Nothing compares to a thrilling victory away from home at the eleventh hour, particularly one as unexpected as Sunday’s.
Although it may seem a bit excessive to celebrate wildly after a win that catapults you to the lofty heights of 13th place in the Championship, City’s final-minute smash and grab proved to be the game’s ultimate turning point, and the scenes in the stands and on the field were inspiring.
It was, however, a welcome release, especially for fans who had vocalised their disappointment at the quality of performances and been branded as “whingers” last week, so it was good to hear Angus Gunn, who played a big part in the victory, show empathy with, and understanding of, them when he said: “I completely understand their frustrations – performances haven’t been good enough on the pitch this season and it’s our job to change that.”
I believe that former City great Darren Huckerby hit the nail on the head when he posted about players on X (formerly Twitter): “It’s not difficult and the same at every club, if you’re terrible you get booed, if you play well you get cheered, if you play exceptionally well you get remembered! Delia Smith’s AGM comments about “boo boys” weren’t well received. You shouldn’t be in this line of work if you can’t take criticism.
While no one would argue that City performed particularly well at Bristol, they did at least show some resilience after another promising start had collapsed and they found themselves behind by a goal. This is despite their ongoing propensity to give up the ball when under no real pressure.
In that regard, Gunn’s return was undoubtedly helpful, and David Wagner’s unconventional team choices finally paid off.
This time, the biggest surprise was Kenny McLean, who was previously substituted in and started at center back even though there were full-timers available, and he did a great job at it.
It made sense because it corrected Ben Gibson’s injury-related loss of left and right foot balance, but it also appeared to be another example of Wagner’s seeming fixation with player conversion.
There have been unsuccessful attempts thus far to turn Gabriel Sara into a defensive midfielder, Liam Gibbs into a striker, and Przemyslaw Placheta into a full back. It is unclear if these attempts are short-term or long-term experiments.
Borja Sainz, meanwhile, is still stuck on the bench. However, there were hints as to why he was benched twice during the QPR match, when City was attempting to finish the game by dribbling past opponents who were just outside of his own box.
Nevertheless, Onel Hernandez continues to show a frustratingly low level of finished product, making it difficult to understand why he hasn’t been given more playing time.
Everyone has had a difficult time over the past few weeks: supporters who believe the team has lost its direction, and team members who believe they are receiving unfair criticism.
While I don’t think anyone likes to be criticized, I do think that in recent years there has been a shift in thinking that suggests any criticism—no matter how constructive—is either rejected, ignored, or subject to harsh consequences.
In the end, we all want the same thing—success for Norwich City. Three wins out of four games is not to be taken lightly, so maybe the upcoming games will foster even more positivity and unity before the derby, allowing us to move forward as a team once more.
And lastly, here’s an idea. If it is true that fans “haven’t got a clue” about what goes on behind the scenes, would it not be better to educate them instead of making fun of them?
