Norwich City

Rob Butler
BBC Radio Norfolk

Norwich City will look to bounce back from a disappointing defeat at Queens Park Rangers when they visit Portsmouth in the Championship on Tuesday (19:45 GMT).

Head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup spoke to the media on Monday before the game, and here are some of the key points from his news conference:

• On the loss at QPR: "I asked for thoughts from players rather than just me talking. I think the feeling is that we are a good football team. We need to earn our right to play the way we want to."

• Thorup continued: "We are still a team and a squad in the making, we do not expect to be perfect. I believe so much in the strategy we have and we keep on building."

• The head coach said Kellen Fisher playing at left-back at QPR "didn't work" but went on to mention the game at West Brom in which, in his opinion, Fisher had a good game in that position.

You can listen to commentary of Portsmouth versus Norwich City with BBC Radio Norfolk FM and DAB on Tuesday from 19:00 GMT on Tuesday.

Image source, PRESSBOX GRAPHICS

Portsmouth's 3-0 win over Bristol City on Saturday was their biggest victory of the season and has them unbeaten in their past three Championship matches.

Even a point at Fratton Park on Tuesday night could be enough to lift Pompey out of the relegation zone.

Norwich's 3-0 reverse at QPR on Saturday ended a two-game winning streak and they are now six points short of the play-off places.

The Canaries have also failed to win any of their past six away games in the Championship.

• Portsmouth have lost just one of their past five league games against Norwich City (W2 D2), though did lose their last such match against the Canaries in May 2011 (1-0).

• After their 1-0 win in May 2011, Norwich are looking for successive league away wins at Portsmouth for the first time since October 1970.

• Norwich have only lost one of their past seven league meetings with newly promoted sides (W4 D2), although that was this season away at Oxford United (0-2).

• Portsmouth have lost all three of their midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league games this season; not since February 2013 have they lost more in a row (7). However, Pompey are unbeaten in 17 such matches at home (W12 D5) since a 4-0 defeat by Ipswich in October 2021.

• Norwich are winless in 12 midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) away league outings (D5 L7) since a 2-1 win at Birmingham City in August 2022.

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Boss Johannes Hoff Thorup told his Norwich players that every one of them was a candidate for substitution when they trailed 2-0 at half-time during their game at Queens Park Rangers.

Midfielder Kenny McLean revealed the head coach's scathing indictment and gave his own damning assessment of their performance as the Canaries lost 3-0 and have now gone six away games without a win.

"It's up there with the worst we've had this season," the Scotland international told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"It's so disappointing because we can play all the nice football we want at Carrow Road but when we come away and are under a bit of pressure we don't handle it well enough.

"He said at half-time that anybody could have come off and he was spot on - he could have made as many subs as he wanted and nobody could have said a word, and that's a poor situation to be in, when no-one is doing their job well enough."

Image source, PressBox Graphics

The Championship's lowest scorers - QPR, with 15 goals from 18 matches - take on the highest in the shape of Norwich City, who have found the net almost twice per game on average so far.

Rangers are yet to win at home this season, but could climb out of the bottom three if they end that sequence.

They go into the game unbeaten in three matches after following up their 2-0 victory at Cardiff with a creditable scoreless draw away to Watford last weekend.

The ninth-placed Canaries, who walloped Plymouth 6-1 before hitting another four goals in their home win against Luton last weekend, are looking to narrow the gap to the top six which currently stands at five points.

● QPR have failed to win any of their last eight league games against Norwich City (D4 L4), scoring more than one goal in just one of those matches.

● Norwich City are unbeaten across their last four away league games against QPR (W2 D2), while losing on just two of their last 10 such trips (W4 D4).

● QPR are unbeaten in their last three league games (W1 D2) and could keep three successive clean sheets for the first time since December 2023.

● Norwich are looking to win three successive league games for the first time since March last season, while the Canaries have scored 3+ goals in six of their last 13 league games, including each of their last two.

● Since the start of November, only Ben Doak (5) has more Championship assists than Norwich's Jack Stacey (4), assisting in each of his last three league games. Indeed, since the start of last season, he's one of only four defenders with more than 10 assists in the competition (11).

Image source, BBC Sport

Phil Daley
BBC Radio Norfolk

Image source, Getty Images

Norwich City head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup has been speaking to the media before the Canaries' Championship game against QPR on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Here are some of the key points from Thursday's news conference:

• Defender Jose Cordoba is back in contention after missing the past three games with a knee injury. He missed wins against Luton and Plymouth.

• Several players and staff have had to isolate during the week because of a virus causing disruption to the team's preparations.

• Liam Gibbs will be out for 8-10 weeks after surgery this week.

• Talks are going on behind the scenes with those senior players who are out of contract in the summer.

You can listen to full live commentary on QPR v Norwich on BBC Radio Norfolk via FM and DAB. Coverage begins at 14:00 on Saturday.

Rob Butler
BBC Radio Norfolk

Players from Norwich City men's and women's teams made a special festive visit to the James Paget hospital in Gorleston.

Hope Strauss, Olivia Cook, Emi Marcondes, Oscar Schwartau and Ben Chrisene handed out presents and spent time with patients and staff on Wednesday afternoon.

Marcondes told BBC Radio Norfolk that the visits are important to him and his team-mates.

"It's heart-warming to come here and light up their faces, at least for a few hours," he said.

"We know it's tough for them so to be able to be in a position where we can make a little difference is a great feeling.

"I feel privileged to be capable of doing that, that's a very good part of the job of being a footballer."

Image source, Getty Images

Norwich City boss Johannes Hoff Thorup believes his side now carry a threat down both flanks thanks to the form of Jack Stacey.

He has provided three assists in the last two games, in which the Canaries have scored 10 goals, and Thorup told BBC Radio Norfolk: "There is a fantastic mentality in him. We have been able to find a good position for him where he gives us that threat down the right side.

"At the beginning of the season, we were too left-sided, created too few chances down the right side, but now with Jack in, we are starting to see more assists and goals from the right as well."

Striker Ante Crnac agreed with Thorup's assessment, saying: "Jack is unbelievable. Except for (top scorer) Borja (Sainz), he was the second best player this week. In both games, he played really good."

Norwich are next in action away to QPR on Saturday.

Image source, Getty Images

It is one of the most eagerly anticipated dates in the football calendar as Premier League and Championship clubs join the FA Cup action from round three.

The draw will take place on Monday, 2 December from 19:00 GMT and can be watched live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.

Image source, BBC/Getty Images

Rob Butler, BBC Radio Norfolk

Norwich City play Luton Town in the Championship on Saturday (15:00 GMT) with the Canaries looking to follow up a remarkable 6-1 win over Plymouth Argyle in their last game.

City head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup faced the media on Thursday - here are some of the key points from his news conference:

• Midfielder Liam Gibbs is having a medical scan on Thursday - he has a hamstring injury and is likely to be out for the next 10 weeks

• Thorup says striker Ashley Barnes came through his substitute appearance against Plymouth without any issues. The former Burnley man was playing his first minutes of the season following a long injury lay-off

• Chilean midfielder Marcelino Nunez is fit again and available for selection

• Defender Jose Cordoba could feature against Luton but is more likely to return from injury against QPR on 7 December

You can listen to full live commentary of Norwich v Luton with BBC Radio Norfolk FM and DAB on Saturday, coverage begins at 14:00 GMT.

Image source, Rex Features

Norwich City defender Callum Doyle said the 6-1 win over Plymouth was the perfect way to end a run of seven games without victory.

The Canaries blew Argyle away at Carrow Road to move up to ninth in the Championship table on Tuesday night.

"The fans were buzzing with that one, as is the team as well," Doyle told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"It's just what we needed going into the next few games with high confidence now.

"We had loads of chances - that's what we said in the dressing room at half-time. But it was good coming out second half, putting them away and putting the game to bed."

The visitors briefly pulled a goal back to reduce the deficit to 2-1 shortly before half-time after Norwich lost the ball in their own half.

But Doyle said their style of play means mistakes like that may happen sometimes and believes they recovered well to win the game.

"With how we play, there is always going to be a risk of losing the ball on the edge of our box," the Manchester City loanee added.

"But I think after that goal, we sorted it out. We sussed out their press really well and came out in the second half and showed that. It's risky business but it paid off."

Doyle also hopes it will send a message to the rest of the Championship after such an emphatic margin of victory. Norwich host Luton Town at Carrow Road on Saturday.

"I think other teams are going to look at that score now and for us, it's that confidence boost going into next week against Luton, which is really good," Doyle said.

Image source, Rex Features

Norwich City head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup says Kenny McLean will "bring a presence" when he returns to the squad to face Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday.

The Canaries captain has missed the past four Championship matches after being sent off in their 3-3 draw with Middlesbrough last month.

The Scotland midfielder had started all 12 of Norwich's Championship fixtures prior to his ban and, in his absence, Thorup's side have lost three and drawn once.

"The impact Kenny has on the group is something you cannot underestimate - he's a great captain on the pitch for us," Thorup told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"Obviously what Kenny gives us with his technical ability, his tactical ability and the way he can dictate a game for us (is important) but also just his presence and for the way we want to play, he's the perfect midfielder for us so playing without him isn't ideal."

Norwich will also have striker Ashley Barnes available for the first time this season as they look to end a seven-match run without a win.

Barnes has been out with a complex calf injury since May, sustained in their play-off semi-final defeat to Leeds United.

Image source, BBC Sport

Norwich are now without a win in their past seven games following a 2-2 draw at West Bromwich Albion at the weekend and have slipped to 13th in the Championship table.

On Tuesday evening, they welcome a Plymouth side who produced more late heroics to salvage a point in a 2-2 draw of their own against Watford at Home Park on Friday night.

• Norwich have won four of their past five league games against Plymouth, though their other game was a 6-2 defeat in September 2023.

• Plymouth Argyle have lost 15 of their past 20 away league matches against Norwich City (W2 D3), losing each of the past three.

• Norwich lost their past home league game against Bristol City (0-2) and could lose successive such games for the first time since November 2023.

• Plymouth are winless in their past 10 away league games (D2 L8), though one of those two draws came in their most recent such game against Derby (1-1).

• Plymouth's Morgan Whittaker has scored more goals against Norwich than he has against any other side in the Football League (4), all of which came last season (three in September, one in March).