Norwich City fans know it can take time for new heroes to emerge 

Going into the international break on a run of three straight defeats has certainly given City fans a big reality check.  

After 15 games last season the Canaries had taken 17 points and were 17th in the Championship. This time around they’ve won 18 points from the first 15 games and are 14th. Similar records but two very different moods.  

It was at that point a year ago that Norwich City opted to bring forward Ben Knapper’s arrival as sporting director, replacing Stuart Webber. It left head coach David Wagner on dodgy ground. Many supporters had already decided he wasn’t the man to lead City forward and now he had a boss who hadn’t appointed him.  

Circumstances which made his eventual achievement of a top six finish a notable one. Even that wouldn’t give him sufficient credit in the bank. He was eventually dismissed almost as the final whistle blew on a limp play-off showing at Leeds United.  

Supporters, while disappointed with the manner of defeat, were broadly not too downhearted about missing out on promotion. In their heart of hearts they knew that incarnation of Norwich City was not ready for the Premier League.  

They wanted change and they got it. The pay-off now though is having their patience tested by a squad whose promise is undermined by a lack of depth and experience.  

Stuart Webber’s approval rating at Carrow Road had dropped to an all-time low by the time he left. Combative and sometimes controversial public statements together with a recruitment policy that had gone awry in the end eroded the credit for the many positive developments under his stewardship. That said his legacy was felt last summer when the Canaries were able to profit by selling players including Gabriel Sara and Adam Idah. The decision to award the latter a 5-year deal was one of the moves that was widely questioned but it enabled City to demand more than £9 million for his signature.  

That set of circumstances illustrates why the business done during the most recent transfer window cannot be judged just yet.  

Take three of the new signings for example. Ante Crnac was the result of reinvesting the Idah cash yet we’re still not sure whether he’s a striker or a wide man.  

Amankwah Forson’s first forays in the Norwich midfield looked promising. More recently he’s been unable to get in the starting XI. Even with Marcelino Nunez, Kenny McLean, Anis Ben Slimane and Liam Gibbs unavailable Forson has still found three or four midfielders ahead of him in the pecking order.   

The latest signing, Emiliano Marcondes, played under Johannes Hoff Thorup at his former club in Denmark.  

If similar transfer deals had been made in the summer of 2023 under Webber and Wagner I imagine the jury would already have returned with some harsh verdicts.  

Yet, in the new Norwich normal, one senses a willingness for all these players to succeed in yellow and green.  

Overnight heroes are rare. Look at Kellen Fisher, he seems a different player in his second season than the untried youngster who started just three league games under Wagner.  

While Thorup must take some of the credit for finding the 20-year old a role in the team that suits his skillset he’s probably been helped by the steep learning curve that was last season. Time and patience are often in short supply in football but, when afforded them, players can come good.  

Canary heroes like Iwan Roberts and Wes Hoolahan endured inauspicious first seasons before deservedly earning legendary status. Marco Stiepermann and Mario Vrancic needed a year to develop into midfielders comfortable enough to play significant parts in a Championship title win under Daniel Farke. 

Marco Stiepermann took a season before showing his best form at Carrow Road (Image: Paul Chesterton)

Even Farke only became a success in his second season. It can take that long to fully get to grips with the demands of the Championship whilst rebooting a squad and installing a new identity.  

The German’s first season ended in a 14th-placed finish. Right where Norwich are now.   

There are no guarantees about what will happen next but by making fundamental changes in key roles at the club Norwich City have bought themselves a bit of time and goodwill.  

It means that even during this rocky run of form there is optimism about the big picture.  

The big issues... 

It was good to meet and interview Mark Attansio for the first time after Norwich City’s AGM last week.  

Given that he spends most of his time following the Canaries from home it turns out he relies on the BBC Radio Norfolk commentary to guide him through matches. “You always say when they screw up” was one notable bit of feedback he had about the coverage.  

Attanasio confirmed that he is also a keen Canary Call listener so if you ever hear a ‘Mark from Milwaukee’ on the show question what is happening in training you’ll know who it is.  

The AGM always provides a fascinating insight into what supporters really have on their minds.  

Us reporters spend so much time thinking of interesting things to say about tactics, formations and recruitment strategy but we might be getting it wrong.  

I have long suspected that the way football is talked about in the media is very different from how the experience is discussed in the stands.  

Shareholders were far more animated about off-field issues than the form of the players. Issues like the floodlights being too bright, the food kiosks closing too early and the standard of gifts sent to club members this season are the stories that we really ought to be covering.