Norwich City need a complete reset - starting with new boss

New joint majority shareholders Mike and Mark Attanasio sat at Vicarage Road and endured the sorry capitulation with their own eyes.

Ben Knapper is only a few days in to his role as sporting director. He was just feet away from the American investors in the freezing cold Hertfordshire directors' box and you can only imagine what was going through his head.

"You don't know what you're doing," rang out from the away end at Watford as a significant number of the 1,300 diehard Norwich City fans gave a succinct verdict on head coach David Wagner.

There were plenty of reasons for the mix of anger, frustration, exasperation and disillusionment from the supporters.

It was bad enough a few weeks earlier to surrender a 2-0 lead at Carrow Road against Leeds.

Wagner keeps saying City players have to learn from their mistakes and yet an even more feeble submission than against Leeds came at Watford.

It is the first time in the last 60 years that Norwich have lost on two separate occasions having been two goals ahead (statistic from @ncfcnumbers on Twitter).

There's a depressing familiarity of having a snippet of positivity followed by a downward spiral.

Danny Batth's early header followed by Hwang Ui-Jo's super strike put City in the box seat.

Yet within a blink of an eye, the errors returned, the goals were conceded and there was only going to be one winner.

You'd never give a Norwich City player your dog to look after - as none of them can hold on to a lead. Yes, it is dark humour time.

There have been far too many times this term when the Canaries have been ahead and can't see games out.

Southampton away, Coventry away, Sunderland away... the list is growing.

We continually hear about Norwich turning a corner. But every time that happens, they head back into a dark cul-de-sac.

Earlier on Tuesday as we prepared for the Watford match, we had sat in the office and purred at the footage of that Grant Holt-inspired 4-1 trouncing of Ipswich at Carra which happened 13 years ago to the day.

What a world away we are from that.

With little over two weeks until the Old Farm Derby at Portman Road, we can only fear what may materialise.

The thought of that game must be one of many prompts to Knapper and the board to take swift and decisive action.

As much as I never like seeing anyone lose a job, Wagner has to go.

And his departure has to be part of a total reset at the club which is spiralling towards a crisis.

Sadly, Wagner's comments before and after matches have all the hallmarks of someone who has badly lost his way.

After Saturday's very underwhelming win over QPR, he said: "We have to play a little less entertaining if we are to win games."

Where was that ability to win matches after being two up at Watford just three days later?

The goals conceded column now stands at 35 in 18 games - only Rotherham are worse in the Championship.

In the post match press conference at Vicarage Road he said: "It was nothing about the tactical approach it was about focus and concentration."

Of course the players have to take responsibility for their failings - and there were plenty of them. Where is the leadership and tough mentality on the pitch?

However, for Wagner to absolve himself of blame in terms of the tactical approach is little short of farcical.

In the same interview, Wagner said: "The players were shocked by Hwang's injury. It affected the group."

What? Have those men never been in a game when a teammate has got injured?

What about the Huddersfield match earlier this season? Josh Sargent scored to put City one up early on and got badly hurt in the process.

I would suggest that was a much more significant blow than losing Hwang - and Norwich went on to win that 4-0.

One other comment from Wagner which I want to pick up on shows that he clearly isn't aware of how fans are feeling.

After Watford he said: "Listen, two weeks ago it was quiet (about my future) and now we lost a game we could win after a good start so I understand the frustration but it doesn't help."

The vast majority of people I spoke to before the QPR match (even after the Cardiff win) thought he should go. There was little change in the opinions even after the tortuous victory.

There seems to be no game plan. Wagner can't influence a game with his subs.

Why on earth is Borja Sainz not getting more a chance in a team which has now lost eight times in the last 12?

The City AGM is almost here when the owners and Knapper will face some really tough questions.

I think they have to make the big call to remove Wagner before the meeting starts. As well as that they need to crucially set out a vision for a reset to get us out of this mess.

And as part of the reboot I think questions have to be asked about the future of executive director Zoe Webber, who is intrinsically linked to the previous regime. 

Baffled by the corners

There are so many issues in City fans' minds at the moment.

And while I'm not suggesting it's the root of all the malaise in NR1, one thing which really annoys me is how Wagner's team defends corners.

To paraphrase a certain former Carrow Road manager, I don't remember my team as England manager.

I don't have coaching badges and my outlook on a football ethos may be seen as somewhat simplistic.

However, plenty of those around me in the River End top tier agree with my groans as yet another corner is defended with everyone back.

If City are playing Man City and are a goal up with three minutes to go, I totally get having the cavalry in the box and defending with their lives.

However, against second from bottom QPR, who had only scored about a dozen goals all season, surely doesn't warrant such an approach?

With no player out of our box, every time the ball was cleared it came straight back. 

If we leave one up, the opposition is likely to keep two back. 

Attack has to be the best form of defence.

Time for sin bins?

There's been an interesting debate this week about whether sin bins should be brought into high level football.

In lower leagues they have been trialled to combat "tactical fouls" and dissent and seem to have had some success.

There is a logic to the current yellow and red card system and I guess everyone knows where they are with it.

But I like the idea of referees having the extra tool of putting a player in a sin bin for a few minutes, which is both a penalty and hopefully a deterrent.

Officials being surrounded and abused is nothing new - but isn't getting better.

Other sports - especially rugby - are much tougher on it than football.

If someone is going to be taken out of a match for, say, 10 minutes in a crucial time would focus the mind on keeping the mouth shut.

I think it's certainly worth giving it a trial.