Man A: “I’ve missed that so much”.
Man B: “What’s that?”
Man A: “Enjoying a Norwich game”.
The words of two nameless gents who walked alongside me as we turned left out of King Street and into Bracondale on our post-match walk back to begin our respective journeys home.
The words from one mouth but Man A speaks for 25,000.
This is an enjoyable Norwich team to watch. It is dynamic. And in the space of four games it has performed a miracle in reuniting a club that was on its knees, fractured, and directionless.
All of a sudden the off-field stuff that some of us have spent the summer grinding our gears over, and which still lingers, matters little. The only thing that really matters to the supporters of a football club is the football, and when it’s good everything else is just background noise.
But having spent the second half of last season scouring the thesaurus for synonyms of rubbish, it’s only right to laud those in yellow when things are good and heading in a positive direction. And they are.
The transformation brought about by a David Wagner pre-season and some astute summer business has been quite something. This new team is as far removed from the one that didn’t score at Carrow Road for five games and concluded last season with two humiliating defeats against Swansea and already-relegated Blackpool.
“Day and night” was how Simon Lappin compared the then and now. “Chalk and cheese”, said the bloke behind me in the River End. Feel free to add your own idiom.
But they were both right. Even ignoring the fact that this team has found a way to win games, it really is unrecognisable. The pace, the strength, the energy, the intensity. You name it, it’s better.
For several seasons, almost for the duration of the Webber era, we have decried our team’s lack of pace and strength and how susceptible it has been to ‘bullying’ by teams whose raison d’etre is to win the physical battle. But not now.
This popped up on my X timeline (or Twitter as we oldies call it) in the aftermath of yesterday’s game from a Tweeter (or Xer) whose opinion I value and someone not prone to hyperbole:
Lee had nailed it.
Against a Millwall team that prides itself on being horrible to play against and which is the epitome of a Championship opponent against whom wins have to be hard-earned, City won the physical battle before, for 80 minutes, playing the Lions of Zampa Road off the pitch.
Against what could have been a backdrop tinged with negativity – with our Lionesses losing and struggling – Carrow Road bounced and marvelled in equal measure as Wagner’s men produced a performance of energy, rhythm, and purpose.
And it’s not just the new faces who have made the difference, even though they have.
If we include Jonathan Rowe as a newbie – which he effectively is given he didn’t kick a ball in anger for Wagner last season – then five of the starting XI were not here last season, but the six who were here in 2022-23 have responded to the sound of those new voices and the clean slate they have been offered.
Gone are the drooped shoulders, the hiding up, the hesitation, and the clear lack of enjoyment.
The booming voices and cajoling of Shane Duffy and Ashley Barnes have clearly had a huge impact (more on that later) but so too the calming efficiency of Jack Stacey and Christian Fassnacht down that right side, as well as the exuberance, speed, and energy of the indefatigable Rowe.
The other six have bought into it and some. They are not just along for the ride. Every single one – led by skipper Kenny McLean – has upped their level.
And the shape of the team has morphed into one that, from being disjointed and easily exposed, can now soak up pressure and hit teams in transition, while also being comfortable in possession of the ball when opponents sit in a low block and challenge us to break them down.
For that change to have taken place in the space of just three months is down to Wagner and his coaching team, and for that they deserve huge credit. Credit too to those in the recruitment team, led to be fair by Stuart Webber, who identified those new players as the type needed to help oversee a much-needed culture change.
The one big concern we have right now, of course, is that this pleasing equilibrium we have found around this group of players and the tactics they are deploying is that there are still eleven days left in the summer transfer window.
Already mentioned in despatches has been the prospect of Josh Sargent and Kenny McLean hooking up again with Daniel Farke and Leeds, and there can’t be a recruitment team in the Premier League that doesn’t have Gabriel Sara on its radar.
The Brazilian’s numbers, if you’re one for stats, are off the scale compared to his Championship counterparts; so much so, I really wish we could just hide him away until September 2 and pretend to the outside world that he doesn’t exist.
But, as Wagner said in his post-match rounds, if our players are hitting the transfer gossip columns it usually means something decent is happening on the pitch. And it is.
I mentioned earlier the influence that, in particular, Barnes and Duffy are having on those around them and there was a lovely little snapshot of this in the Club’s City View piece from last week’s Carabao Cup win over QPR. Scroll through to 2:05 and 2:39 and you’ll see what I mean.
So, we find ourselves in that odd position of being content and in a good place. The anger of May now seems a thing of the past, and based on what we’ve seen over, admittedly, just four games, there appears to be something building.
It’s not yet perfect – we wouldn’t expect it to be – but if we can get to September 2 and have this group still in place, we still have a genuine shot at being the best team in East Anglia 😉
This is very promising indeed Gary – hope that the front 3 can stay injury free and we will have an interesting season.
I have to say, Pukki provided us with great moments but don’t we look a better” team” without him.
With him it was either him scoring or him assisting mainly and not much else – now it’s looking like six or seven could get on the scoresheet. It’s much more positive and great to watch. A bit more solid in defence as well – does look good.
Can we keep it up? Hope so – it’s much more fun to be a Carrow Rd unlike the dreaded morgue of last two seasons.
I’m going for a 2-1 win at Huddersfield. .
Reminds me of when we had Maddison. He was such an important player for us and when he was sold we wondered how we’d cope. And the answer was that the players played as a team better and we were more effective as a result.
A quick scan of the rumours of what Farke wants, comes from two Leeds sites and football Fan cast. hardly a country wide reliable sources.
Only the other day one of the sites reported Farke was arranging loan moves for two ex players of the yellow shirts. First Billy Gilmour now at Brighton. where his manager just said this of the young scot “Head coach Roberto De Zerbi said: “Gilmour is a very smart player. He has an incredible attitude, incredible behaviour. Hardly looking like a drop down the league does it
Then we have Mathias Normann who had already signed for Saudi club Al-Raed. Hardly reliable reporting.
Now the same site are saying Sargent is open to the move to be reunited with Farke. How on earth do they know that? Had that been a reliable reporter like Romano, I would take notice.
The one that does bother me is Sara and Rowe, they both will be known and high on the scouting lists of major clubs.
The most enjoyable game I’ve seen at Carrow Road in a long time. All credit to Wagner for turning things around and to Webber for turning to experienced players with a bit of presence.
Like you Gary I worry about late bids for some of our players.
As they are all under lengthy contracts we should refuse all offers as there isn’t a better bet than us outside the premier league and in Sara’s case a year gaining promotion with us will attract offers from bigger premier clubs. This in turn will be of greater benefit to him and City than short term gain.
I must say what a player Sara is turning out to be. Different to Emi but every bit as good if not better. He reminds me of Martin Peters the way he controls games with an almost languid style of play. Wonderful on the eye.
If anybody is sold this year I would expect all hell to break out once again with the supporters and rightly so.
Hi Gary
I will thank the Women’s team for their Amazonian efforts to win the WWC but sadly came up against a team that had timed their run to the final just that bit better, so let’s look forward to the next set of Women’s Internationals to see if they have got their mojo back.
City do look a good team in the early stages of this new season and with a few players to come back from injury to bolster the numbers between now and January.
We are still losing concentration in the dying minutes and letting clean sheets slip away – hopefully as the confidence builds we will see less and less of this happening.
Last week we were on the end of a rumour about another classy Brazilian due to arrive – all quite on that front as I comment.
I just wonder if we would sell any players to Leeds especially as the rumours that Webber is destined to be their next Sporting Director. Should he still be in a position to influence such sales is a question for another day I suppose and if we did, how much of the good work done in this transfer window would be undone?
I don’t think we should doubt Webber’s integrity from the perspective of would he sanction a player being sold on the cheap to a club he is going to. There are those who may dislike him but I think it’s a little conspiratorial to think he would do something that dirty.
Anyway my take on the rumours are they are hopeful wishes of a few Leeds fans rather than any reflection of reality or you know actual real journalism.
Rumours abound and no one can change that.
I would never doubt Webber’s integrity and in most of his time at the club he has overseen some good recruitment but once he resigned he shouldn’t have had any responsibility for players selling or recruitment. It leaves the club and himself open to accusations of asset stripping.
If he leaves soon I hope that he goes well in his next position – just don’t come calling for City players
There is absolutely no issue with Webber and Leeds just look at the Max Aaron’s situation. Webber should be given deserved plaudits for his part in turning things round rather than starting another cycle of fake news.
Fake news is false or misleading information presented as news.
At no time have I said it was news just commenting on what’s is being reported on most Leeds Websites and I did say rumoured plus speculation in many national media outlets as he has admitted he has always been a Leeds supporter.
With Leeds having a temporary Sporting Director till the end of this transfer window speculation or rumours will continue with his appointment till they actually appoint a person on a full time basis.
It’s nice to see Norwich being horrible and physical but still being able to knock the ball ball about.
Yesterday was most enjoyable for 91 mins, then we gave a stupid goal away. Me n Barry looked at each other – typical Norwich – but we got over the line. Last season we wouldn’t have – you just know we would have gave the game away!
As for the Women, who cares tbh. Shame on all the so-called Norwich fans who didn’t turn up to see a fantastic game of football.
Roll on next week and the Terriers!
Happy days are returning to Fortress Carra at long last !!
Cheers for the comment, Thommo
I’m guessing from your ‘women’ comment that you’re in the Stuart Webber school of thinking 😀 Oh blimey.
Each to their own, mate. Some saw it as a very rare opportunity to watch England play in a World Cup Final. And fair play tbh.
Find it so slow and boring – bit like watching paint dry or Norwich at times last season!
Each and everyone to there own but for me I had no interest and didn’t watch any of it whatsoever.
Keep trying to catch you before the game – you going in earlier these days just to say hello!
Didn’t go due to ill health in second half of last season, mate, and on Sunday I went stright in to watch the ladies 🙂
I’ll look out for you next time.
Are you getting them mixed up with the lot Southgate manages??😄
O T B C
A joyous read Gary. The sun shone, the football flowed and with it the goals
Smiles on the faces of the players mirrored by the smiles on the faces of the long suffering home crowd.
Wagners pre season work must have been phenomenal, judging by the transformation we witnessed on Saturday. All the new players were excellent and their attitude and appetite for simply being canaries has rubbed off positively on their new teammates. Chief among them is Giannoulis, who has been superb this season.
Scratch below the surface and spme c0ncerns still abound. Chiefly the drop off in performance once the raft of substitutions was made. The lack of intensity was striking given the huge opportunity of a beaten Millwall side to utilise to make a statement.
Gary mentions how the 100 percent improvement on the field has assuaged some of the anger aimed at the powers that be.
One sure fire way to reawaken that anger would be to sell a key player before the transfer deadline.
For once, let’s hope they put sporting considerations before monetary ones and refrain from killing all hopes of a great season.