Norwich City: 5 Reasons Why the Canaries Can Become a Permanent Fixture in EPL

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Norwich City fans are feeling a lot better about life after securing that vital 2-1 win against Everton that has put them eight points clear of the relegation zone. Therefore, thoughts will naturally turn to the possibility of the Canaries becoming a permanent fixture in the league.

This slideshow will look at some of the reasons why this might be the case. I hope that this latest Norwich City piece meets your expectations for enjoyment.

Surviving the Second Season in the Premier League Is Vital

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I think everyone knows that it’s especially important to survive in the second season in the Premier League. Those teams that manage to do that are often able to establish themselves within the top flight on a permanent basis.

Of course, the job is not completely done yet, but with 32 points in the bag, things are now looking rather good. The Canaries will be well aware of these facts and will want to push things on next season, providing they survive.

There Is More Premier League Quality This Season

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Looking at the squad last season, I always thought that it looked like a team full of championship players. Some of those players have proved their Premier League quality, while others have moved on, or are on the fringes of things.

Some players have been replaced with those that offer that extra bit of quality like Sebastien Bassong, Alex Tettey, Robert Snodgrass, Javier Garrido and Michael Turner. This has certainly helped Norwich to hold onto results this season that it probably wouldn’t have been able to do last season.

Chris Hughton Has Changed the Philosophy

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I think we all know that Chris Hughton has made the team a much more defensive one and moved away from the attacking flair from last season. This change certainly hasn’t gone down well with all fans, but it was a necessary change.

Last season, the Canaries conceded way too many goals, so it was vital to sort that problem out. Obviously, a fair bit of attacking flair has been lost, but that is no bad thing. A team can’t possibly plan to get results when almost always conceding the first goal. Hughton has changed this and we now look capable of keeping clean sheets.

The Scouting Is Now a Lot Better

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I always took the view under Lambert that he didn’t really want to buy foreign. He seemed to make every excuse in the book for buying British players. Hughton obviously realizes how important it is to add foreign quality to the squad.

The likes of Javier Garrido and Alex Tettey arrived from foreign shores in the summer. And I think we can safely conclude that they are both big upgrades from what we had last season. But even in January, the scouting network was proven again with the signing of Kei Kamara.

I have always thought that to become an established EPL side, it’s absolutely vital to have foreign quality within the squad. Therefore, it’s a very promising sign in the right direction. We have also already seen that there is great value for money to be found. This is something that is vital for a club with relatively limited resources.

Hughton Has Added a Greater Consistency in Results

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Take nothing away from Lambert last season, because he did a great job in keeping Norwich City in the Premier League. However, the erratic way he did it had fans a little bit concerned. In fact, had we not done so well in the first half of the season, things could have become a bit uncomfortable.

Some people will be quick to point out that Hughton struggled a bit earlier on in the season, but it was always going to take a bit of time to adapt to the change. The 10-match unbeaten run showed that level of consistency. Home form has been pretty good this season, and that is always important to stay in the league. Of course, it would be nice to win more games away from home, but draws are also important.

Personally, I find Hughton’s approach quite comfortable and it makes me feel a lot more comfortable on long-term success than I ever did under Lambert.

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