DANIEL BARK
Frustrated Canaries boss has set his strugglers a target of 10 wins this season – and demanded they find their killer touch in front of goal NOW
BY
A horrendous opengoal miss by Josh Sargent, another wasted opportunity by the USA striker, and several chances that Teemu Pukki (below, right) fluffed, left Daniel Farke’s Canaries wondering how the three points got away.
So, small steps. Get one thing right at a time, and defensively Norwich have improved. But time is not on their side as they have not won a Premier League match this season, and have just two points from eight games.
Farke’s team face Chelsea next week but after that comes Leeds, Brentford, Southampton, Wolves 0 0
TWO clean sheets in a row – Norwich are getting something right. It is just the stuff at the other end of the pitch they need to sort out now.
and Newcastle, games where points must be banked. By the end of that run we will know where the Canaries stand.
Farke admitted: “Can we survive without a killer instinct? No. We need to win nine or 10 games to survive.
“We need to find a cutting edge to give ourselves a chance. But if we deliver performances like this and create chances like this I’m confident we will score.” Sargent’s awful miss just before half-time, when Brighton keeper Robert Sanchez dashed out and completely missed the ball, leaving the £8million former Werder Bremen player with an open goal, was the big one.
The 21-year-old, who has not scored in the league since his summer move, underhit his shot at the gaping goal and Shane Duffy dashed back to clear.
It was a head-inhands moment. Canaries defender Max Aarons said: “It was a gilt-edged chance but as a team-mate you have to give support. We knew there would be other chances – it wasn’t as if it was in the 91st minute.
“It was frustrating but you have to let it go. If you dwell on it it can cause an issue. We just got on with it. We knew what Josh was giving us. I’m sure he will score goals.”
Brighton secured a fourth clean sheet of the campaign Duffy, Lewis Dunk and Dan Burn providing a rock solid back line – and also went away feeling they could have had the win. Adam Lallana was foiled by Tim Krul before Neal Maupay was brought down by the Canaries keeper and legitimate-looking claims for a penalty were waved away.
Leandro Trossard’s effort was tipped onto the bar by Krul, but at the other end Norwich’s lack of confidence showed, Pukki twice wasting good positions. Then came Sargent’s horror moment and minutes later it got worse when he dallied and allowed Dunk to clear.
Brighton were largely in control but chances kept coming for Norwich – Pukki poking wide, then racing clear only to be caught by a great tackle from Burn. Right at the death Albion should have won it, but Maupay flicked over from Solly March’s lovely cross.