Norwich City: Chris Sutton column on Teemu Pukki and Rotherham draw

The Finn had spent time at Celtic in what's now become an infamous year of playing out of position, and I remember speaking to BBC Radio Norfolk's Rob Butler about how he'd got on at my former club.

I said 'blimey, I'm a bit worried about that', but the Pukki that turned up at Carrow Road was not the same one I'd seen at Parkhead, and he certainly wasn't playing on the wing.

He arrived full of confidence after producing fantastic numbers at Brondby, and just went from strength to strength at Norwich.

He's been a phenomenal servant, and his loyalty is commendable. City are renowned for being a yo-yo club, so I've got no doubt that he would have had chances to move on during his time in Norfolk; that's just the nature of football.

The last two times Norwich were in the Premier League, he's been one of the only players who's come out of those seasons with any credit. That's a testament to him, because he's had to feed off scraps in the top flight.

At Championship level he's been prolific, and over the piece Norwich City fans will always recognise him as one of their best strikers ever.

Replacing Pukki will be a tough task. (Image: PA)

Even now I wouldn't write him off. He is leaving for a reason, but you can't read too much into his form in recent weeks.

Important for any striker is the players around him, and Pukki's situation isn't too different to mine when Ruel Fox left Norwich. That was what made my mind up that I wanted to leave, because of the vital part he played in my success at the club.

For Pukki, the equivalent is Emi Buendia, whose creativity has been sorely missed by his former team-mate. Every Norwich fan felt it was his move to Aston Villa was confirmed, and the other half of his double act will have to.

All of a sudden that supply line, that telepathic relationship, had been cut, and Pukki had to create his own chances for two seasons. His numbers may not have been especially impressive this season, but scoring 21 goals with little help from others is an achievement in itself.

Add to that the fact that he's now 33, and not even the most ardent Norwich fan will begrudge him the opportunity to look for a fresh challenge with his contract up.

So the conversation around the bars in NR1 now becomes about how they're going to replace him, and how much it'll cost. 

Somebody has to step into those enormous boots, and saying it won't be easy would be quite the understatement.

But it's also an opportunity for someone to take the chance that creates. A vital part of my career was delivering when I broke into the first team under Mike Walker, and the forwards already at the club will be hoping to do the same.

Adam Idah's recently signed a new five-year deal, and Josh Sargent's shown positive signs at times this season. Would anyone label them natural finishers, though? I'm not so sure.

The good news is that they've got time, with Idah 22 and Sargent 23, but they're not in the Pukki mould. I suspect, and I may be wrong, that David Wagner will look to bring another striker in.

Somebody needs to score goals, and when it isn't Pukki, that's a real problem for Norwich. They'll back themselves to find the solution, but they're losing a bona fide club legend, no doubt.

He'll be looked back on as somebody who has achieved enormous amounts in yellow and green, and a key player in an incredibly exciting time to be associated with Norwich City.

And all of that without paying a transfer fee. He's got to be one of the greatest free signings ever made.

SUTTON EXTRA

Although City extracted four points from their Easter weekend double-header, it's hard to see Monday's draw with Rotherham United as anything but a missed opportunity.

It typified the Canaries' form this season that they went to Blackburn and beat them with a really good performance, before what was in reality an enormous wasted chance at Carrow Road.

The wheels are coming off at Millwall, so it's certainly still possible. At the end of the season you have to look at results as a whole, but it's hard to get over the fact that that game against the Millers could be the one that costs them the play-offs.

They've got a tough trip to Middlesbrough coming up on Friday, and we're all thinking that a point from that game would be a good result, but will that be enough given the current situation?

The Canaries missed the opportunity to go fifth in their stalemate with Rotherham United. (Image: PA)

I said before the Sheffield United loss that they'd need five wins from their last eight, which leaves them needing four from their last five. With some of the fixtures left that feels very slightly possible, but it'll be difficult given the lack of consistency this term.

I thought Rotherham were poor, and this was a real loss of two very available points. There's just not enough combination play in the final third. It just doesn't flow.

Other than Onel Hernandez, who started excellently on Monday, you're left wondering how Norwich will create anything. It's food for thought for David Wagner and Stuart Webber, who now find themselves looking for a creator and a finisher in the same transfer window.

But in the short term, the solutions must be found within the squad Wagner currently has at his disposal, if City are to make the top-six push they're attempting to.

Finding the combinations they've been looking for all season will be difficult, and that's where the problem lies. Beating a strong Blackburn side at Ewood Park proved they had the players to do it, but once again I'm writing about a lack of consistency in this Norwich side.

That's where the main weakness has been all season, and that's where it remains.