Norwich City 0-1 FC Magdeburg: Davitt friendly pointers

1. Welcome home

A first Carrow date of the summer for those Norwich City fans tempted to sample a Friday summer’s night in the South Stand or Lower Barclay. A first chance for Johannes Hoff Thorup to imagine what a home stadium bursting to the seams might look and feel like. 

Bundesliga 2 opponents, FC Magedeburg, and their noisy following certainly played their part in what proved a competitive workout. 

Borja Sainz’s rash decision to indulge in a spot of keepy uppies as he retreated towards his own box was compounded by the blind pass intended for George Long intercepted by Baris Atik, who rounded the City keeper to slot.

The shame of that was not a pre-season concession in a game where the result was irrelevant in the bigger picture. The Germans should have won by more on the weight of chances, and smacked the crossbar late on from Daniel Heber.

But rather it seemed to stem a bright start from the Canaries and their new head coach. There was an urgency and an energy that waned in the bulk of what unfolded thereafter.

City now depart for Austria, and another touring week, for what Thorup labelled afterwards 'decision time' for some in his squad.

But when newly-promoted Bundesliga side FC St Pauli, and their expected 4,000 strong contingent, visit Norfolk for the pre-season finale Thorup would rightly expect to see more evidence of the attractive brand of football that was his call sign in Denmark. 

2. Teasing Thorup-ball 

Focus on that first 17 minutes or so of this friendly and you could almost feel the buzz from those in attendance at Carrow Road watching a cohesive City side on the front foot, and looking a threat every time they moved forward at great speed.

You could see the shape Thorup wants in possession, with Grant Hanley and Jacob Sorensen’s starting positions inside the Germans’ half. That ensured Norwich’s most potent options were in advanced positions, where they could really probe. 

There was another glorious glimpse three minutes prior to the interval, when Jon Rowe dived into central midfield and got on the turn before a lovely flick from Sainz released his fellow wide player to accelerate and pick out the overlapping Kellen Fisher.

It was incisive, pacy, penetrative. It was also proactive, which has been the sub-text ever since Thorup was unveiled as David Wagner’s successor at the start of this summer.

Norwich want to dominate games of Championship football with possession, but that is not a charter to strangle opponents in ever decreasing circles of endless passing phases. 

The object of the exercise is to get in and around the penalty box as quickly as possible, to disorient and disrupt what Championship rivals will look to do in reply. 

The tantalising aspect to pre-season thus far is we have seen glimpses of light but the dial at present remains tilted towards an evolving process of education and assimilation for these players to the Dane’s demands.

3. Trading places

The sight of Adam Idah, Josh Sargent and Ashley Barnes watching from just behind the home dugout really did open the door for the support cast.

Idah missed out with a knock after featuring in the midweek open training session. Sargent is yet to complete his opening week of pre-season after his Copa America delayed return, while Barnes took his seat on crutches after recent calf-related surgery.

Abu Kamara started down the middle of the attacking three, flanked by Rowe and Sainz. Albeit there was a degree of flexibility between Rowe and Kamara as the opening period meandered from a City perspective.

In truth, it was only when Gabby Sara was thrust into an attacking spearhead role for a spell, in the aftermath of Liam Gibbs replacing Kamara, that Norwich had a focal point to try and build their forward motions.  

Much to unpack and the inevitable transfer window dimension around players such as Idah, Sara, Rowe and even Sargent to potentially factor into the equation as the summer trading hots up across the game.

Thorup indicated afterwards both Idah and Sargent are likely to get minutes in Austria against Hoffenheim.

It may well come down to one or the other when the real Championship business gets underway at Oxford in relatively short order. 

But the personnel on show, both on the pitch and in the stands, for Magdeburg’s visit perhaps underlined that is one area of Thorup’s plan that is yet to really take firm shape. 

4. Cordoba clockwatch

A 15-minute or so outing on the Carrow Road grass for City’s only senior summer signing, Jose Cordoba.

Not a huge window to showcase why the Canaries were so keen to complete a deal for a Panamanian international centre back who had attracted interest from among others Rangers and Brondby.

There was one encouraging snippet in the 83rd minute, when he underlined that power and athleticism he brings, to race back and lever Marijn Kaars off the ball to shepherd it back to Long. 

Inside the club there is a genuine feeling City may have produced quite a transfer coup, if the 23-year-old’s natural gifts can be harnessed by Thorup on the training pitches of Colney. 

He seems to have everything to prove he is a cut above Championship grade. Now it is about the length of his adaptation to the unique demands of a 46-game league season. And who knows, some play-off tussles into the bargain. 

In the short term one would feel there is a log jam of central defenders now vying to line up alongside Cordoba.

But City fans will hope there are some more signings to salivate over in the coming days and weeks, so the focus is not solely on the one addition to the roster.