2 weeks Ago
The first half was pure chaos, we were as open as a hot cross bun, soft in the middle and split wide open. Had we shipped a third goal before the break, it could’ve felt like an era ending display of the Dane’s tenure. But then came the spark.
Marcelino Núñez and Josh Sargent lit the fuse. After half time, we were fluid, aggressive, and brimming with belief. Against a Burnley side unbeaten at Turf Moor all season, we were the better team, full of purpose and playing like a side with something to prove.
The design was tactically sophisticated, shifting into a back three with the ball, with Kenny McLean tucking into the left-back spot, and reverting to a solid back four when out of possession. It was structured and intelligent, much like Thorup himself when he speaks: calm, clear, and quietly confident. And now, as the season starts winding down, trying to judge it as a whole feels like trying to complete a puzzle with half the pieces missing (which Thorup must have felt with team selections at times).
At our best, we’ve produced some mouthwatering football, and on occasion tearing teams apart at Carrow Road. But far too often, we’ve looked raw, naïve, and painfully easy to pick off. The remaining four games present two contrasting types of challenge.
On the road, Millwall and Middlesbrough, both currently on 60 points, are just two shy of the play-off places and will be throwing everything at a late surge into the top six. In stark contrast, today’s visitors, Portsmouth, are fighting tooth and nail to avoid the drop, as are our final-day opponents Cardiff City, both determined to retain their Championship status. How we respond to these final challenges won’t just define our finish this season, but show if the foundations Thorup has laid are strong enough to build something lasting against sides scrapping for every point.
And after just two wins in our last 12, we could all do with some tangible evidence that progress is being made, and that hope isn't misplaced. Given our recent form, it's only natural to start scrutinising the manager more closely. The ‘Hoff’ has now dropped three players for disciplinary reasons - Jose Cordoba for oversleeping, Shane Duffy for travel-related issues, and Onel Hernandez after questionable social media activity.
While it's encouraging to see him hold players accountable off the pitch, if Thorup truly prides himself on being a disciplinarian, that same authority needs to translate onto the pitch. Instead, we’ve too often looked disorganised. Multiple personnel changes from the bench have led to visible confusion, particularly when there have been moments where players aren’t sure who’s on set-piece duty.
Add to that the lengthy suspensions picked up by Borja Sainz and McLean (twice) and it paints a picture of a squad that, at times, lacks control and cohesion. This may sound harsh, but it’s my biggest personal question mark over Thorup. Of course, comparisons to previous seasons are inevitable, two particular ones are being drawn, but perhaps not entirely fair.
At this stage last year, under the unreasonably maligned David Wagner, we were 18 points better off and heading for the play-offs. And Daniel Farke’s maiden season had us seven points ahead of where we are now. But Thorup is not Farke nor Wagner.
He has his own vision, his own methods, and, crucially, his own project. What he’s building at Norwich needs to be seen through its own lens. He is a young manager with fresh ideas and, like many in his squad, he is still learning the demands of Championship football, a league that is both longer and far more unforgiving than the Danish Superliga he came from.
That learning curve was always going to come with bumps in the road. But he’s shown enough intelligence, adaptability, and belief in a clear identity to earn enough credit in the bank for me..
