David Wagner has challenged his Norwich City squad to prove that Saturday’s comeback win at Cardiff can be a defining moment in their season.
City halted a dire run of form with an unlikely 3-2 comeback having found themselves behind with less than 10 minutes to play in South Wales.
The victory was the Canaries’ second in 11 matches and eased some of the substantial pressure that has been building on the City boss.
The key now is unlocking a consistency after the break - and Wagner is hopeful the victory will help them start afresh after a bruising couple of months.
“It was anything but a surprise for me because I said this before, and I love these players, I love this dressing room,” Wagner said. “I know we don't have a problem in the dressing room. There is a good togetherness in this dressing room.
"We lacked individual performances in the past, obviously, and this cost us. Players win the games, they cross the white line, and today they won it. I'm super proud how they've done it, with a team which never played before together like this.
"It shows that in football if you believe you always have a chance. I said this to them in the team meeting. If everything looks against you, you have two opportunities – you take the blanket and put it over your head and you hope it's over at some point. Or you go for it and fight for it and get your confidence back; win your battles every single one, the 50:50 battles.
”This is how you can win your confidence back, and this is what the players have done.”
Norwich now pause for a fortnight with incoming sporting director Ben Knapper joining the club on Monday.
City return to action against struggling QPR - and Wagner knows the scenes in South Wales cannot be another false dawn for his side.
"Kenny (McLean) in the dressing room spoke and said this has to be a turning point, we cannot take our foot off the gas,” he said.
“But at the end of the day, as I have said, the players win the games. Focus and concentration was absolutely on a high level and the desire and the aggression, which we need to win a football match, was there as well.
“These are the basics, which we now have to show consistently, because then at least you stay in the game and you have a chance. This is what we missed in recent weeks.”
