With a record sixth relegation on the horizon, City fans could be forgiven for thinking all hope was lost. Thankfully for those still looking for positives, a potential Championship star has emerged from the shadows.
That man is Kieran Dowell who, once again, is taking to the end of a season far better than the start of it. After a strong pre-season, as was the case in the summer of 2020, he quickly found himself on the periphery, starting only four times in the league before Burnley’s visit eight days ago.
There were eerie similarities to the injury-stricken 2020-21 campaign Dowell endured, when the much-anticipated trio with Todd Cantwell and Emi Buendia was seen far less than would’ve been predicted.
The Everton academy graduate burst onto the scene as City strolled to the title in the latter stages, however, scoring five times in his final nine starts of that ever-more-enjoyable campaign.
He has previous of this outside Norfolk, as well. The season prior to joining Norwich, Dowell had an unsuccessful loan to Derby County cut short in January so that he could move to Wigan Athletic, scoring five times at the DW, including as the star man in a club-record 8-0 victory over Hull City.
The pattern appears to have continued into this season, but Dean Smith’s focus will be on halting it ahead of the next. With Buendia gone and Cantwell already partially so, the Canaries will have to find new ways of supplying Teemu Pukki if he’s to score as freely as previously.
Christos Tzolis looks unlikely to play a starring role given his current predicament, Milot Rashica’s future could well be in the balance after his impressive, if inconsistent, season, and Norwich’s deeper midfield has been energetic at best.
At present, Dowell looks like he could be the key creative outlet, and if so the regularity with which he reaches his creative best must increase greatly. Where Buendia could seemingly grab any game by the scruff of the neck and make it his own, the Liverpudlian drifts in and out, playing a clever one-two or firing a dangerous shot before fading back into the background as quickly as he came from it.
With the creative firepower either side of him last season he could afford to do this, but that luxury appears to have gone. What Smith will look to inspire is a much more present Dowell, whether that comes from within or as part of a system built around his relationship with Pukki.
It’s no surprise that the Finn is a significant part of the discourse around Dowell. He did, of course, put the City number 10’s first Premier League goal on a plate before superbly executing his first Premier League assist to make it 2-2.
Without Pukki, Buendia would arguably not be at Villa Park, Cantwell could have fewer England youth caps and Kieran Scott might not be Middlesbrough’s sporting director.
Any successful iteration of Norwich City next season would surely have Pukki at its heart, and Dowell appears to understand that.
“[Pukki] is massive for us,” Dowell told official club channels after the United defeat. “I thought he was excellent. He didn’t stop running and he was leading the line on his own a lot of the time. We got around him, but I thought he was excellent.”
As is true for many of the Canaries’ players, Dowell’s final six games of the season are more about providing a launchpad for the next than points on the board, and a strong end to the campaign could set him up nicely ahead of 2022-23.
Prior inconsistencies hint at this being unlikely but Smith, as well as Stuart Webber given his say in transfers, will need to see a series of impressive performances if they are to place their trust in the 24-year-old.
Reinforcements seem inevitable in attacking positions – as well as in most other areas – but, more so than in friendlies, real Premier League games offer Dowell the chance to jump ahead of the queue by the time they arrive.
Opportunities to stay in the top flight may be running out for Norwich, but chances for their players to stake claims are still there.
With what could be a reset on the horizon, the next five weeks could decide who survives and who is weeded out.
Hi Samuel
In most of your article I agree that Dowell needs to be more consistent and many Everton supporters were sorry to see him leave but realised he was never going to be any end product for them due to his erratic preformances.
As for Placheta, Tzolis and Sargent all who have had no real runs to prove themselves seems a sad indictment to cutting our noses or jumping the gun and selling them to early.
All the players purchased last summer have the potential to be a star turn for city and just maybe DS hasn’t utilised them as he was hoping too as he was fighting a relegation battle.
Sargent proved he is a handful for premiership defences when given a run just maybe a season in the championship will bring out the best in all 4 of last summer purchases.
Instead if writing players off that have shown potential in other leagues and at international level start looking for what city can do to get them showing that potential in a city shirt
Very interesting piece Samuel.
Me and my mate Trev have both been mystified by the lack of game time for both Kieran Dowell and Jacob Sorenson. We sit in our local pub like two old rejects from Last of the Summer Wine convinced we could pick a better team than Daniel or Dean😂
Now we know in reality that is bunkum, but there really is a mystery or two here.
I notice Kieran had a very good season on loan at Forest in the 2017/18 season and other loans since of varying success. Is it injuries or something else ? Is it the 4-3-3 system ? do coaches see him as too light weight ?
Perhaps a bit of everything. But like Martin Penney said the other day I too see a real player in there.
He is not however a winger, that’s is for sure and I do think how we have lined up for most of this season has helped Dowell one bit.
But has his contribution been better when he has got onto the pitch than Billy Gilmour’s ? I would say definitely yes, but again with Gilmour have we ever played him just off the main striker ? which is said to be his best position as well as Kieran’s.
Not only do I think the recruitment was poor last summer but some of the planning didn’t make sense if we were going to play 4-3-3 where did that leave Dowell, Cantwell and Gilmour who to me are are more no 8’s or no 10’s than wide players or wingers.
Stuart Webber admitted that Christos Tzolis was for the future so it seems to me he had put a lot of hope in Milot Rashica being our star turn. I feel he has been decent but inconsistent.
I don’t remember too many injuries for Kieran this this season, he has been on the bench fairly regularly so hopefully he will be a vital part of Dean Smith’s City side for next season.
Jacob as well I hope gets a chance in these last few games of the season. I would definitely consider partnering him with Grant Hanley at centre back for the Newcastle game. Depending on Ben Gibson’s frame of mind.
But personally I would give him some games at holding midfielder and just see if he can do a good job for us next season in that role.
The time for experimenting is now. Unless you are completely bonkers we know the Championship is where we will be playing our football next season (including my Super Optimistic City Supporting Fan Marty !) Lets use this time to plan for next season.
And please Mr Smith if Jacob is not the answer then prioritize a holding midfielder in the coming summer recruitment.
Alex Tettey is a Canary legend already but he is going to be spoke about in the same breath as Kevin Keelan, Duncan Forbes, Dave Stringer, Wes Hoolihan, Martin Peters and Darren Huckerby etc at this rate if he doesn’t get replaced very soon.