Five consecutive draws, another 0-0 draw and reccurring frustrations still visible.
There is little surprise that supporters greeted the final whistle with scattered boos and utterances of discontent. Quite simply, any degree of entertainment value has been severely lacking at Carrow Road this season.
Eight draws paints the damning picture, this is a Norwich side who have struggled to discover any strand of consistency this term.
This was a game fought between two sides resigned to mid table mediocrity, with the focus being shifted on what could have been had Norwich discovered a ruthless and efficient offensive plan.
As an offensive force under Farke, Norwich is aesthetically pleasing but lack killer instinct to profit from a rota of positive sequences and sleek combination play. Therein lies the frustration. Without Maddison on top form, Norwich lack any impetus or offensive threat.
The precociously talented youngster struggled to place his quality onto the game and is seemingly the only member of Farke’s squad immune from criticism regarding offensive output.
Dennis Srbeny was fully introduced to Carrow Road and appeared slightly out of his depth.
The difficulty to immediately adapt to newfound surroundings in Norfolk is apparent. It is too soon to cast a distinctive vote over his ability and patience must be used before a considered judgement can be made. Dennis the menace he wasn’t, but evidently Farke witnessed something within his raw materials to source him from the German third tier.
Moritz Leitner is a player who has displayed he has the tools required to adapt to the rigours of England’s second tier. His range of passing is sublime, his movement and work rate have proved a worthy and suitable addition to Norwich’s engine room.
This is evidently a rebuild. That has been drilled into supporters countless times throughout this season.
Even despite a change in personnel, the script was not altered. This is becoming a consistent and regular problem for Farke’s side, and one which needs to be solved if Norwich are going to form any degree of play-off surge next season. What is certain is that Norwich need to be more productive on the ball, whether that includes the truculent Nelson Oliveria or not.
Oliveira seemingly loves grabbing the headlines; sadly, this headline is not due to him scoring a winner.
The omission from the starting eleven speaks volumes, this is a man not pulling his own weight. His talent is unquestionable, but his eccentricity and own self importance makes him a difficult entity to manage.
For the softly spoken German, Oliveira overstepped the mark.
Farke has been lauded by the majority of his squad for his astute man management. He has displayed his ability to be a disciplinarian with Oliveira, Josh Murphy and Marley Watkins previously. With one goal in 13 and history of rebellion being placed on his record, Oliveira may well find himself elsewhere in the summer due to his lack of productivity and temper.
His shirtless subversion to Farke’s decision at Craven Cottage was bizarre, and his professionalism has once again been publically questioned by his head coach. It appears his days are numbered in NR1; this demotion could be the final straw.
Feelings around Carrow Road are that of frustration and expectance.
Draws against Derby and Wolves epitomise what Norwich supporters wish to consume from a side. On the contrary, the lacklustre and underwhelming home displays which followed have just reinforced this long standing suffering at Carrow Road.
This frustration has the potential to engulf supporter’s mindset and hinder any chance at togetherness between all aspects of the club. Norwich must now up the ante. This is a side that seem incapable of attempting any degree of risk.
This pessimism from the stands has the potential to be infectious, as someone like Alex Neil will tell you. This philosophical revolution is reliant on a strong connection between those donning yellow on the pitch and those collective bodies on the terraces.
There were positives however.
Grant Hanley has proved to be an inspired piece of business amongst a frenetic summer window. Norwich has discovered their very own Braveheart who is operating with a swagger born from playing consistent football. The manner in which he schooled Ben Brereton for a period in the first half displayed his quality which resulted in the Barclay adopting a chant previously used for centre back Des Walker.
Nobody anticipated this level of quality from Hanley, with new Scotland boss Alex McLeish beginning to cast an eye towards the international fixtures on the horizon, Hanley will be included should he maintain this level of performance.
Onel Hernandez could be the piece of the jigsaw that Norwich has been searching for. The quality of his movement onto the shoulder of the defenders alongside his strength and ability 1 vs 1 makes him a threat.
Consistency is the key ingredient Norwich requires from Hernandez. He displayed signs of promise against Bolton but this performance was more complete.
There is a fine line between patience with the philosophy and boredom from those consuming it. This is a project, and which is still in the early stages of construction. If Norwich can discover an offensive edge and achieve some consistency, then they have the potential to be a force to be reckoned with.
