Norwich City: Connor Southwell column on defensive improvement

The history books would need to be opened back to Nigel Worthington's Division One-winning side for the last time a Norwich side displayed real steel across a campaign. 

Chris Hughton achieved it briefly in the Premier League but his approach was categorically rejected by supporters and ended up with City dropping out of the Premier League. 

For years, the ethos has centred around attacking football in many different forms. Paul Lambert went for a 'you score three, we'll score four' mantra, Alex Neil was determined to affect games offensively and Daniel Farke's philosophy was close to an art form when played at its fullest. 

Even Mike Walker committed to a front approach. Ken Brown likewise. Ron Saunders was disciplined in his tactical outlook. John Bond found a happy medium between the two extremes. 

Dean Smith was recruited in an attempt to bring pragmatism back to Carrow Road. He failed. David Wagner is now on a similar mission, albeit in a very different way. 

After a damaging ending to their 2022/23 campaign, Wagner is steadfast in his determination to make Norwich a more uncomfortable and prickly opponent. Those intangibles have led City's recruitment drive this summer and taken them to Shane Duffy and Ashley Barnes. 

Narcis Pelach has led sessions on defensive shape and Norwich more widely have worked on their counterpressing. All of it has been geared towards making them tougher to beat and face. 

Throughout his coaching career, Wagner has a track record of improving teams defensively. 

That is documented at Borussia Dortmund II, where he left with his team having scored just three goals more than they conceded, Huddersfield, where he was promoted with a negative goal difference and at Young Boys, where his side let in just 56 goals in 40 matches. 

Therefore, to see Norwich looking more organised and possessing better foundations shouldn't come as a surprise. The issues have come for the German when it's come to his teams creating opportunities consistently. He has to prove the history books won't repeat themselves this time around. 

Although much of the discourse around pre-season has been around the warning lights flashing when it comes to creativity, there has been genuine improvement defensively.

Norwich have looked more compact, their positional distances have been much improved and they haven't conceded opportunities with the same regularity as was the case. Duffy has made a huge difference. In their last four pre-season games, even including the extended match against Toulouse, they have conceded just once in four matches. 

Norwich City have conceded just three times in pre-season. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

Wagner is hoping that the system he is employing - a preferred 4-4-2 with a double midfield pivot - will help Norwich construct chances through high turnovers and an aggressive press. 

The same is true for the work they are doing out of possession. That is why they haven't and won't recruit a conventional defensive midfielder in the mould of Alex Tettey, Oliver Skipp or even Isaac Hayden. 

Wagner wants his central midfielders to support the play and press with intelligence - sticking someone who will cover and screen isn't conducive to a fluid system when pursuing the ball. 

Norwich will rely on energy to help them defend. It will rely largely on an ability to transition into their defensive shapes quickly, and is why Wagner has placed such an emphasis on his side being one of the fittest in the division. 

They have been building up slightly differently with the ball in pre-season - replicating teams like Liverpool by adding another player in central areas to help them control counter attacks from opponents.

These subtle tweaks have made a real difference to their work against the ball so far. 

History shows that a strong defence will yield success in the Championship - you have to go back to Middlesbrough's side in 2018/19 for the last time a team in the top three defensive records didn't make the top six.

If Norwich can tighten up at that end, there will be less emphasis on creativity. It will only require City to produce one or two moments in every match. 

Of course, that strategy relies on Norwich standing firm consistently. It is risky to adopt - it will require hard work on the training field and luck when it comes to keeping their frontline options fit. 

The biggest fear is how that approach will convert to matches at Carrow Road when teams will employ low blocks and seek to frustrate. Norwich are yet to show they can answer those particular concerns. 

Norwich will hope Gabriel Sara and Marcelino Nunez can provide part of the solution - but the answers have to be more varied than that or crossfield passes to full-backs.

Norwich City have tightened up defensively in pre-season. (Image: Adam Harvey/Newsquest) 

Given the way last season ended, Wagner will require a fast start or the pressure will amplify quickly. There can be no false start or any sign of their struggles continuing. 

Frustrating displays at Carrow Road will do little to build bridges with supporters desperate to see an improvement. Patience, after one win in 11 last season, is wafer thin and the clock is already ticking. 

If Norwich can maintain that defensive improvement heading into the Championship campaign, there is a hope that will bring a more liberal approach to their work both in possession and productivity. 

There remains work to do - that will continue as they head into the new campaign - but if Norwich fans were after signs that Wagner has the capability of improving City as a team, then the work against the ball serves as proof. 

A lot more will need to be done to convince that a new chapter can be written - but the tentative signs of improvement showcase that Wagner can bring positive change to Carrow Road.