The dust had barely settled on Saturday's 1-0 win over Sheffield United before City boss Glenn Roeder was eyeing his next prize – adding to Colchester United's recent woes.
The Us swapped places with City on the back of this weekend's results – Norwich smelling the slightly fresher air of 21st spot; Colchester getting a very whiffy pong in their nostrils as they slumped into 22nd spot courtesy of that 4-1 defeat at Cardiff City on Saturday.
Geraint Williams' men have now won just once in their last ten games. With four wins from their last five – remarkably – Norwich must rank as one of the 'form' teams of the division.
It is, in short, a huge turnaround from where City were just five short weeks ago. Roeder must already be a decent outside bet to win December's Manager of the Month award – particularly if the Canaries can show off their new-found belief and purpose in front of the Sky cameras at Layer Road on Saturday.
“To have got ourselves out of the bottom three in such a short space of time is nothing short of a fantastic effort by the players – and everyone else. The backroom staff; everybody,” said Roeder, after Ched Evans' 10th minute strike had proved just enough to blunt the Blades.
There is, insisted Roeder, a long, long way to go after the Canaries handed everyone else in this division a four month head-start.
“But, as I said when I came here, four or five wins isn't going to clear the situation because of the hole we found ourselves in when I arrived at the club.”
Lest anyone forget, Norwich were five points adrift at the foot of the table on the back of that dire, 3-0 defeat at Plymouth Argyle. Come this weekend and they were virtually unrecognisable from the side that slunk off into the West Country night that day.
“We're now on a good run, but now we've got to have another good run to get ourselves further up the table and it sets up the game next week very nicely now.
“And the boys will be in very confident mood going down there – especially as the cameras are going to be there and it's going to be a live game.”
Though Colchester-Norwich games never assume quite the derby status of clashes against their neighbours up the A12, they still have a little East Anglian spice to them – particularly when everyone remains so tightly hemmed in at Layer Road.
“I know Layer Road well; it's a tight stadium and sometimes stadiums like that create a fantastic atmosphere under the lights and I'm sure it will be a super game to be involved in.”
Certainly if the Canaries can hit the same heights as they did in the first-half on Saturday, then for once Sky viewers might get to see the Norfolk side at their very best.
In fairness, they were good value in the derby clash with Ipswich Town; they were, of course, truly woeful in the live game at Queen's Park Rangers – a 1-0 defeat that put the wheels of Peter Grant's resignation in motion and heralded Roeder's arrival at the helm.
Was Saturday's opening 45 minutes the best yet under the new manager?
“It's as certainly as good as,” said Roeder. “We played very well against Ipswich – and found ourselves two goals down. But performance-wise, it was very good.
“But in that opening period, for a team that started the day second from bottom – you'd have never have known it. The way that we shifted the ball around – and we played with a lot of courage and bravery.”
Certainly neither new skipper Mark Fotheringham nor the newly-arrived Matty Pattison never shirked a challenge once; the latter, in particular, showing a ready willingness to put his head in where it hurts.
In amongst it all was the on-loan Jimmy Smith, who enjoyed his best game yet in a City shirt.
“It was a difficult situation for him to cme into,” said Roeder, as he looked at Smith's performance immediately afterwards.
“He hasn't played for a while; did well while he was on – very well. And you mustn't forget that Matty Pattison hasn't got very much experience either.”
The big question, of course, is whether or not Martin Taylor would be on the bus to Colchester with his loan spell officially due to expire this week.
Thus far, there was no fresh news over the 28-year-old's thinking – other than his post-match comments that he was not of a mind to retrun to St Andrews where new Blues boss Alex McLeish has made it very clear that he is not part of his long-term thinking.
There is also the first whiff of someone putting a price on Taylor's head with QPR reportedly having an offer of ?1 million turned down by Blues for the 6ft 4in centre-half.
Northwards of that leads to the Carrow Road board – here comes their first big opportunity to back their man with some well-earned cash.
And while Delia's return to the TV screen and book-stand this Christmas is designed with the manager's coffers firmly in mind, the next few weeks will also pose big questions of the Turners, Andrew and Sharon.
Are they just along for the ride after that ?2 million 'loan' this summer? Or have they seen enough of the new Roeder regime to start dipping further into their personal piggy-bank?
The manager himself was clearly hoping that the board were about to do his bidding and bring Taylor here on a full-time basis; that money will not be allowed to be a stumbling block; that someone, somewhere, will do what it takes.
“I never discuss club finances – that's not down to me,” he said. “And I'm very happy it's not down to me.
“Our chief executive Neil Doncaster is very adept at dealing with finances, but I've never, ever been given any indication that the board wouldn't be as helpful as they could if I wanted to bring one or two players in.
“So without me presuming, I think the club will be as helpful as they could be.”
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