Now the Championship test for new look City truly begins

Park the national hype, expectation or conversations about what might be possible under Johannes Hoff Thorup's stewardship this season and just strip it back to the basics; at this moment in time, City are fun to watch and provoking mass enjoyment. 

The fact that international breaks are now an inconvenience to watching City rather than a welcome pause speaks volumes about the early work that the Dane and his staff have undertaken during their time in Norfolk. 

The progression witnessed under Thorup and his coaching team from game-day one at Oxford to the slick and commanding display against Hull is remarkable. 

City have been quick playing possession-based football with a purpose. It is a game model that has looked effective even after a mere few months of attempting to perfect it. Even now, Thorup is hungry to discover another gear. 

Take the temperature of City supporters post-Hull and throughout the international break, and the reading would have been off the dial in terms of positivity. Fans have connected with the narrative being told and the strategy those in the corridors of power seek to implement. 

Even during those first testing weeks, the fanbase have remained on board. After conceding a late equaliser at Blackburn, they stayed to serenade the group off the pitch instead of frustratingly slipping away on the full-time whistle. 

The majority of this Norwich campaign, barring that horrific opening day at Oxford and self-harm at Swansea, has been productive and positive - from the mood music to the strategic decisions to the performances on the pitch. 

But the real litmus test about what might be possible is about to play out in front of our eyes with this upcoming run of Championship games. 

On paper, as the Opta Analyst has calculated, it is the third most favourable run of six fixtures in the Championship after Portsmouth and Bristol City - but avid second-tier watchers know the dangers that await them. 

In a run that starts with Stoke (a) this afternoon, City face Preston (a), Middlesbrough (a), Cardiff (a), Sheffield Wednesday (a) and Bristol City (h). 

Four games on the road in the next six present a real challenge. Stoke won their last home match 6-1 against Portsmouth, Preston are improving under Paul Heckingbottom's tuition, Cardiff will have a new manager when City rock up in South Wales and Bristol City will be hoping to flourish for Liam Manning after his tragic news earlier this week. 

Thorup will be desperate to improve City's fortunes on their travels. Under David Wagner, they won just six times and took 24 points - more than only five other sides, three of which were relegated to League One. 

City enjoyed away day delight at Derby earlier this month. (Image: Martyn Haworth/Focus Images Ltd)

The challenge will be translating City's game model into opposing stadiums against teams willing to be more adventurous and the circumstances significantly tougher. 

Equally, teams will now begin to produce gameplans designed to nullify their strengths rather than imposing themselves. That will require a degree of problem solving from Thorup and his group. 

City have also begun to pick up injuries and knocks - that is inevitable in the hurly-burly nature of the Championship, but last season it derailed the Canaries and saw them slip to 17th in the table in November. 

Their treatment room doesn't contain the same number of bodies as this time last year, but with Angus Gunn missing for this three-game week and Marcelino Nunez and Jose Cordoba needing management, it will be a test of their squad depth. 

Can they produce similar performances without Nunez, if necessary? Will the change of keeper affect their deep build-up phases? Do they have the options on the bench to chase and see out games while preserving the fitness of their core talent? Can they win whilst not being at their best? These are the questions still to be answered. 

The hope is that the City's structure is strong enough to handle some personnel changes, but when the margins are so slight, any minor alteration or unwelcome gust of wind can throw a team off course. 

Even minuscule factors like the changing weather, three-game match weeks and extensive travel, especially for those who arrived from overseas in the summer, can prove testing. 

While aesthetically pleasing football and well-devised structures will continue to be important, the next block will be about mentality and character in equal measure. This group proved they have it at Coventry and Derby, but can they dig that deep regularly?  

This run won't define the Canaries' fortunes, but it will offer insight as to where expectations can realistically be set. It will also serve as an opportunity for Norwich to show that this run is more sustainable than just a good patch of form. 

If they can navigate the hurdles of facing a side with a coach who knows all their buttons, tips and tricks alongside ticking over points throughout the next block of matches before the November break, then hope can begin to transition into cautious belief that something may be happening. 

Johannes Hoff Thorup will learn plenty about his Norwich City side in the upcoming run of matches. (Image: Daniel Hanbury/Focus Images Ltd) In Thorup, City have a boss who will refuse to accept his side getting carried away or failing to rise to the moment. This will be a test of him and his coaching team in equal measure to his squad. 

We're about to learn a hell of a lot about this Norwich City side under Thorup. The answer could reveal what is in store for them throughout this campaign and where the bar can realistically be set. 

Right now, it's about keeping heads in the clouds but having feet firmly on the floor.