Despite all of this season’s difficulties and the harsh criticism the team has received, Norwich City’s culture has always seemed to be positive.
We were informed time and time again that this group of players firmly believed they could and would turn the tide, even on the worst days (there have been a few).
In all honesty, that optimism has occasionally felt extremely out of place and nauseating.
I would have laughed in your face if you had told me that we would still be talking about the play-offs after our crushing 1-0 loss to Millwall in late December, which put us in the bottom half of the table.
Amazingly, though, that is the situation we are in.
In the same way that the pressure he has been under in recent months has been justified, David Wagner deserves some credit for his recent improvement in performance.
With the 2-1 triumph over Coventry, they now have 10 points from five games, all against teams that are presently ranked in the top seven.
Both on the pitch and in the stands, there has been a noticeable increase in confidence as that run has progressed.
That was demonstrated by the scenes that followed the full-time whistle versus the Sky Blues.
Josh Sargent’s return is extremely important, as I noted some time ago, but other players have also stepped up to the plate, none more so than Borja Sainz.
The Spaniard appears to be the real deal the more I watch him. His goal against Coventry is the most recent in a long line of exquisite finishes.
Of course, if we want to gatecrash the playoffs, a lot more work needs to be done.
We must demonstrate that this encouraging start to 2024 is more than a passing fad and maintain a far higher level of consistency in our output. Hopefully, it’s a challenge we can overcome.
Leave a Reply