Like his Canary counterpart, Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has admitted he will chop and change his side for tonight's live Sky Carling Cup clash at Carrow Road.
The ex-Canary defender revealed he was not really one for making wholesale changes and resting a team for Cup encounters.
But with the start his team have made to the Premier League season � with two wins in three games � he will be keen to build on that great beginning and keep his big guns fresh.
As a result, expect the likes of Kenwynne Jones and Darren Bent to be on the sidelines.
“We should still be capable � whatever team I put out � of getting a win at Norwich,” Bruce said, whilst admitting that despite his intention to make changes, he still had one eye on the League Cup as a potential trophy.
“I haven't got carried away with us having six points from the first nine. There were some glaring things out there against Blackburn that alarmed me and reminded me why the team has been in the bottom third for the last couple of seasons.”
And he has pinpointed a deficiency in his new Mackems side � a lack of physical power; Bruce's teams have always been renowned for being a tough nut to crack.
And that is a quality he is aiming to bring to his new charges after boosting his standing as a manager last season with Wigan Athletic.
“When I sent out teams against Sunderland in the Premier League I identified the fact that they didn't have enough physical power to compete with some sides.
“The likes of Bolton, Birmingham, Blackburn and Wigan could often overpower them,” he continued.
“You've seen the size of some of these teams nowadays � Blackburn on Saturday for example, were a very big side � and if you can't match that, then you're goosed, simple as that.
“So it has been down the spine of the team that I've tried to improve Sunderland.
“We haven't seen Paulo Da Silva yet or John Mensah, who is still on the radar, and that will make us stronger because we need to be strong.”
And even though they have made a powerful start to their campaign, with their only defeat coming against a rampant Chelsea, he is still keen to put a stamp on his new club as soon as possible.
He realises that this is his big chance to 'do something' with a club that realistically has more potential than a Birmingham or Wigan.
“I told the players at half-time against Blackburn: you've done it your way for a couple of years and it hasn't been very good, now we're going to do it my way.
“To be fair to the players who have been here before, they've dug the team out of the Championship and they've kept it in the Premiership – just.
“I couldn't have asked for anything more from the players so far, in terms of the effort they've given me.
“But without Lee Cattermole and Lorik Cana, we could have been bullied by Blackburn and same went for Bolton the previous week.
“It's going to take time to turn the team around and get it where I want it to be � maybe four or five transfer windows. You can't just do it in six weeks.”
Tom Haylett
Remember that if you aren't glued to your Sky boxes tonight, you can keep up to date with events from Carrow Road on MFW.
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