A three-point lead on seventh-placed Hull is all-importantly backed up by a considerably healthier goal difference on the Tigers. An eight-goal swing on the final day with Hull travelling to Plymouth seems an impossible outcome.
But how funny it is that we relied on those noisy neighbours of ours to do us a favour. I can’t say that I was actively cheering for the Tractor Boys – I could never bring myself to do such a thing under any circumstances – but I’ll admit to breathing a huge sigh of relief after finding out the final score from the KCOM Stadium.
This should be cause for celebration yet somehow all feels rather anticlimactic. Successive home draws against mid-table opposition were certainly frustrating, yet even after the dust settled it still felt like the Carrow Road faithful were largely underwhelmed. I can’t definitively say it’s the consensus but right now it feels like a bit of a damp squib.
I’m aware that social media – namely X (Twitter) – can be a cesspool of negativity at the best of times but it still took me by surprise to see the amount of moaning and whining that was taking place in the wake of the Saturday’s result.
Bristol City and Swansea had both been in a rich vein of form before our meeting, yet it was expected in some quarters that Norwich would despatch them with ease. They didn’t and it’s disappointing but surely this is a sign of how far we have come in such a short space of time. That we have become so expectant of good results surely speaks of the improvements made under David Wagner.
That said, I do get some of the criticism. It seemed as if we were in the box seat for the majority of the first hour but, not for the first time this season, confusing substitutions, albeit one of them enforced, rather derailed any momentum we had going into the final throes of the game. Swansea looked the likelier to nick it, as did Bristol City seven days earlier.
An overreliance on individual quality, namely Gabriel Sara, has also been a stick to beat the German with. The Brazilian plucking one straight out of the top draw seems to be a regular occurrence right now.
Josh Sargent’s early withdrawal at Sheffield Wednesday when City were leading 2-0 and then proceeded to squander that lead also supports the theory that Wagner struggles to eke out positive results without his star players on the pitch.
But here we are, regardless of all of the above, the playoffs still beckon for the Yellow and Green Army. I would have considered you mad if you had told me that during that bleak October period. There was a time when we were even talking about the possibility of a relegation fight brewing. Now look at us.
Some people may be pressing the panic button amidst a slight dip in form and there is no doubt that City have rather spluttered over the finishing line, but compared to every other team currently occupying the top six, the Canaries are flying.
West Brom and Southampton have each lost their last three games. Ipswich are winless in their last four. Leeds have lost three of their last five games and got spanked 4-0 at QPR on Friday. Even Leicester fell to successive defeats at Millwall and Plymouth before finally sealing promotion.
Our blip seems rather minor compared to our promotion rivals. Just imagine the uproar from the Canary faithful if we had gone on a similarly poor run.
So enjoy it. This is what we wanted right? If offered a top-six finish at the start of the season, most of us would have snapped our hand off, especially considering how dire last season was. And credit needs to be given where it is due. Wagner has got a tune out of our top players, we are unbeaten at home all calendar year, and, to top it all, we are 15 years unbeaten in the derby.
No matter what happens, barring an almighty collapse of epic proportions at St Andrew’s, this has been a good season. A massive improvement on last season’s turgid offering. And that’s all we can ask for as a fanbase. Improvement. Signs of life. And we have that.
Let’s not worry about the destination, and just enjoy the journey. Enjoy Sara’s screamers, Sargent’s ice-cool finishing, and Jonny Rowe’s tenacity and endeavour. Because they may not be here much longer.
Leave a Reply