With the 2015/16 season technically opening 1 July, this is a good time to both look back, and ahead for Norwich.
Clearly the Canaries reside where they want to be—or arguably ought to be—the Premier League. The glitz and glamour from the attacking football City boss Alex Neil generated was the perfect amount for Norwich to dramatically earn promotion. But even that ‘Day of Days’ should become more of a memorable highlight than the club’s ‘greatest moment.’
The truth is, no one truly knows Norwich City’s greatest moment because it hasn’t happened yet—hopefully. As the new season emerges Wednesday, it should be a new City—one with new kits and a newly unveiled holding mid, Youssouf Mulumbu. This is undoubtedly a better squad than the one Paul Lambert squeezed double promotion out of, so it’s justifiable to have higher expectations.
Of course fans want the maximum allotment of points. And while a spot in Europe seems distant, so too should a relegation race. Ultimately that’s up to Neil to decide, but a strong roster with Premier League quality is identifiable of the newly promoted Norwich. Even the transfer rumours that have pour in have been exuberant. City aren’t just going after Championship-proven forwards; they’re approaching talent that could strike crushing blows in the first-tier. For as strong a window as ex-manager Neil Adams’ had last summer, it’s nothing compared to the potential in the next few months. Need a comparison? Look at the central midfield. Last year adding Gary O’Neil was wise: a man who plays on promoted sides. Yet with the addition of Mulumbu and Dorrans full-time, where does that leave O’Neil? These are Premier League problems.
As the club moves forward, it’s about competing against the big clubs for big name talent. So far, that’s exactly what City have done with the Virgil van Dijk inquiry from Celtic. If they also wrap up the signing of Dynamo Kiev’s Dieumerci Mbokani, he’ll be another strong front man that should have the potential for a dozen or so goals, optimistically.
There’s reason to smile and dream cautiously of the future ahead. Presently, all the right steps have been taken to direct this club moving forward. It might be a slow, gradual one, but there aren’t any foreseeable bumps that bring this club to the Football League. So yes, this football season was special. That day at Wembley was special too. But now in 2015/16, as well as the future, may reason we relive that win come in the form of a Cup match, or dreaming big—a Community Shield.
The new season is upon us. It feels a new dynasty is as well.
