Paddy Davitt delivers his Swansea verdict after Norwich City’s woeful 3-0 Championship defeat.

1. Ignore the noise

A ‘Webberism’ that defined a bright new era at Norwich City. Now the noise is impossible to ignore. Doing things differently, doing things smartly, doing things that others in time would try and emulate feels a lifetime ago under Stuart Webber.

When it was good it was intoxicating. Now City’s sporting director is a toxic brand. An ever-growing number of those fans who responded to his clarion calls in the good days want him gone.

That was the unmistakable chant directed towards the directors' box periodically that rippled around Carrow Road during another abject offering.

David Wagner met the question head on in his post-match briefing. 'No one cares about this club more than him.' There was also an emphatic one-word response to my question does he expect Webber to drive the next cycle, alongside him, this summer and beyond? Absolutely. 

The season ticket renewals remain as healthy as ever, but this is a club in need of resuscitation. The empty seats at the start of the second half, after the wheels had already come off, were noticeable in every home area.

When Oliver Ntcham slotted a third just past the hour mark a trickle turned to a flood. With ever louder chants of ‘We want Webber out’.

Whatever the intended succession plan, woven around a growing influence in the boardroom from Mark Attanasio’s group, the club’s top brass have decisions to make. When the anger subsides, dejection sets in. Then disenchantment, then disinterest.

2. Wagner’s woes

A penny for Wagner’s thoughts? This was not how it would have been sold to him when he, by his own admission, felt Norwich was the perfect club to return to English football and pick up the reins from Dean Smith.

From five wins in the first seven Championship games in charge to one win in the last nine. No wins in the last four Carrow Road home games, no goals in the last four Carrow Road home games.

As much as the ire and the focus is sharpest towards those in the boardroom and on the executive committee, Wagner has had long enough to extract more from the available resource. Even allowing for those injuries to key senior personnel.

City’s lack of punch at the top end, their defensive laxness and a general imbalance to their midfield play all land at the door of Wagner. The manner his players crumble in the face of adversity perhaps underscores a wider malaise.

But Wagner has been unable to arrest the decline or find the right words or tactical set ups to at least take this failed tilt at promotion to the final moments of a season to forget.

He will want backing to reshape a tired squad, starting this summer. Then it will be the time to judge this head coach.

3. 'Anticipate a number of changes'

That line from Webber, teasing to a summer squad makeover wrapped up in the club’s official statement confirming Onel Hernandez’s new contract, now looks under-cooked after the manner of this latest capitulation at Carrow Road.

Park the obvious elephant in the room, namely that many City fans would like to see Webber depart in the same close season turnover, and this alarming Championship decline prompts a more pertinent question – who stays rather than who goes?

Is there a group of players Wagner can build something that can mount a realistic challenge for promotion? In his favour is that previous experience at Huddersfield, who he led from the depths of the Championship to a memorable play-off final win in his first full season in charge.

One would imagine many of the same complexities will be familiar to the German - in the narrower terms of a squad revamp.

The financial overhang, mapped out clearly in the last set of annual accounts, suggests whoever is driving this strategy will have to take creativity to a whole new level.

It is hard to rationalise, in the midst of this fresh angst, but there is a core who still have their best years ahead, and have the talent to compete at the right end of the division. But perhaps that misses the point.

There needs to be a visible, voluminous sign of change. This status quo is unpalatable.  

4. Happy homecoming

What a day for Russell Martin. A first return to Carrow Road in the early stage of his second career in football. His first is indelibly linked with Norwich City during a period when he was part of three promotions, including one as captain at Wembley in 2015, and a tilt at Premier League sustainability.

Now Swansea City is the priority and the cohesive, progressive passing style, and almost dismissive manner they cashed in on Norwich’s frailty, is a credit to him, Matty Gill and their coaching.

At the final whistle you had the rather bizarre sight of Martin being applauded by those home fans who had remained in the Lower Barclay as he strode towards the away following from Wales who serenaded him.

Martin has not had it easy this season but he has now plotted six wins from the last seven and moved level on points with the Canaries after this footballing lesson.

In terms of the direction of travel Swansea look a team on the up.

No doubt on a human level there will be a sadness watching what is unfolding at his old club. Martin has intimated previously he would never rule out a return. Plenty of Norwich fans would take him now. But it may be a while before those paths align. Martin may feel Swansea is a better bet in the short term.