Joe Pateman on Wagner, Knapper and absent Norwich City players

For the first time this season, I’ll be fishing out my gloves that will inevitably be found in the pockets of my ‘big coat’, where they have remained since winter drew to a close during last season.

The crisp breath of autumn will continue to tiptoe in, and whilst we have some time before the icy weather arrives, it would seem certain that David Wagner will be feeling the frosty reception at Carrow Road today from those who want to see him sent packing by new sporting director Ben Knapper.

While I am pretty surprised to see Wagner still in post, I remain in the very small, if not ‘Wes-sized’ minority of fans that would not only like him to succeed, but also believe that he can lead the club to where they can be knocking on the doors of promotion. Whether he has the keys to open those doors or not still leaves me unconvinced, however.

The decision to start Kellen Fisher and Przemysław Płacheta alongside the youthful Jaden Warner and the football-starved Danny Batth against Cardiff a fortnight ago was not only perplexing but had its consequences as we found ourselves 2-1 down just before the break.

Dimi Giannoulis (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

I’m not sure what the driving factor of this decision was, but it was certainly the wrong one. It was corrected at half-time with the introductions of Dimi Giannoulis and Jack Stacey, both of whom responded well to their exclusion with fine performances; maybe it was that kind of response that Wagner was looking for.

I'm not sure if it says more about Knapper than Wagner that the German will be in the dugout when we host struggling QPR today. To wield the axe within your first week in a new job without those first-hand observations of the current situation would perhaps not be a great sign.

As a card-carrying member of the Wagner Defence Club, it is worth pointing out that having around a quarter of your first team squad unavailable won’t just have repercussions on a match day; there will also be a massive impact on the training ground too. Achieving those high levels will naturally become more difficult; competition will be lessened, and of course some drills will be significantly impaired. All of which would have a knock-on effect on the available members of the squad.

Whatever line of work you are in, I wonder what kind of results the team that you work with would deliver if the numbers were diminished in the same fashion. I have often pointed out that with a full squad at his disposal, Wagner has not only provided us with solid results, but also some breathtaking football.

There are positive signs of players returning to action in the not-too-distant future, with Ashley Barnes being the soonest and perhaps one of the most important boosts to Wagner's options.

Barnes played such a pivotal role in the early stages of the season, and he has been sorely missed. He was crucial in bridging the gap between the midfield and forward line, something that we have struggled with in his absence. His work and presence when dropping deep have proved to be irreplaceable since he limped off against Leicester. It will indeed be a welcome sight to see him return to action.

The international break also included a rare collector's item, an Adam Idah first-half goal. It was a lovely finish from the Irishman, who is making more of a trademark of scoring later goals when adding yellow to the green, with all of his club goals this season arriving after the 70th minute. If he is rewarded with a start for his instinctive winner against Cardiff, I would love him to replicate his international form and not leave it so late against QPR.