If you had told Glenn Roeder at the start of the current season that he would be installed as City boss in late October, and if you'd have asked him right there and then to pick the opposition for his first game in charge of the Canaries, I'd wager a pound to a penny that he'd have chosen Ipswich at home.
They don't get any bigger than the local derby, and considering that players will normally find that ten per cent extra whenever a new boss arrives on the scene anyway, Sunday's clash with the Tractor Boys could ? and hopefully will – produce fireworks.
It's the perfect opportunity for the City players to show their new manager if they've got what it takes.
Roeder has already indicated that he feels that the squad needs strengthening – which he duly did with the welcome sight of Martin 'Tiny' Taylor arriving on Thursday – and so the chance presents itself for the players to demonstrate to him that all the stories of underachieving, no effort, no quality, no desire and no hope this season are not going to be repeated under his leadership.
And that he can count on them from hereon in to give him everything they've got in the battle to drag themselves clear of the relegation zone.
After all, Roeder has little time to take stock of what he's got at his disposal.
With the Canaries rooted to the bottom of the Coca-Cola Championship table and facing a very difficult fixture list in the immediate weeks ahead, the new manager needs to make decisions on which other areas of the team need strengthening in double quick time in order to avoid the situation worsening.
The very last thing he needs is for a gap to develop in terms of points on the board between Norwich and the team occupying fourth from bottom in the table, because when that happens a team is as good as doomed.
How Roeder deploys the Canaries on Sunday and which personnel he selects in his starting XI is not of great significance in truth.
True, I'm sure we'd all like to see an attacking line-up with players operating in their best positions and with orders to press forward as often as possible, but providing that the necessary level of desire and belief are back present again and there is a healthy spirit running through the team, the Canaries will have every chance of success.
It goes without saying that Sunday's clash can be a pivotal game in Norwich's season.
Deliver the goods, provide indication that there is a team out there rather than just eleven individuals doing their own thing and ultimately win the game, and City could be up and running.
And what better game in which to do it?
Jim Magilton's team arrive at Carrow Road after having forced their way up into the play-off places thanks to their perfect home record of six wins from their six matches, but they have been anything but impressive on their travels.
Ipswich have managed just three draws from their six away games so far and, unlike at home, have puzzlingly struggled to score goals.
A couple of weeks ago they, like every other team in the division would have been rubbing their hands together at the prospect of facing the Canaries and an opportunity to grab an easy three points, and given the magnitude of some of City's failings, a local derby around that time could easily have proved to be an embarrassment for Norwich.
But let's just hope and pray that after the events of this week, it'll be a completely different story at the weekend.
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