Chris Goreham: A new era began at Deepdale for Norwich City

After one week of Wagner Norwich City produced what was probably their best performance since fans returned to football almost 18 months ago. 

As we say at the BBC, one swallow doesn’t make a series of Springwatch. However, Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan would have every right to be enthusiastic if they saw a Canary as bold and beautiful as we did on Saturday. Even if it did only visit their Norfolk base once. 

As a one-off performance Norwich City’s 4-0 win at Preston was more than just encouraging. It confirmed that there is genuine Championship level talent at the very least within this squad. Those of us who had been insisting that the Canary class of ‘23 contained enough ability to be beyond 11th in the table were starting to doubt ourselves after a run of just three wins from 16 games. 

They have now reset their standards. It’s not going to be 4-0 every week from here but Teemu Pukki can still take a chance and behind him is a set of players that can thrive when played in positions in which they are comfortable and clear about what’s expected. It was the perfect result for Wagner. 

Any head coach relies on complete buy-in from players and fans to create that often elusive feelgood factor. Such a win in his first league game in charge must have convinced any doubters from the dressing room to the stands that his methods are at least worth a try. 

Deepdale has often been a useful place for Norwich City Football Club to retreat to in an effort to learn about itself.  

It was the ground on which Adam Idah’s FA Cup hat-trick three years ago confirmed the Canaries had a striker who was first-team ready without the need for a loan spell. On Easter Monday in 2017 a young substitute called James Maddison came off the bench to score his first goal for the club.

Adam Idah's FA Cup hat-trick at Preston proved who he what it took to make it at Norwich City (Image: Focus Images) 

In 2015 a 2-0 FA Cup defeat at a then League One Preston proved to be Neil Adams final match as manager. It may have seemed harsh at the time but the decision to bring in Hamilton’s Alex Neil paid dividends at Wembley a few short months later. 

It was also the last place that Norwich City lost a Championship game in Daniel Farke’s first promotion campaign. Going down 3-1 at Deepdale in the February provided enough of a reality check for City to win their next eight matches and not lose any of their final 14 league games as they romped to the title. 

So this wouldn’t be the first time that the club has returned from a retreat to Preston looking like a different beast. 

There is the chance that this much improved performance stemmed from a group of players who suddenly realised they had a new head coach to impress. It felt more significant than just being an example to prove the ‘new manager bounce’ theory. 

I don’t claim to be an expert on football tactics but if there is one thing commentators are tuned in to it is the intensity of a performance. The more ferocious and relentless the action is, the more difficult it is to keep up with. Games that are slower paced and less eventful mean a heavier reliance on the pre-match homework. 

After the FA Cup defeat to Blackburn in Wagner’s first game I looked back at my commentary notebook and realised a lot of it had been left unsaid. The 26 shots and 20 corners won by Norwich City left little room for whimsy facts. The fact they didn’t score in the game meant the jury was still out as to whether it was possible to tease anything more productive from a set of players struggling with confidence. 

Wagner won’t be getting carried away and neither will most Norwich City fans. There is plenty to still to be done but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a 4-0 away win. The new head coach was, according to midfielder Kenny McLean, still demanding more at half-time despite enjoying a 3-0 lead. 

It’s a good job Wagner doesn’t produce Springwatch. Poor old Chris Packham can only spot so many swallows through his binoculars. 

Clarity is king

One other pleasing aspect of David Wagner’s first week at Carrow Road has been the clarity that he’s brought. 

Todd Cantwell wasn’t involved in the squad for the win at Preston on Saturday. Over the past couple of years, whenever that’s been the case, an air of mystery has tended to descend. A cryptic post online from the player, an insistence from the manager that he’s picked up a ‘knock’ and message boards full of rumours. 

Not on Wagner’s watch. He patiently explained on Friday morning that, while he rated Cantwell as a player, it just wasn’t working for him at Norwich City anymore and he was free to find another club. Perhaps this freedom comes with the benefits of being the new guy and not carrying all that baggage. It’s sad that the Norfolk boy appears to have played his final game for the club and many will feel there is enough talent there to be worth one more shot. However, whether you agree or disagree with the call, it’s much better knowing exactly what the situation is. 

Wagner was the same after his first game against Blackburn. Covering off the poor Grant Hanley backpass which led to the only goal of the game by saying that it’s the kind of error that is a risk of playing out from the back. He insisted he would still be asking his defenders to do it. 

That one comment underlines that this will be the Wagner way. Not laying into his players publicly, even taking responsibility when things go wrong. At least now when City defenders do increase the heart rate of the supporters by stringing together a few passes around the opponents sniffing strikers we’ll know why. 

It was also good to hear Stuart Webber setting out the parameters last week as to what’s expected of Wagner from the position of 11th in The Championship. 

Clarity is key when it comes to football. Anyone who wears glasses will understand what I mean. The last week has been like those precious few seconds when you finally give your lenses a decent clean.