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July 14, 2024
800 traveling Canaries supporters saw football under new manager Johannes Hoff Thorup in action for the first time at Sixfields Stadium in Northampton.
In their first preseason friendly against Northampton Town, Norwich City employed two distinct lineups for each half and emerged victorious 3-0. The match also began a new era for the team under Hoff Thorup.
Ahead of the forthcoming EFL Championship season, the match allowed a few prospective under-21 team members to make an impression on the new manager by facing League One opposition.
Highly-regarded right-wing forward Jonathan Rowe, who has been strongly linked to a Premier League transfer this window, opened the scoring after the 21-year-old had an incredible breakthrough season in which he scored 13 goals and assisted two in 38 games. In the fourth minute, the academy graduate rose to meet a cross from Jack Stacey and headed past Northampton goalkeeper Lee Burge.
One of the more unexpected adjustments made by Hoff Thorup in today’s game was to use Kendall Fisher, a youthful Bromley prospect who joined the Canaries in June 2023, in the midfield rather than his usual position of right back. Fans of Norwich have not seen the young player play or train in this position before, but he embraced the change and gave a solid performance.
The academy prospect Kenneth Aboh, who recently inked a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2027 with an option for an additional year on the club’s side, had an early opportunity to score when Fisher was used in the second half of the game and also took the captain’s armband.
Three Norwich players more familiar with the team were not included in the matchday squad.
They did not travel to support their teammates. Irish striker Adam Idah, former Ipswich Town academy player Liam Gibbs, and Cuban winger Onel Hernandez. Idah spent the second half of the previous season on loan at Scottish Premiership champions Celtic.
Hoff Thorup confirmed in remarks to club media following the game that the players had returned to training too late to be considered fit to play.
“[Idah] was back in training on Monday and Tuesday doing his testing, and will be back with the group from this week [for evaluation].
“When you ask a football coach about dates then it is always minus one or plus two. That is the way we work. I think they [Hernandez and Gibbs] were back in training on Thursday with the team.”
“But of course this game was too early for them, but they are back involved.”
Since this preseason has only seen one game, and it was against a team one division below the Canaries, it will be widely acknowledged, as it always is, that it is too soon to predict where this team will end up come May.
However, Hoff Thorup stressed to the supporters during Monday, July 8, the preseason fans’ forum, that it is crucial to train the academy players using the same methods and standards as the first team to advance players in the future.
The away supporters today had the opportunity to witness firsthand the mindset that Hoff
Thorup has for the club’s development. The manager chose to use two separate teams, with the second half consisting only of academy players.
It allowed the manager to assess who he thinks can step up into the first team for the upcoming season and carve out a spot among the team’s mainstays, in addition to seeing some of the players play for the first time.
However, Hoff Thorup revealed to the Eastern Daily Press following the game that Norwich was still without a recognized left-back:
“I think Ben [Knapper] was calling a lot of people these days. So yes, I think something will happen soon. I know sometimes people, including myself, can be a little bit impatient, but it’s more important that we get the right left back instead of just getting a left back fast or quick.”
“That’s the most important but he’s making a lot of phone calls, Ben [Knapper], and we’re having a lot of meetings so hopefully there’ll be something within the not too many weeks.”
Northampton Town (first half): Pinnock, Koiki, Odimayo; Hondermarck, Morton, Trialist; Burge; Guthrie (C), Willis, Hoskins, Fox.
In the latter half of Northampton Town, Tzanev; Magloire, Baldwin, Dobson, Wyatt, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist
Long; Stacey, Hills, Duffy, Montóia; Sørensen, Sara, Sainz; Kamara, Rowe, Fassnacht are Norwich City’s starting lineup for the first half.
Second-half lineup for Norwich City: Mair; Adegboyega, Renecke, Tomkinson, Shipley (Forsyth 82); Djedje, Fisher (C), Manning; Welch, Springett, Aboh
Finch and E Mundle-Smith are the substitutes that were not used.
Goals: Rowe (4, 12), Aboh (89)
HT: 0-2
FT: 0-3
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Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and football sportsbook app reviews. As an author for Football News Today, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for football, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
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