After a one-year absence Norwich City are back among the Premier League elite. The topsy-turvy club will be desperate to become a sustainable outfit in the top-flight, but do they possess the talent and depth to pass the first hurdle – survival at the first time of asking?
Their £120 million promotion windfall is a big fillet for the club and hopefully they can use that cash injection wisely.
With an abundance of experience in the squad they already have a key component to achieving their aim.
The spine of the team from the relegated version of 2013-14 still remains, with John Ruddy, Russell Martin, Wes Hoolahan and Bradley Johnson all at the club, despite being linked with moves away.
Former Birmingham City and Stoke City striker Cameron Jerome has been a wonderful addition, scoring 21 goals last season and playing a major role in the side’s promotion.
His fellow forwards, Gary Hooper and Lewis Grabban both found the back of the net 12 times each and are more than adequate support strikers.
Young star, Nathan Redmond, is the icing on the cake, who has transformed into a blistering attacker and was a real catalyst for Norwich’s end of season promotion charge that catapulted them into third on the table.
These players have remained loyal to the cause and they will be vital in the dressing room for the younger and inexperienced teammates.
The summer has been relatively productive thus far, with former West Bromwich Albion pair Yussuf Mulumbu and Graham Dorrans drafted in to bolster the midfield stocks. They have combined for 293 top-flight matches and at 28 should be entering the prime of their careers.
Another striking option in Hull City striker Robbie Brady is on the cards, as Norwich try to activate his £7m buy-out clause, but the deal remains at a standstill. This would be a wise move, with the 23-year-old adding a degree of creativity to the final third.
In the dugout, Norwich will have the youngest manager in the Premier League. At just 34, Alex Neil will pit his wits against some of the most accomplished tacticians in world football. It is a tall order, especially when you consider that the former Mansfield Town player has only two years of managerial experience, which came as a player-manager for Hamilton Academical in the Scottish Premiership.
Lying in seventh place at the time of his Carrow Road appointment, Neil won seven of this first nine games.
Most notably away to Blackburn Rovers at 1-0 down early in the piece, Neil brought on Jerome and midfielder Alex Tetty to stem the tide. It worked to devastating effect, as they edge back to 1-1 and Jerome played a major role in allowing Johnson to score the winning goal.
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As an in-game operator, he seems like a shrewd customer and this will be crucial against opponents in the Premier League.
It is refreshing to have the famous Canaries back in the top-flight again. The most impressive thing of al is that people will witness a team full of pace and attacking football. Carrow Road always seems to create a terrific atmosphere and the Canaries faithful will be hoping they can do their part at home to help the team.
Norwich fans can approach the season with a cautious optimism that maybe, just maybe, they can finally see their team consolidate and take a leaf out of Stoke City and Swansea City’s books and become a mainstay of the top-flight.
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