It's a busy summer to be connected to Norwich City.

With a new head coach, transfer sagas, squad rebuilding, the Euros, the Copa America, safe standing, a match cancellation, a backroom departure and a new academy boss all taking place before a pre-season ball has been kicked, there's plenty for supporters to discuss.

The sense of optimism surrounding a new era at Carrow Road is palpable, and although it's all talk at present, it feels like the dial has turned considerably from the miserable night at Elland Road.

For many there's a recognition that to navigate from that position will take time. The Canaries were disunited, they had an ageing squad, and promotion felt like a far off pipedream despite the fact they were two games away from it.

Most of those fans are content with promises of progress, with the sort of process-driven improvement Ben Knapper says will be what he looks for from Johannes Hoff Thorup. They're willing to see where the journey takes them, and they're happy to be patient about it.

But for sections of the fan base the end goal is what it always has been, and it remains clear on the horizon.

The Canaries were relegated from the top flight in 2022The Canaries were relegated from the top flight in 2022 (Image: PA)

At the club's latest fans forum, held at BBC Norfolk's city-centre headquarters, most of the topics asked about were fairly predictable; they ranged from style of play to Adam Idah, incorporating most of the aforementioned goings on.

One fairly consistent theme that wasn't expected to play a major role, however, was the Premier League.

The English top flight was the basis for a number of questions, with many of the audience still clearly hoping the ambition they've held for decades will be realised eventually. Knapper and Thorup were asked in detail what their plans were to make it happen, and although they knew it was far away, they didn't shy away from the question.

The former said his approach would be incremental gains, so that if and when City do reach the promised land again they'll be in a strong position to hit its ground running. The Dane's role is clearly more short-term focused, but he recognised again, as he did in his unveiling, that he had arrived at a club too big not to aim for promotion.

But, as Norwich have found to their detriment countless times, that's where the hard work begins. It's more than 11 years since the last time they retained Premier League status, Robert Snodgrass and Grant Holt among the scorers as a 4-0 win over West Brom did the job in 2013.

It's been more than 11 years since Norwich last survived in the Premier LeagueIt's been more than 11 years since Norwich last survived in the Premier League (Image: PA)

The complexity of the task has only increased in the years that have gone by, the gap between the first division and the Championship ever larger. If they're to bridge that gap, it will have to be with the marginal gains and outside-the-box ideas they've been working on for years now.

Those ideas were the backbone of promotion in 2019, however. They were a key part of the title-winning success of 2021. Both triumphs were followed by abysmal point totals and incredibly fleeting attempts at survival.

One question at the forum hinted at this; fans have heard it all before, and right now they've no reason to believe it will be any different to prior years.

Thorup's and Knapper's jobs are to turn them into believers, and from a position as close to zero as fans have been since 2009, they have scope to do that. Right now the pressure's off regarding the Premier League, and that's how it should be.

But the new man's first meeting with fans highlighted that they haven't forgotten their long-term hopes, and at some point they still want them delivered.