Norwich City

After picking up their first points of the season with a 3-0 drubbing of Hull City, Valerien Ismael's Blackburn Rovers will seek to get on track at Ewood Park as Norwich visit on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Liam Manning's Canaries have suffered three home defeats already this season but will seek to stay unbeaten on their travels after the 2-1 win at Portsmouth in their only previous road game in the Championship.

• Blackburn Rovers have won just two of their past 14 league games against Norwich City (D5 L7), though are unbeaten across their last four against the Canaries (W1 D3).

• Norwich City are unbeaten across their past seven away league games against Blackburn Rovers (D2 L5), drawing both of their last two such visits to Ewood Park 1-1.

• After losing their home opener 2-1 to Birmingham City, Blackburn will be looking to avoid losing each of their opening two home league games of a campaign outside the top tier for the first time since 1956-57.

• Norwich have lost two of their opening three league games this season (W1), and will be looking to avoid losing three of their opening four outside the top tier for the first time since 2000-01.

• Norwich have won just one of their past 11 league games against sides from Lancashire (D5 L5), though that victory did come on the road at Preston in April 2024 (1-0).

Image source, Rex Features

Norwich City have signed Swindon Town forward Botan Ameen on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

The 18-year-old Iraq youth international has played 19 games for the League Two side, scoring four goals and will join the Canaries' development squad.

Ameen began his career at Queens Park Rangers before moving to Swindon in the summer of 2023 and his contract at Norwich includes the option of two further years beyond 2028.

"This move is right for me because I think I have got more developing to do and a place like Norwich with top facilities, loads of good equipment, nutrition, loads of staff to help me out and tailor my needs is perfect for that," Ameen said.

"When you read this, you sort of think wow! It was so shocking, we clarified it and checked it. Marcelino Nunez is one of Norwich's best players. It's huge, it's a shocker".

Chris Goreham and Rob Butler are joined by Ipswich Town fan and Youtuber Benjamin Bloome, former Norwich City winger Darren Eadie and more in this special edition of the podcast looking at Marcelino Nunez's 'shock' move to rivals Ipswich Town.

The Chilean is set to be sold for £10m with a year remaining on his contract.

Listen to the full episode of The Scrimmage and more on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Rex Features

Norwich City head to Blackburn on Saturday (15:00 BST) seeking to return to winning ways after consecutive home defeats.

City went down 2-1 against Middlesbrough in the Championship on Saturday before a 3-0 reverse against Southampton in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, their third straight loss at Carrow Road this season after an opening-day defeat by Millwall.

Head coach Liam Manning has been speaking to the media in the build-up to the Rovers game.

Here are some of the key points:

• Reflecting on the Southampton defeat, Manning says the Canaries didn't help themselves by not taking their chances when they were on top.

• There's no panic behind the scenes, he says, emphasising that staying calm and trusting the process they are going through is essential.

• "Building the foundations and blocks so that we're successful at the end of the season is the aim."

• On Blackburn: "They'll be well organised and set up; we'll need to be at our best to win."

• On Rovers midfielder Todd Cantwell, who spent six years at Norwich until 2023: "We'll do our homework, but the focus is on what we do, not individuals."

• On transfers - Manning says the club has been transparent with those players not getting any game time. "Never say never" with players coming back into the team if they train well, but players know where they stand.

You can listen to full live commentary of Blackburn v Norwich City with BBC Radio Norfolk on FM and DAB from 14:00 BST on Saturday.

Norwich head coach Liam Manning said it would "absolute madness" to start panicking so early in the season despite a third straight home defeat.

Tuesday's 3-0 home loss to Southampton in the EFL Cup second round followed earlier Championship defeats at Carrow Road to Millwall on the opening day of the season and Middlesbrough last Saturday, which have left the Canaries 17th in the league after one win - at Portsmouth - in their opening three games.

"I don't like losing, I don't like conceding goals like we have done," Manning told BBC Radio Norfolk after the latest reverse.

"I think the last 20 minutes of the game skews a little bit of the performance. When you look at the first half I think we performed really well, and caused them real problems, created numerous chances but we didn't take any.

"Then obviously a sloppy turnover again, similar to the weekend, a fantastic finish and then you are 1-0 down.

"Even in the second half there were some passages again. For me it was probably the way we finished the game, in terms of continuing to fight and show those behaviours all the way through until the end, that was probably the disappointing feeling at the end."

The Canaries boss said his team need to be more ruthless in attack after only managing four of their 10 shots on target.

"Learning to win is different, the smart bit is the little fouls on transition or being ruthless in the box. It is no good creating loads of chances and not converting, which was similar to at the weekend.

"I know we have a huge amount of work to do and I know because of that we will improve and we will get better.

"I am quite clear and quite strong on that, you don't want to be panicking four or five games in - I think it would be absolute madness to do that."

Listen to the full interview with Liam Manning on BBC Sounds

Swindon striker Botan Ameen, 18, an Iraq youth international, is set to undergo a medical at Norwich ahead of a move to Carrow Road. (Pete O'Rourke), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Wednesday's gossip column here.

Rob Butler
BBC Radio Norfolk Canary Call presenter

Image source, BBC/Rob Butler

Norwich City play Southampton in the second round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday at Carrow Road (19:45 BST).

City's head coach Liam Manning has been speaking to the media in the build-up to the game.

Here are some of the key points:

• Defender Jack Stacey will miss "the coming week" as the club follow concussion protocols

• Stacey was taken off during the defeat by Middlesbrough on Saturday following a collision with Boro goalkeeper Sol Brynn

• "We want unpredictable football" - Manning said he wants his team to be consistent but able to diversify on the pitch where necessary

• Manning said he wants his team to hurt after that defeat against Middlesbrough, so they will be hungry to put things right

• Manning praised the performances of forwards Mathias Kvistgaarden and Papa Amadou Diallo against Boro

You can listen to full live commentary of Norwich City v Southampton with BBC Radio Norfolk on FM and DAB from 19:00 BST on Tuesday.

Marc Webber
BBC Final Score reporter

Image source, Rex Features

Home is where the heart is - except if you are Norwich City.

Hope garnered from a 100% away record crafted with gutsy performances at Watford and Portsmouth has been erased by higgledy-piggledy performances in front of the frustrated Carrow Road faithful.

The latest defeat against Middlesbrough saw the Canaries self-implode with a mix of imprecise passing and silly discipline to lose a game they should be winning if promotion is a realistic aim.

Ironically, Norwich played better on Saturday when they went a man down after Jacob Wright was sent off for a loose-limbed challenge 58 minutes in.

They threw the kitchen sink at their opponents at the end of the game, allowing Josh Sargent to raise hopes with a late goal.

But it's often the hope that kills you when you sit in 'the Snakepit' at Carrow Road. And fans will want to see an end to the Jekyll and Hyde Norwich who play away but struggle at home.

Image source, PA Media

Norwich head coach Liam Manning urged his side to improve their ball retention after suffering a second successive home defeat at the start of the new season.

The Canaries were beaten 2-1 by Middlesbrough despite Josh Sargent giving them late hope with his fourth goal in as many matches.

"We did a really good job first half of problem solving and I thought we managed to start putting a bit of pressure on higher up," Manning told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"We got some control of the ball but have to show more quality when we do break their structure.

"We'd had a couple of warning signs and turned the ball over far too cheaply, and at this level when you give it away so easily you end up defending your goal extremely quickly.

"Things are improving but what you can't do is (go from) performing an action at eight out of 10 to a three very quickly, there were far too many of them."

Jacob Wright was sent off for a poor tackle just before the hour mark, but Manning added: "After that we saw another side to the team and they continued to fight to the end, which is a really important attribute, but ultimately just fell a little bit short."

Norwich are away to Blackburn Rovers next Saturday.