Jack Wright has become a specialist in identifying moments of Norwich City pain through his popular social media account - he has categorised the best of a bizarre campaign for the Canaries.
Norwich’s 2023/24 season, where do we start? A campaign defined by Sara screamers, Sainz’s studs and Sargent salutes.
If it was a Delia recipe, the ingredients would include red cabbage, paella and plenty of mustard. A gloomy autumn made way for a brighter spring; alas, Wembley’s arch became a stretch too far.
Sixth position was the goal and on the whole, we did well to clamber up there, in spite of the dire state of affairs toward the end of the last calendar year. There were countless glorious moments of note, yet as we sit here looking back, it’s hard to mask the feeling of disappointment given what could have been.
To put it bluntly, these last 10 months or so have been brimming with painful moments, and as someone who has been keeping an eye out, I’ve been busy.
Such as the nature of a club now stumbling into mid-table Championship obscurity, it was never going to be all sunshine and rainbows.
In the spirit of catharsis, with the hope of giving this season some closure, let’s look back over what, in my opinion, were Norwich’s top five most painful moments.
I must add that this list is exclusive to Norwich alone. The exploits of any other nearby club, albeit sour, do not count.
5 - Be More Pompey
As Norwich fans were preparing to crack open their advent calendars, Delia decided to open a can of worms instead.
At a time of ropey fan regard as a result of less-than-inspiring performances, the AGM was an opportunity for the top brass to calm some nerves and instil a sense of optimism. Instead, supporters were basically told to swap yellow for blue and not criticise the team.
Whilst the proclamation came from a place of love, the interpretation made for a misguided sentiment. Positivity did need to be injected into the terraces at Carrow Road, but simply saying we should cheer through adversity just like Portsmouth was, in hindsight, a PR nightmare.
The fans reaction was akin to if she suggested we all go out and buy the next Ed Sheeran album. Maybe our expectations are too high, maybe our patience could have had a shorter fuse… or maybe we should all pack up and move to Southsea.
Then again, if we had decided to follow Pompey, we would at least have a title win to celebrate.
4 - Norwich 1 Blackburn 3
Wagner’s team talk probably went along the lines of ‘right lads, we’re on a run of one win in six, my job is on the line, please keep it tight early doors’.
Fifteen minutes in, 2-0 down. In front of the Sky cameras.
A crucial game to turn our fortunes around in front of an eager home crowd and thousands more on their sofas, and Norwich fluffed their lines. With a shaky Jaden Warner starting and an unconvincing deputy ‘keeper in George Long, the Canaries were bullied from the beginning and with confidence in tatters, Rovers cruised.
Not even a red card early in the second half for Scott Wharton would coax a comeback. A late consolation from Gabriel Sara did nothing to lift the mood as all eyes were locked at both the dugout and the directors box.
We’d felt this pit of dread last season following Swansea’s romp at Carrow Road, but this time there became a panic that even relegation may rear its ugly head. The fact David Wagner stayed in post for the next game also led to increased rates of blood-boiling in Norfolk. Perhaps that was the time to roll the dice?
In fairness, Sammie Szmodics tore us apart that day and did go on to win the golden boot so there’s no denying that Blackburn side had some quality.
Watching them narrowly stay up on the final day only gut-punched how measly this performance was.
Ignore the home form, the only team in the bottom seven that Norwich beat away was Huddersfield, indicating a bizarre lack of cutting edge against the minnows.
On the bright side, Norwich then wouldn’t lose at home for the rest of the season, yay?
3 - Sarge’s injury
Painful both for all of us mentally and physically for poor Josh. I’m sure that, as he intercepted Lee Nicholls’ dodgy clearance, he didn’t even consider that half of his season would be over.
It’s quite pertinent that an opening goal on the way to winning 4-0 would be regarded as one of the most devastating moments of the campaign, but we all know what happened next.
The away end at Huddersfield enveloped into raptures as our in-form American broke the deadlock, unknowingly unfolding a series of events that can only be described as unfortunate.
A single goalkeeper glove to the back triggered a butterfly effect that would dash any faint hopes of automatic promotion. From then until November, we would only win twice in the league with a cursed injury room that would also claim Barnes, Sainz and Gunn.
The succinct lack of a powerful number nine was evident, as we looked half the team without him. You never know how much you miss something until it’s gone, and his goal-scoring return on New Years Day only punctuated how much his presence impacted the squad.
Had Josh stayed fit, 30 goals and a golden boot would not have been out of the question. Sadly, he had to settle for 16, with nine in a row at Carrow Road. Don’t even get me started on the fact Lee Nicholls wasn’t sent off, banned or imprisoned. He could’ve been killed.
2 - Plymouth 6 Norwich 2
A delightful day out in Devon awaited many Norwich fans on that gloriously sunny late-September afternoon.
A long trip down from East to West was likely a stadium tick for many, anticipating a match that would repair the wounds left by Leicester three days prior. A newly-promoted side filled with, essentially, League One quality players up against the high-flying Canaries.
What could possibly go wrong? As it turned out, pretty much everything.
A humiliating Home Park spanking that was so disbelieving, it was actually funny at times. A defence with plenty of top-flight experience was being toyed with by the Plymouth attack, spearheaded by the trickster-in-chief Morgan Whittaker.
The winger helped himself to a hat-trick after Argyle had already gone 4-0 up at the interval. Two Adam Idah strikes were forgettable as the rest of the Championship looked on and sneered at our shortcomings.
Premier League thrashings at the hands of the elite were regrettable yet palatable but, with all due respect to Plymouth, this was shambolic.
It was the low point in what was to become a particularly pain-worthy next few months and likely led to a confidence crash. The previous campaign ended with a 13th place finish and not much to look forward to so after a decent start, spirits looked high and improvements were shown.
This chaotic debacle shone a light on the thin paper that covered the cracks, a capitulation that was not befitting of a team with promotion ambitions. A great result for Plymouth, mind.
1 - Leeds (a) PO SF second leg
Imagine Christmas Eve, but instead of whimsical gifts, the presents all contained coal and rubbish. That was my mood on the evening of May 16.
A fixture that had been built up like one of the most epic encounters in our recent history, actually came about with tepid anticipation. Not a single fan, from the away concourses of Elland Road to the pubs of Great Yarmouth, believed we would be worthy of winning, but watched anyway out of hope.
Seven minutes in, the bitter predictability of Wagner’s Norwich set in, as Farke’s Leeds flexed their multi-million-pound muscles. A single Sargent shot on target was the only dim glimmer amongst an evening of soul-destroying darkness in Yorkshire.
Two-out-of-10 performances across the pitch as the boys looked lacking in stamina, quality or nous. The numbing reality is that even if Carrow Road had seen a commanding 3-0 win under the sun, we’d still be in the same sorry spot.
Any credit for Wagner was swiftly disintegrated as the stinging cost of Championship mediocrity sunk in. The cycle would surely kick back into motion, with star names inevitably due to be pawned off to a higher bidder.
As much as fans can be consoled at having no Manchester City, no VAR and no top-flight derby, the Premier League remains the promised land, and we’re getting cut adrift. There are ways to bow out of the play-off race with at least some pride.
Norwich’s dignity was pulled from pillar to post that night, exposing deep wounds that need weeks of repair. There is no other way to put it than pain.
What’s done is done, and now a long summer of change awaits. Who knows, we might be able to keep Gabby, we may appoint the next Mikel Arteta and we could better a sixth place finish. Don’t quote me on this though, I’m no expert.
When thinking ahead to next season, while also looking back, I find myself hearing Eric Idle in the back of my mind.
Some things in life are bad, they can really make you mad. Other things just make you swear and curse. Is there a better way of summarising this football club at the moment? Live through the pain but also look on the bright side of life.
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