Ben Knapper has revealed that he was always going to give David Wagner time at Norwich City and believes progress has been made under the German. 

Underscoring Knapper's arrival in November was a dismal run of form and increasing external pressure on Wagner's position owing to a run of seven defeats in nine matches. 

Knapper was acutely aware of the circumstances surrounding his accelerated arrival at Colney but has taken a cautious approach to assessing the situation and begin to put his Canaries masterplan into action.

The new City football chief held a series of conversations with Wagner around a host of topics upon his arrival and believes the fruits of their hard work and problem-solving ability are beginning to come to fruition, as seen with an uplift in results and performances of late. 

"We speak all the time and every day, so there were always conversations happening on all sorts of aspects, whether it is squad planning or team performance," Knapper said. 

"From day one, when I walked in the door, what struck me was the rapport between the playing and coaching staff, the level of work that was going on and the proactive approach to try and find solutions.

"There was a willingness to face up to some of the realities of where we were struggling.

"Around that, there were always conversations, but it was always clear to me that everyone was trying to find solutions, and we certainly don't feel that we're home and dry, but from where we were, there's a lot of good work that has been done.

"It's a testament to those conversations and the actions off the back of them."

Despite calls earlier in the season for Wagner to be dismissed, Knapper has stuck to his guns and attempted to block out the noise. 

City's chief is intent on only making decisions that benefit the club in the mid to long term and has outlined how he will go about making the big calls during his tenure at the club. 

"The role of the sporting director is about trying to stay calm, think logically and try not to be influenced by conjecture or noise.

Norwich Evening News: David Wagner has been a man under pressure at Norwich City at points this season.David Wagner has been a man under pressure at Norwich City at points this season. (Image: David Greaves/Focus Images Ltd)

"You have to look through that and make logical decisions that have the club's best interest at heart. That has always been the way that I have worked throughout my career and, of course, I was aware of the noise. It was audible.

"I was in the stands and listening, and you see things in the media as well that is hard to get away from at times," he said. 

"It was always something that I was clear in my mind with: the best way for me to make decisions is to take time, and that's what I was always going to do.

"That is consistent with the way I have always worked throughout my career."