Paddy delivers his Blackburn verdict after Norwich City’s 2-0 Championship defeat.
1. Toxic
The first sustained chants directed towards Dean Smith were clearly audible 10 minutes into the second half. By the end they had reached a crescendo. When the dial shifts from a disgruntled minority then the red warning light should be on inside the Norwich City boardroom, and around the members of that executive committee.
By the end Carrow Road was a seething bear pit of angst; frustration on the pitch and disenchantment off it. Now it requires a response.
This was not the by-product of yet another home defeat. This was bigger, deeper and irrefutable evidence the problems run deeper than a malfunctioning team under a head coach seemingly unable to impose his style and philosophy to produce either consistent results, or performances.
Smith is front of house but the silence from sporting director Stuart Webber needs to end. The external lack of scrutiny from those in positions of power has gone on too long.
He will not get any but Smith deserves a sliver of sympathy for having to be the public face of this organisation. Whether they wish to hear it or acknowledge it.
Just listen to the voices of their fan base, and clock the ever-expanding swathe of empty seats.
2. Fighting talk
Smith did not shirk his post-match media duties. He acknowledged the hurt and the unpleasantness he felt hearing the scale of that adverse reaction towards him and his methods. He also spoke with the air of a man who did not expect to be sitting across Webber or the board any time soon.
There was a defiance to his tone and an unshakeable belief he is capable of turning this around and bringing the disgruntled back onside.
He also met squarely questions about his own future. He reiterated a mantra he outlined on his first day in the job, a week on from his departure from boyhood club Aston Villa when he was unveiled as Daniel Farke’s replacement.
Essentially he is not in control of his future or what happens to him. You could debate that, given his job security hinges on his ability to put a winning team on the park.
He also sought to protect his players and highlight the pressure even the experienced members of his squad now feel operating at Carrow Road.
But that is a direct result of City’s chronic output in front of those home fans. One win in seven is a regressive trend. Smith shot back with the statement Norwich could have gone third with a win and had won three of their past five. But he must know it needs to turn to stand any chance leading this into 2023.
3. No excuses
Smith’s call to stick with an unchanged starting line up, after what unfolded at Swansea took some understanding. A clean sheet win, yes, in Wales but anyone who watched that dreary display in possession, and still felt the underlying signs were positive, was deluded.
Maybe Smith felt given the solid defensive platform that withstood the Swans’ pressure those in possession of the shirts could build the attacking dimension. But bar Josh Sargent’s tireless display against Rovers it was more of the same. Norwich flatter to deceive, there is little in the way of any penetration or even a cohesive pattern of play.
When they do enter the final third there is lack of precision or clinical intent.
You look at the calibre of resource available for this level – from Sargent to Teemu Pukki and even Adam Idah – and it is a mystery why Norwich is unable to muster any real sustained threat level. That must land squarely at Smith and his inability to mould a template around two of the most potent forwards in this league.
4. Changing man
Despite those early second half cat calls Norwich did respond in positive fashion. They were unable to find a breakthrough and were punished late on, with the aid of another deflection to deceive Angus Gunn. But it felt like it was the arrival of Onel Hernandez who offered a spark. Liam Gibbs also added drive and energy in the middle of the park.
Should those at board level opt not to yield to the demands of many who had left Carrow Road long before the end, then Smith must surely shuffle his pack for Luton. Ben Gibson was hesitant again after arguably one of his better showing in recent months at Swansea.
With Andrew Omobamidele fit and available it would be a suprise not to see him return alongside Grant Hanley at Kenilworth Road. But Smith’s confirmation both Dimi Giannoulis and Todd Cantwell were fit and merely overlooked will only spark a growing glamour for the City head coach to make changes.
With Marcelino Nunez preferred to Aaron Ramsey on the bench even in defeat it underlined again there is a depth to his Norwich squad. They do not lack for options in the search for answers.
5. What next for Isaac?
City’s Newcastle United recruit is an impressive leader but he increasingly carries the air of a player still seeking to regain the match sharpness and physical peak conditioning that will take time after such a long period out.
When he was unveiled as Smith’s first summer signing there was a genuine ripple of excitement a Premier League upgrade to that problem area in defensive midfield could unlock plenty of potential.
But a setback on his road to recovery from a knee injury turned into a prolonged period on the sidelines.
Hayden is now getting the miles on the clock and building the endurance in his legs but there is a lack of control to Norwich and a disconnect from back to front.
That would be unfair to shovel the responsibility onto Hayden’s broad shoulders alone. But in a situation where Smith has problems piling up – and no real discernible way forward – how he can manage Hayden in a wider quest for a midfield formula that can get Norwich upwardly mobile becomes a greater issue with each frustrating episode.
