Johannes Hoff Thorup feels Norwich are ‘moving in the right direction’

Posted Saturday, September 21, 2024 by PA

Norwich head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup felt his side played their best football since his summer arrival in the emphatic 4-1 win over Watford at Carrow Road.

Callum Doyle gave Norwich an early lead and Borja Sainz restored their advantage on the stroke of half-time after Ryan Andrews had equalised for the Hornets.

Marcelino Nunez made it a two-goal cushion before substitute Ben Chrisene provided the icing on the cake just before the end as Thorup celebrated his first home league win.

He said: “I think with the football we have played so far this season we should have a few more points and I certainly feel we are moving in the right direction.

“We are not where we want to be yet and we will keep working hard at it until we get there. But I think this was the best performance since I’ve been here.

“We knew how important it was to start well – it gives confidence in the side, brings the crowd into it, and I thought we played some really good football and scored some beautiful goals.

“I was so pleased for the players – it hasn’t always been the case this season but today they were rewarded with three points for a really good performance.”

Norwich were ahead inside three minutes, Doyle firing home his first goal since his loan switch from Manchester City after moving forward unchallenged from deep.

Watford equalised on 26 minutes when Andrews slid Ken Sema’s cross home and missed a great chance to go ahead as Daniel Jebbison lifted the ball over from close range after Sema’s inswinging corner had come back off an upright.

Norwich took over after that, with Sainz restoring his side’s lead just before the break after running on to Kenny McLean’s through ball and Nunez converting Doyle’s cross nine minutes after the restart to make it 3-1.

Chrisene completed the scoring on 89 minutes, converting Jack Stacey’s low cross from the right to open his account for the hosts.

Watford head coach Tom Cleverley said he would be looking at their continuing habit of conceding goals early in halves.

“It is something that is happening too often,” he admitted. “We conceded early again and they had a very good chance to score before that. In the second half we also nearly conceded early again.

“Obviously we will have to work on our game plan for the first 10 minutes and we will keep doing that until we get it right.

“I wanted to come here and be high energy, be on the front foot – it was also like that when I played – but sometimes you can be open as a result and be punished for that.

“I think we have shown enough this season to prove we can be a top team but it is a case of getting the balance right going that other way.”