Departures aplenty, new arrivals and transfer rumours in abundance? oh, and the small matter of a multi-million pound takeover?
?Safe to say that it's hardly been a quiet summer at Carrow Road!
One thing that goes without saying though is that simply has to be a whole lot better for the Canaries this season.
For a club of such stature and standing in this division and one that can boast such incredible support both at home and away, finishing anywhere outside the top six in any given season has to be deemed as failure – no matter what the circumstances.
And let's not kid ourselves here.
While the slate might have been wiped clean so to speak and Glenn Roeder is now afforded the opportunity to begin the season from scratch with his “own” team, it isn't going to be the easiest of tasks for the Canaries to actually accomplish that target despite the undoubted calibre of some of the new signings that have arrived so far.
Considering some of the shambolic displays that we witnessed last season there are clearly numerous areas for improvement, with the main two being the need for Norwich to be able to pass the ball more effectively and, of course, score more goals.
When analysing the Canaries' evident lack of a goal threat last season many things stand out.
Firstly, the inadequate contribution from midfield.
When a team deploys in a standard 4-4-2 formation each of the four midfielders has a responsibility to chip in with their fair share of goals, yet as was painfully obvious last term, no-one even came remotely close to doing so.
Generally speaking, the central midfielders didn't get themselves into the opposition penalty area often enough to increase their chances of scoring, preferring instead the easier ? (and less risky) – option of simply “backing up” attacking play by positioning themselves behind the ball.
Occasionally, Darel Russell proved the exception by running into space beyond the strikers and ahead of the ball during promising build-up play, although five goals from 44 appearances was still not enough for someone possessing his ability and energy levels.
The wingers ? or wide midfielders ? also came up short last season.
Despite his enthusiasm, determination and wholehearted approach, Lee Croft was understandably omitted from the side on account of his failure to score or create enough goals, but the same accusation could also be levelled at Darren Huckerby, since the hero of the Barclay End was guilty of not hitting the target enough, or even of creating sufficient goalscoring chances for others despite producing many exciting mazy runs and dribbles when he had the ball at his feet.
Also whenever Croft or Huckerby were playing in the team, both seemed reluctant to get themselves to the back post when the ball was being delivered into the box from the opposite flank, and thus their chances of scoring goals was considerably reduced.
Huckerby, in particular, would often be stationed well outside the box on the left flank when crosses were coming in from the right, whereas for his part Croft frequently failed to end a promising run with an adequate final ball whenever he attacked his full-back on the outside, or hit the target often enough when he did opt to shoot for goal after cutting inside.
Saying that, Huckerby will be greatly missed this year without a doubt in terms of the attacking flair and potential menace that he was capable of posing to the opposition, and Norwich's loss is most definitely MLS outfit San Jose's gain.
Roeder might still sorely regret showing Huckerby the door even if – (as seems a safe bet) – Wes Hoolahan lives up to his potential and produces the type of displays that saw him lead the Canaries rearguard a merry dance on the occasions when he faced them in a Blackpool shirt last season and David Bell continues where he left off last season.
After all, as the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger et al will openly testify to, you can never possess too many match-winners in your squad.
As regards the strikers, if you were to poll a cross section of City supporters right now it wouldn't be revelatory if popular opinion had it that too many excellent goalscoring chances were spurned last season as being the principle reason for Norwich's poor goals tally, when the fact of the matter being that only some excellent goal-scoring chances were spurned last season and certainly nowhere near as many as we all might have lead ourselves to believe.
Granted, Norwich did miss one or two sitters last season, ?Jamie Cureton being the chief culprit ? but it certainly wasn't on a weekly basis, that's for sure.
From a goalkeeping and defensive viewpoint, Norwich can hold their heads high.
Only 59 goals conceded last season for a team that struggled at the wrong end of the table for virtually the entire campaign is an impressive statistic, and one that is made all the more notable when you consider that both of the two promoted teams only conceded four goals fewer themselves.
The arrival of the experienced Dejan Stefanovic and John Kennedy therefore, combined with the re-signing of Ryan Bertrand and the availability of Adam Drury once again should, in theory, make the City rearguard even stronger.
A similar situation from a defensive viewpoint again this season would ideal, but we have to hope for a big improvement in terms of City's general play when they do have the ball.
When Norwich were playing with patience and confidence last season they would occasionally demonstrate the art of ball retention with a certain degree of aplomb and manoeuvre the ball to where it needed to be with accuracy and pace, but the sight of possession being surrendered far too cheaply occasioned with almost monotonous frequency last season, and more often than not Norwich's passing was lethargic, predictable and essentially unimpressive.
And unfortunately it has to be said that even when City were moving the ball between themselves with precision and quality last term, it was difficult to ignore the prevailing feeling that it wouldn't last for long or that a sustained period of pressure on the opposition goalmouth was genuinely imminent.
And sadly, with only one or two exceptions in matches, those particular emotions proved wholly prophetic.
It's hardly rocket-science, but the fact remains that the team that enjoys the most possession in a game of football usually goes on to win it, and that is certainly something for a team to ponder if, despite an unquestionable spirited effort, it has ultimately only avoided relegation to the third division by the small margin of just three points.
Thankfully, as things stand at present, and with the promise of one or two more signings before the big kick-off, the starting XI at Coventry on August 9 will in all probability possess a vastly different look to it to the one that took to the field and produced top class football in the first half of the game at Hillsborough on the final day of last season, but then somehow managed to fashion as near as damn it to “pub” football in the second.
However, the big question that still remains as far as the Canaries are concerned again this season is, 'can they now achieve a modicum of consistency with their performances?'
As always it promises to be another absorbing season, but after witnessing such a poor showing last term, seeing two of their most influential players depart the club, and then having hopes raised yet all-too-swiftly dashed that they could soon be supporting a club with untold millions to spend, you get the feeling that the only thing that will appease the City faithful this season is for the Canaries to hit the ground running and then continue to produce a high standard of football for the duration of the campaign.
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