Watford v Norwich City: Thorup Championship preview

The perfectionist in Johannes Hoff Thorup would settle for a repeat of Norwich City’s previous Championship meeting against Watford when the sides meet at Vicarage Road on Saturday lunchtime.

City perhaps offered a first tantalising glimpse of the Dane’s front-footed brand of exciting football in September’s 4-1 home league win.

Marcelino Nunez and Borja Sainz were on target that day, but the Chilean remains on the comeback trail from a hamstring injury and Sainz serves the fifth of his six-match FA ban for spitting.

“Not to praise ourselves too much, but actually, when I look back at that performance, I think it was really, really good,” said Thorup. “I've seen it the start of this week, just to see what we did back then and the structure and the positions we took up are some of the same stuff we will try to do again.

"We have to be aware that it's not the same line up for us. It's not the same players available for us. There will be some small changes, some small adjustments in the way that we both build the game, but also our pressing game, because we have to look at the players and see where they are best, and then find that position that suits them best.

“Our ambition is to go to Watford and see if we can do some of some of the same stuff. We have to accept that is a strong team, especially at home. They have a really good home record, but we are confident.”

Johannes Hoff Thorup would settle for a repeat of Norwich City's last Championship meeting with Watford (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

Thorup is still missing a number of midfielders through injury or unavailability for a game against another club striving to make a late-season play-off push.

“It's a difficult one, and we still have to remember that even though we've had a good Swansea win, and now a week to get some recovery into the group again, it's the same players and probably the youngest bench that we have had so far,” he said. “I like to give minutes to some of the young ones, because that's the future for us.

"I'm happy when they also get the support from the fans that they have done recently, because that's everything they need in their next step. The Swansea game was good for us, especially in terms of the chance creation and scoring goals again. We will try to bring some of the momentum from that game into this performance.

“Watford can bring a lot of physicality into the game when they need it, especially off the ball they can be quite intense. And then on the ball we know a couple of their players can be a threat in between the back line and our midfield, if we give them too much space.

"I know they've been in different formations in the last five or six games, but if they play with wing backs we also know that they will produce crosses that we have to defend well, and we have to be really, really aware of what space to cover in the box in those situations. They hurt us a little bit last time from that.”

Thorup indicated on Friday at Colney key midfielders Anis Ben Slimane and Nunez are on course to return to training next week, ahead of Derby County’s Carrow Road visit.

“Realistically Anis can be a part of the Derby game,” said the City boss. “We tried to push it just a little bit to see if it was actually realistic for us to bring him in as a part of team training on Wednesday.

"He was not really ready for that so we took the decision that with only one training session, and being out for four weeks, it's not enough to be able to get back for this weekend.

"The same case with Marcelino. If everything goes well, also with him, he will be integrated from the start of next week, and hopefully both of them can be a part of the team.”

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