Norwich City on course to repeat unwanted Championship record this season as major flaw remains

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Norwich City are on course to break a record from last season’s Championship season, and it just so happens to be their own record they will be breaking in the process.

Johannes Hoff Thorup’s side looked on course to claim a vital win over ten-man Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, with Ante Crnac’s well taken strike in the 90th minute looking like taking all three points back to Norfolk.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
9	Bristol CityBristol City	34	12	13	9	43	38	5	49
10	WatfordWatford	35	14	7	14	45	48	-3	49
11	NorwichNorwich	35	12	12	11	56	48	8	48
12	MillwallMillwall	34	11	12	11	34	34	0	45
13	Sheffield WednesdaySheffield Wednesday	35	12	9	14	47	56	-9	45

However, Valérien Ismaël’s side rallied thanks to Andi Weimann’s ninth goal of the season to ensure the spoils were shared for the pair of play-off chasers.

For Norwich, that downfall put them ever-closer to a very undesirable record this season, and the Canaries are already the holders of that record from the 2023/24 campaign, too.

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Norwich continue to drop points from winning positions in the Championship

In many ways, Norwich have been the Championship’s entertainers this season. In fact, the Canaries have scored the second-most goals in the league behind league-leaders Leeds United.

However, on the other hand, only Plymouth Argyle match Norwich’s figure of goal involvements per match, with the Canaries having scored or conceded 104 times this season in the second tier.

The need to tighten up defensively is apparent, especially with Thorup’s side in contention for a play-off berth. Norwich have conceded the eighth-most in the division, which is unlikely to be sustainable in search of achieving their ambition.

If that figure wasn’t worrying enough, even more issues have arisen in a defensive sense in the wake of the clash with Blackburn; Norwich have lost more points than any other side in the division from winning positions this season (24).

Not only that, but the trend has continued from last season under David Wagner, with his play-off team losing 29 points from winning positions in 2023/24.

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Norwich must improve their defence if they are to gain promotion

Individually, there are some excellent players in Norwich’s backline, including Kellen Fisher, who is attracting Premier League interest.

The likes of Callum Doyle and Jack Stacey are well-thought of in second tier terms, with the tactical element perhaps the primary issue for leaking goals, especially given the attack-minded nature of so many of their midfielders.

Norwich have a soft underbelly, meaning their mentality could also be a factor as well and it is unlikely to be an issue that goes away anytime soon, while conceding to ten men in such fashion on Saturday in a potentially pivotal away fixture only compounds that.

However, Norwich have also been strong at the end of games, with only Leeds scoring more in the final 15 minutes of matches, which is not something they will necessarily wish to sacrifice for a sturdier defensive record.

With big games against other play-off challengers to come, it is something to address and find a balance for. Clashes with Sheffield Wednesday, Bristol City, and West Brom are all likely to be crucial in determining the play-off landscape.