Five things to watch as Norwich City begin pre-season

City have been back training since the beginning of the month, and will now step up their preparations through competitive action. 

As the first whistle goes on Thorup's revolution in Norfolk, here are five things to keep an eye on throughout pre-season. 

Trust the process

One of the primary reasons that Ben Knapper opted to pull the trigger on David Wagner was to alter the playing style of the club. 

Thorup's playing model was extensively worked on during the recruitment period. Now, the challenge for the Dane will be implementing it before the first ball is kicked against Oxford United when the curtain rises on the Championship campaign next month. 

Pre-season, especially in its embryonic stages, is about fitness, but for City and Thorup, there will need to be an increased dedication to the footballing elements, which the Dane is attempting to drip into his squad over weeks rather than in one big chunk. 

That may create some dysfunctional and error-strewn performances in the early stages, but that is where trust in the process will need to be embraced from all stakeholders. It is all geared towards preparation for that trip to the Kassam Stadium. 

Thus far in training, everything Norwich have done has centred around working with the ball, even in their fitness exercises. Thorup will be looking for specific things in each pre-season clash - there are six dress rehearsals before that Championship curtain raiser. 

As Knapper documented at Monday's fans' forum, much of it will be about testing the squad's ability to take on and implement information. 

For those reasons, there will be a bigger dissection of performances than normal. If a short clip released by City's channels earlier this week is anything to go by, then that should create excitement about what could be possible. 

But the work ramps up from here. 

Adam Idah is back - and all eyes will be on him in pre-season. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

Under supervision

In a summer that has seen the transfer carousel lose serious momentum in recent weeks, the constant murmur of Adam Idah's return to Celtic has often kept it just about spinning. 

Reports have fluctuated and been contradicted and every small detail repackaged as a groundbreaking development. The reality is somewhat different, with the clubs remaining apart in their valuation of the Irishman and Norwich wanting time to assess him. 

Both Thorup and Knapper were effusive in their defence of the striker to a question on Monday and followed that up with warm words in an interview with this newspaper - but the ball is now in Idah's court. 

With Josh Sargent still on holiday after participation in the Copa America and Ashley Barnes continuing to manage an injury from the end of last season, there will likely be an opening for him to stake his claim, should he want to, of course. 

It is believed that Idah would prefer a permanent return to Celtic this summer. After the impact he had and the popularity he enjoyed during his time at Parkhead, that is natural. 

There will be a lot of analysis on Idah's efforts during pre-season - from his body language to his performances. Thorup has wiped the slate clean, he spoke about the need to alter the environment rather than the player and is enthused by what the Irishman could bring to his side. 

But it will all hinge on Idah. Can he overcome previous frustrations and criticisms? Does he really want to give this a proper go? Pre-season will hold the answers. 

Brad Hills is among the group of young players seeking to use pre-season as a platform to impress. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

Opportunity knocks 

Along with an improved style of play, Thorup was hired due to his positive track record of developing players - not just young, but of all ages. 

Norwich's squad has a blend of youth and experience, but is looking rather bloated before the serious horse-trading kicks off this summer. From those away on loan like Brad Hills, Emmanuel Adegboyega and Lewis Shipley to Liam Gibbs, Onel Hernandez and Jacob Sorensen, this is a chance to impress. 

Norwich want to give Hills a window to see if he can raise his performance levels to the standard required for him to be part of the first-team squad, with recognition of the size of the jump. Abu Kamara hopes to impress after a fine loan at Portsmouth last term. 

Given the clean slate, fresh competition and justling for places, there is an extra demand on those around the fringes to stake their claim. With Thorup willing to hand opportunities to players, irrespective of age, experience or standing, everyone has a chance. 

Uriah Djedje has been admired for his training levels. Elliot Myles has been with the first-team group. Tony Springett knows this is a big summer for his future at Carrow Road. Jaden Warner will be keen to show that his struggles at Notts County were just a blip. 

Thorup publicly labelled this period as a time for 'assessment'. Training is one thing; matches are very much another, even through the prism of building fitness reserves. 

Guilherme Montoia is Norwich City's only recognised left-back currently. (Image: Adam Harvey/Newsquest)

Defensive conundrum 

Norwich still don't have a senior left back in the building after allowing Dimi Giannoulis and Sam McCallum to depart the club at the end of last season. 

Currently, the only left-back in the building is young Guilherme Montoia - who has been pictured among City's first-team group and, simply by virtue of the situation, seems likely to be afforded a chance in the opening friendly matches. 

The hope will be that Norwich can wrap up a deal to sign a left-back as the weeks roll on. It won't be Martin Frese, who joined Hellas Verona on Wednesday, with City thought to have moved on from the Dane to other targets a while ago. 

As City kick off competitive action today, it will serve as another reminder of how pressing this search for at least one left-back option is, until that point - it will be down to Montoia and potentially makeshift options like Jacob Sorensen to fill that particular void. 

At Nordsjaelland, it was a key part of how Thorup's side built up from deep areas, with the full-back coming central to create a back three in possession. The uniqueness of that role will require hours of coaching and information building with whoever eventually takes it. 

Norwich are believed to be working on a deal to source a left-back. With under a month to go before the league season kicks off, the clock already feels like it is ticking. 

Johannes Hoff Thorup will lead Norwich City for the first time at Northampton today. (Image: Denise Bradley/Newsquest)

Pinch of salt at the ready

It's the question football fans ponder every year - how much can actually be learnt by pre-season matches? Do they matter? Are they merely fitness exercises? 

Everyone has heard about the near-perfect pre-season campaign that preceded that infamous 7-1 defeat to Colchester in 2009 under Bryan Gunn. The antidote to that is the pre-season back in 1992, which saw them lose every game before a remarkable third-place Premier League finish. 

Results-wise, the truth is that none of these matches to come matter very much. Players will be using them as part of their fitness programmes and playing with more load in their legs than would be the case on a regular matchday. 

Equally, the quality of opposition is hard to gauge, particularly overseas, with teams at different points of their respective preparation cycles. But, that doesn't make the games completely redundant to analysis. 

It will be about trends, performances and patterns. How quickly can City's players meet Thorup's demands? Who accelerates their cause for a place in the first team? How will they respond to errors? 

Everything at this stage should be met with a large sprinkling of salt - but there will be takeaways - positive and negative - to extract from the whole process, just as their was last summer. 

Wagner's caution was being practised in game scenarios last summer. Those concerns became very real a few months later. It is a time not to become obsessed with scores, but to dig a bit deeper beneath the surface.