OPINION: Why Norwich City must not write off the rest of the campaign.

As I hobbled out of a flat Elland Road away end after another lifeless 90 minutes of Norwich City football, it was tough not to be disappointed by the complete absence of spark we’d witnessed. Hundreds of miles and hundreds of pounds were spent to watch a couple of away performances in which our squad was unable to lay even the tiniest of gloves on their opponents. At the time, I was furious. But over 24 hours later, when I write this latest column as I prepare to return to London from my northern base in Manchester, it all makes more sense.

Of course, any team should be able to generate at least one shot on goal in 180 minutes of football. And, certainly, it felt like City could have gone days without scoring at both Bramall Lane and Leeds. But, given the nature of our opponents, the amount of key players absent, and a quick look at the fixture list, it’s not the disaster some of us had anticipated. On Saturday, City faced a Blades club that has only conceded five league goals at home this season. And under the Elland Road lights on Wednesday, a formidable Leeds club that has kept a comparable number of clean sheets this season.

More crucially, they were accomplishing it without Marcelino Nunez, Borja Sainz, Anis Ben Slimane, or Josh Sargent, who was totally fit. If City had drawn blanks in the same fashion with all four of those guys on the field for the majority of the two games, I would be concerned. However, a team with a front three of Lewis Dobbin, Oscar Schwartau, and Onel Hernandez, as well as Kellen Fisher in a makeshift midfield, bears very little resemblance to Johannes Hoff Thorup’s first-choice starting XI, which I genuinely believe can still compete for the Championship play-offs.

That may sound silly considering our recent road record, but as I’ve mentioned in multiple columns this season, I believe this campaign has more life in it than many of us previously imagined. City are only five points worse off than they were at this point last season, when we comfortably made the top six and possibly could have ended one place higher. Many fans rejected David Wagner’s prospects of doing so, but credit where credit is due: the German beat the odds to propel us to the edge of Wembley. It did not end well, and it may not do so this season, but that is not the purpose.

This time, the conditions are different, and if City can take advantage of a favourable fixture schedule over the next few weeks, I don’t see why they can’t still make the play-offs. I understand the concept of a ‘transition’, a long-term ‘project’, and the fact that Thorup, 35, will require time to shape his Norwich City vision. But does it imply we should throw in the towel on a season in which we are just six points out of the playoffs, have key players returning, and face six teams in the bottom half over the next ten games?

We’ve seen what this City team can do when those key players are in place and Thorup’s system is working. It’s been frustratingly inconsistent, but I’d attribute that primarily to Thorup being forced to battle fire after fire in the form of injury crises, bans (some warranted, others not), and some questionable officiating decisions. The young Dane has handled himself excellently during difficulties, even drawing extra media attention at times and demonstrating an enthusiastic desire to learn. But, while we’re all rallying behind him and hoping that next season will be the one when things start to fall into place, a weakened squad drawing blanks at the division’s two most difficult venues isn’t enough to write off the rest of the season.

Win at home against Swansea and we’ll be looking upwards once again.

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