As a Norwich City fan, there’s plenty for us to smile about right now.

We extended our unbeaten run to four games after the 4-0 rout of Hull City just before the international break. The result and the performance seemed to be a statement of intent, fuelling our dreams with the word ‘promotion’ being whispered ever so slightly.

We can all feel a real buzz around the club right now, and you can see the confidence growing with fans and players alike. We looked incredibly slick against Hull, most particularly on the break, and you can sense the belief building both on and off the pitch.

After nine games this season, we’re in the same league position as we were at this stage last term, even with one less point to the good. Two years ago, we were second in the league, three points better off. So why does this season feel more promising?

The difference lies in the energy around the club. Dean Smith’s football was as dull as ditchwater, and he never really embraced his time here, while David Wagner was never fully accepted by the Carrow Road faithful.

Now, there’s a renewed sense of excitement, a belief that we’re moving in the right direction -something that’s been missing since Daniel Farke's side swashbuckled their way to two Championship titles.

It seems that Johannes Hoff Thorup has had a quicker impact than most of us believed, with his side shifting their style seamlessly.

Thorup is like a masterful conducter, skilfully and gracefully guiding his Norwich City orchestra to perform in harmony. Borja Sainz, the agile fiddle, adds his flair and intricacy to the attacking play, darting in and out of spaces with precision and speed.

Behind him, the back four provide the steady percussion, with Callum Doyle as the crashing drum, breaking up opposition attacks with forceful, decisive interventions, turning the defensive to the offensive swiftly.

Meanwhile, the midfield duo of Kenny McLean and Marcelino Núñez act as the deep, resonant bass, providing stability and rhythm and holding everything together at the base. Under Thorup’s direction, the team is hitting all the right notes.

One of the marks of a top coach is being able to take his players to another level. Developing players at any stage of their career is something that Thorup has discussed on more than one occasion since he traded Denmark for Norfolk in the summer. There are already evident successes in this department.

Sainz has already overtaken his goal return from last season, when the Spaniard hit home on six occasions and claimed two assists. Sainz went into the international break as the division's top scorer and has already levelled the amount of times he has turned provider for his team-mates.

Likewise McLean, who looks dead set to beat his Championship best of six assists this season, having already set up his team-mates three times. We are also bearing witness to Shane Duffy using the ball in a much more effective way, having upped his pass completion to 90pc, a significant improvement on last season's 83pc.

The average touches for a central defender is 40 per game, and that marginal difference means Duffy is no longer losing possession an extra three times per game like before. His new-found composure on the ball has transformed his contribution, helping us build from the back as effectively as we are.

The burning question in my mind as Thorup’s men head to Stoke this weekend is whether Narcís Pèlach’s inside track of the squad could be a showstopper for Thorup’s side. Today’s game takes place exactly a month after our former first team coach left us to pursue his own ambitions as a head coach at Stoke.

His team did hit Portsmouth for six, but have failed to win any of the other three matches during Pèlach’s brief time in charge; either way, it does feel like we might see plenty of goals today. OTBC!