Paddy Davitt delivered his Brighton verdict after Norwich City's 0-0 Premier League draw.

1. Glum

The faces on both sets of players, coaches and support staff at the final whistle said it all. A point but in truth not the currency either want to deal in after six consecutive Premier League defeats for Brighton and Norwich City.

In City’s parlous position draws are no good to Dean Smith.

Milot Rashica could have won it late on when he skied over. But Neal Maupay should have won it perhaps when he did similar at the same end from the penalty spot in the first half, after Sam Byram’s needless handball.

In between, there was a world class stop from Tim Krul to foil his international team mate Joel Veltman.

Norwich had to dig in for that clean sheet, with Brighton dominating possession and territory.

In normal times a point on the road in the Premier League is not to be sniffed at. Particularly against a home team who carved out 31 recorded chances.

But these are no longer normal times. City need to muster something quite extraordinary to join the pantheon of ‘great escapes’.

They made up ground on Burnley and Watford but it is the gap to fourth from bottom Everton that still resembles a chasm.

2. Chance conversion

Dean Smith highlighted at his pre-match press call on Friday the one area he had spent the past three weeks trying to address with his non international contingent at Colney.

Namely not the desire to create chances, but taking them to ease the burden on Teemu Pukki.

Given Rashica scored twice for Kosovo during the international period Smith have wanted no-one else on the end of a golden late chance, provided by Pukki.

Billy Gilmour slipped the Finn through, who hurdled the challenge of his marker and raced to the box before cushioning the perfect ball for the unmarked Rashica, eight yards out.

The connection was true but the direction was woeful.

Rashica thrust his hands to his head. He was substituted soon after, although the consoling words from Craig Shakespeare when he trooped to the touchline suggested Christos Tzolis’ arrival was already in the pipeline.

It was also Rashica, one recalls, who had that massive chance early on in the recent Brentford defeat, when he tamely sidefooted a close range effort at Bees’ keeper David Raya.

This is not to single out one of the few in Smith’s squad who has carried a residual attacking threat.

But it did underline yet again identifying the issues and rectifying them are two separate things.

3. Midfield muddle

However this pans out over the run in, Smith will know finding a genuine mix in the middle of the park that is both defensively robust and retains a much sharper attacking edge is a prerequisite for the next phase of his Carrow Road masterplan.

From before a ball was kicked this season the narrative was all about trying to source a replacement for Tottenham’s Olly Skipp.

Gilmour arrived with plenty of fanfare, but he is not the answer. Nor was Mathias Normann, or seemingly Pierre Lees-Melou.

Lukas Rupp’s injury record and Jacob Sorensen’s inability to make the breakthrough, outside of his own injury issues, have only added to what has so far proved an elusive quest.

Brighton held the upper hand for the most part, and as a result the game flowed towards Krul for the most part.

Albeit City did have counter-attacking possibilities.

But when Norwich did get on the ball there was a lack of confidence, a lack of guile and a lack of quality to progress through the Seagulls’ press.

Rashica and Pukki for the most part were isolated figures until Jon Rowe’s arrival and Brighton’s increasing desperation to force a winner combined to offer a rare glimpse of attacking intent in the centre of the park.

Until Norwich can find a formula which regains the upper hand in a key part of the pitch this will remain an open sore. At least at Premier League level.

4. Good to talk

Smith hinted last week he was set for discussions with sporting director Stuart Webber on the way ahead, between now and the end of the season.

He followed up that on Friday by insisting the ‘scenario’ planning has been in the background since the turn of this year.

That looks ever more likely to be top flight relegation, and a return to the Championship. Whatever they offer up on the pitch between now and Tottenham’s final day visit in late May, there needs to be swift and decisive signals to a fan base who will not just want to hear the fightback is underway but can see it unfolding.

Or be told mistakes were made and ownership of another failure on the park has been readily claimed.

Smith, no doubt, will privately tell Webber his unvarnished thoughts on this current group of players.

Demanding spirit and fight and a demonstration they care to play for Norwich City, as he did at his pre-match press briefing only on Friday, were not the words of a head coach who will settle for the status quo in his dressing room.

Should it be relegation, and in many cases a second consecutive demotion at this top level for a number of this group, then it will need a refresh.

Smith will surely demand he is backed to put a firm imprint on the personnel to launch a concerted effort at promotion.

5. Youth brigade

Part of that response will surely include the injection of a fresh, raw, energetic youthful dimension.

There is a tired, end of an era feel to the current group. They looked weighed down by the struggle.

But prior to kick-off the likes of Jonathan Tomkinson, Tony Springett, Abu Kamara and Rowe were huddled together, taking in their surroundings.

Rowe has led the charge since the festive period and his Premier League debut at Crystal Palace.

Kamara was included on the bench a few hours after a 60-minute outing or so the night before as the development squad inched towards a play-off place, in a 1-1 draw at home to Sunderland’s Under-23s.

Smith name checked some of the emerging talent on Friday, while acknowledging part of the future planning includes deciding which of this crop are perhaps ready to be tracked into the first team environment.

Promoting new talent is a core principle of the Webber years. Smith has already shown with his faith in Rowe he is willing to embrace the challenge of harnessing that potential, with the inconsistency that comes with inexperience.

Any more exposure between now and the end of the season for Rowe and his pals sends a clear message a page is being turned. City fans need some straws to clutch.