The proximity of the Norwich City fans to the tunnel at Stoke City may not have been lost on David Wagner and his Championship promotion hopefuls.
A 1,700-strong turnout in the Potteries witnessed an impressively assured, controlled 3-0 away league win that sold a lie to the idea City can not be as commanding as they are now at Carrow Road.
Ashley Barnes’ match-sealing third goal, in that victory prior to the international break, was joyously celebrated right in front of the Yellow Army.
Then at the final whistle, after a game that felt bigger in the promotion context with closest rivals Hull City and Coventry City not in league action, Wagner and his personnel could savour the intimate walk towardstheir delighted away support adjacent tothe tunnel tucked away in the same corner of the stadium.
Which brings us to Plymouth. City’s next league opponents on the resumption at Carrow Road this Good Friday. A side who arguably delivered the most painful of low blows to the Canaries in a season now tracking firmly in the ascendancy.
It felt very different when Andrew Kitchen’s whistle sounded at half-time on their first visit to Home Park in a many a year last September.
Wagner and his dejected players had to run the gauntlet from an incensed travelling section as they headed for the same corner flag-located tunnel at Plymouth.
There was even the most remarkable of signals of dissatisfaction to follow; a loud chorus of boos greeted Kenny McLean and his team mates as they emerged for the start of the second half.
It was pure carnage in the opening period with Morgan Whittaker harassing Shane Duffy and Ben Gibson, and the likes of McLean and Gabby Sara offering little or no protection in front. Plymouth raided at willbefore afirst half stoppage time doublerammed home their superiority, and subjected the away side to the ferocity of their fans.
Adam Idah’s brace ensured a parity of sorts after the interval, despiteWhittaker completinghis hat-trick and Luke Cundle rubbingsalt into the wound in stoppage time with a sixth. A truly humbling defeat, and a long trek east that must have felt like an eternity.
Many of those same fans have travelled many a mile since. Green and yellow blood is thicker than boiling blood at the manner of a surrender that has not been revisited in quite such graphic scale since.
Now it is Plymouth at Carrow Road. A revenge mission would be to cheapen the priority of adding another three points to the play-off kitty.
But somewhere deep inside the psyche of that Norwich City dressing room will be the memory of that horrific day on the south-coast.
Ahead of the recent home victories over Watford and Sunderland Wagner was happy to embrace the narrative of setting the record straight from both corresponding fixtures. There was more than an underlying tone torinsing the mouth of the aftertaste fromhow they had contrived toloseat Vicarage Road and on Wearside.
With a play-off place in their grasp itis not about motivation on Good Friday,but maybe repairing that dent to battered pride canrun hand-in-hand with this week’s home mission.
Argyle have seen Steven Schumacher depart since that emphatic win. City extracted a measure of payback at his expense last time out in the Potteries.
Plymouth head to Norfolk with one win in nine, and only a slender two point buffer from the clubs in the bottom three. It would be a stretch to expect them to roll over as compliantly as sorry Rotherham did. But even if there is a stoutness and defiance to their approach, this is a very different Norwich they are set to encounter.
One who look cohesive and compact, not disorganised and in disarray. Josh Sargent now back alongside Barnes, to form a potent attacking spearheadandenergetic press. Gabby Sara seemingly relishing his shift to the right of a more advanced three in midfield, with Sainz now an added attacking weapon that was not at Wagner’s disposal back in September.
Even injury and fitness concerns to City's backline are yet to bite in this recent prolonged upturn. Jacob Sorensen has been no less assured alongside Gibson in the last two outings than McLean was before. Sam McCallum again looked an able deputy for Dimi Giannoulis at Stoke, while Jack Stacey is back to the player who first cut loose in the early, optimistic months.
The cards all feel to be in Wagner’s grasp. But there is another one you couldforgive him for turning over in the build up to Plymouth. Retribution.
