Chris Sutton: Jon Rowe saga epitomises flat City start

Clubs cannot force a player to play, but I was at Blackburn Rovers on Friday night, and it is hard not to compare Rowe's antics with those of Sammie Szmodics, who has been heavily linked with a move to Ipswich Town and the Premier League. 

Instead of sulking and throwing his toys out of the pram, Szmodics featured for Blackburn and scored off the bench. His presence helped them change the game against Derby, and I'm sure he wasn't totally motivated. The difference is that he was committed to his team-mates. What's different? 

Rowe isn't coming out of this at all well. He is a badge kisser and often declared his undying love for the club. That will be fake to Norwich supporters who have done nothing but adore and praise him. 

I like him as a player. I made mistakes as a young player - I sat in a press conference with Robert Chase when I'd already signed for Blackburn - and he will look back on this episode in years to come with major regret. 

It's selfish behaviour. People will look at him in a different light. It's his team-mates, ultimately, who have paid the price. 

Players are happy to sign contracts at clubs, and it's the way of the world that you adhere to it. It's his prerogative if he wants a move away and few would begrudge him the opportunity to go to Marseille, but there is no reason why he couldn't play. 

Banishing him to the under-21s, Thorup has little choice but to make an example of him. It would have been in everyone's interest if this could have been sorted out on Saturday. He could and should have handled it differently. 

I suspect Rowe will end up getting his wish, but it'll be interesting if Marseille don't up their bid to sign him because he will end up wasting precious time. Who knows, other suitors could be looking at this and thinking better of signing the winger. 

In my view, I think he would benefit from another year in the Championship. He's a great finisher and an instinctive goal-scorer, but some of his combination play, physicality and creativity could all improve. 

You can blame advice all you like, and he's a young man, but he makes the call. It's a poor one. It isn't helpful for anyone. 

I turned down the chance to play for England during my playing days, and people can throw that at me, but that wasn't a lack of motivation, it was one made out of anger because I thought Glenn Hoddle had made a poor decision. I regret the way I handled that now. 

But I never went to a manager saying I wasn't motivated to play. That is a terrible attitude. Maybe it is something that has filtered into the club slightly over recent years - but it encapsulates a tough summer for City. 

I'm finding it hard to shift the feeling that something isn't quite right. There should be an optimism and ambition at the start of the season, but it feels like it's unravelling. I don't blame Thorup for that, he's been dealt a tough hand. 

If you're a Norwich supporter, you see a new head coach arrive, and you hope to see the side push on in terms of style of play, recruitment and ambition. 

You want hope as a supporter. You lose Gabriel Sara. Then Rowe withdraws. There are further rumblings around Josh Sargent - it would be incredibly testing to that optimism to see all of those players walk away from Norwich. 

The way they lost that game to Oxford, where 2-0 actually flattered Norwich, it was a disaster. There was a lack of clear identity and, although they won the Carabao Cup tie, there were still very real concerns. Even through pre-season, everything has felt lacking.

It seems like the club have a mountain to climb. The season is already underway, and it still feels like Norwich are getting ready. 

That is really disappointing. Over a thousand Norwich supporters made their way to Oxford; there would have been that expectation, and they didn't lose in the right way. All the way through this summer, there have been some issues. 

Even the Delia Smith and Michael Wynn Jones ownership transition to Mark Attanasio, that feels like something that could have been done prior to the season beginning. It doesn't half make life difficult for Thorup. 

I'm feeling underwhelmed right now. You shouldn't be starting the Championship season feeling that way. Every football fan should open their curtains in the morning of the first day with optimism; that didn't feel like it was the reality for Norwich fans. 

It is only one game. But could things have been handled differently over this summer? Could they have been smoother? I don't blame Thorup - but he's already firefighting one game into the job. 

I understand this all needs time, but it feels very late right now. I don't want to be negative, but it is the way I feel. People will tell you differently, and there is an ambition, but it's such a slow way of starting a league season. 

My expectation was that it would have been a more positive start with more green shoots. It was always going to take time, but it feels like a season that already needs a shot of something to get it going. 

Perhaps a convincing home win against Blackburn can do just that, but Norwich, Thorup, and Knapper need to get it going quickly. 

Adam Idah is close to a move to Celtic from Norwich City. (Image: Paul Chesterton)

CELTIC-BOUND

Adam Idah is now close to a move to Celtic for a fee that could be £9.5m - a price point discussed with interest from both sides. 

From a Celtic perspective, that figure isn't that much for a development player in this day and age. Clubs always tend to pay more for potential and Idah still has plenty, even though it hasn't worked out as anyone hoped at Norwich. 

I've seen two different players - the one at Norwich who seemed unhappy and seemed to have the weight of the world on his shoulders and the one at Celtic, who flourished under Brendan Rodgers. 

There are so many strong performances to recount. He made a huge impact during his loan spell, scored some crucial goals, none bigger than in the Scottish Cup final, and was key in their success. 

I was surprised they didn't move quicker to get him. With Kyogo going down on a few occasions against Hibernian, the need for reinforcements was key, and Rodgers will be delighted to finally land him, even if he's been made to wait while the clubs thrash out a deal. 

From a Norwich perspective, there will be fans who will be wondering how on earth they've managed to get that fee for him, but I think with his age and profile, it's not a massive fee relative to today's market. 

Celtic would have liked to have paid less. But it has become necessary to sign him. 

I've written plenty of columns over the years on Idah and the wonderful attributes he has, but there are loads of factors as to why Norwich never managed to get the best out of him. 

Idah was behind Teemu Pukki; he probably didn't get the loan he needed earlier in his career and maybe didn't feel loved at Carrow Road, but it clicked at Celtic from the moment he arrived. He will benefit from Rodgers' coaching no end. 

My view is that he would have been a good asset for Johannes Hoff Thorup, who clearly rated him, and Norwich this season - but in the interest of all parties, it is a move that works for everyone. 

Norwich will have to move to replace him, and it will be difficult to uncover someone with the same qualities as Idah.