City boss Bryan Gunn has promised to be a slightly less visible presence this season following Norwich's unbeaten start to the summer.
For after claiming such notable scalps as Championship Crystal Palace and Premiership Wigan Athletic from the vantage point of the directors box, so the Canary chief is loathe to break a winning habit.
And as the Canaries prepare to kick off their new life in League One on Saturday with the home clash against East Anglian neighbours Colchester United, so don't expect to see Gunn barking out his instructions on the touchline.
Not unless everything has started to go a little AWOL; for now, he will be cool, calm and collected in his higher vantage point in the stand – swapping whispered notes with his reserve team chief Ian Crook before one or other relays the manager's instructions to goalkeeping coach Paul Crichton patrolling the technical area with City No2 Ian Butterworth.
That, at least, is the theory as the big kick-off looms. Much, it appears, will depend on Crichton getting the hang of this radio mike thing before the Us arrive.
“It does give you a different view,” admitted Gunn, as he took a leaf out of Glenn Roeder's book this summer. The ex-City chief would make a point of staying in the directors box, watching events unfold 'from above' before hurrying down to the touchline when his best-laid plans started to unravel.
After about 20 minutes, usually.
Gunn, by contrast, has enjoyed the luxury of being able to watch the game pan out from the directors box for the full 90 minutes – both in Scotland on tour and at City's most recent warm-up games, be it at Carrow Road or Selhurst Park. And all with his UEFA Cup playing pal and playmaker Crook beside him.
“Obviously sitting next to Ian Crook we can discuss things and transfer the information quickly to the bench,” he said. “As long as Paul Crichton gets his radio right!
“But it does give you a different dimension. And so far – apart from St Johnstone – I've kept away from the side of the pitch. But we'll wait and see.
“There's been a lot of positive stuff so far; not too many negatives. And if it's all positive then I'll probably stay in the stand longer…”
Football people being the suspicious folk that they are, Gunn is clearly reluctant to change a winning formula; if it ain't broke, why try to fix it?
“It's given me something to think about, as well,” he admitted, speaking after Saturday's final dress rehearsal.
“It's something that we'll look at; it's not set in stone. But certainly during the pre-season its worked. And if I'm sitting in the stand in the 90th minute against Colchester, that means that things have gone right.”
In fairness to all concerned, few things have gone wrong this summer with the manner of Saturday's 3-2 success over Wigan summing up the feeling-much-better factor that appears to be seeping back into the place after a fairly poisonous few months in the bitter wake of relegation.
There was much to admire in that performance; two goals from the returning prodigal in the shape of Chrissy Martin, another eye-catching outing from Wes Hoolahan, another winner from new-boy Simon Whaley… So far, so good.
But this is football; everything can change very rapidly.
“Hopefully, the fans that have seen us play already this season will be enthused and ready to back us 100 per cent,” said Gunn, after a relatively hitch-less summer helps bring the faithful back onside.
With Matty Pattison expected to head home to South Africa and Darel Russell still expected to find pastures new – whether or not they be at the Turf Moor home of Burnley – the Canary chief still has some 'mopping up' to do around the exit door.
Otherwise – by Norwich's less than lofty standards – they head into battle in unusually fine fettle; with pretty much two playerslocked in battle for every position and with the treatment room being likewise unusually light on stricken bodies.
If City can just repeat the standards they set against Wigan against Paul Lambert's Colchester side, then a degree of optimism and belief should – in theory – surge back through the limbs of the Canary Nation.
“I'm sure if we can repeat that performance next week then the season ticket holders and the casual fans will, hopefully, bring the crowd up to near the 25,000 mark.
“And then we'll continue to generate the crowds and they'll continue to enjoy what they see,” said Gunn, speaking after that 3-2 success over the Latics.
It wasn't a line-perfect dress rehearsal; Charles N'zogbia – for example – waltzed through the City defence with a little too much ease for the Wigan opener. But the fact remains that few League One outfits will have a ?6 million winger up their sleeve. It will be more a case of keeping Kevin Lisbie under wraps.
That shouldn't be beyond the wit of man or Canary. Do that and Gunn could yet be notable only by his absence on the touchline come Saturday.
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