Norwich City

At 12.00 GMT, Norwich City head coach David Wagner will be attending a press conference looking ahead to the Championship game at Hull City on Friday (20.00 GMT).

We will have all the latest news on this page, stay tuned.

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Opinion: 'A tipping point for many City fans'

Gary Gowers, My Football Writer - Norwich City, external

The home draw with Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup was a tipping point for many City fans and not just because of the result.

It was obviously disappointing not to beat a team that started the day 21 pyramid places below us, but it was not about the result - one-all draws against well-organised and motivated lower-league opponents can happen.

It was the nature of the performance that did for the Canary faithful. The plodding, uninspired, and dreary nature of it. One that carried all the menace of a WI summer fete.

For most clubs, enough would be enough. Despite the odd win – invariably achieved by a plodding, uninspired, and dreary performance – there is literally nothing to suggest that David Wagner is the short, medium, or long-term answer to City’s on-field travails.

But the problems run deep at Norwich City and go way beyond a stricken head coach who is out of his depth. In many ways, the Wagner problem is merely the tip of a huge iceberg.

Behind the scenes the problems mount. One at almost every turn.

So much so, the infrastructure appears not in place to successfully address the on-field problems, and few City fans are convinced that new sporting director Ben Knapper has been given all the tools needed to do his job properly.

If he has been afforded them, he appears unwilling to use them.

In my opinion, the relationship between fan and club is broken. Neither side believes, trusts, or even likes the other. Views are entrenched. A standoff.

And the joy, what happened to the joy? Some of us are old enough to remember when supporting Norwich City was occasionally fun.

The whole sorry state was summed up perfectly by City supporters’ reaction to the news that if the Canaries beat Bristol Rovers in the cup replay they head to Anfield.

We all know what comes next if we go to Merseyside – we’ve seen it too many times before – and so many, if not most, are wishing The Gas all the best for 17 January.

How telling and sad is that?

What are the prospects for Norwich City in the January transfer window?

This matter was discussed on the Scrimmage podcast.

Regular hosts Rob Butler and Chris Reeve had their say, along with guest fan Simon Cheeseman.

This week's special guest was former City winger Robert Snodgrass.

Download and subscribe to the show here.

Here's some more of your views on the current situation at NCFC:

Glen - It really is becoming a chore going to Carrow Road. I have yellow and green blood but have never felt so disillusioned and disconnected with the club. It’s obvious to everyone, apart from the ‘chosen’ few who run this beloved football club, what needs to happen so TIM (The Invisible Man) Knapper needs to do something, anything.

Paul - Too many excuses made for poor results when in fact, the problem is the management at the club. Too slow to act which mirrors the slow pace on the pitch. We the fans just want to know the plan going forward that we can get behind and support. Enough of the excuses just act when it’s needed.

Freddie - Just not good enough once again. Right ideas, completely wrong execution. Agree with Wagner that the players have to start taking some responsibility and be better, but he’s the one who has to inspire them. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened over the last few weeks, and certainly didn’t on Saturday. Considering our next few games, things could get messy.

Bridget - We are at sea. Transfer window open, players stagnant, crowd silent, coach playing the blame game. Who’d want to come to NCFC right now? We can all beg and plead for Wagner to go but it’s obvious there is some reason he won’t. It has to be funds. The Board must do their job and be honest about our future, only then can they hope to galvanise us all.

Thomas - I think the result is perfectly respectable from both sides. I think Wagner should stay since he showed us with that spell what he’s capable of as a manager. In the FA Cup, all that matters is that you don’t lose, and we didn’t. So I’m quite happy with it, contrary to other fans clearly.

Michael - Do the players have no flair or guile when things are not going well or are they happy to be booed off the pitch? They should be brave and use there knowledge to usurp the manager's instructions. Are the boardroom happy with the way things are going on the pitch or too afraid to speak directly to the manager?

Tony - Norwich City have many players with speed yet we more often than not play at such a pedestrian pace. We are at our most dangerous when we play at pace.

Richard - The club sold the two young defenders in the summer and brought in four players over the age of 30 on free transfers, stop-gaps, no ambition. (Stuart) Webber lost interest, just brought in his mate Wagner from his time at Huddersfield. Time for a big clearout - management and players.

On last night's Scrimmage podcast, Rob Butler, Chris Reeve and guest fan Simon Cheeseman discussed David Wagner's attitude towards the FA Cup tie against Bristol Rovers.

City drew 1-1 and if they win the replay, will travel to Liverpool in the fourth round.

You can listen to the full show here.

Image source, Getty Images

Norwich City have announced that the loan deal for striker Hwang Ui-jo has been cut short.

The South Korea international is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury which looks set to keep him out of action for six weeks. He has returned to parent club, Nottingham Forest.

Hwang was recently suspended by South Korea pending a police inquiry.

The 31-year-old initially joined the Canaries on a season-long loan in September 2023.

Image source, Getty Images

On this day - 9 January 2022

A late goal from Kosovan winger Milot Rashica sent Norwich into the FA Cup fourth round as they beat League One Charlton Athletic 1-0 at The Valley.

The Premier League Canaries went on to beat Wolves away in the last 32 before losing to Liverpool in the fifth round at Anfield.

The Reds had also knocked City out of the EFL Cup earlier in that season.

Norwich City will travel to Premier League Liverpool, if they make it through to the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The Canaries must first beat League One Bristol Rovers in a third round replay which takes place on 17 January at the Memorial Stadium (19.45 GMT).

Image source, Getty Images

A brand new episode of The Scrimmage has just dropped.

Rob Butler and Chris Reeve are joined by former Norwich City winger Robert Snodgrass.

Listen to the show on BBC Sounds here.

We love to hear from Norwich City supporters at any time here on our BBC Sport pages.

Join in and send us your thoughts here.

Here are some of your recent messages and opinions:

Robert - Apathy. Club isn't getting another penny from me until he's gone (David Wagner).

Colin - Being terrified of Southampton was about as low as it should have got. Saturday showed we are closer to League 1 than top six of the Championship. The season has gone so can we please start the huge rebuilding job now? Question: Would Wagner ever be offered a job managing in PL? Answer: Obviously not! That should answer any doubts about if he should go, it’s that simple!

Theo - Lacklustre. Not enough effort or desire, we had no real style of play.

The Canary - Poor, poor, poor!! Didn't go today, but so pleased I didn't and saved my train fare. BBC Radio Norfolk is always a bit biased towards us, but even they have lost the faith. Time to go Wagner - you really haven't got a tactical bone in your body.

Matthew - Issues which need to be addressed at Norwich City: squad age is too high and these players have little market value and lengthy contracts. Younger players with potential future value are needed. Manager's time is up. We have seen enough, move on now. Owners are too emotionally connected, need to make decisions like a business does. No emotion.

Jake - Norwich have just become depressing to watch. I can rarely make it to games, but I attended both Huddersfield and Bristol Rovers and the stadium was silent both times. No wonder, the play is boring and uninspired. Wagner has to go, if he's still here by the summer we will lose our best players.

John - You can’t score by going backwards. Norwich are playing the most boring football I have ever seen them play and I have been watching them since 1955!

Roger - Perhaps we need to organise a survey amongst supporters and season ticket holders (before renewals) to show the club that it's more than the 20% who are not happy with current affairs.

Image source, Getty Images

Rob Butler and Chris Reeve return to BBC Radio Norfolk following the festive break with a new episode of The Scrimmage (18.00 GMT, Monday)

Special guest is the Canaries 2014 player of the season Robert Snodgrass. He also played for Hull City who are Norwich's next opponents (20.00 GMT, Friday).

If you want to have your say on the current state of affairs at Carrow Road, or have a question for Snoddy - you can email the show at thescrimmage@bbc.co.uk.

Listen on BBC Sounds here.

Chris - Wagner needs to go. Massive changes needed throughout the club. They could've gone out there and sent a statement out, playing attacking football like the start of the season. More excuses about poor performances and we need to be better - we have been hearing it since October, with no change or looking like a decent performance is coming. Time for change.

Mick - Delia and the board's position has become completely untenable. Failure to act on sacking Wagner and poor dealings in the transfer market are having a serious effect on performance on the pitch. Fans will not accept consistent failure. It’s time for Delia to go and Wagner should have been removed before Christmas. Carrow Road is not a nice place.

Will - I’m a season ticket holder, and didn’t attend today, just due to the complete lack of excitement I feel around this squad. I don’t know the project, idea or what the club constitute as success this season. If it’s playoffs, the manager should have been gone in November. Why are we left watching the same, bland unsustainable football? Useless.

Robbie - We've lost our identity and our pulling power. No player, academy or first team is going to want to join us when we have a manager who blames his players. We sit 13th in the league and have no clear pathway from the academy into the first team. It won't be long until we lose our 'world class' academy status that is so often boasted about.

Clive - Slow game-play, negative tactics, and poor team selection. Wagner has to go.

James - The team lacks an identity. As much as the manager wants to blame the players, they don't seem to know the vision or direction. We have bought players based on individual skill, we don't have a larger plan to buy players whose skills fit that system and culture.

Sophie - Well, it was a disappointing draw against a League 1 team who are 10th - but at least we didn't lose! We needed to win and that shows that we are looking like a League One side - surely Wagner has to go? Hopefully, we can beat Hull on Friday - its a big ask though. OTBC

Bluevrf - The club is now at a crossroads with regard to the ownership and direction of travel for the future. After attempting to stay in the Premier League under the 'self-funding' model, which has proved to be a disastrous failure under Smith and Jones. If this club is to progress, a new approach must be found under new ownership with both the vision and finances

A case for the defence

Steve Sanders, @ncfcnumbers, external

The hallmark of successful Norwich City seasons over recent years has been a consistent line-up, and no position demonstrates this theory better than centre-back.

Craig Fleming and Malky Mackay played every minute of every game bar two in the 2003/04 title winning year, Alex Neil rode with the Russell Martin/Sebastian Bassong partnership in 20 of his last 22 games during the thrilling run to Wembley in 2015, and Daniel Farke stuck with Christoph Zimmermann and Ben Godfrey for every kick of the final 20 glorious games (in which the Canaries only lost once) in 2018/19.

Anyway, let’s snap back to the sobering present and compare and contrast.

Grant Ward’s equaliser for Bristol Rovers on Saturday was the 45th goal Norwich City have conceded in this hapless season (that’s already three more than that Fleming-Mackay partnership conceded in 03/04 by the way) and it came against their 10th different starting centre-half pairing – or trio if you include the back three against Southampton on New Year’s Day.

Hanley and Danny Batth were the fourth different combination in the last four games, and the tally of centre-backs for the Canaries this season stands at seven. Batth, seemingly the girl at the prom nobody wants to dance with, has started five games for Norwich City with four different partners.

David Wagner can legitimately point to long-term injuries as a big reason for this – and he could have been forgiven a curse or two under his breath at the sight of Grant Hanley walking down the tunnel clutching his back on Saturday. But even without his club captain, the emergence of Kenny McLean as a legitimate centre-back option does at least give the Norwich City manager depth in the position.

This, along with Wagner’s restlessness with his starting XI (which has now undergone changes in the last 22 games), may mean a continuation of his search for the perfect defensive formula. But going off history alone, he’d be well advised to hone in on a favoured centre-back pairing and pray it lasts him until May, if he’s going to salvage anything from this season.

David Wagner has given his reaction to the home fans' boos which accompanied the final whistle in Norwich City's FA Cup stalemate with League One Bristol Rovers.

The Canaries will head to the Memorial Stadium for a replay on a date which is yet to be confirmed.

Norwich City goalkeeper George Long says he and his teammates share the fans' frustrations following a draw with League One Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup third round.

Some home fans booed after the final whistle at Carrow Road.

You can watch highlights of the cup tie here.

"Frustrated, disappointed and angry" - that was David Wagner's verdict following his Norwich City side's 1-1 draw with Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup third round.

You can listen to a full interview with Wagner here.

Che Wilson's verdict on Norwich City 1-1 Bristol Rovers

Former Norwich City and Bristol Rovers defender Che Wilson was BBC Radio Norfolk's pundit for the 1-1 draw in the FA Cup.

Here's what he had to say at full time:

"Credit to Bristol Rovers, I think they did really well."

He continued, "I think they appreciated that Norwich City are a good team. When Norwich had the ball they (Bristol Rovers) blocked up and stopped them from playing, but they also tried to play football in attacking areas.

"They had really, really good chances, so credit to them."

Wilson wasn't impressed with how the Canaries approached the game, though.

He said, "Norwich City - it was almost like they were in second gear, they didn't really get going with no real invention in the final third.

"When there was a little bit of invention and a little bit of energy injected into the game, they got rewards from it. I think the crowd at the end showed their frustrations."

You can listen to more of Che Wilson's thoughts on Canary Call with Rob Butler here.

Norwich City drew 1-1 with League One Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup third round.

The two sides will meet again on a date to be confirmed for the replay.

What did you think of the performance from the Canaries?

Get in touch here.

Image source, Getty Images

You can listen to live online commentary of Norwich City’s FA Cup third round tie against Bristol Rovers (15.00 GMT).

Head here, or download the BBC Sounds app.

Time for the answer to our quiz, now.

A reminder of the question from BBC Radio Norfolk's Chris Goreham:

Can you name the last 5 different players to score in the FA Cup for Norwich City?

The answer:

Lukas Rupp v Liverpool

Kenny McLean v Wolves and Coventry

Milot Rashica v Charlton

Jordan Hugill v Coventry

Todd Cantwell v Man Utd

Well done if you got it right!

For those of you who like some statistics ahead of a game, dive in:

● This is the first meeting between Norwich City and Bristol Rovers since the 2009-10 League One campaign, with the Canaries winning 5-1 at home and 3-0 away that season

● Bristol Rovers have progressed from both of their FA Cup ties against Norwich, doing so in 1912-13 after two replays (second round), and a 2-1 third round win in 1963-64

● Norwich have won three of their last four FA Cup third round ties, though they did go out at this stage last season against Blackburn Rovers

● Bristol Rovers haven’t reached the FA Cup fourth round since 2007-08, going out at this stage of the competition five times since then

● Antony Evans has been involved in seven goals in his eight FA Cup appearances for Bristol Rovers (3 goals, 4 assists), both scoring and assisting in both of their games so far this term