Norwich City 1-1 Leeds: Paddy Davitt Championship pointers

1. Benchmarking

Johannes Hoff Thorup played down any sense in the build up this was an early season duel between two promotion contenders. But in the next breath he also offered up Leeds as a club who will be in the shake up, and this Carrow Road date would tell him a little more about what he had under the bonnet.

The Dane will like the answer. City finished the stronger after Largie Ramazani had cancelled out Josh Sargent’s first half penalty.

That one big late chance eluded the hosts but against a club who ended their play-off hopes last season, and under Daniel Farke had won four of the last five ahead of his latest Norfolk return, Norwich were a match.

Farke showed his old team plenty of respect in the way the visitors sought to nullify Kellen Fisher and Callum Doyle by restricting their freedom of movement to spring forward. City should take that as a compliment.

After wins against Watford and Derby this was another step up and fresh evidence Norwich could perhaps get themselves into that promotion conversation. Even if Thorup is loathe to stick the Canaries in that bracket at this early stage of his overhaul.

2. Slow burner Slimane

A first league start for Anis Ben Slimane for Norwich following his summer deadline night transfer arrival. In between there were two encouraging cameos from the bench at Coventry and more recently Derby.

There was also a period on the treatment table, with a ‘hamstring-related’ issue that included an observation from his new head coach a relative lack of minutes in the Premier League for Sheffield United last season would require him to work on his physical robustness.

That calmness in possession but also perhaps a need to adapt to the intensity of the Championship were stamped through his Leeds display.

Slimane cut a weary figure when he was replaced for the final quarter, with the rotation and movement of the visitors pulling City’s midfielders around as that second half elapsed.

Four minutes in and he served up a lovely pivot to lose two midfielders and release Sargent into the channel. But midway through the half giving the ball away to the tigerish Ao Tanaka, and relying on Marcelino Nunez to bail him out.

Then later in the half he was swarmed around and dispossessed by Brenden Aaronson, only for Jose Cordoba to make the clearance.

But there was also the intelligent sourcing of space between the lines, and the presence to attack a Nunez free kick with a knock down that dropped wide of the far post early in the second half.

Thorup is a fan. So much so once there was initial encouragement the Blades were open to a loan move, Slimane became a prime focus in the closing days of City’s transfer trading. Thorup’s belief is the 23-year-old can be a cornerstone of his midfield.

Now the first start is out of the way he must kick on.

3. Duff intel

So keen was Thorup to hail Shane Duffy’s renaissance in the green and yellow he turned the tables at his pre-Leeds media briefing by posing the question himself.

No doubt Duffy has proved a few doubters wrong, which Thorup candidly admitted included himself in pre-season, regarding the 32-year-old’s ability to add the passing and possession elements to his robust central defensive craft.

As Thorup outlined on Monday, his coaching staff took the Republic of Ireland international back to his Brighton days during the summer, where he was part of a Seagulls’ side who won Championship promotion and established themselves in the Premier League.

Fair to say David Wagner placed different physical demands on Duffy, very different to his predecessor. Thorup wants centre backs comfortable on the ball and happy to take it in stressful situations in those deep build up phases.

In the 35th minute of a high quality first half Nunez drilled the ball into his feet in the right back berth for Duffy to snap a first time pass into Fisher to spark a flowing move that ended with Doyle’s near post cross diverted by Sargent against Meslier.

Once Kenny McLean opted to jump and was turned by Willy Gnonto, Duffy was on a loser as he slipped in Ramazani for the equaliser. But this was another shift that underlined why he has emerged as a reliable option on and off the ball.

4. Here we go again

Barely had that hectic summer transfer window disappeared into the rear view, and it feels there is already a need for Ben Knapper to focus on his January in-tray.

Thorup’s rather gloomy fitness bulletin on Ashley Barnes, an experienced striker yet to kick a ball in anger for the Dane, brought into sharp focus the reliance on Sargent, and the lack of that profile of striker in the squad to supplement their main goal getter.

The American’s cool first half penalty was his third goal, along with three assists, in eight appearances this season. A prolific conversion rate he replicated last season either side of an injury lay-off.

Ante Crnac deputised in the League Cup at Crystal Palace, but this is a young man trying to nail down his spot on the right of City’s attacking three following a big-money move from Poland. A stiff enough task without the burden of having to step in for Sargent down the middle if the situation demanded it.

With no timescale on a Barnes return, and the former Burnley striker now in a protective boot ahead of a potential decision whether to embark on further surgery, that top end of the pitch may need to be re-visited come the next transfer window.

But at the other end of the pitch there are also decisions to be made on crucial players such as Angus Gunn. The Scotland number one is now in the final year of his current Carrow Road deal, and from January his representatives are free to explore overseas options. Thorup wisely threw that pass in Knapper’s direction when pressed for an update on Monday.

But there will need to be clear signals delivered to the likes of Gunn, Barnes and even a Grant Hanley in relatively short order.

Yet it is that top end of the pitch, particularly if Norwich can remain in and around the right end of the table by the turn of the year, that is likely to demand the greatest attention. The work never stops.