Future looks good for Norwich despite FA Cup loss – David Wagner

Posted Monday, January 09, 2023 by PA

New Norwich head coach David Wagner was encouraged by his side’s performance despite seeing them lose 1-0 at home to Blackburn in the FA Cup in his first match in charge.

Wagner was in the dugout at Carrow Road after his appointment as Dean Smith’s successor was confirmed on Friday and saw his side dominate the game, only to be undone by a soft goal from Jack Vale just past the half-hour mark.

“From what I have seen on the pitch today and in two days on the training ground I am really looking forward to what lies ahead of us,” he said.

“Unfortunately in football you can play well and lose the game and that is what happened today.

“I thought we pressed them well, played some good football from the back and had a lot of chances but sadly we did not take any of them.

“At times I thought we made it a little too complicated, and we should certainly have had more clear-cut chances for the way we played.

“We also had lots of set-pieces (including 20 corners) which we did not make anything of.

“So while a lot of our play was very pleasing that is something we need to work on – creating more clear-cut chances and obviously turning them into goals.

“But if we can maintain the level I saw today, while being more clinical in front of goal, then I think the future looks good for this team.”

After a slow start Norwich dominated the game and Rovers’ Aynsley Pears was by far the busier of the two keepers, but they failed to take any of their numerous chances and were punished for an individual error in the first half.

With 31 minutes on the clock City skipper Grant Hanley left a routine backpass to Tim Krul woefully short and when the ball broke to Bradley Dack he had all the time in the world to set up Vale for his first senior goal.

Rovers boss Jon Dahl Tomasson was delighted to see his side record a second win at Carrow Road in the space of three weeks, having won 2-0 in the league just before Christmas.

“I thought it was a brilliant win for us,” he said. “We knew it would be tough coming here with a new manager having just been appointed and they showed a lot of energy and intensity and made it very difficult for us.

“We were asked a lot of questions out there but we provided the answers and it was a great effort from all the players.

“They played with a lot of determination and intensity and worked together to get the clean sheet, which was obviously very important.

“I had to change the team as the squad was stretched a bit but all the lads did a great job.

“There will be bumps along the the way but we are slowly moving in the right direction as a club and with a home draw in the fourth round (against either Forest Green or Birmingham), it would be great to have another cup run after also doing well in the Carabao Cup this season.”