The first month of the new season has suggested that Johannes Hoff Thorup is the sort of man you could trust to do a few jobs around the house.

I’ve always subscribed to the theory that DIY stands for Don’t Involve Yourself but the City head coach is giving the impression of someone who relishes the prospect of popping on his overalls and safety goggles.

Saturday’s winning goal at Coventry was the Canaries’ first away from home since the Dane took charge. However, there is already a clear pattern emerging. Watch back any of Norwich City’s goals from the month of August and you will see a well-crafted move, some snappy passes in the build-up and the ball moving quickly. There’s no need to ring Canary Call and ask the classic question about what they are doing in training because when it clicks it’s there for all to see.

The win at Coventry might have to be the blueprint for any hopes of City success this season.

In the first half the passing wasn’t as slick, the ball was given away too easily and moves broke down before they really got going. As a result, Norwich struggled to create any proper chances. Thorup proved himself to be the sort of man who can reliably tinker under the bonnet. The decision to send on Anis Ben Slimane and Oscar Schwartau at half-time saw the Canaries assume control.

For this version of Norwich City to win matches in the Championship all of the moving parts have be well oiled and working properly. They perhaps don’t have the sort of individual brilliance that David Wagner could call upon to clinch a top six finish.

Saturday’s victory was Norwich’s first against Championship opposition in nine matches. Their last league win was at Preston back on April 13. That match was destined for a dour 0-0 draw with 86 minutes on the clock. There was little sign of a winning goal until Gabriel Sara collected the ball on the right, swerved his hips to Samba beyond the entire PNE defence and fire in one of many brilliant goals he got last season.

That’s why Sara was able to command a huge transfer fee in the summer. The same goes for Jonathan Rowe. He clinched a move to Marseille by being capable of remarkable moments of individual skill. The way he scampered half the length of the pitch to give Norwich an important lead at Hull City in a crucial game back in January being a perfect example.

Johannes Hoff Thorup has been decisive in his actions so far since taking over at the helmJohannes Hoff Thorup has been decisive in his actions so far since taking over at the helm (Image: Paul Chesterton)

Reader of Ben Lee’s excellent Pink ‘Un column about Norwich’s tactical approach might have noticed a common theme last season. It’s always fascinating to a layman like me who has watched thousands of games of football without ever truly grasping the tactical nuances. Ben would often write about how Norwich’s results defied the statistical picture of the game. It felt like the writer was often left scratching his head as to how Norwich had managed to win a game. Moments of unpredictable brilliance helped to paper over the cracks of any shortcomings in Wagner’s approach.

When Norwich City sell players for big money that ability to produce something out of nothing is often sacrificed. Perhaps, as the season goes on, we’ll discover another talent with a magic wand in one of his boots but Thorup was hired for his reputation as a coach so that sort of wildcard doesn’t have to be relied upon.

For now, the losses of Sara and Rowe is being covered by the new head coach slowly constructing a new yellow and green machine. He seems to have high standards and didn’t mince his words when explaining why he took off Forson and Crnac at half-time on Saturday.

I just hope he never gets to see the state of the last set of shelves I attempted to put up at home.

 

 

Cov win felt big…

Saturday’s win wasn’t season defining but it will have a big impact on the mood around the club.

When I sat down to present BBC Radio Norfolk’s Breakfast Show on Wednesday morning, messages from the previous night’s Canary Call remained on the studio screen.

One text was bemoaning Norwich City’s defending in the 4-0 cup loss at Crystal Palace and warned us all to wake up and smell the coffee. ‘Destined for League One’ was the gist of the message.

The very next note on the screen was from a fan who was much more upbeat. Anyone watching the display and not seeing that a bright future ahead was deluded, apparently.

That was the crest of the dilemma that I was feeling as I pulled up at The CBS Arena on Saturday morning.  Norwich hadn’t yet won a league game but they had played well and showed signs of huge progress in drawing with Blackburn and Sheffield United.

Promise doesn’t equal points in the Championsip. At some point Johannes Hoff Thorup was going to need something more tangible. Had he not got that elusive victory at Coventry the international break would have meant two more winless weeks at least. Pressure would have been building and patience tested.

To win for the first time and keep a clean sheet for the first time this season felt big. Away to a club with genuine play-off aspirations, Norwich dug in and showed the sort of defensive fortitude that had been questioned.

We know they definitely can do it now and, while there is still room for improvement, City fans have something of value to buy into.