Why City’s Field midfield call didn’t pay off at Millwall

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0 Comments This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Philippe Clement admitted that, with hindsight, he would have made a different midfield selection after Norwich City’s 3-0 defeat to Millwall. So why didn’t picking Sam Field over Pelle Mattsson work as intended?

Hindsight is a glorious tool in football, regularly deployed in analysis or to lend weight to an argument in a particular direction - but it is hard to disagree with his assessment of how the afternoon unfolded for the experienced midfielder.

The theory behind the selection was sound. Field had been a reliable and important cog when Norwich won 2-1 at The Den in April, with Kenny McLean shifted to the right and Mattsson partnering him in midfield as City established a far firmer grip on that game, while his height proved useful in dealing with the aerial prowess of the Lions.

Field's display against Millwall in that Easter win was built on clean possession and useful protective work. He completed 44 of 49 passes, had 59 touches and registered five defensive contributions in a full 90-minute performance.

Although he did not produce much in attack back, with one chance created and two passes into the final third, he gave Norwich a reliable platform. His 90pc pass completion points to a player who helped keep the game moving, while the two successful aerial duels from five contests and a block suggest he could compete across different phases.

Four months later, he won more ground duels in only 60 minutes than he had across the entire earlier fixture, but the contrast was telling. His latest outing was one of resistance rather than control.

In April, his composure helped Norwich establish a strong base for their performance, which later enabled them to hurt Millwall in transition. On Saturday, by contrast, his 36 touches and 20 accurate passes underlined City’s reduced ability to establish him as a central outlet. He was in full firefighting mode as they struggled to gain any foothold in the contest.

Mattsson’s introduction for Field on the hour did not alter the outcome, but the numbers offer some support for Clement’s post-match reflection.

The midfield duo of Kenny McLean and Sam Field failed to make the impact Norwich City hoped at Millwall. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

In 30 minutes, Mattsson created one chance and played two passes into the final third, the same return that Field produced across his 60-minute spell. The Dane offered greater mobility and the ability to get closer to Millwall's midfield options, who spent much of the contest running through and around City’s midfield shape.

That is not enough to argue that Mattsson would have changed the direction of the game had he started. Norwich were already two goals down by the time he entered, and Millwall had control of the contest. The game state may also have given him more licence to play forward, with City chasing the contest and the hosts easing off the accelerator somewhat.

But it does underline the difference in profile. Where Field’s afternoon was defined by defensive resistance, Mattsson offered a little more capacity to connect midfield with the attacking third.

His 25 touches and 15 accurate passes in 30 minutes point to a reasonable level of involvement, particularly given the state of the match. He also won two ground duels and made two recoveries, meaning the increased attacking intent did not come at the expense of entirely abandoning defensive work.

The question for Clement, then, is not simply whether Mattsson should have started instead of Field. It is whether Norwich needed his ability to receive, connect and progress possession considerably earlier in the contest, rather than turning to it once Millwall had already established a two-goal advantage.

Much of Sam Field's afternoon was spent firefighting as City wrestled for control. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

Norwich needed Mattsson's dynamism and athleticism to win duels, win second balls, and try to break into the contest. Opting for Field’s stability made sense on paper, but Millwall found it too easy to dominate with their intensity. It felt almost as though it was a decision born of overthinking.

Then there is the wider point about breaking up the midfield partnership of Mattsson and McLean that was so significant in their surge up the Championship table, especially alongside Ruairi McConville and Jose Cordoba's double act not being renewed.

That has been a head-scratching element of these early-season selection picks, especially when Clement seemed to favour continuity last term.

One game doesn't make the decision to convert Field's loan move into a permanent deal a mistake, but this felt like the type of game where selecting the 28-year-old from the start may have yielded a different result. It did feel like the perfect occasion, opposition and situation to lean into his qualities and attributes.

Field did not establish the passing rhythm Norwich needed. Little of the composure he showed in April was evident here, largely because of Millwall's pressing intensity and structure, but City's inability to control the midfield cost them from the first minute. It forced them to play more direct, with longer balls mopped up by the towering duo of Caleb Taylor and Jake Cooper, allowing them to come at the Canaries' defensive shape relentlessly.

The moments when City looked better came when they were braver on the ball. That was lacking from their midfield mix in the capital on Saturday afternoon.

Pelle Mattsson was dropped to the bench but was required just an hour into the contest at The Den. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

Field has a role to play this season. But, again with hindsight, this was not the game nor the conditions for him to thrive. That is partly down to the make-up of the side around him, with Kenny McLean also experiencing an off day.

His presence is key for the dressing room and there will be moments during this Championship marathon where he comes off the bench to help secure points or starts games and makes a positive impact. This wasn't one of them.

It is a display that will likely see Clement pivot back to his tried and tested pairing of McLean and Mattsson - but should also push Jacob Wright closer to the top of the pecking order.

VERDICT: Field was selected for understandable reasons - previous success at The Den, added height and the expected physical test posed by Millwall. But the plan did not translate into control. He spent a difficult first permanent Norwich start firefighting, struggled to establish a passing rhythm and was part of a midfield unit overwhelmed by Millwall’s intensity.

RATING: 4 out of 10