Terri Westgate: Norwich City can't let season fizzle out

After the excellent win at The Den, many were excitedly looking at the top end of the table, and marking some dates in May as “keep free” in their calendar.  

However, the three results that followed have more than tempered that enthusiasm as we limped towards the international break.  

Our head coach may have been happy to leave the Potteries with a hard-earned point, after three games in six days, but supporters were less than impressed with the display on the pitch. 

There was one player however who got great reviews, with Chris Goreham even saying it was the easiest player of the match call of the season. An outstanding performance between the sticks from Angus Gunn is the reason the game remained goalless and we left with that point. 

Gunn has taken his chance this season to claim the first-choice goalkeeper spot for his own, and his confidence and reliability have grown to match his towering stature.  

His career was faltering when he returned to his boyhood club two years ago, but like many I was glad to see his arrival at Colney. Having watched his performances back in Daniel Farke’s first season at Carrow Road, I knew he had the raw talent and ability to succeed. 

A tough spell at Southampton may have knocked his career trajectory off kilter, but back home and training alongside seasoned, international professionals like Michael McGovern and Tim Krul was the perfect environment for him to rebuild. 

Some of us go back even further, and remember when his much-loved dad Bryan was our number one, almost heading the crossbar. We recall that little kid in a Norwich shirt who is now the name at the top of the team sheet, and feel a sense of pride at his stellar performances. Now with his recent call up to the Scotland squad he may follow in another of his father’s footsteps - even though that wasn’t the original plan. 

Yet for the majority of our playing squad, the international break will be spent closer to home, as injuries are patched up and formations are reassessed. There are many questions to be answered after the defeat to Sunderland, and the unimpressive draws at Huddersfield and Stoke.  

David Wagner is adamant City can still make the play-offs (Image: Focus Images)

Wagner tried to find solutions for missing players, but they were far from convincing. There are now just eight games remaining this season, and although the play-offs are still very much achievable, promotion is looking far less likely. 

The next fixture is a home match against second-placed Sheffield United, a team with which we have had some tasty clashes with over recent seasons. This time they come to us the more dominant side, in an automatic promotion place five places and 13 points above us in the table.  

They also have a date with Wembley already confirmed, following their FA Cup quarter final win against Blackburn at the weekend. We will need to be at our best, or hope they are distracted by their cup run, if we are to return to winning ways. 

As our own season looks in danger of slowly fizzling out, what I personally hope for is some drama and excitement on the pitch for us to cheer. A winning goal in the dying moment of a match, some Chilean or Brazilian magic in our attack, or even a few tap-ins for Teemu Pukki which will see him close down on Iwan Roberts in our all-time top goal-scorers chart. There was a chance that he could have surpassed the big man this season, and with 10 needed it’s not impossible, but it seems to be another dream that’s fading away. 

At least we can spend the next week forgetting about the Canaries, distract ourselves with other hobbies and pastimes, and not be tormented by this frustrating season.  

Before it all starts again against the Blades on April Fool’s Day.