The Black Cats secured a top six finish thanks to their 0-0 draw at Carrow Road on Tuesday night, which Thorup felt was a fair result in what was an honest verdict of the game.
And he was full of praise for Sunderland and their achievements so far this season.
Thorup, like Regis Le Bris, was something of an unknown quantity when he took charge in the summer.
And given the challenges the 36-year-old has faced in what has been a year of transition for Norwich, he appreciates even more just how impressive Le Bris’ work on Wearside has been, with the Frenchman having taken charge on the back of what was a grim second half to last season for the Black Cats.
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Not only has Thorup been impressed by Sunderland’s quality but also their resilience and character.
He said: “They have been good enough this season and when I’ve looked at their game they have been able to pick up points when they have not been at their best.
“They have picked up points in games when they’ve been under pressure, like at West Brom when they still got a win even though it’s fair to say West Brom were the team that dominated that game.
“That shows what this Sunderland team is about. They have done well and absolutely deserve this position they have. And it can inspire us to see where we want to go. We want to be as competitive as they are now next season.”
Norwich were much the better of the two sides in the first half on Tuesday and created a string of chances that they couldn’t take.
Sunderland improved in the second half and finished the stronger, and while Thorup was frustrated his side didn’t make their dominance count early on, he felt the outcome was about right.
“I’m pleased with our mentality out there in terms of making it a game where we could dominate, take control and be the ones to try and break down a little bit of a defensive Sunderland side, especially in the first half,” he said.
“We did more than enough to score a goal. We allowed them absolutely nothing in the first half. We had several good moments and should have scored.
“In the second half we were a little bit too open in some moments and they were on top in the last 15 minutes. Their crosses caused us some problems. Is it a fair result? Probably.
“The amount of situations we got ourselves in in the first half, I’m more than pleased. This is the way we want to play.
“It’s the second home game in a row where we have a clean sheet and don’t allow many chances. It was a good performance defensively. That’s something we’ve not been good enough at this season. To get a point without scoring is a positive.”
