Robin Sainty on the joy of watching Norwich City play

Middlesbrough were, for me, the best team to visit Carrow Road this season, and although they were certainly helped by individual errors from City, they thoroughly deserved to be two goals ahead at the break.

Realistically, after the home side’s fast start, Michael Carrick’s men essentially beat City at their own game for long periods with precise short passing and incisive breakaways, usually centred on the highly impressive Ben Doak, and it seemed to be game over when they were awarded a penalty, albeit a rather soft one.

Goalkeeper George Long (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

However, step forward the much-maligned George Long to produce a game-turning save and the rest, as they say, is history.

I was delighted for Long. He has his limitations, without a doubt, and I’m sure that we all want to see Angus Gunn fit again, but some of the vitriol that has been directed at him on social media has been excessive and unpleasant to see at a time when unity is becoming the watchword at the club.

Apart from Boro’s first goal I didn’t think that he did too much wrong on Sunday and he certainly deserved more help from his defenders having made one of several good saves for the third goal.

I praised City’s new defensive resilience recently, but in the last few games they have had a few problems. Partly, this is due to opponents looking to exploit the one chink in Callum Doyle’s armour, his lack of pace. However, it has also resulted far too often from sloppy passing in midfield.

Johannes Hoff Thorup has spoken this week about the “risk/reward” nature of how City look to play. When possession is retained having the full-backs high up the pitch puts huge pressure on the opposition, but as we saw with Middlesbrough’s second goal, it can lead to a cavalry charge towards City’s goal with players stranded upfield.

However, it’s hugely entertaining, and after the dross of the last couple of seasons, going to games has become something to look forward to again, rather than an obligation.

However, the big problem that Thorup faces now is the loss of Kenny McLean for at least three games (with the potential for more as he’s on four bookings) before Marcelino Nunez has recovered from his injury.

Given that the pairing have been the fulcrum of City’s system that is obviously a major problem to resolve, and it does seem likely that whichever option is chosen the system may need to be tweaked somewhat.

However, that is life in the Championship, where games come thick and fast and injuries and suspensions hit all clubs at some point, forcing managers to adjust their planning, and I’m sure that Thorup will come up with an effective solution.

It was interesting to hear him talk at this week’s press conference about his approach to getting the best out his team, saying: "How I see football is what you do as a collective unit is to create the best possible opportunities for the players that can decide the games for you."

In that context it was good to hear that the coaching team are actively working on how to get Josh Sargent more involved, with the American having lacked service in recent weeks, because getting the best from Sargent and Borja Sainz simultaneously would be great to see.

I suspect that few of us would have dreamt after the Oxford game that City would be going into November with only one other league defeat, but with key players missing the next few games may be tough. However, even in the title winning seasons there were fallow periods, and at this stage of the season just staying in touch with the top six is all that’s needed.