Here is Paddy’s verdict on David Wagner’s Norwich City, who was left to rue the lack of clinical edge from his side in a goalless Championship home draw against Preston.

• Angus Gunn              6

A fourth league clean sheet of the season for the Norwich City number one. Slice of good fortune when he failed to get enough distance on Jack Whatmough’s looping header, that Ben Whiteman slammed against his bar from close range on the follow up.

Couple of scares in the first half when he first raced to the edge of his box to confront Alan Browne to clear his lines, with Shane Duffy seemingly querying why he didn’t collect the ball.

Then had to grasp at the second attempt as the Irishman attempted to shepherd the ball back to his keeper. Rising shot from Brad Potts cleared his bar.

• Jack Stacey                6

Caught under the raking diagonal ball met by Watmough for Whiteman’s second half chance.

Looked set for one of his eyecatching attacking days in the first period when he linked with Marcelino Nunez to pull the trigger, before another flowing move involving Kenny McLean and Adam Idah ended with the full back teeing up Gabby Sara.

But the threat down his flank subsided in a second half spent on the margins.

• Shane Duffy              6

Appeared to take umbrage with the South Stand after opting to dwell on the ball as the home fans demanded more urgency in the final quarter. Potentially goal-saving block from Watmough, when he sensed the danger on a stoppage time Preston counter.

Went as close as any in yellow and green at the other end when he attacked a Sara corner but his close range free header struck Browne on his goalline and bounced the wrong side of the opposite post. Perfectly-timed outstretched leg tackle on Watmough, after he was backed into his own area shortly after the interval.

Triggered a move into Onel Hernandez, who in turn slipped in Dimi Giannoulis, but his stood up cross had no takers. Another probing delivery from the Irishman was shovelled behind by Duane Holmes.

• Kenny McLean                               6

A second consecutive shift in the heart of the City backline. Both sides of that debate were on show at Carrow Road. Very composed to step into central midfield on the ball. Held off two to roll in Idah in the 18th minute.

Picked out the striker again in the 21st minute, who released Stacey to feed Sara. But one slaloming run from defence was halted by a crunching Ali McCann tackle to spark a Preston counter. Caught under the ball attempting to head clear in the 59th minute, as Potts darted inside Giannoulis to unleash a rising half-volley over.

Perfect weight on his pass just past the hour mark for the overlapping Greek, who left his marker sliding over the byline, before a cut back Jon Rowe volleyed against a Preston defender. Also sparked the move for Liam Gibbs’ big late chance.

• Dimi Giannoulis      6

Signalled to the bench he could not continue in the second period but Wagner indicated after the game he did not have any fresh fitness concerns ahead of next week’s double header. Needless flick went straight to a white shirt inside his own half early on.

Superb cushioned first time roll around the corner took the full back out of play for Hernandez to race through, but tamely sidefoot at Freddie Woodman. Good going the other way in the 36th minute to track the run of Browne, and prevent the cross entering the City box.

On the front foot in the second half as he linked well with the Cuban. On his heels a touch when Potts cut inside but rifled over. Lovely threaded ball from Sara in the 79th minute found him unmarked at the back post, but was unable to sort his feet out and the shooting chance became a cross.

• Marcelino Nunez      7

Promising signs in a deeper-lying role that showed his passing range and composure to receive the ball in tight spaces. Slipped into that previous McLean role dropping between City centre backs to bypass Preston’s first line of defence.

Tidy pluck out of the air in the 12th minute and exchange of passes with Sara to release Giannoulis. Let fly himself a minute later from 25 yards with a skimming effort that had the power but veered wide of the post. Snapped in on Liam Millar to halt a potentially dangerous counter. Shot at the other end struck a Preston defender from Sara’s initial set.

Then sliced over from the Brazilian’s corner. Sublime angled long range ball arced towards Giannoulis in the 32nd minute. Swinging effort from outside the box had Woodman scrambling, before a deep cross Rowe could only head at the Preston keeper.

• Gabby Sara                 7

Pure quality when he received McLean’s threaded pass and then in one flowing motion released Gibbs with a slide rule ball the youngster failed to direct on target. Another pinpoint pass found Giannoulis, who seemed in two minds at the back post.

Then the 87th minute corner to the near post met by Shane Duffy for a big headed chance. Tried his luck with a deflected shot in the fifth minute. Linked intelligently with Nunez to serve up two more sighters for the Chilean. Left-footed strike was blocked from the edge in the 27th minute.         

• Christian Fassnacht             5

Ineffective again as an attacking option. Looked to have done the hard part when he jumped above Andrew Hughes at the back post but sliced a cross back into the six yard box rather than testing Woodman.

Another header back into the box brought a penalty shout led by Ashley Barnes, when the experienced striker felt Browne had taken away his shooting leg as the ball dropped on the volley. Excellent awareness when he cushioned a ball first time around the corner for Nunez.

• Onel Hernandez         5

Weak side footer straight at Woodman but you could see the intention to open his body and guide a right footed effort into the far corner. Heavy touch on intended roll for the late-arriving Sara saw the ball fly out of play. Involved in the build up to Nunez’s snap shot from range.

Some glimpses of penetration in tandem with Giannoulis. Released the left-back in the 58th minute with a clever lay-off. Then rolled Idah into the Preston box but the Republic of Ireland frontman slipped as he tried to cut onto his right.

• Adam Idah      6

No stoppage time heroics this weekend but the reward for his latest Bristol cameo was a start. Powerfully turned two inside his own half before McCann chopped him down in a move that eventually saw Sara force the first home corner.

Another decent slice of play with his back to goal saw him turn away from danger and release the overlapping Stacey to tee up Nunez. Wanted to get Hernandez’s pass onto his right but tumbled inside the Preston area before a sharp late burst and reverse pass Rowe was unable to control.

• Ashley Barnes                    5

No attacking threat, bar perhaps the rebound from Woodman’s stop on Hernandez that was deflected behind. Led the penalty appeals in the sixth minute when he shaped to connect with Christian Fassnacht’s header on the volley but kicked through Browne.

Subs

• Liam Gibbs (for Barnes, 55)                4

Poor not to hit the target from 16 yards when his clever run was matched by Sara’s sweet through ball.

• Jon Rowe (for Fassnacht, 56)            5

Smacked Giannoulis’ cross against a Preston defender in the 61st minute. Got up but not over Nunez’s stoppage time cross from the right, and his header lacked the power to trouble Woodman.

• Borja Sainz (for Hernandez, 71)      4

Caught a Duffy stoppage time cross on his swinger but Preston had bodies back inside their own box.

• Kellen Fisher (for Stacey, 72)            4

• Przemyslaw Placheta (for Giannoulis, 81)               4