After Norwich City's relegation to the Premier League was confirmed with a defeat to Aston Villa, Connor Southwell analyses six things you may have missed.
1 - Damning
Where to start?
Norwich City's sixth relegation from the Premier League has set a new record in the competition. They've gone down at the earliest point in a season in their entire history.
The last four seasons at this level have culminated in relegation. They've gone down sooner than the class of 2019/20 who capitulated in Project Restart. Earlier than they did under Alex Neil and Chris Hughton. This isn't what being competitive looks like.
All there is to play for in the remaining four matches is professional and personal pride. All four of City's loan players will return to their parent clubs, others are likely to move on and Dean Smith will be left with what is left for his Championship charge.
This season has done little to quieten concerns over City's model and the ceiling it has. The objective from those internally was for Norwich to become a 'top 17' club this season. Using that statement as a method to assess this dire campaign, they have undeniably and catastrophically failed.
The dial will now shift to who takes responsibility and how City move forward from here.
2 - The one positive
As news of Burnley's victory at Watford began to filter through to those in the away end, supporters responded with a hearty rendition of 'City Till I Die' followed by 'On the Ball, City!'
It was a defiant response to another painful relegation. Grant Hanley admitted after the game that supporters deserved better.
After a week of headlines about verbal exchanges between fans and Stuart Webber and increasing frustration about their fortunes this season, the scenes at the end of game signalled that supporters aren't prepared to walk away from the club they love in spite of a dismal campaign.
Supporters will, rightly, deserve answers and want to see a swift response to another relegation. They do want to hear about the future direction of the club. They want clarity.
After all, those in positions of power or playing on the pitch are just custodians. They are merely passing through. Now is the time for a fresh chapter, one that is positive and prosperous.
Before the game, Smith contested the points made about apathy growing among the fanbase, maybe the scenes at the final whistle show he was right.
It is not an acceptance but a show of love. Now their concerns must be put at the forefront of the conversation.
3 - Unlucky 13
When the team news dropped at 2pm on Saturday afternoon, a starting partnership of Grant Hanley and Sam Byram was Norwich's 13th different central defensive pairing of the season.
Byram has undoubtedly impressed Smith and his assistant Craig Shakespeare since their arrival in November and looked assured at points during this encounter.
But what does his inclusion say to Ben Gibson? With Christoph Zimmermann sidelined with another injury, the experienced defender was the only other central defender fit, yet he was left on the bench by Smith for the second week running.
That defensive instability has contributed to a porous backline that has been littered with individual errors all season. On this occasion, it was a slip and a concession from Brandon Williams that proved the difference.
Norwich have fielded more starting partnerships in that position than they did in the injury-hit season under Daniel Farke back in 2019/20.
Ozan Kabak has failed to fulfil the hype that greeted his arrival in Norfolk. Andrew Omobamidele would have played a significantly higher amount of minutes had he retained his fitness.
Both Farke and Smith have been searching for a successful formula, City's head coach is still looking. That may well enter his mind as the club gear up for a summer of recruitment.
4 - A cruel irony
Dean Smith has been around the footballing block and seen a lot during a career as a player and manager spanning 30 years, but even he wouldn't have expected to end the season with relegation at Villa Park whilst occupying the away dug-out.
As expected, City's head coach was given a hero's reception after a body of work that included promotion from the Championship, survival in the Premier League and a League Cup final appearance against Manchester City.
This was considered by home fans as a fond farewell to a proper Villa man. At times, the game played at an intensity akin to a testimonial.
Smith returned the appreciation both before and after the game, although he made sure his first act after shaking Steven Gerrard's hand was to venture towards the City fans and acknowledge their support.
It was a cruel irony on what should have been a memorable day. Smith won't be forgetting it in a hurry, but for the wrong reasons.
Emi Buendia's introduction was another narrative that will ultimately leave supporters pondering what if. Given the absence of creativity this season, how they could have done with the Argentinean midfielder this season. His first three touches a cruel reminder of what once was.
After the game, once Villa Park had cleared, Buendia and Teemu Pukki shared a conversation on the pitch. It would have been fascinating to be a fly on the wall, or the turf, for that chat.
5 - A fatal mix
There have been plenty of comments throughout this season about Norwich's lack of quality.
The numbers behind this season graphically illustrate their shortcomings.
Norwich have had the fewest shots (336), fewest shots on target (100), lowest shot conversion rate (7%) and lowest expected goals for (31.99) of all Premier League sides this season.
Combine that with a defensive record that includes the most goals conceded (71), most shots faced (562), second-most shots on target faced (200) and highest expected goals against (73.8).
Those statistics paint a damning picture of a Norwich City side that has been nowhere near the required standard to remain in the division. It is a concoction that culminates only in relegation.
They have become the first side in Premier League history to concede more than 70 goals in three top-flight campaigns. They did so previously under Nigel Worthington in 2004/05, Daniel Farke in 2019/20 and now again this season.
The challenge for Smith in the long-term is to shatter that mentality that swarms the club once it gets to the top-flight. As Jamal Lewis said so aptly at the start of the campaign: “At Norwich, in the Premier League, if you lose it’s like, ‘OK. Cool. Dust ourselves off and go again’. At Newcastle, it’s like, ‘No, that’s not good enough. We need to do this, this and this’.”
If Norwich are to stay at this level, that mentality has to shift.
6 - Where from here?!
Well, the obvious answer is the Championship.
But the point is wider than that. This season is now irrelevant. It is a non-event until the fresh one begins.
Maybe Smith will be proven right and the appetite for another promotion will increase should Norwich begin to record wins in the Championship. But it feels different this time. Supporters don't seem as content to merely ride the rollercoaster between the divisions.
There are many pertinent questions that require answering. At some stage this vicious cycle of yo-yoing will come to the end, the fear is that is as a result of getting a Championship promotion charge wrong rather a Premier League campaign right.
Many feel Norwich need more investment or even a change of ownership and direction to compete at top-flight level. The toxicity that has surrounded the club in the last week will only intensify if the start to next season is slow.
Norwich got it right last time around. Whether they can turn around this current ship which is currently residing over troubled waters remains to be seen.
This is just the start. Strap in, there may be turbulence ahead.
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