If you asked a lot of Norwich fans their predictions before a ball was kicked this season, you’d have found it hard to find anyone predicting what has actually happened.
Daniel Farke’s side were full of confidence, emerging as Champions from one of the most competitive and enthralling seasons of England’s second-tier in recent memory.
Twitter was awash with predictions of mid-table, comfortable survival, and some were refusing to rule out the possibility of a European push based off Wolves’ heroics last season.
But on a cold, wet, Friday night at Carrow Road, those dreams look a long way away.
Norwich were second best to a poor Watford side who suffered an 8-0 defeat to Manchester City earlier in the season, a team who Norwich earned only their second win of the season against.
The same mistakes continued to repeat themselves; wasteful possession handed the Hornets an early goal, Norwich’s attackers simply not taking their chances and frustrating passing play that results in so many interceptions.
Excuses have been made all season, but in reality, the simple fact is that Norwich simply aren’t good enough to compete at this level.
The failings of the 17/18 season are seemingly rearing their ugly head again, but this time Farke doesn’t have a James Maddison to steady the ship. Norwich can’t score, look awful defensively and lack the finishing edge that haunted them during Farke’s first season in charge.
The 5-1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on the final day of that season was a game I had the displeasure of attending and watching the Watford and Brighton games gave me a particular deja vu that I didn’t ever want to experience again.
But, where do Norwich go from here?
On the pitch, Farke firstly needs two centre backs on the pitch, something that will be possible for the trip to Goodison Park.
But after that, Norwich need to find the flair that carried them to the Championship title last season.
This team seems a million miles away from the team that blitzed Leeds United, and even the side who shocked Manchester City.
Maybe a formation change is in order? Perhaps switch to a three-centre back-formation?
Or maybe the simple return of injured players will rejuvenate the Canaries?
It is something that will be debated over the next few weeks. However, what is glaringly obvious is that whatever Farke is trying at the minute simply doesn’t work.
Then we turn to off the field matters…
It was always going to be tough, but I don’t think Farke has been given a decent shot of even trying to stay in the division. Yes, the self-funding model is what you want to have, in an ideal world, but circumstances dictate that it simply doesn’t work here.
The fact Norwich have only spent a max of £4 million over the Summer just shows how it can’t work. Yes, Norwich have a decent squad, but spending next to nothing and expecting survival is laughable.
Spending doesn’t guarantee survival, I’m sure we’re all bored of talking about “doing a Fulham” by now, but you have to spend something to compete in the richest league in the world.
The club accounts that were released last week just show how difficult a situation the club is in. If you compare Norwich’s spending to other Championship clubs, it was hardly in the same ballpark.
But still, they lost over £30 million.
Therefore, the only way seemingly out of this problem is for some cash to finally be invested in the club.
Delia and Michael Wynn-Jones have taken the club as far as they can. They have been some of the best owners a club could have over the last 20 years, but now they simply don’t have the funds to continue to sustainably support the club.
We’re not going to go and do a Leicester and win the league, that’s just unrealistic. But, attempting to become an established Premier League side should be the goal of a club like ours, not a mid-table Championship club.
For all the people who come out and say “The Championship is a better division”, it’s really not when you’re 2-0 down, away from home, on a cold wet Wednesday night in Rotherham, is it?
The Championship is a great division to watch… from afar, when nothing matters.
The season isn’t over yet. But, things have got to change, on the pitch and behind the scenes, if Norwich are to be the team we really want them to be.
