. We have signed Byers and because of the formation, either Norburn or Morgan will have to be dropped. We are crying out for a 4-3-3. Flat back four with no transitional bollocks methodology and then Morgan, Norburn and Byers in midfield. Midfield is where games are won and lost and Norburn and Morgan are being hung out to dry.
 
Alfie Conn said:
He comes across as a leader but very average for me,maybe it is the position he is being played but I hoped and expected more it's like he'sjust going through the motions every game, I'm always expecting him to one day snap out of his self induced coma. That lacklustre penalty vs Bolton summed up his season so far for me.
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"Expecting him to one day snap out of his self induced coma"
🤣I like that, a tad harsh but true.
 
As an addendum to my O/P, his first few games were excellent, then he just seemed to fade. Strange !
 
no9 said:
He’s a good player, I wouldn’t be leaving him out.
Hopefully Morgan, Byers and Norburn play this weekend against Oxford.
(at the same time)
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Can't comment on Byers but prefer Morgan to Norburn and it would be made be made so much easier if Carey had any form!
 
I think he does have more to offer slightly further forward. Can think of a few creative passes in the final third he made earlier in the season before Dembele obviously started playing that role.
 
League 1 plodder. Can't fault his commitment or attitude but lacks pace and doesn't stand out against other average sides. On Saturday he started well and then disappeared, when he did get the ball he gave it away just as quickly. Far from impressed.
 
I thought Byers was quite good when he came on, and I'm no massive Norburn fan or anything (although I think he's a good player just not playing all that well ATM), but did anyone else notice how badly our shape as a team ended up last 15 minutes? Not saying that was all Norburn, but might have been a factor.
 
Connolly, Carey, CJ, Marv, Grimmy all seem to be fair game across the forums for getting stick. Norburn is in a different league when it comes to ineffectual.
 
A_Tense_Grin said:
Completely agree.. None of the players know what they are doing in this formation. We have signed Byers and because of the formation, either Norburn or Morgan will have to be dropped. We are crying out for a 4-3-3. Flat back four with no transitional bollocks methodology and then Morgan, Norburn and Byers in midfield. Midfield is where games are won and lost and Norburn and Morgan are being hung out to dry.
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FFS Reaper, stop going on about formations.
Watch any game at whatever level and don’t tell me that “formations” don’t go out of the window once the game starts.
Players are all over the place and any starting formation is soon forgotten.
I know I am a big critic of yours but surely you can see that.
 
Eternaloptimist said:
FFS Reaper, stop going on about formations.
Watch any game at whatever level and don’t tell me that “formations” don’t go out of the window once the game starts.
Players are all over the place and any starting formation is soon forgotten.
I know I am a big critic of yours but surely you can see that.
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We have five defenders on the pitch. Would be alright if most were decent but they aren't. This actually makes us weaker at the back and stifles creativity. It's all to do with the formation.
 
Eternaloptimist said:
FFS Reaper, stop going on about formations.
Watch any game at whatever level and don’t tell me that “formations” don’t go out of the window once the game starts.
Players are all over the place and any starting formation is soon forgotten.
I know I am a big critic of yours but surely you can see that.
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What? Formations are literally fundamental to the game? This isn't 1800s with 11 blokes all running around chasing one ball.

What a weird thing to say.
 
SeasideKurt said:
What? Formations are literally fundamental to the game? This isn't 1800s with 11 blokes all running around chasing one ball.

What a weird thing to say.
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If two teams played a rigid way, never left formation, for 90 minutes, it’d be an awful sport to watch. The best teams adapt to different setups.
 
Lanc_seasider said:
If two teams played a rigid way, never left formation, for 90 minutes, it’d be an awful sport to watch. The best teams adapt to different setups.
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And that's why we aren't one of the "best" teams because we've stuck with the same set up, with the smallest of tweaks all season long.

It's worked generally at home albeit it's dull to watch and it's catastrophically failed away.
 
Middxile said:
I’m of the opinion that ON has added little to cthis team. He is off the pace in a foot race, and takes an age to move the ball on. Posh may considerb him to have been a good sell. He started the first few games well, but has become less influential as the season progresses. I doubt if NC is minded to play someone else in that holding role, as he was one of Neil’s early acquisitions, but I think that we need someone sharper in there. He’s ponderous.
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If he's ponderous then he fits in perfectly with the football were set up to play.
 
I've seen enough of Norburn to know I like him. He's a smart player with the vision and ability to hit some really good passes that get you up the pitch in an instant. The main problem is that because he plays as the deepest midfielder and because we play a back 3, it means when he gets the ball, 4 of the 11 are behind him as a minimum. It doesn't leave many free men for him to pick out with a forward pass,

He's one one of a number of players who would benefit from us using a back 4.
 
He can be good but takes ages on the ball like he doesn’t wanna let it go and can play some awful backpasses into trouble. I’d like to see him further forward
 
Tango1953 said:
I've seen enough of Norburn to know I like him. He's a smart player with the vision and ability to hit some really good passes that get you up the pitch in an instant. The main problem is that because he plays as the deepest midfielder and because we play a back 3, it means when he gets the ball, 4 of the 11 are behind him as a minimum. It doesn't leave many free men for him to pick out with a forward pass,

He's one one of a number of players who would benefit from us using a back 4.
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Agree, he's a good player and I don't see him being as slow as others do. Along with Morgan and Byers that has to be a strong midfield. As you say a back four must be worth a go.
 
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