Paddy Davitt verdict: Smith's City revolution gathers pace

This Canaries’ collective was never as bad or hapless as the sneering voices tried to convince the majority, who just wanted some tangible evidence to cling to it would be different this time around.

Nor, by the same token, does four wins in the last five and a spirited FA Cup passage at the expense of Premier League good things Wolves signal the worst is over.

With Manchester City and Liverpool on the horizon, after what already feels an epic in store against Crystal Palace on Wednesday, the route to survival remains hazardous.

But there is a path now. Paved with hard work, with discipline, organisation and quality. City have that in the dressing room and, seemingly in a head coach and his closest aides, who have weathered that festive tumult and emerged the other side with a renewed sense of purpose.

When Dean Smith railed about the injustice of a depleted squad, riven by illness and injury, forced to limp on in those defeats to Aston Villa, Arsenal and the reverse fixture against the Eagles few wanted to hear it. Let’s be honest. Only a small number of supporters moved to vocalise their frustration and anger, but plenty more were resigned to the same fate.

Jettisoning Daniel Farke was a clear attempt at turning a page. Smith may have looked like damaged goods after his own journey at Aston Villa ended abruptly the same weekend, but this sample is too good to pin on any new manager bounce.

Either side of that difficult festive spell, City have more often than not performed under Smith. There was a missed opportunity to really press home their numerical advantage at Newcastle, and a naivety ruthlessly punished at Tottenham in the following game. Perhaps a lack of quality on the night in both boxes more recently at West Ham.

But if you accept the unique circumstances in play, and the lack of resource available to Smith around that toxic festive episode, then Norwich look immeasurably better. More confident, more assured, more secure in what they are being asked to do, and the elixir of positive results only reaffirms if this group of players continue to listen attentively to Smith and Craig Shakespeare the impossible is possible.

The City boss did not have the luxury of a January transfer window to overhaul the squad. He is working with the same players his predecessor was unable to meld into an effective fighting force over a sustained period.

When you consider this latest cup triumph was achieved without the injured Tim Krul, and with the likes of Max Aarons, Teemu Pukki and Mathias Normann all on the bench, until Normann and Pukki were introduced for the decisive final push, there should be genuine grounds for excitement at what lies ahead.

Now the fixture list can be perused with optimism, not trepidation.

Adam Idah had chances to add to his recent goal tally in Norwich City's FA Cup victory at Wolves (Image: Focus Images Limited)

Smith spoke of a ‘sturdiness’ to his team’s output at Molineux. When the yards got harder in that second half, as Wolves finally shook off their lethargy, City appeared to relish the challenge. Grant Hanley and Ben Gibson were obdurate foes supported by Sam Byram and Brandon Williams.

Byram has battled through career-threatening adversity on a long road back from injury. He must have dreamt of days like Wolves, with his team pinned back and the home fans in full voice. While Williams has that warrior spirit which endears him to a support who simply crave that desire, that inner drive and that will.

Give them that and any lingering disenchantment recedes as swiftly as it bubbled to the surface at places like Selhurst Park, or even Charlton, in the third round of this competition.

Now City must live in the moment. Beating a Wolves side who made no outfield changes to a team who had won at Brentford in the Premier League last time out, to seal a fifth win in their last six, should be savoured. But what was more impressive is the Canaries were able to pick up the threads from where they had finished on that sumptuous night at Watford nearly two weeks before.

That underlines this feels sustainable under Smith’s stewardship. There will be missteps and setbacks to come, but there is a surefootedness spanning these past five outings that bodes well.

What is outside his control would be another wave of injury or illness; particularly to key personnel. That is why the margins remain wafer thin. But Norwich have a chance. They must grab it now and cling on.