Norwich City opted for two different lineups in each half, running out with a 3-0 victory on the road against Northampton Town in their first friendly of pre-season, which also raised the curtain on a new era at the club under Hoff Thorup.
The fixture gave some of the under-21 team hopefuls an opportunity to impress the new manager against League One opposition, ahead of the upcoming EFL Championship season.
The scoring was opened via highly-rated right-wing forward Jonathan Rowe, who has widely been linked with a transfer to the Premier League this window, after the 21-year-old had a stellar breakthrough season, scoring 13 goals and assisting two in 38 matches. The academy graduate rose to meet a cross from Jack Stacey in the fourth minute, firing his header past the Northampton goalkeeper Lee Burge.
Fisher to the midfield
One of the more surprising changes Hoff Thorup made in today's match was deploying Kellen Fisher, a young prospect from Bromley who signed for the Canaries in June 2023, in the midfield, far from his traditional position of right-back. The youngster embraced the change and put in a strong showing in a position Norwich fans have not seen him previously play or train in.
Fisher was used in the second half of the match, with the player also taking the captain's armband, and created a chance early on in the second half for academy prospect Kenneth Aboh, who recently signed a new contract, keeping him at the club until 2027, with an option for an extra year on the club's side.
No Idah, Gibbs, or Hernandez
Three of Norwich's more familiar faces, in the form of Cuban winger Onel Hernandez, former Ipswich Town academy midfielder Liam Gibbs, and Irish striker Adam Idah, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Scottish Premiership champions Celtic, were among those not selected in the matchday squad, nor did they travel in support of their teammates.
Speaking to club media after the match, Hoff Thorup confirmed that it was a case of the players returning to training too late to be deemed 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."
Key takeaways from today's first showing
As always, it will be widely accepted that it is too soon to say where this team could end up come next May, with only one match having been played so far this pre-season and against opposition a division lower than the Canaries.
But one key message Hoff Thorup gave to the fans in the pre-season fans' forum on Monday, July 8, was the importance of developing the academy players to the same standards and tactics of the first-team, opening up player progression in the future.
With the manager opting to employ two different teams, with the second half featuring solely academy talent, the travelling fans today got to experience the mentality Hoff Thorup has around the growth of the club in person.
Alongside witnessing some of the players in action for the first-team for the first time, it allowed the manager to evaluate who he believes has the potential to make that step up into the first team fold for next season, and establish a place among the mainstays in the team.
However, Norwich were still without a recognised left-back, with Hoff Thorup speaking to the Eastern Daily Press post-match:
"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."
Lineups:
Northampton Town (first half): Burge; Guthrie (C), Willis, Hoskins, Fox; Pinnock, Koiki, Odimayo; Hondermarck, Morton, Trialist.
Northampton Town (second half): Tzanev; Magloire, Baldwin, Dobson, Wyatt, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist
Norwich City (first half): Long; Stacey, Hills, Duffy, Montóia; Sørensen, Sara, Sainz; Kamara, Rowe, Fassnacht.
Norwich City (second half): Mair; Renecke, Adegboyega, Tomkinson, Shipley (Forsyth 82); Djedje, Fisher (C), Manning; Welch, Springett, Aboh
Unused subs: Finch, E Mundle-Smith.
Goals: Rowe (4, 12), Aboh (89)
HT: 0-2
FT: 0-3
