Norwich City: Man City's Callum Doyle and fans' problem

Well the way Callum Doyle is going, it looks as though many of us are in danger of rapidly falling into that trap.

Manchester City loanee Doyle, remarkably just 20, has been nothing short of sensational since his exciting summer switch, already capturing the hearts of Norwich City fans with a series of dazzlingly dynamic displays.

And while there were no shortage of eye-catching performances to get excited about at Coventry on Saturday lunchtime – Anis Ben Slimane, Oscar Schwartau, Marcelino Nunez and to a slightly lesser extent, Ben Chrisene in particular – it was Doyle who stood tall as City’s hero of the CBS Arena.

Where to even begin with Doyle?

Is it those bone-crunching yet perfectly timed slide tackles, slicing cleanly through Tatsuhiro Sakamoto to trigger a raucous reaction in the away end yet prompt salty tears for a ridiculously rattled Mark Robins?

Is it his laser-precise range of passing from that wand of a left-foot, so often finding teammates in promising positions ahead of him to kickstart those fluent free-flowing moves we saw throughout the second half?

Or is it his warrior-like, indefatigable spirit that every football fan loves to see, visibly celebrating winning a goal-kick as City were running down the clock by turning to the away end and roaring in our direction.

Put simply, Doyle looks to have the lot – and it’s been nothing short of a joy watching him star in yellow and green this season.

You get a lot of centre-backs in the modern game who may be technically gifted in possession, nurtured by a philosophy of playing out from the back first pioneered in this country by Pep Guardiola.

Callum Doyle has settled quickly into his Carrow Road surroundings (Image: Paul Chesterton)

Doyle, having grown up in a Manchester City set-up where that approach filters down the academy, obviously fits that bill – but with an added injection of steel and physicality, appears to be relatively unique.

It wasn’t just that booming tackle on Sakamoto.

In the games Sheffield United and Blackburn at Carrow Road in the two weeks before, defiant Doyle once again delivered a series of hard-hitting challenges that demonstrated his willingness to put his body on the line.

Technical ability, positional awareness and line-splitting passing aside, Doyle is a player who clearly loves defending and takes serious pride in his work keeping the ball out of the City net.

And while there’s no doubt the likes of Shane Duffy and Grant Hanley do too, it’s difficult to escape the feeling that Ben Knapper has recruited an upgrade in a totally different stratosphere of modern-day defender.

Midway through the second half at the CBS, a young lad behind me noted to his mate that Doyle played ‘every single pass with conviction.’

And he couldn’t have been more bang on the money, with Doyle so often finding teammates in positions others would never spot, let alone be able to pass to, thanks to his remarkable radar and ability to play the ball through the lines at pace.

Football aside, Doyle just seems to get it – as evidenced by his fired-up, fist-pumping exploits in front of his own fans in the dying moments and at full-time, when he deservedly positioned himself at the front of the City players and took a few extra moments to soak in the celebrations in front of the jubilant travelling supporters.

We may only be four league games in – but it really does feel like we have a lot to be excited about.

Doyle may have been the star of the show so far – but in Slimane and Schwartau’s Coventry cameos, Nunez’s ball-playing brilliance, an ever-improving young left-back in Chrisene and quality in several other areas of the pitch, there’s no reason why City cannot be in a position to challenge this season.

Throw into the mix a bold, fearless and seriously impressive new manager in Johannes Hoff Thorup, and it’s hard to escape the feeling that things may already be starting to click.

Sadly, the international break will deprive us of watching this rapidly developing side seek their second consecutive Championship win this weekend.

But when the action resumes back at Carrow Road in eight days’ time, there’s no doubt Doyle will be front and centre of it as he continues to endear himself to an increasingly adoring fanbase.