Young Canaries flying high but boss says it won’t last

Pukki Buendia

NORWICH manager Daniel Farke knows that his Canaries’ young wings are likely to be clipped. into promotion contenders – but it has not been easy.

He admitted: “Last season was unbelievably difficult.

“We were in transition because the club was relegated and finished around mid-table the next season.

“We were under unbelievable financial pressure, we had to sell our best players, so it was not bad to finish near midtable last season.

“The problem was, before this season, we again had to sell our best players – James Maddison and Josh Murphy – find some young, creative, smart solutions with free transfers and loans.

“It’s an unbelievably young squad and I think no team in the whole of western Europe is playing with such young wings. Our average age on the wings is 19 or something.’’

So, can the Canaries stay up there? “If we’re realistic, no, because we have so many young lads on the pitch – I don’t think any other club in the Championship has an average age like we had in this game,” he added. “It’s also not possible for us to buy highclass, quality players and spend millions of pounds.

“At the moment we’re flying, but the Championship is so closely contested and it’s a long season.’’ Forward Pukki, a summer signing from Danish side Brondby, is one of the freebies producing the goods. Winger Emi Buendia – another closeand season capture costing £1.5million from Spain’s Getafe – and German striker Dennis Srbeny also scored as Wednesday, who face a Steel City derby at Sheffield United on Friday, fell apart.

It would have been worse if Cameron Dawson had not saved Mario Vrancic’s sixthminute penalty.

Owls boss Jos Luhukay said: “Maybe it’s the same situation as last season when I came – the derby was the first game.

“That was also not a nice period for the club with all the injuries.

“We have a new chance to be successful and that’s on Friday.”

Dawson 6, Palmer 5, Lees 5, Pudil 5 (Thorniley 83), Penney 6, Pelupessy 5, Bannan 6, Onomah 5, Reach 7, Fletcher 5 (Preston 87), Nuhiu 5 (Joao 70, 5)

Krul 7, Aarons 7, Zimmermann 6, Klose 6, Lewis 7, Tettey 6, Leitner 6 (Godfrey 89), Buendia 7 (Stiepermann 83), Vrancic 5, Hernandez 6, Pukki 8 (Srbeny 79, 7)