Robin Sainty: Norwich City need to restart their engine

For the last couple of seasons it’s been central defence that has suffered, but now it’s the strikers, with Ashley Barnes now looking likely to join his strike partner Josh Sargent on the sidelines.

Just as Borja Sainz and Jacob Sorensen get close to fitness, City now find themselves reliant on the inconsistent Adam Idah and Hwang Ui-jo, who has played minimal English football, up front and the goal glut of the first five games has well and truly dried up.

It’s hugely frustrating, because on Wednesday night City performed impressively against the side that I consider to be the best in the Championship and were well worth at least a point.

The final score flattered Leicester, who had their crossbar and a stunning save from Mads Hermansen to thank for City not drawing level in an impressive second-half fightback in which Przemyslaw Placheta impressed in place of the strangely lethargic Jon Rowe.

The first half was certainly one for the purists with both teams building slowly and prioritising possession over adventure, but Christian Fassnacht’s impulsive challenge on Stephy Mavididi meant that City went in behind.

However, the second half was a different story and emphasised how effectively David Wagner and his team have re-established the connection with fans.

The Leicester fans were silenced as Carrow Road roared the team on, and on another night the result could have been very different, but nothing fell for City in the box, despite several goalmouth scrambles, and there was a certain inevitability that Leicester would eventually catch them on the break given their quality.

That said, both goals came from City errors in possession and Wagner will be keen to stamp those out, but credit should go to Jack Stacey and Shane Duffy who were outstanding in defence, as was Kenny McLean in midfield.

Whereas last season’s team would have crumbled against a team with the technical quality of the Foxes, Wagner’s men continued to work their socks off until the final whistle and that was reflected in the applause that they received at the end.

I’m normally like a bear with a sore head after a defeat, but I actually left the ground feeling surprisingly positive, because while the injury to Barnes was worrying, City had just gone toe to toe with an excellent side and matched them in almost every area.

What is particularly noteworthy about this year’s team is how quick they are to recover when teams catch them on the break, something at which Leicester were very adept. Time after time Gabby Sara, McLean, Fassnacht and later Onel Hernandez got back to make crucial tackles just when it seemed that the opposition had an overload.

That’s obviously down to fitness, but also mentality, an area in which Wagner has wrought a massive change, and there is now no such thing as a lost cause, which is great to see.

The Championship table is now starting to take shape with the usual surprises, not least the fact that Preston North End are currently top, or that Leeds and Southampton are mid-table, but as we know from City’s own experiences it can sometimes take time for a relegated club to find its feet, while others drop away as the attritional nature of a 46-game slog starts to bite.

On that point, it’s worth noting that early in Daniel Farke’s first promotion season Leeds came to Carrow Road and looked unstoppable in winning 3-0, yet City ultimately went up and they didn’t.

While City have suffered a couple of setbacks which have stalled the momentum of the first five games they are still in a good position and now have a run of fixtures which could allow them to build up another head of steam, starting at Home Park this afternoon.