Norwich City: Chris Sutton column on Adam Idah & Teemu Pukki

Of course, the loss of Teemu Pukki is a damaging one for the Canaries - I've made no secret of my appreciation of the Finn. His goalscoring record speaks for itself and he's been the shining light in a struggling side at times.

The calf issue that's ruled him out of City's recent games has provided regular game time for a young talent who was in need of it, however, and the silver lining has been a chance to assess the Irishman's prospects at Carrow Road.

It doesn't take a genius to spot the signs that Pukki wants to try something different. That will leave Idah and Josh Sargent from the current senior striking ranks, and with the American now sidelined the responsibility falls on the former to put the ball in the net.

It's clear what the club think of him from the five-year deal awarded last month - David Wagner even confirmed his love for the young striker at his pre-Birmingham press conference - but he's yet to really cement his place as the heir to Pukki's throne.

The signs have certainly been there; when he scores it's usually one that makes you say 'wow', but sometimes he drifts in games and does things that frustrate you.

Idah has struggled with fitness issues throughout his time with the Norwich first team. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

The assignment for him now is to show the relevant people he's up to the task, and that no recruitment would be needed in the absence of Pukki next season. The advanced planning of today's scouting teams means they'd undoubtedly have options in mind, but a strong finish to the season could leave Stuart Webber with second thoughts in that department.

Idah is still a young player, and the room for improvement should be considered, but he's at the stage now where you'd hope to see some real progress. He recently turned 22, and it's been more than three years since he burst onto the scene with a clinical hat-trick at Preston North End.

A similar breakthrough moment came for me at 20 when I scored my own treble against Leeds United. I'd mainly featured as a centre-back during the 1992-93 season, but late in the campaign Mike Walker chucked me up front, and I knew I had to take my chance.

Thankfully I was able to score a few goals towards the back end of that season, and I had one of the best years of my career as a fully-fledged forward in 1993-94. Norwich fans will be hoping for a similar run of form from Idah as he takes the main man role, at least in the short term.

There is mitigation for his faltering start to life as a Norwich City first-teamer. Every footballer will tell you that putting games together is important, and the injury problems he's dealt with have been a frustrating hindrance so far. Put any professional in a situation where they start 12 times in three years and they will struggle for rhythm.

There's also the fact that, as previously mentioned, he's been competing with one of the best strikers to play for the club. That's proven a tough task for anyone attempting to win a starting berth from the 32-year-old in the last five years.

Idah has faced stiff competition from Teemu Pukki for a starting spot. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

Am I convinced that Idah can make the role his own? I don't know yet, but this is an opportunity to answer the questions being asked. He'll be aware of the discussion taking place, and the importance of impressing while he's got the chance.

Forging a successful career often relies upon delivering in these sliding-door moments, and this is a great opportunity for someone the higher-ups clearly believe in both short term and long term.

SUTTON EXTRA

I understand City supporters' frustrations around the inconsistency of performance since David Wagner took over. Against Hull they looked like a team ready to challenge for automatic promotion, and the 0-0 draw with Wigan was more like a relegation battle.

I think Wagner deserves time and patience, and I'm glad that fans are widely happy to give it to him. Where things have gone wrong long-term is clear, and the recruitment of 2021 has been heavily criticised.

I think it's time to draw a line in the sand, however, and accept that the money is spent. Whether that means adjusting expectations or not, it's been 18 months since that fateful summer, and we must focus on what's ahead.

Wagner has consistently chosen to speak about the direction he sees this club going in, as opposed to the previous transgressions that have left Norwich where they are.

That feels to me like the right stance, and the one most likely to inspire success at Carrow Road. 

It's no surprise there's been inconsistency under Wagner when you consider the group he inherited. They've been struggling to keep up performance levels throughout the campaign, and they've had their confidence damaged by a humiliating Premier League attempt in 2021-22.

Two encouraging performances against mid-table sides in Preston and Coventry were enough for tongue-in-cheek promotion predictions from me, but they never felt like the signs of a team who could continue to reproduce that all the way to the Premier League.

In reality, they were probably never as good as they looked in those games, nor as bad as they looked in the 3-0 defeat to Burnley heavily affected by an early Tim Krul error. The gegenpressing, attacking style the Canaries deployed was exciting to watch, but it'll take time to perfect.

That's why patience is the order of the day in Norfolk, and the early signs are that the City faithful are willing to give Wagner that.

Regarding why there's been such inconsistency, the errors are clear for all to see. But focusing on the future under a coach who has shown positive signs is best for the club from now on.