A busy festive period will determine whether Norwich City’s recent form surge under David Wagner is sustainable.
The draw against Ipswich Town in the East Anglian derby on Saturday extended their unbeaten run to just one defeat in their last seven Championship games, with four wins in six.
Performances have not yet followed to the extent that some Norwich fans would like, but the positive results have stabilized a campaign that appeared to be in freefall during a difficult autumn run in which they won only once in ten games between September and November.
That increased the pressure on Wagner, but recent results have reduced the buzz about his future. He’ll need to keep it that way over the holiday period, beginning with his former club Huddersfield’s visit to Carrow Road this weekend.
The importance of young winger Jon Rowe and City’s improved form were discussed in the latest Pink Un podcast with Connor Southwell, Paddy Davitt, Sam Seaman, and Adam Harvey.
In terms of the big picture, Norwich City has only lost one of their last seven games. I don’t think any of us are sitting here thinking it was a miraculous performance (against Ipswich), but it had all of the intangible qualities that a derby needs. What do you think of Norwich City’s recent form? Despite the criticism, David Wagner deserves credit for his improved form, doesn’t he?
A month ago, it appeared that many Norwich fans had made up their minds about him. At the time, it was understandable. The football was turgid, and while it hasn’t been particularly pretty during this run, they’ve managed to get the results they need to move away from the relegation battle at the bottom – not that it should even be a conversation to begin with. The only caveat is that the fixtures have been against lower bracket opponents rather than top bracket opponents.
That is what is coming up now during this busy holiday season. It’s a significant time. They are in or near the playoff picture, and they will remain there despite a poor run of form in Autumn. They have players returning from injury such as Josh Sargent, Ben Gibson, Grant Hanley, and Jacob Sorensen, who will provide Norwich with more depth and options. David Wagner, the coaching staff, and the players deserve credit for turning the team around in recent weeks. The atmosphere at Portman Road has grown since the games against Sheffield Wednesday and Bristol City, but the next five to ten games will determine what happens. They have difficult trips to West Bromwich Albion, Leeds United, and others.
Millwall is a difficult place to visit. Southampton are on their way to Carrow Road. If we see a similar level of point haul, improved performances with players returning, this could be a watershed moment for Wagner. If not, it will quickly turn again.
Jon Rowe is a key figure in this. Two goals on derby day give him 11 goals before Christmas. He is a player who is making a significant contribution to David Wagner’s team.
David Wagner mentioned it, but it wasn’t his best performance. He had two chances and converted both of them. That demonstrates his clinical acumen. Even though he isn’t a striker, he knows where to be when the ball is in or near the box. Despite not playing his best for 180 minutes against Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich, he’s scored three goals.
His clinical nature has aided the team’s success because, with their defensive record, they would have been in serious trouble if they hadn’t been able to keep up with it in terms of goalscoring. Fortunately, they have a very good track record on the other end. I saw a statistic a few weeks ago that said he was far outperforming his projected goal.
That would be a concern in the short term, but in the long run, it demonstrates that he is a very clinical finisher – and that isn’t going away. He’s been able to incorporate that into his game. Wagner believes he has levels to find; if he does, he will be moved away from Norwich. He’s quickly established himself as an important member of his team, which demonstrates how he forced his way into this XI during preseason.
