Chris Sutton: Plenty of good - but City have work to do

With Delia Smith and Michael Wynn Jones officially handing over the reins of the club to Mark Attanasio, there is a need to discover some stability as everyone establishes their role and assesses where the club is at whilst forging a new strategy. 

Norwich aren't a yo-yo club anymore. This is the third campaign in the second tier, and the model has changed. This is a transitional period for the club, and there has been a lot to contend with in recent months. 

The real positive is that the bulk of the support understands that this will take time. Even though recent results haven't been great, I'm positive that, in Thorup and Knapper, the club have the right people in place with a real plan. 

Over the past few seasons, it has felt like the club hit rock bottom with fan relations. There was anger at the performances and a tangible frustration about the club's direction. It's been a hard watch on the pitch. 

Even though the results were better under David Wagner, can anyone really say they were enjoying the football? That submissive 1-1 draw with Southampton and the general gap between what was promised in terms of approach and actually delivered left plenty to be desired.

Thorup has shown glimpses of what his style of play could be about with victories over Watford and Hull, that should enthuse the fanbase about the future. 

While patience is necessary, the club still needs to improve. It is unforgivable that they are in a position without a suitable back-up for Josh Sargent. 

Of course, most people understand that they cannot inflict the amount of change wanted all in one window, but it was an obvious gap in the squad during the summer window. On the inside, there will be that regret at how they've left themselves short. 

Ashley Barnes' injury setbacks haven't helped, and Ante Crnac has struggled centrally as he continues to adapt to English football. 

On the flip side, it is a difficult role to recruit for - just ask Adam Idah - but this is a situation that many supporters would have foreseen coming, so it's frustrating those inside didn't. Asking a player to play second fiddle to Sargent isn't easy, but it's possible.

In the last promotion seasons, they did it well. Jordan Rhodes backed up Teemu Pukki, whilst Jordan Hugill played a similar role in 2021. 

Norwich's goal threat at the moment is relying on Borja Sainz to cut in from the left-hand side and bend one into the top corner. He's done that numerous times, but no team can rely on one source for their entire goal output and expect to remain upwardly mobile. 

For me, I come back to what the sensible supporters of Norwich City would have taken at the start of the season - and that is signs of progress and to be comfortable in the Championship. 

I hope I'm wrong, but this doesn't feel like a side that can compete to get to or play in the Premier League. 

So it's important to see a plan to build to that stage. That is in place, and now it's about working towards that. Attanasio's involvement offers hope that process can be more streamlined, but recent weeks have shown the squad doesn't have the depth to challenge right now. 

As a starting XI, Norwich have a group that can push for the top six, but when they are forced to dip into their squad, the drop-off is too big. That only creates the type of inconsistency that has defined the season so far. 

It's a brutal league. It's highly competitive. Many of the teams are much of a muchness, but when Sargent is missing, I have a totally different outlook on their prospects. 

These young players need time to develop and show their worth. The whole point is that they're signing development players and trusting Thorup to improve them so that they can sell them on in the years to come whilst making progress in the here and now.

Every season that Norwich are out of the Premier League, it becomes harder and harder to get back there. 

There are many clubs that are in the same boat as Norwich, so they have to try and do something different. Appointing Thorup was a left-field move, but we've seen enough in the opening months that we can trust his coaching ability - he just needs a bit of help in terms of recruitment. 

That is going to be the key to this whole project. What the club is trying to become in terms of lowering the average age and development is a model that the support can understand and buy into. That is why there is and has been that patience. 

But let's get it right - if this team lose their next three games, frustration will grow, and more pointed questions will be asked. 

So while some things done this season have been positive, the fact that they've left themselves short in attacking areas is an error of judgment. It can be argued either way, but the team are suffering as a result. 

In January, there is work to be done - but it isn't an ideal signing window because of the inflated fees. I've seen talk of Kemar Roofe as a short-term option, but his injury record isn't great, and a short-term filler isn't a guarantee. Any player signed now will need to to get up to match speed.

This season has been okay so far. With this league, with a couple of positive results, you can find yourself back in the play-off push, but the other side of that is a few negative ones, and you're looking over your shoulder. 

Norwich are at a crossroads now after losing their last three games. It's going to be a really interesting next block of matches. 

Ashley Barnes will lighten Norwich City's striking load with his return from injury. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd) SUTTON EXTRA

I love Ashley Barnes and think he's had a great career. He's proven himself at the top level to be a major handful, but the question is whether he is a handful now. 

One thing he won't lack is aggression and passion, but his style of play is not about stretching defences by running in behind; it's about having his back to the goal and bringing team-mates into the game or getting Norwich up the pitch by finding runners in other areas. 

The beauty of Josh Sargent is that he can play with his back to goal, run in beyond, or play on the shoulder - Barnes just simply cannot do that. 

Let's get it right. He's been out since the start of pre-season, so it's going to be a big ask to expect him to be dropped in and then immediately make an impact or produce a consistent goal return. He's going to need time. 

I know all too well from experience that it's harder to come back and be as sharp the older that you get. Barnes will need to be managed correctly. 

He will have an important role to play, but it will come down to when Johannes Hoff Thorup is prepared to throw him into action. If Barnes plays centrally, then Norwich will need to adapt either the way they're playing or the make-up of their attack to utilise his strengths. 

They will need to find runners in behind and will have to place a greater emphasis on crossing. 

It shouldn't be forgotten that Barnes played a key role under Vincent Kompany in a possession-heavy style of play, so maybe Thorup and his analysts can look to replicate how he was deployed in that system, which hinged on two direct wingers. Perhaps Onel Hernandez can form part of that solution, with Borja Sainz on the other. 

In my view, any team missing Sargent, who is the best all-round striker in the Championship, would suffer. It is a shame that Barnes isn't further down the road in terms of his own fitness to help lighten the load. 

We'll see. Hopefully, he can come back and have an impact. Ante Crnac central didn't work. Emiliano Marcondes as a false nine didn't work. Thorup will keep chucking things in with the hope that something will click rather than a belief it will work. 

The team has functioned in the same way since Sargent's injury blow. Norwich need to stumble upon a solution.