City caretaker boss Ian Butterworth tonight saluted his side after a 1-1 draw at Exeter brought an end to one of the most dramatic weeks in recent memory.
The timing of yesterday's announcement that Bryan Gunn had been given the heave-ho will have unsettled the Canary squad ahead of today's St James Park – that's a given.
So to come out of Devon unscathed and undefeated at least brings a satisfactory end to a turbulent week.
However, the Canaries will be disappointed that having taken a 53rd minute through Jens Berthel Askou's header, they couldn't hold on for the win.
But the main thing was to not get beat. They've now got their first League One point on the board. Onwards and upwards…
“It's a point so we've got to take a positive from that. Now we want to aim for three more on Tuesday night [at Brentford],” the City interim chief told www.canaries.co.uk.
“It was a pretty even game, our goalkeeper didn't have a lot to do really but we just fell asleep on the goal.
“Probably possession-wise we just shaded it but we just couldn't find that second goal to kill them off but I'm pleased that the boys worked hard and I'm pleased that we've got a point on the board.”
Whether Butterworth will be around come City's next League One encounter on Tuesday night at Brentford, we'll have to see.
There seems to be a sense of urgency about this next appointment. I'd be surprised if we see the kind of rigorous process we've seen before.
But the former City centre-back, brought to the club from Hartlepool soon after Gunn was given the job back in January, was just thinking about the here and now, and today's point in the West Country…
“As shocked and disappointed as we all were yesterday, we just had to get on with it,” Butterworth continued, putting his head above the parapet after a crazy, crazy week in Norfolk.
“I was given the task of preparing the team for today and that is what I did to the best of my ability. Now we have to pick ourselves up and prepare for Brentford on Tuesday night.”
When asked if he was looking to apply for the manager's job on a full-time basis, Butterworth admitted that he was living 'hour by hour'. That's all you can do at Carrow Road these days…
“I don't know what is going to happen in the future, I was asked to take the team for today and that is what I have done. We'll have to just see what happens from here.”
Despite the dust only now settling on Gunn's departure, thoughts are obviously turning towards his successor, with plenty of names doing the rounds already.
Whilst Lawrie Sanchez, Aidy Boothroyd and, somewhat bizarrely, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink were the talk of the town today, chief executive David McNally admitted after today's game that nobody was lined up.
It was very much a case of 'work in progress'. And Mr Hasselbaink certainly wasn't signed, sealed and delivered like many were claiming today.
“Those reports are untrue,” McNally said straight after today's draw. “I don't know his agent and have never spoken to his agent.
But he did admit that they were looking to get someone in sooner rather than later ? especially with a hectic schedule on the horizon.
“When you play Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, when is the best time to change your manager? Ideally you don't have to.
“Ideally we'd like to get someone in as soon as possible but I can't commit to a timetable because these things take time.
“What I can say is that we will bring in the person who in our opinion is best equipped to take this club forward.”
Tom Haylett
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