Norwich City: Neil Adams says Canaries do not have to sell

Norwich boss Neil Adams says the club will not have to sell players, despite their relegation to the Championship.

Adams was unable to keep the Canaries in the Premier League after replacing Chris Hughton on an interim basis, but has now signed a three-year deal.

The 48-year-old said: "We don't have to sell but we need players who are hungry and committed to play for Norwich."

Adams also said he understands why many of the club's supporters have "reservations" about his appointment.

"I get that totally but all I am doing is looking forward," he said.

Norwich chairman Alan Bowkett says Adams had been told that, despite relegation, there is no financial requirement to sell any of his squad.

Asked why the club's board had opted for Adams ahead of more experienced candidates, Bowkett replied: "Neil is hungry, he is progressive, he's an excellent coach.

"He has a vision of how to take us forward, he has the skill and ability to change tactics during a game, which perhaps over the last two years we have not had.

"He has skill in planning tactics before a game, he can pick a player, he can motivate a player and, as icing on the cake, he can actually manage the young players and get them to Premier League status."

Chief executive David McNally dismissed the criticism of some supporters that the appointment showed a lack of ambition.

"Our ambition is we want to get back to the Premier League and the appointment of Neil is with that in mind at the earliest opportunity," said McNally.

"There was no consensus from the supporters, so whatever had been the outcome of the process [of appointing a new manager], the majority of people would have asked us questions why.

McNally also denied that others, including former Cardiff manager and Malky Mackay - who once played for Norwich - and former Celtic boss Neil Lennon, had turned the job down.

"I am not going to talk about any other individuals, but I can confirm Neil was the first person to be offered the job, so nobody has turned down the job," he said.

Speaking at a media conference at Carrow Road on Friday, Adams said he intended to coach his team to "play the type of football supporters want to see".

He continued: "Of course there'll be negotiations and we'll have to sit down with certain players, but I don't anticipate wholesale changes at all.

"I think the vast majority of the players are 100% behind the club. Some might want to leave, some might not, but I have to have a group of players who want to be here, have fire in their bellies and are good players.

"There's a really good core and it's imperative we try and keep as many as we can and, of course, add to that by bringing in players that are better than those who leave."