After a strong start to the season, David Wagner has been able to change the mood in Norfolk, according to Chief Norwich City Reporter Connor Southwell.
On Wednesday (7:45 p.m. kickoff), fourth-place Norwich City welcome second-place Leicester City to Carrow Road in the Sky Bet Championship.
Reporting on how the Canaries have started the season is Connor Southwell.
A new spirit of optimism has flooded around Carrow Road ahead of Leicester City’s visit on Wednesday (8 p.m. kickoff), despite the fact that 2022–23 did not turn out as the Canaries had intended, finishing the season in the bottom half of the standings.
Southwell explained: “It’s been a completely necessary start off the back of how last season ended, which was one win in 11 matches, a lot of pressure on David Wagner and on the hierarchy, and questions concerning whether they could turn things around after what was a really underwhelming campaign.
“It started with Dean Smith and never really got going after a pretty bright start. They were forced into the managerial change, which looked like it was going quite well and then derailed around Easter when they got quite a few injuries. They looked nailed on to be a top six challenger and then fell away in drastic fashion.
“The team issues and lack of mentality really started to show. Wagner’s number one priority was to change the atmosphere of the location. If he didn’t get off to a fast start, he wouldn’t have anyone’s support after a few games.
Following some significant departures, notably that of star striker Teemu Pukki, players have unquestionably stepped up, as evidenced by their four wins and one draw in their first six Sky Bet Championship games.
The journalist continued: “It’s a testament to what they’ve done, going from not scoring a goal at home since that game against Cardiff in February to the last game of the season against Blackpool, to this season where they’ve won three games at Carrow Road, which is their best home start since 2006.
“It’s been a really contrasting start to the campaign and a pleasant surprise so far. We saw it in the early weeks under Wagner but scoring goals was a real issue for them at the back end of last season.
“There was increased worry following the departure of Teemu Pukki, who was so prolific and the club’s leading scorer in all but one of his seasons. There was always a little bit of uncertainty about whether players could step up and fill in because Norwich depended on him for goals. This year’s goals have been nicely dispersed throughout a wide range of areas.
Jonathan Rowe got off to a fast start, but Ashley Barnes and Adam Idah chipped in, Josh Sargent started off well before being hurt, and Jack Stacey scored the game-winning goal on Saturday. The fact that they have scored the most goals in the Championship thus far definitely attests to their improvement in that particular area, since they appear to be a much stronger offensive squad overall.
Currently fourth in the standings, he predicts an exciting matchup between two teams with comparable records.
The reporter continued, “What has been so pleasing is the type of victory. “The first against Hull was a last-second winner from Idah after they had taken the lead and controlled the game, which was the catalyst for so much unrest last year. That felt like a major obstacle to get through.
“They were so comprehensive and so good against Millwall in that 3-1 victory and then Saturday was completely different. They played really well in the first half and could have bene leading by more and Stoke altered what they did and caused a few more problems in the second.
“They had to really dig in and defend central areas really well to ultimately get a clean sheet, even though Stoke were probably on top and Norwich didn’t meet the levels people would expect. They still found a way of grinding out a result, which good teams do at this level.
“Something is building and whether that is anything tangible in terms of getting out of this division, it remains to be seen, but there’s a real positivity around Norwich City at the moment and most supporters are delighted that feeling is back. In many ways, an absence of expectation has helped them. It’s enabled them to do what they have done so far.
“After a defeat to Rotherham, they have managed to bounce back ahead of an incredibly tough game against Leicester. The big question is whether they can maintain this level of performance that they are playing at. It’s a small sample and there’s 40 games to go, but the glass is definitely half full at the moment.”
