Emiliano Marcondes striker experiment falls flat for City

After his arrival last month, the Dane cited Emiliano Marcondes as one of the potential striking options in his arsenal, and after Ante Crnac's struggle to grasp the mantle in defeats at Cardiff and Sheffield Wednesday, City's boss turned to the 29-year-old for a goal threat. 

Marcondes' career record as a central striker is strong. In the 38 appearances he's made in that position, he's scored on 19 occasions. The bulk of those games and goals came in the 2017/18 campaign for Nordsjaelland, which earned him a move to Brentford. 

Since, that campaign, Marcondes has played 18 times in that striker position and has scored once. 

Norwich sought to utilise him as a false nine, with Crnac on the right and Borja Sainz on the left providing the width, but in reality, it relied on the Spaniard's movement to carve out opportunities and get City up the pitch. 

The theory was sound, but the reality didn't really work. Norwich quickly became one-dimensional as a result. Crnac's game is more about being on the ball and involved in possession rather than dynamic off-the-ball movements. As such, City lacked depth to their shape and struggled to get up the pitch consistently. 

In hindsight, a more conventional winger on the right side could have brought better success to the system, but with Kaide Gordon struggling to impress either in matches or training sessions, the options available to City's head coach are limited. 

Marcondes had the fewest touches of anyone in yellow and green - a recurring scenario that Sargent has faced during his time leading the line this season. City have to find a way to get the central component of their attack into matches more prominently than is the case at present. 

Thorup's current task is to consider the playing profiles currently available and try to sculpt a front three capable of causing team problems. That process is testing with so many out and a desire to retain Sainz's hot goal-scoring form. 

Bristol City effectively nullified Sainz and ensured constant traffic surrounding him, which led to Norwich's attacking unit failing to threaten. 

It was a day of frustration for Norwich City in an attacking sense. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd) A positive start suggested it was a brave decision that could bear fruit. The headline of that bright start was Marcondes nodding a perfectly weighted curled cross against the post - but thereafter, City created very little. They had just two shots in the second half of the game. 

This may be an experiment that could be reignited with other more dynamic options able to play in wide areas, but with the current players, this set-up did not yield the results City's coaching team wanted. 

It speaks volumes about City's current situation that Marcondes, who joined as a free agent over a month after the conclusion of the summer window, has been pushed to the limit by playing three 90-minute games in the last week. 

The Dane was brought to Carrow Road to add an extra body to the group and create a different dynamic, not necessarily to emerge as a frontline option as rapidly as has been the case. 

Thorup admitted post-match that in an ideal world, the demands placed on him would be lesser in order to cautiously ease him back into life in the Championship.

That is perhaps another consequence of the lack of first-team options owing to injury on a wider basis. 

Marcondes, like Jacob Sorensen or Anis Ben Slimane's early comeback, are being asked to go further than they're currently capable. It was a collective performance reflective of a side running on fumes. 

Prior to this week, the Dane last played 90 minutes in early May for Hibernian in a 2-1 defeat to Ross County. That was six months ago. 

Marcondes has walked into a baptism of fire at Norwich. It should come as little surprise that his performances have fluctuated, but he's looked most effective in a deeper midfield position as part of the three in central areas. 

There have been flashes of technical quality and signs of intellect within his game, but to walk into a fierce Championship campaign relatively cold is challenging for any player. Marcondes has had to learn and form on-pitch relations quickly. 

If every City player was available, there is an argument that Marcondes wouldn't be a starter at Carrow Road. Now he is being looked upon as one of the leaders in a side lacking nous and leadership. 

Throughout his career, Marcondes has played alongside youth and inexperience. But this is a group of Norwich players unable to carry so many with more potential than ability to drag a Championship result over the line collectively. 

Marcondes' role at Norwich still requires definition, that may only arrive upon frontline options returning to action in the coming weeks and months. 

VERDICT: One of City's players being asked to push themselves to the limit as a result of their injury crisis. Deployed as a false nine as Thorup experimented in forward areas with Josh Sargent's, he showed energy but contributed to the Canaries' general toothlessness. Hit the post early on. 

RATING: 6 out of 10