The Canaries’ midweek cross-border trip to Swansea on Wednesday marks their 10th league outing of the campaign.
From uncertain beginnings Wagner’s remoulded squad had made positive strides before a Plymouth embarrassment, and injuries to key players, checked that momentum.
“The first steps are done. But it’s still early and we have to improve, we have to get better. I’m very, very much looking forward to the future,” he said. “We all together have quite a good picture in our head, which looks similar as a group, and that is important. We know how we want to defend and attack. Do we do it always perfectly? No. There is space to improve.
“Did we have some games where we lost our structure, and we were very vulnerable? Yes, this should not happen as often as it happened in the first nine games. Defensively, yes, when I look on the statistics we conceded 10 in two games. Obviously we are better at this. And we have to show that we are better than this.
“But we are on a journey, and with the knowledge the players already have, and with the hunger to improve and do something special this year, I am confident. But it is only two months, three months in.
“Birmingham was maybe not the most entertaining football match. But it was a match which, especially in the first half, we totally controlled. We had our moments where we should score, where we should have been a little bit more clinical – without creating lots of chances – but enough to go in front.
“Obviously then in the second half Gunny (Angus Gunn) makes a great save and we deserved to score our goals. It will not be a win we discuss in 10 years, but it was important after the previous week.”
Norwich latest road trip is their first on Championship business since leaking six goals at Plymouth. City’s travelling support made their feelings known during and after events at Home Park, but Wagner insists they have been the one constant in his tenure.
“Our support, home and away, is outstanding. This is how it is since day one, when I arrived,” he said. “I remember Preston and then Coventry. Preston was quite far away. We have unbelievable support, and this has continued this season as well.
“At Fulham on a Wednesday night in the cup, where it was clear and obvious that we will make a lot of changes, we had an unbelievable support. This is something which gives us energy.
“We are very lucky to have our away supporters and hopefully we can give them something to make this journey back a good one. That is our aim. This is what we like to do. We had some good away performances in the past, and we feel quite confident to play away from home as well. This is a big challenge for us.
“Swansea is a good side, especially at home. We have to make sure that we are ready for the hard yards, for the dirty yards, for the fight as well in this game, and then we will see what we can get out of it.”
The Swans appear to have hit a seam of goalscoring form, after a shaky start under Michael Duff, who replaced Southampton-bound Russell Martin.
“Two 3-0 wins speaks for itself. A side in superb form,” said the City chief. “In ball possession, technically, they can play very good football. They changed their shape two or three games ago, and in this moment it looks like they have found better form and better results.
“There is not a big, big secret about them. We know exactly what we will face, and hopefully we’ll find the right answers for the questions which they ask us.
“I’m more than confident if we do what we are capable of doing in ball possession, if we keep our structure, if everybody does what is asked in their position with the same passion, hunger and desire we’ve shown in the past we have everything to get a good result.”
Borja Sainz continues to be assessed after his ankle knock on development duty, but Wagner outlined no other fresh fitness concerns from those on duty against the Blues at Carrow Road.
The German on Monday pledged to tweak a winning line up for two away tests in the coming days prior to the international break.
“This is why we build the squad, which is competitive, where we can give players game time and minutes,” he said. “And then when they come to the pitch they are asked to push and to help and to keep the demands, and the standards, as high as they’ve done the whole time.
“More or less every one of them deserved to start, or to come on. It is about the players making it super competitive week in, week out, and that makes my job harder.”
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