Hughton calls for patience
Manager Chris Hughton insists patience on and off the pitch will be the key to turning Norwich's season around.
The Canaries host West Ham in Saturday's late kick-off looking to respond to the 7-0 humiliation at Manchester City, which was the Norfolk club's sixth defeat in their opening 10 Barclays Premier League matches and leaves them slumped in 18th place.
Having lost to both Chelsea and Arsenal before being taken apart by Manuel Pellegrini's men, Norwich now enter a run of fixtures from which they would expect a positive return to start moving up the table.
However, Hughton maintains the team will not be about to lose sight of the bigger picture even if things do not immediately go to plan from kick-off against the Irons.
"Yes, possibly there will be times during the game when it might be difficult to break down a side like West Ham, who have been defensively very good, and that is when we might need a little bit of patience - that applies to the team as much as the supporters," said Hughton.
"We can't be throwing players forward at will. We have to get things right tactically so that might mean there are periods or lulls in the game which might lead to some frustrations.
"All I can say is I know our supporters have been right behind us this season and that will not change this weekend - we will need them again."
Hughton may be short odds to become the next Premier League manager fired, but the former Newcastle and Birmingham boss is not about to hit the panic button just yet.
"There is no need to set the alarm bells ringing," said Hughton.
"If we win on Saturday we go above West Ham and it changes the perceptions a little bit."
Hughton retains the backing of the boardroom - although it was only a few weeks ago chairman Alan Bowkett warned the expectation was of a top-10 finish following an unprecedented summer investment of some B#25million to improve the squad.
"I am convinced I will get the time to turn it around," Hughton said at a press conference.
"We are possibly one or two results from being in a half decent position in the league, so it is not as if we are bottom and cut adrift.
"That, of course, doesn't make the feeling any better and we don't want to be in the bottom three, but we have everybody pushing in the right direction."
Hughton added: "I speak to the chief executive and the board on a regular basis and there isn't anyone at this football club who doesn't want us to make progress.
"Everybody is hurting right now - not just me and the players, but the board and the fans. We all want the same things."
Norwich expect to have Scotland winger Robert Snodgrass available following concussion against West Ham but midfielder Nathan Redmond (hip) is a doubt while record-signing Ricky van Wolfswinkel remains out with a foot injury.
West Ham will be without Winston Reid (ankle) although fellow defender James Collins is available following a hamstring complaint.
The Hammers' forward options remain limited with Andy Carroll (heel) and Mladen Petric (thigh) both ruled out while Matthew Taylor (thigh), George McCartney and Alou Diarra (both knee) are also absent.
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce wants to see an improved goal return throughout his entire team as the Hammers look to shoot down Norwich.
Both sides meet in Norfolk having only won two games apiece in their opening 10 Premier League fixtures this season.
Club-record signing Carroll has yet to feature for West Ham this season and, with only the late arrivals of Petric and a returning Carlton Cole, Allardyce has opted to play a system without a recognised striker in recent weeks.
That tactic worked to perfection at White Hart Lane as the Hammers secured a memorable 3-0 over London rivals Tottenham but, having found the back of the net only five other times so far, Allardyce wants all of his players to take some of the goalscoring burden.
"People point to the fact that we haven't got Andy Carroll or we haven't played with a front man recently but it's not just that as to why we're down on our goal count from last year," he said.
"We're down on all players scoring a few more last season than they have done this season. The main contribution to us finishing 10th last season was that most players in our squad actually scored a goal.
"Very few players in the squad didn't got a goal. Whether that was from set-plays or open play it was very, very good from the point of view that we were in the Premier League for the first season."
Source: PA
Source: PA