Jacob Sorensen is confident that Norwich City can extract positive lessons from their 3-0 pre-season defeat to Club Brugge in Belgium on Wednesday.
The Danish midfielder was part of City's first group of players exposed to an hour of action against a side at the conclusion of their preparations for the new season.
Norwich were without key players and are still in the building phase of Johannes Hoff Thorup's desired game model with another tough test against Standard Liege to come on Saturday.
Sorensen was quick to contextualise the defeat in Roeselare as part of City's learning process under their new boss.
"We faced a strong side who have their first competitive game on Saturday, so we knew that they were in a different place to us and have had a long pre-season," Sorensen told the Pink Un.
"Apart from that, I think we played well in some parts of the game and showed a bit of what we worked on during the week. In other situations, we have to be more clever, I think.
"It's a good test, as will Saturday be against Standard Liege. It's about learning, getting into the rhythm and knowing your teammates and their movements, especially in the new system that we are playing.
"You can see today that there is plenty of work still to do. We still have four or five weeks, and we have the time. Football is a funny game. There are so many different situations and so many aspects of the game. It takes time.
"There were definitely good periods in the game today."
This was the opening game on City's first overseas trip of the summer, and Sorensen has outlined why, alongside the on-pitch development of the side, the camps abroad are so pivotal to generating togetherness ahead of a gruelling Championship campaign.
"It's good. We are around each other 24/7, and there is plenty of time for small meetings and chats with the coaching staff and your teammates. It's something we appreciate - to go abroad and stay together for a period of time," Sorensen said.
"You need everyone on board, and everyone has shown their commitment so far. That's definitely being a big part of being a team; being together."
- The Pink Un will be providing full coverage of the Canaries' time in Belgium, including both friendly matches against Club Brugge and Standard Liege, in partnership with Chips Away Norwich
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