Terri Westgate: Norwich City have given fans hope of a play-off push .
Norwich City has shown to be a formidable home team this season, sometimes fighting out a draw against tough opponents and other times exploding for goals when they perceived vulnerability in the opposition.
However, on the road, victory has been more difficult to come by, with travelling Canary fans sometimes facing a lengthy journey home following a heartbreaking loss. January has been a challenging month, with player absences occurring when we played clubs at the top of the league. The surprising victory over Swansea at Carrow Road provided much-needed encouragement to the players, staff, and fans.
Many went to Watford with dread, uncertain whether we’d be able to win back-to-back games. However, when the opportunity arose, Josh Sargent seized it and poked the ball into the net. His striker’s instinct to be in the right place at the right time allowed him to add to his goal tally against the Hornets, setting up a 1-0 victory for all three points.
It may not have been the finest performance of the season, with opposing manager Tom Cleverly accusing Norwich of employing “dark arts” to get an edge, and both sets of supporters will have had issues about the calling of the game. However, winning was as much about confidence as it was about points and where we are in the league.
The Championship is a fast-paced competition, with games coming thick and fast. There is little time between games to regroup, players are sometimes hurried back from injury, and teams may fall apart when things go wrong. This is not helped by a few impatient supporters on social media, who consider every setback as a tragedy and declare that “one more loss and the boss must go!”
The most level-headed supporters understand that, despite the evident quality in the group, it is not yet the strongest, as seen by the absence of first-choice players. There are young and inexperienced players who need to gain experience and time to improve.
The first season under a new coach, along with considerable changes in the playing staff, is expected to be a transitional one. We all want to see goals and enjoyable football, but we must accept that mistakes and disappointments will occur while everyone adjusts.
Josh Sargent was back in the goals against Watford(Image by Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd.)
Telepathic passing between players, knowing where someone will be without even glancing up, requires hours of training. The synced-up rhythm necessary for the fast-paced football that rips through the opposition is developed over time on the field. The recipe for becoming a successful, promotion-winning squad is complex, and the alchemy requires time. Not least because 23 other clubs are attempting to halt you in your tracks.
Norwich City are now seventh in the table, only a few points outside of the play-offs. We may have struggled against the top three clubs, but the remaining February matchups include teams from the lower half. On our best days, we can beat anyone in this level, and with players returning and newcomers settling in, there is hope that we can now experience a run of strong form that will help us improve our status.
It’s too early to say if we’ll have enough to be promoted in May, but if we don’t, this season won’t be a disaster. We all know that entering the Premier League without the necessary team and resources can be catastrophic and an unpleasant experience for fans. It is possible that this year is a stepping stone, and the next year will be our year to soar.
At the present, Norwich City’s season is precariously balanced, but whatever happens, I’d gladly take a few more of those narrow 1-0 wins on the road to give our fans a happy return home.
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