New City chief Paul Lambert could do little else but admit that football was a funny old game as he this morning succeeded the luckless Bryan Gunn as the manager of the Norfolk club.
Ten days ago, of course, and he was masterminding the 7-1 home defeat that sent shock-waves through both the Canary boardroom and terraces alike little knowing that a week later he would be charged with the task of repairing the damage he had just inflicted on both Norwich's hopes for the new season and Gunn's long-held managerial dreams.
“It's been a whirlwind,” he admitted, after agreeing a 'rolling contract' with the Canaries fresh from resigning his position as Colchester United boss overnight.
City made their official approach on Saturday night half an hour after the Us cemented their place at the top of the table with victory over Yeovil. Since then, it's been a roller-coaster of a ride with one or two 'loose ends' clearly left to be settled with the Essex side.
“This is a huge, huge football club,” he said, quizzed as to how long he wrestled with the decision to switch allegiances so early into the new season.
“And one with a terrific fan base which I saw a fortnight ago. And it just needs a little bit of help. And I will try everything I can to try and get us out of this league.”
It was, he insisted, all a bolt from the blue.
“I'd never had any inkling that this would have happened when I came here a fortnight ago. We came here and played really, really.
“But I knew enough coming through the door here that this was a huge football club that, as I say, needed a little bit of help.”
City's new chief will travel to Griffin Park this evening for the Brentford clash; but in a watching capacity only was the claim. He starts full-time at 9am tomorrow morning when one of the first jobs might be to put 'Team Paul' in place.
Lambert – for now – was coy about his thoughts on a backroom staff despite the fact that the Us this morning revealed that his No2, ex-City star, Ian Culverhouse and the 'football operations manager' Gary Karsa had all tendered the resignations overnight to join the Canaries.
All of which would suggest that there might be no room at the inn for caretaker boss Ian Butterworth; whether City reserve team boss Ian Crook will be bolted onto 'Team Paul' is for the next 48 hours to reveal.
“David and I have talked about what we're going to do over the next couple of days,” said Lambert. “The main priority was to get today on the road and then we'll see what happens on Saturday.”
When, ironically, Lambert kicks off his Canary managerial career against his very first English employers – Wycombe Wanderers.
It was, he insisted, “a wrench” to leave the Essex club. They are, after all, top of the league following that flying start to the new season. Helped, in no small part, by Norwich's sorry capitulation on the open day.
“It was a wrench because of the rapport I've got with the people there. The lads that were there allied to the ones that came in have been brilliant for me.
“They're sitting on top of the league on merit; the last two games the lads have been brilliant for me. But when you get an opportunity like this, you can't turn it down.”
Clearly the 'buzz' that Lambert got at a little before three o'clock that fateful Saturday as the biggest Carrow Road home crowd for some 30 years waited expectantly to watch Gunn's rebuilt side put the Us to the sword 'got' to Lambert.
Unfortunately that same level of expectation 'got' to one or two of City's players too. But on the basis of leading Celtic to some of their greatest, recent triumphs – allied to that Champions League final success with Borussia Dortmund – leaves the 40-year-old wholly unmoved by the prospect of entertaining the Coliseum on a regular basis.
Big expectations merely demands that big players cope with it; that's his simple mantra.
“I love the pressure – it's brilliant,” said Lambert, as he looked forward to his home debut against Wanderers. “I love the adrenaline rush of it and we know that the onus is on the home team to make the running.
“Wycombe will come here and, obviously, make it hard. But if we can get off to a good start then this place will be absolutely jumping.”
No fear; no worries.
“I love the buzz of it. And when you're at a big club, the expectancy level is big.”
The new Canary chief appeared to be happy with his lot player-wise – despite the fact that only ten days ago he and his former Us charges were taking City to the cleaners.
“There's been a lot of new lads brought in over the summer time and there's only a week or so before the window closes, so I'm going to give everybody a chance,” he said.
In fairness to the squad that Lambert inherited, they dumped Yeovil Town out of the Carling Cup in fairly convincing style with that Grant Holt-inspired 4-0 success.
And while Saturday's 1-1 draw with Exeter City might have been rather flatter both result and performance-wise, that should come as little surprise given what had kicked off the night before.
So Lambert should have plenty to work with once he starts work in earnest tomorrow morning following this evening's trip to Griffin Park. Merely 'a watching brief' was the line at this morning's official unveiling of Norwich's ninth manager in 11 years.
“Sometimes when you change manager players get a lift and players go downhill a little bit, but as I said we'll try and get them all confident and trying to playing the game in the way that I think the game should be played.”
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