Lambert relaxed as City aim to bounce back and take a giant step towards promotion in SE7

Canary boss Paul Lambert insists that he’s not feeling the pressure, as the league leaders aim to bounce back from a midweek defeat by getting back to winning ways at Charlton tomorrow.

Depending on results elsewhere, it is possible that three points at the Valley could earn Norwich a ticket back to the Championship.  But after a sloppy showing at Orient on Tuesday, the odd doubt is starting to creep in.

But the Scot is adamant that he’s not feeling edgy and after a clear-the-air meeting following the O’s performance, Lambert is backing his boys to get the job done.

“We had a chat yesterday and we talked about their feelings from the game.  But they’ve been great for me and we’ll try and finish it off now,” he told reporters this morning.

“We take responsibility as a group and we know what happens in every game.  We’ll come back strongly from it.

“Pressure is what Norwich City had last year – that’s pressure.  Fighting relegation is the ugliest thing to be involved in and you can ask the teams down there at the minute how they feel.   I’m pretty sure that every one of them will come back and tell you it’s nerve-wracking.               

“Being up there is great and as I said, every manager and player would love to be where we are.  I don’t tend to let it get to me.

“The pressure at this football club is always there with the amount of people that come and watch us but if we do it, it’ll be great.

“We’ve never said we were there, I’ve always said we’re in the mix, which we are. I’ve never felt anything other than that the lads have given me everything they’ve got.”

It’s worth remembering that it’s a huge game for the Addicks as well and if they can make it two defeats in a week for the Canaries in the capital, it gives Phil Parkinson’s men a great chance of grabbing one of those top-two spots.

But Lambert is treating it like any other game, despite the fact that with over 20,000 in the ground, including 3,200 from Norfolk, there promises to be quite some atmosphere.

“Every game is tough.  I say it every week but I can’t prioritise – tomorrow will be no different to any other match.”

In team news, there are no new injury concerns and the travelling hordes may be given a pre-match boost, with Canary playmaker Wes Hoolahan in with a shout of recovering from his thigh complaint.

With 30-goal Grant Holt completing his two-match ban, the Irishman’s presence could be key in what will probably be a tight encounter.  It could take just one moment of magic to seal the points.

“We’ll have to wait and see.  He did a bit of running yesterday so we’ll see how he feels this morning.  I have to see how he’s feeling in himself but he’s doing ok.  I’m hopeful, I can’t tell how anybody is going to heal, but we will just monitor him.”

Finally, Lambert promised the Canary Nation that they would be going all out to get over the finishing line sooner rather than later, while adding a touch of realism after the strong reaction in some quarters to that O’s reverse in midweek.

“I know how they are feeling but they’ve got remember that it’s a totally different feeling to the one they had a year ago when the club were on the brink of relegation.  But they’ve been brilliant and we’ll do everything we can to get them over the line.”