City star Darren Huckerby insisted it was business as usual up at Colney this week as the Canaries desperately try to kick-start their season into life against Bristol City on Saturday.
The 32-year-old, two-time Player of the Year has been struggling with groin and hip problems all season and revealed that he underwent an injection in his hip last week in a bid to ease the nagging problem.
Norwich, likewise, could do with a big fat needle slammed into their tender regions as nine hours of goalless – and all too often, shot-less – football threatens to take the Norfolk side to places that they never knew existed.
Or if they did, had long forgotten about. Whaddon Road, for example.
?Has the training ground felt like a different place this week? No, not really,? said Huckerby, with Colney now running on manager-lite after Peter Grant's exit last week.
?It's the same people – apart from one. The lads are just trying to get on with it; it's been difficult circumstances but life goes on and we will continue to try and get three points.?
With away trips to Burnley and West Bromwich Albion fast looming, three points at home on Saturday is something of a necessity for all concerned – not least new caretaker boss Jim Duffy who, of course, has his own managerial ambitions to pursue.
He has, of course, already made one big splash with the arroval of John Hartson on loan; other tweaks are also going on, according to Huckerby.
?He's changed little bits here and there, but it's difficult – he's been pushed into it as well. We've tried a few little things and, hopefully, they'll work on Saturday.?
It was, said Huckerby, too soon to see any great differences emerge. He did, however, expect one to be evident on the touchline on Saturday now that 'Peter the Pointer' was no more.
?It's hard to say – it's been three days,? said the Canary striker, quizzed as to any differences. ?And it's not like Jim wasn't here before. We know what Jim's like – he's very passionate just like Peter was, but maybe a little bit more controlled.?
Controlled?
?Well, you've been there and seen him on the side of a pitch… I don't need to answer that do I??
It is, of course, not the first time that anyone had been through this – it was same again this time last year as Martin Hunter held the fort ahead of Grant's arrival.
?There's definitely a lot of uncertainty about, but we've been in this situation before and it's just up to the lads to just try and keep going and, obviously, the new manager will be installed shortly – hopefully.?
Further details of that particular process might emerge in tonight's Annual General Meeting with the Canaries likely now to be working off a short-list of candidates following a key 'Right, what are we going to do now..?' meeting of the board yesterday.
Follow the bookies' lead and Real Sociedad boss Chris Coleman appears to be easing into the favourite's slot as the ex-Fulham chief possibly looks for a way out of Spanish Second Division football and the chance to see rather more of the family.
In the meantime, however, and it is all eyes on the newly-promoted Robins. ?They've done very well – it's the same as when Colchester came up. They also did very well because no-one expected them to do so well and it's kind of a surprise playing them.
?But they like to pass the ball around so hopefully it'll be a good game on Saturday.?
It was, he said, time for everyone to stick together after the turbulent events of late. Scoring a goal might be a good way to start.
?It's been difficult the last six or seven games – we need to start scoring goals. But we've got to pull together and we've got to start picking up points.?
At least Huckerby had a big target to aim at in the shape of Hartson. Throw Huckerby down the left, Croft down the right and add Jimmy Smith in the middle and there were bits and pieces there to work with.
The impression remains that with Jamie Cureton only just returning to training with his foot trouble and Dion Dublin still feeling his back, David Strihavka could come in from the cold to partner the newly-arrived Welsh international.
?Hartson's definitely a presence,? said the City star. ?He's been there and done it. He's a handful for anybody and, hopefully, if we get enough crosses into the box he's going to cause problems and it just gives us a different option – especially with Dion being injured.?
Cue a return to a familiar Huckerby theme – how a club of Norwich's ilk can ill-afford to oose players of a certain quality. For him, some big, fat chickens were coming home to roost – as he said in his own, inimitable way on the day of Dickson Etuhu's exit to Sunderland.
?Any player that adds a little bit of quality is needed,? he said. ?I don't want to go back to it, but I told you a long time ago that I thought we'd struggle if we sold our best players. And I think you'll find that's right.?
Likewise, Huckerby was warning everyone not to expect too much, too soon from 20-year-old Smithe as the on-loan Chelsea midfielder prepares – potentially – to make his first competitive appearance after his loan move ended virtually before it had ever begun with that ankle injury sustained on the pre-season trip to Holland.
?He could be back – but he's only just coming back. He's been out for a long time, so I don't think he'll be rushed in that instance. But any player that's got that quality, we need in the squad.?
Looking back, Huckerby conceded that questions had to be asked of the players. ?We let the manager down,? he said. ?We've not been playing as well as we can do, but that's what usually happens – the manager is the first one that gets it.
?You kind of feel sorry for Peter, but there's nothing we can do. All we can do is try and get points on the board.?
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