Norwich City's 2023/24 campaign ultimately ended in disappointment last month as they were hammered 4-0 by Leeds United in the second leg of their play-off semi-final.
The Canaries had finished sixth in the Championship during the regular season but failed to step up to the mark in the play-offs, as they went goalless in their two-legged clash with former head coach Daniel Farke.
Shortly after their capitulation at Elland Road in May, sporting director Ben Knapper decided to pull the trigger on manager David Wagner, who was relieved of his duties after just shy of a year-and-a-half in the role.
The Yellows chief then scoured the globe to find a replacement for the German boss and opted to bring in Danish head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup from FC Nordsjaelland.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the appointment is his commitment to playing and developing young talent. Per Transfer Room's 'Trust in Youth rating', no boss in Europe trusted young players more than him, with the likes of Liverpool's Arne Slot and Bayern Munich's Vincent Kompany also within the top ten.
This will be music to the ears of Canaries fans who want to see more faith placed in up-and-coming stars so that the next Jonathan Rowe, who was one of the stars of the season just gone, can be unearthed.
Jonny Rowe's breakthrough season with Norwich
The young winger, who worked his way up through the ranks at Colney, made his first-team debut in the Premier League under Dean Smith during the 2021/22 campaign.
He went on to make 13 appearances as a substitute and contributed with one assist as his side were relegated from the top-flight under the English boss, who had replaced Daniel Farke in the dugout that term.
His emergence in the senior side came after his fantastic return of 11 goals and seven assists in 31 appearances for the U21s, and 12 goals and three assists in 31 games for the U18s in the academy.
Rowe's progress was, unfortunately, stunted by injuries during the 2022/23 campaign under Smith and David Wagner, who arrived in January 2023, as he was restricted to three league appearances.
He battled back from his injury woes to fulfill his potential in the second tier in the season just gone under Wagner, as he showcased his ability to make a big impact in the final third on a regular basis.
23/24 Championship
|
Jonathan Rowe
|
Appearances
32
Starts
25
Goals
12
Key passes
26
Assists
2
Dribbles completed
35
Stats via Sofascore
|
As you can see in the table above, Rowe chipped in with more than one goal contribution every other start on average, with 14 in 25 starts in the Championship.
His efficiency in the final third was particularly impressive as the 21-year-old dynamo scored 12 times from 5.76 xG, an overperformance of 6.24 – higher than any other player within the Canaries squad, with Gabriel Sara's overperformance of 5.55 (13 from 7.45 xG) the next best.
Thorup could now find Norwich's next breakthrough starlet on the flanks by unleashing Abu Kamara in the 2024/25 campaign, after his impressive year out on loan with Portsmouth.
Abu Kamara's academy form for Norwich
The versatile forward has been with the club since the age of ten and progressed up through the youth ranks over the years, just like Rowe did before his emergence.
Kamara showed glimpses of his goalscoring prowess at U18 level for the Canaries with a return of 12 goals and three assists in 30 outings as a centre-forward or second striker.
His form earned him a step up to the U21s and the left-footed star was then exposed to a multitude of positions; attacking midfield, right wing, left wing, second striker, and centre-forward.
He racked up an outstanding 31 goals and seven assists in just 50 matches for the U21s, which was remarkable consistency for a player who did not have a settled role.
Abu Kamara for Norwich's U21s
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Position
|
Appearances
|
Goals
|
Assists
|
Attacking midfielder
3
3
1
Right winger
15
9
3
Left winger
4
2
0
Second striker
5
5
0
Centre-forward
17
11
3
Stats via Transfermarkt
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As you can see in the table above, Kamara thrived in front of goal in pretty much every position the club utilised him in, which then led to a loan move to Portsmouth for the 2023/24 campaign.
Why Johannes Hoff Thorup must unleash Abu Kamara
Thorup must now bring the 20-year-old wizard into the first-team picture at Carrow Road next term after his fantastic season on loan with Pompey.
The left-footed magician finally nailed down an established position as the majority of his appearances for the League One side came on the right flank, cutting inside onto his favoured foot.
Kamara enjoyed a brilliant first year of regular first-team football with John Mousinho's side as he racked up a return of ten goals and 11 assists in all competitions – only Sara (14 goals, 13 assists) registered more goals and assists combined with the Norwich squad.
23/24 League One
|
Abu Kamara
|
Percentile rank vs wingers
|
xG
6.32
80.6%
Goals
8
79.6%
Assists
10
100%
Chances created
43
82.4%
Successful dribbles
57
95.4%
Touches in the opposition box
197
98.1%
Stats via FotMob
|
As you can see in the table above, 18 of his goal contributions came in his 37 starts in League One as Portsmouth were promoted back to the Championship.
He ranked incredibly highly among his positional peers in a host of key attacking metrics, which speaks to how much of a standout performer the young magician was in the division, particularly as a creative talent.
The Canaries academy graduate consistently found himself receiving the ball in the opposition's box and his end product shows that he was rarely wasteful with his touches in front of goal, and that bodes well for a potential step up in quality to the second tier.
There could now be a spot for Kamara, who was hailed as "outstanding" by Pompey coach Jon Harley, in the Norwich side next term as Rowe has been linked with a possible move to Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That could open up a spot on the right wing for the England U20 international, who could line up on the right side of Thorup's preferred 4-3-3 formation, with Borja Sainz on the opposite flank and Josh Sargent leading the line as the lone centre-forward.
His exceptional form in League One suggests that the potential is there for him to make the step up to Championship level as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a wide position, but it is now down to him to prove himself at a higher level on a consistent basis.
This is why he could be the next academy star up for the Yellows and follow in Rowe's footsteps next term, if Thorup provides him with enough opportunities on the pitch at Carrow Road.