City defender Michael Nelson has urged his team mates to 'do the nasty things' if they intend on bringing three points back from the north east today.
The Canaries have never really been known for their ability to get their hands dirty on trips such as Hartlepool (a).
All too often we've seen the Norfolk club slip up on the road against the so-called lesser lights.
But if they are to do anything this season, City simply have to pick up points away from Carrow Road.
It might not be pretty, but in 2009/10 the Canaries have to put their head in where it hurts if they are to achieve their ambitions.
League One is not a place for the faint hearted – especially at Victoria Park with those north sea winds swirling in…
“It's normally a blustery sort of place to go and the stands aren't really going to hide you from the wind, so we've got to try and get the ball down,” said the former Pools captain.
“But we've also got to do the nasty side of things as well and grind things out. It's the same as going anywhere in League One basically.
“You've just got to go in there and start from a solid base, work your way into the game and hopefully come away with the three points.
“But it's not very often you get a nice calm day up there. The wind is usually howling and even if the sun's out there's normally wind going either across the pitch or up and down it.”
It has certainly been a topsy-turvy start to life at City for Nelson. That 7-1 opening day shocker, in which he featured, was swiftly followed by the departure of the man who brought him to Carrow Road � Bryan Gunn.
But the Bosman summer signing has been around long enough to realise that these things happen in football.
You just dust yourself down and get on with it. And if you're planning on sticking around these parts, you better get used to it.
“That's football – I've been around long enough to go through stuff like that and you know what you've got to do,” Nelson continued, speaking to the press at Colney yesterday.
“You've just got to get your head down and carry on and hopefully impress the new manager coming in.
“There have been changes regarding the managerial position but things are settling down now and the lads are starting to kick on.”
If Victoria Park, and everything goes with it, proves to be a culture shock for the travelling Canary faithful � some 800 fans have already snapped up tickets for the long trip north � it will be all too familiar for Nelson.
The defender spent six years there and is a veteran of some 259 appearances in the blue and white.
And while he'll have his professional hat on this afternoon, he admitted that it was a fixture he had his eye on as soon as he arrived in Norfolk.
“Obviously it was one I looked for when the fixture list came out and the fact that it came up early was obviously on my mind,” he continued.
“I have to hope I've impressed the manager enough to get into the team and hopefully do well.”
And will he be getting a rousing reception from the Pools faithful?
“We'll have to wait and see, that's not down to me, that's down to them. If they want to cheer they can and if they want to boo they can. It won't really affect me.
“I had six years there; we had some very good times and one very bad time with a relegation.
“But it was good. I enjoyed my time up there but I'm a Norwich City player now and I'm going up there looking for three points.”
Nelson has not been in the starting XI since that Colchester debacle on the opening day but Michael Spillane's suspension has let the 29-year-old back in.
But with Gary Doherty and Jens Berthel Askou also at the manager's disposal, he is by no means guaranteed a starting berth.
One thing's for sure though � he's desperate to play…
“Definitely. I want to get out there and show everyone the real side of me and show everybody what I can do, so hopefully I'll get my chance.”
Tom Haylett
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