'My players are not stupid' - Farke on ultimate test

The Canaries’ boss knows the size of the task against the reigning champions, who went out and purchased Jack Grealish for £100m this summer and would dearly love to add Harry Kane.

Farke, and more importantly his squad, will need to defy a disrupted pre-season and the widespread view it will take a truly special performance to get a result.

“My players are not stupid. They know who they face. I don’t believe in hiding behind that fact,” he said. “My players know they face a world class side. The best way is always to be analytical, not fearful but respectful.

"We will speak about their strengths and their game in order to prepare, because the times as a coach when you would tell your players we don’t worry about the opponent, we concentrate on us, are long gone. Probably back to my time as a player.

"You need to know everything about the opponent, and players want information. But without that fear. You have to show courage and bravery.

“We know it is tough to compete with a side with so much individual quality. Even if my players give everything, the very maximum, it might not still be enough if Manchester City have a good day.

“I am a head coach of Norwich City, a self-funding club, not Manchester City. It is not possible for us to spend that much money. It is a different animal. We accept this.

"We are not jealous and we are not going to complain. They have a different pressure, to win a title every year. When they win the league they will still have people question why they didn’t win the Champions League.

"I wouldn’t say Pep (Guardiola) has an easier job than me. It is just different.”

Norwich City defender Andrew Omobamidele is back in the mix after missing Liverpool (Image: Focus Images Limited)

A daunting task seemingly made even harder for Farke by the same expected sense of occasion that gripped Carrow Road last weekend, ahead of a first big home crowd since before the pandemic. Guardiola’s side came up short 1-0 on the road at Tottenham.

“I would have preferred a different result for them,” said the Norwich head coach. “No doubt they will show off the silverware from winning the title last season and after losing that first game they will be unbelievably focused and highly motivated.

"We have our skills and also our strengths and we know if we are at our best we can hurt the best teams in the world. Each and every detail has to be perfect in order to give ourselves a chance.

“There is not that much pressure on us, because it would be a big surprise and, it would be good for the confidence to win the point or three out of games against Liverpool and Man City.

"There are some other games where we should be there with points in order to achieve our targets. But I want to be competitive.”

Teemu Pukki seals a memorable Norwich City win over Manchester City in 2019 (Image: Focus Images Limited)

Farke does have a memorable Premier League win on his CV against Guardiola from last time in the top flight.

“We have to be spot on in our defending, but we know this won't be enough if we just do this,” he said. “It’s like you're a boxer and you want to win the fight but you never throw a punch. You have no chance.

"At some point you will get hit. You need as many periods as possible when you can keep the ball, where you can also recover a little bit by being in possession and try to exhaust them, because their quality is too big to say you have the ball for 90 minutes and try to attack and we just defend.

“We need as many moments where we can use our transition, where we use set pieces, but also our possession to create chances. We must try to press them higher in their own half. We know that's not always possible and it will take a complex performance to give ourselves a chance.

“Go back two years ago and we won the ball high up for Teemu Pukki’s goal. Out of our pressing we created chances. It won't happen each and every moment but, in general terms, if you just try defending you have no chance.”