City winger Lee Croft had encouraging words for two of Tuesday night's shining lights as the Canaries look to take their encouraging Carling Cup performance into this weekend's crunch clash at home to Sheffield Wednesday.
Not too long ago, Croft was a promising young player himself with the architects of Norwich's latest Cup downfall, Manchester City.
But ? only just over a year after arriving in Norfolk – Tuesday saw him as the player with the most first-team appearances in Canary colours behind Gary Doherty and Darel Russell.
So, he felt well qualified to give a few words of wisdom on the performances of Michael Spillane and Rossi Jarvis ? who were in sparkling form in the Norwich engine room.
Whether City boss Peter Grant decides to stick with his young guns in the crucial Carrow Road showdown with fellow strugglers Wednesday, we'll have to wait and see.
But the Wigan-born midfielder feels their fearless showing against Sven Goran Eriksson's men will have done them no harm whatsoever.
“The two young lads were different class,” said Croft.
“They came in a few times for us last year and they play with no fear. They just want to play their football and it's a joy to play with them.
“Both want to get on the ball and play and bring other players into the game and hopefully they will get a few more opportunities.
“I said to them before the game that we're not playing well at the moment – we're not passing the ball or keeping the ball well but to come out, with no pressure, in a lovely stadium against a Premier League side and impress like they did has certainly done their chances no harm.”
As for the team performance in general, Croft agreed with former England coach Eriksson; the Canaries gave a good account of themselves and their league position continued to be a constant source of bemusement.
It's how they go on from here now which will be so vital. Slip back into their old ways, and as Irving Berlin once said, there may be trouble ahead.
“We can't believe how low we are in the table,” added Croft.
“We've not been playing well at all. The team is capable and we've got the players but we've got to put the performances in; hopefully the performance on Tuesday will kick-start us and we can start getting back up that league table.
“The team will be a high now, we played good football and with a couple of good days training hopefully it will rub off on us for Saturday and we can play well in front of the TV cameras.
“We knew it was going to be tough, going to the City of Manchester stadium, but the main thing was that we put on a performance and showed what we can do because we haven't done that recently.
“But we did that against City and we gave a good account of ourselves and were unlucky to lose the game.
“The way we lost the game was heartbreaking and we would have liked to have taken them to extra time at least but the main thing to take from the night was the performance.
“We passed the ball well, which we haven't been doing and we kept the ball well, which we haven't been doing. But every player who played will take the positives from the night.”
Croft admitted the fact that the Canaries were in a no-lose situation against their more illustrious opponents probably did them the world of good.
There was none of the tense atmosphere that sometimes accompanies a goalless first-half at Carrow Road, no half-time boos or jeers.
The 1000 or so City fans that made the long trip north were in good voice and almost pushed their heroes over the line.
It's how Norwich cope with what will undoubtedly be an anxious vibe in Norfolk this weekend which could make or break their season.
5.20 this Saturday could see the likes of Spillane and Jarvis quickly transforming into men?
“There was no pressure on us against City and we need to go into every game like that now. We've got good players so there is no reason why we can't play like that more often because we've got the capabilities.
“Hucks was missing as well so he would have given us another dimension so we've got players to come back as well but, as I've said, we'll take the positives from Tuesday and take it on now to what will be a very important game.”
Tom Haylett
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