Some fans have described it as a crash down to earth, others as a reality check. My own reasoning is that we simply witnessed what the Championship is: a division where any team can beat another on their day.
We could examine the lack of quality in our crosses, question the officials’ decisions, or be vexed about the loss of Josh Sargent, but sometimes in football it just isn’t to be, and it’s fair to say that nothing clicked on our trip to the New York Stadium.
On another day, we could have walked away with three points, thrilled that we would spend the next two weeks in pole position during the international break.
However, it wasn’t another day, and we find ourselves in fifth place, looking upward. A position that most of us would have been fairly grateful for before the current campaign began.
I would certainly conclude that our previous result would have a meagre bearing on our season, and we will all witness some similarly puzzling results across the season.
If we are to judge our upcoming fortunes, the next five days will present much more concrete evidence. We will be welcoming a Stoke City side who have experienced varied fortunes so far this season, and Leicester City, who many have wagered will be crowned champions come May.
Hopefully, it is a good time to play the Potters, considering they have had a massive squad overhaul over the summer, with their fans feeling they require more time to gel. They have added 18 new faces to the playing staff, showcasing a window that even Chelsea would be jealous of.
It’s been a mixed start to the season for Alex Neil’s side, who have only registered two league wins since the start of the season, with 19 different players all starting games.
Stoke are a side that likes to have the ball; they can boast an average of 60.6% possession per game, albeit with that amounting to just 13 shots on target.
Our aim would surely be to harass them, disturb their possession, and, dare I say it, out-muscle them. This is not the physical type of Stoke side we have become accustomed to.
Leicester City are also undergoing a transformation of their own in their approach. Their fans have historically taken delight in witnessing swift ball movement to the attacking third, marked by enthusiasm from players past and present such as Vardy, Heskey, and Nugent as they pursued those long passes.
Now, they set out to dominate possession, with a much more patient build-up.
Following a bright start from new boss Enzo Maresca, he should be wary that the fans could get frustrated with his attempts to play a certain style, as they did during Brendan Rogers’ reign. Of course, this will likely be our toughest test to date, but taking three points from the favourites could be an early season definer.
Both upcoming opponents have switched to three at the back recently, albeit with Leicester adding extra complexity to that shape with the wider players tucking inside to add depth to their midfield.
Maybe this could make David Wagner weigh up his wide options and release the raw pace of Przemysław Płacheta to expose those potential gaps; maybe he will keep faith with Christian Fassnacht, who has a clear knack of putting the ball in the back of the net.
With the first league midweek game of the season, we may be seeing the first act of rotation from Wagner.
I see Adam Idah leading the line again, after he added to his Ireland tally in the week. With Idah being high on confidence, he could have the best week of his Norwich City career to date.
OTBC!
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