Football Wagner expects City to be Championship force next season
DAVID Wagner admits Norwich City goalkeeper Angus Gunn was largely the difference between securing a point against Bristol City and losing the game, as he again declared the Robins could be a team to watch next season in terms of the Championship play-off race.
Gunn, pictured, produced some outstanding saves to keep City to just Haydon Roberts’ 55th-minute opener. He tipped a deflected Scott Twine free-kick on to the crossbar, saved down low from Tommy Conway in the second half and then produced a brave and athletic double save to deny the City striker and then Twine on the follow-up at close range.
City were never able to pull away from the hosts and had to settle for a point, which was welcomed given Norwich had won their previous eight games at Carrow Road, but was equally frustrating for Liam Manning and his squad given how well they had played.
Norwich manager Wagner referenced the problems exprienced by reliable duo Kenny McLean and Marcelino Nunez in the middle of the park as they were swarmed by Joe Williams and Jason Knight.
Prior to the fixture, Wagner had talked up the Robins capabilities and predicted they could make the jump into contending for the top six next season, albeit with it parly being dependent on the transfer business conducted this summer.
“They are energetic, they have speed, a good idea of football, work together, there are a lot of things that are in a very good place,” said Wagner. “I was not surprised about their performance, after everything
I’ve seen of them. I was surprised about our performance but this doesn’t mean I won’t give credit to them.
“I’m not sure what they will do in the summer window but this is, for sure, a team which you can have your eye on next season.
“Normally Kenny and Nacho are the energy of our team but they had their problems but I was not surprised about Bristol, they have done very well, and we - energywise and freshness - we were not top and this means we were only able to get a point.
“Gunny was outstanding and, to be fair, more or less all season. He, for me, is the best goalkeeper in the league. This is the truth and he has shown why this is my opinion - he was top class.”
Wagner’s emotions were not of frustration despite the play-offs being within touching distance for him, but more satisfaction they had managed to get something from a
game in which they had lacked energy and spark. City produced 13 shots to Norwich’s 10, five to three in terms of efforts on target.
The Canaries remain sixth in the Championship, with a six-point gap on seventh-placed Hull City and a superior goal difference of eight. Hull do play Coventry City in their game in hand tonight, which could narrow the advantage before the weekend as Norwich host Swansea City.
“I’m satisfied about this point, if I consider the performance which we showed, which was not our level or our demands, but I know how difficult it is to win football matches at this stage of the Championship season, then if you can’t win a game at least take a point,” Wagner added.
“We wanted to have more, we would have loved to have had more but we’ve seen, as I said before, a Bristol side which is a good side, plays with a lot of freedom and we were not energetic on the level we had before; our step-up pressure, our counter-press, our backwards press, second balls - everything was not on the level we’ve shown in recent months.
“Technically we were not clean, we had a lot of turnovers and this then means the opponent has got a lot of good opportunities which we’re not used to.
“Luckily we had one player who was on his top level and that was Gunny. This means we take a point.
“They worked hard, they fought, no complaints about the effort or the attitude but we were not as fresh and energetic as in recent weeks. Is it nice? No. Can it happen? Yes, of course, we are humans, it’s a long season and then in games like this you have to at least try and get a point. It should have happened but it did happen and now we have to make sure we perform better in the next game.”