After Norwich City's hard-fought 2-1 victory against Hull on Friday, Connor Southwell delivers six things you might have missed from the MKM Stadium.
1 - Relief
The celebrations between David Wagner and his coaching team at the full-time whistle documented how significant a victory this was for Norwich City.
After a week of frustration, discontent and fury, it was what everyone required to just take the sting out of the atmosphere that had been bubbling up prior to the trip to Humberside. At his pre-match press conference, the City head coach looked to be feeling the heat.
In the away end, some City fans brought in a banner with sentiments against the current ownership, and there was even some talk of protests and chants – in the early exchanges, chants against Delia Smith and David Wagner were audible inside the MKM Stadium.
The evening ended with City’s players saluting their supporters after securing their first victory away to Hull since 2007 – that was also a 2-1 victory, with Norwich taking a two-goal advantage before being pegged back late on.
For some, it will be papering over cracks, but the weekend ends with Norwich two points outside the top six. They are still in the hunt, and Wagner is urging everyone not to write off their playoff prospects.
They will need to show improvement and lift the mood – but once again, they have produced a result when their head coach needed it most.
The show goes on, and Norwich are determined to keep themselves in the mix. At some stage, they will need to show they are capable of more.
2 - Rearguard improvement
Earlier in this season, Norwich were averaging two goals conceded per game – only Rotherham, rooted to the bottom of the Championship table, had worse defensive numbers.
During the international break that followed City’s 3-2 victory over Cardiff in November, David Wagner and his defensive unit held an inquest into how to improve their figures. That saw Norwich become more pragmatic and solid.
Positional and tactical tweaks have aided their work defensively – having conceded 32 goals in sixteen games, Norwich has since let in 11 in as many matches.
Only twice – against Watford and Ipswich – have they conceded more than once in a Championship game, and they’ve only lost twice in that run of fixtures.
That has come at the cost of their attacking freedoms, but Wagner and his staff would argue it is yielding results and pushing them closer to the top six.
The question now is whether Norwich can achieve a better balance. Is the only way to success to place bodies behind the ball and become reliant on individual moments? The long-term answer is more than likely no.
In this victory over Hull, they managed just 11 touches in the opposition area, conceded plenty of possession and mustered four shots on target. There is a reliance on individual moments.
For all the pressure and criticism Wagner has received, he deserves credit for their defensive uplift.
3 - Top Gunn
It will be Jon Rowe’s excellently taken individual goal that wins headlines and is played on repeat – but Angus Gunn can feel hard done by that he didn’t walk away with the player of the match trophy; everything else ended up in his gloves at the MKM Stadium.
Gunn faced five shots on target and made four saves. His contribution was the reason that Norwich travelled back over the Humber Bridge with three points with them.
His point-blank save to deny Billy Sharp in the 78th minute was instinctive and showed quality. The one to stop Regan Slater’s long-range drive was top-class.
This season, Rowe and Gabriel Sara have been put in the bracket of being Norwich’s best assets, but Gunn should be considered among them. He is one of the best goalkeepers in the Championship, and with his contract now in its final 18 months, City could do with securing his future at the club.
Since joining Norwich, Gunn has become a better-rounded and more confident goalkeeper. His confidence has been restored, and he is increasingly looking like a top-grade performer. He is now a fully-fledged Scotland international with the Euros on the horizon as well.
He must be a key part of their plan under Ben Knapper as he begins his mission to shape the future direction of the club.
4 - Wingers assemble
Onel Hernandez and Christian Fassnacht would be the first to admit it’s been a tough season for them at Norwich City.
Hernandez has struggled to produce the consistency and output that made him so popular during the early years of his Norwich career, whilst Fassnacht has fizzled out after a bright start after signing from Young Boys.
They’ve both fallen behind young duo Jon Rowe and Borja Sainz in the pecking order under David Wagner – even if he rates them both exceptionally highly.
Hernandez was bright against Bristol Rovers, and Fassnacht has been a useful goal-scorer at points during this campaign.
The Cuban international injected some much-needed energy and directness into their play in the closing stages of this encounter before jinking back and curling a delightful cross towards the back post.
Fassnacht was waiting and, after Jacob Greaves flicked it on, expertly produced an improvised finish off his thigh to secure the three points for Norwich with one of only four touches he produced in nine minutes on the pitch.
The pair have been criticised and have failed to put their best foot forward, but cameos from the bench will be the best way to stake their claim. They will likely get an opportunity at Bristol Rovers on Wednesday night – they will need to take it again.
5 - Itch that can't be scratched
For the first time in the Championship this season, David Wagner was able to name a front four of Borja Sainz, Jon Rowe, Ashley Barnes and Josh Sargent.
On paper, it is one of the most mouth-watering attacking quartets in the entire division. Sainz and Rowe bring individual quality. Barnes has nous. Sargent’s explosive qualities make him a constant threat.
Yet, out of 540 touches Norwich had of the ball – those four mustered up just 117 of them—a percentage of 22pc of the ball. Neither Rowe nor Sargent managed a single touch inside the opposition area. Neither Sainz nor Barnes were able to record a single effort on goal.
Add in Gabriel Sara and Marcelino Nunez’s qualities, and it feels like a side that should be capable of controlling games and providing more of a threat than it is currently achieving.
Yes, the victory was much-needed, hard-fought and impressive. But there is still this wonder about what could be if they were playing in a more expressive system with a bolder approach – as they were under Wagner in the first portion of the campaign before injuries hit. Does it have to be a case of opening too open or overly cautious? Is there a better balance between the two?
Wagner would throw back the stats around defensive improvement and their current proximity to the top six – in the end, it comes down to whether supporters value substance over style.
6 - Big week ahead
Norwich City are now set for a quick turnaround with three games scheduled in the next ten games – two of which could be massive for their Championship progress.
First is the cup replay at Bristol Rovers on Wednesday, a punishment for City’s own underperformance in the first leg. Barring it falling victim to the cold snap set to descend this week, David Wagner is likely to play a heavily rotated team at the Memorial Stadium.
On Saturday, they welcome high-flying West Brom in another crucial test of their play-off credentials. In front of their home support, it provides a great opportunity to build some momentum and send out a statement to their competitors.
Thereafter, a tricky test to Leeds and the small matter of a reunion with Daniel Farke. Norwich, as the away side, had little say on when the game would be rescheduled owing to fourth round weekend – the decision to place it during that midweek has been met with frustration and discontent inside Colney.
But it feels like another pivotal moment. If Norwich can achieve a decent points return and progress in the cup, it may begin to feel like a corner turned. Results going against them will turn the heat back up on Wagner.
Once Norwich emerge from that run, everyone will know if they are truly contenders or pretenders.
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