The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Sport Saturday
Wagner’s way
board, the sporting director, me, the owner. It is a huge achievement to recover from this, and hopefully the cherry on the cake is promotion.”
Wagner has seen clear improvements from last season, when Norwich finished 13th. He says his squad are in the top three for fitness in the league. Under the guidance of coach Andy Hughes, they have scored 18 goals from set-pieces.
Wagner also notes the impact of goalkeeping coach Paul Clements and first-team coach Narcis Pelach, who have worked alongside his trusted No 2 Christoph Buhler since arriving this season.
“My coaching staff are the best I’ve ever worked with, and that makes you a better manager,” he says. “This is the best and most competitive Championship I’ve seen. Far better than when I was at Huddersfield seven years ago. The amount of top- quality players and managers is just incredible.”
Norwich have a number of players who have caught the eye. Gabriel Sara, the Brazilian midfielder, has been outstanding, with 13 goals and 12 assists. A £6 million signing from Sao Paulo, Sara is rated as a potentially better prospect than former players James Maddison and Emiliano Buendia.
Josh Sargent, the United States international, has 16 goals, and consistent midfielder Kenny McLean was named player of the year.
German coach’s CV
Lands first managerial role at Huddersfield.
Team win Championship play-off final against
Reading
Finishes 16th in Premier League.
Sacked in January
with Huddersfield bottom. Moves to Schalke. Appointed Young Boys coach but lasts one season. Takes over as Norwich City coach in January.
Reaches play-offs.
It now comes down to two matches against Leeds – relegated from the Premier League last season and under the management of Daniel Farke, who spent four years with Norwich.
Wagner insists the pressure is on their opponents. “One of Leeds or Southampton will fail to win promotion, and that is something I think will cause them a lot of trouble,” he says.
“Leeds are a big club with big players, big money and big pressure. When you consider the financial power of the other clubs in the play- offs, and the points they collected, they are the favourites.
“We are the underdogs and we have no problem with this. We don’t fear anybody.”
And with that, Wagner picks up his electric bike and helmet before cycling back to his city centre apartment. These are the moments he lives for, and a repeat of 2017 is tantalisingly in his grasp.
Norwich v Leeds
Tomorrow noon, Sky Sp