Norwich City

Norwich City head coach Liam Manning is not feeling any pressure despite his side losing all five home games this season.

"Ultimately I've got to win games, I'm quite clear on that. I can't control those things - my head's focusing on the lads making sure that we haven't got time to feel sorry for ourselves," Manning told BBC Radio Norfolk.

The Canaries lost 1-0 to West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday night despite dominating possession and having more shots on target.

"[After] the control we had, the chances we created, to lose is a tough one to take because I actually thought the performance was good," Manning continued.

"I thought we created some really good opportunities, I think we just didn't take them - we weren't clinical enough. We weren't ruthless enough."

Norwich have lost all five home games in all competitions but are yet to lose on the road. Their dire home form means they sit 19th in the Championship.

"We want to make [Carrow Road] a difficult place to come. I thought we did that without having that edge in both boxes [against West Brom]," Manning said.

Norwich City will visit Ipswich Town on Sunday (12:00 BST) for the East-Anglian derby, when they will aim to continue their strong away form.

"In these moments you have to fight, you have to dig in. We're developing resilience and a toughness because of the period we're in," Manning said.

"We understand how important the game is on Sunday and we have to use that as fire and fuel to make sure that we're ready to perform and win."

Listen to the full interview with Liam Manning and more Canaries on Sounds.

"I thought first half they did OK, without really threatening or causing (Joshua) Griffiths, who was outstanding, too many problems - but it's all too low tempo, no urgency, just keeping possession for the sake of keeping possession, and I hate that."

Former Norwich City striker Iwan Roberts joins Rob Butler to take calls and talk through the Canaries' 1-0 loss at home against West Bromwich Albion, which makes it five losses from five at Carrow Road for Liam Manning.

Listen to the full episode of The Scrimmage and more on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Opta

Norwich City host Ryan Mason's West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday (19:45 BST), with the home side winless at home so far this season and having failed to pick up three points since the end of August in a 2-0 away victory against Blackburn Rovers.

The Baggies also come into this one without a win in September following a 1-1 draw with Leicester City last time out.

Canaries boss Liam Manning has already said defender Lucien Mahovo is in contention to play following a string of injuries that have kept him out of the Championship team since February.

• Norwich are looking to win successive league meetings with West Brom for the first time since 2013 in the Premier League.

• West Brom have lost both of their past two league visits to Norwich, only ever losing three in a row in February 1977.

• Norwich have lost all three of their home league games this season but have never started a league campaign with four successive home defeats before in their history.

• West Brom have won two of their three away league games this season (L1), more than their final 20 last season (W1 D11 L8).

• West Brom are winless in their past seven midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) away league games (D4 L3) since a 3-0 victory at Plymouth in February 2024.

Rob Butler
BBC Radio Norfolk Canary Call, presenter

Norwich City play West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday at Carrow Road (19:45 BST), where they have lost all four home games so far this season.

Head coach Liam Manning has been speaking to the media. Here are some of the key points:

• Defender Lucien Mahovo, who has been out with various injuries since February, is in contention to play against West Brom.

• Captain Kenny McLean got through Saturday's draw at Stoke with no issues, after missing the previous game against Wrexham with a back injury.

• Centre-back Shane Duffy will remain sidelined with "minor" issues.

• Manning said he wants to see his side control games; he thinks his team does not make the most of being on top in matches.

• "Leave it all out there with no regrets", said the boss, who wants to see his team to show no fear as they try to improve their poor home form.

You can listen to full live coverage of Norwich versus WBA with BBC Radio Norfolk. Coverage starts at 19:00 BST on Wednesday.

Norwich City midfielder Pelle Mattsson says players need to show more responsibilty in possession if they are to improve their position in the Championship.

The Canaries are 14th following Saturday's 1-1 draw at Stoke City, a game in which they were outplayed for long periods.

"Too many times we gave it away too cheap. We did not do a great job of playing with the ball," the Dane told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"I don't think it's lack of confidence, we just have to take responsibility. Everybody has to look at themselves and think 'what can I do?'. If we all do that, we'll get somewhere."

Mattsson joined Norwich from Silkeborg in the summer - the first transfer of his career - in the wake of the deal which took Marcelino Nunez to East Anglia rivals Ipswich Town.

Saturday's game was his second for the club and he said: "It's a different intensity to what I'm used to. I don't have as much time on the ball that I had at my former club. There are some good moments and some bad moments but I'll keep progressing.

"There's a lot of physicality, it's just different but I love the English culture with the fans and how it gets the stadium going. I wear this badge with pride."

Mattsson has yet to find a permanent place to live but added: "When I'm at the club and on the training ground, I'm only thinking about football, that's where my head is. The apartment and stuff can come later."

Norwich face West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday as they look to end a run which has seen them lose all four home games in the league and cup so far this season.

Image source, Rex Features

Norwich City manager Liam Manning says he wants his side to have a tougher mentality this season after a picking up another point on the road at Stoke.

He told BBC Radio Norfolk: "We know this is a difficult place to come. I wanted to see a reaction from last week and we started a bit nervy, before we settled and started to show some control.

"We scored a fantastic goal after a moment of high quality, but we need to get better managing games when we are ahead.

"It was frustrating to concede so early again at the start of the second half, because you give them a lift and momentum, and then we ended up defending for large parts of the second half.

"We have to be braver and have a tougher mentally to take care of the ball, but I know that will improve.

"I think people stepped up and showed what they are like behaviourally. A lot more positives than last week, and more promising signs."

Every Friday, the BBC Radio Norfolk team provide a quiz for Norwich City fans.

This week's episode has a Stoke City flavour as the Canaries travel to the Potteries for their Championship game on Saturday.

Here are the questions:

Jack Stacey scored on his 100th appearance for Norwich City against Wrexham. Which player who was sold in the summer of 2020 played exactly 100 games for the club?

Norwich beat Stoke City 4-2 at Carrow Road in February 2025. Who opened the scoring for the Canaries in that game?

Norwich haven't lost at Stoke since a 3-1 defeat in January 2016. Which Canary was sent off in that game?

Who scored Norwich City's first ever goal at Stoke's current ground? He gave the Canaries the lead in a 1-1 draw in August 2002?

*For a bonus point who scored Norwich's last goal at Stoke's old Victoria Ground in a 2-1 win in 1997.

Us and them: Name the player from the career path: Manchester City, Bury (loan), Norwich City, Stoke City, QPR, Barnsley, Blackpool, Macclesfield, Shrewsbury, Warrington Town.

Birthday Bonus: Happy 36th birthday to a player who played seven games on loan for Norwich and went onto play for Inter Miami before becoming the MLS club's TV host. Name the player.

You can email your guesses to thescrimmage@bbc.co.uk. Subscribe to the Scrimmage Daily on BBC Sounds for more Norwich City chat.

Image source, Opta

Norwich City travel to Stoke City on Saturday (15:00 BST) as 15th in the Championship takes on second.

Norwich are yet to lose on the road in the league this season but will aim to tighten up the defence after keeping only one clean sheet so far against 10-man Blackburn Rovers.

After a fast start, Stoke City have lost twice in their last three league games.

• Stoke City are winless in their last nine league meetings with Norwich (D3 L6) since a 1-0 away win in October 2018.

• Having lost six of their seven away league games against Stoke between 2005 and 2016 (W1), Norwich are now unbeaten in their last five visits (W2 D3).

• No side has conceded fewer Championship goals this season than Stoke (4), with the Potters yet to concede more than once in any of their six games so far.

• Norwich are unbeaten in all three of their away league games so far this season (W2 D1), in stark contrast to their home form of which they have lost all three.

• No player has scored more Championship goals this season than Norwich's Josh Sargent, with his five goals coming from just seven shots on target.

Image source, BBC Sport

A potential move to take the Championship play-offs down to eighth place would damage the competition's credibility, according to former Huddersfield, Stoke and Middlesbrough defender Tommy Smith.

The EFL board is set to discuss proposals to increase the number of teams in the end-of-season play-offs from four to six but Smith, who was promoted to the Premier League with Huddersfield via the play-offs in 2017 is not a fan of the idea.

"It's not for me - I think it suits teams who don't really have a chance to get in the top six," he told the BBC's EFL podcast 72+.

"From a credibility point of view the top six is there to be aimed at and you have to earn your place in it."

The play-offs were first introduced for the 1986-87 season where sides finishing third down to fifth were involved along with the team third-from-bottom in the top flight.

After two seasons the format was changed to be played out between teams finishing third to sixth in the second tier.

"To finish eighth in the Championship and potentially get promoted to the Premier League it just doesn't sit right with me," added Smith.

"Notoriously over the past years getting into the top six is tough and when you get in there after a long hard season it feels brilliant, so to make it a top eight it dilutes it."

Rob Butler
BBC Radio Norfolk Canary Call, presenter

Image source, Rex Features

Norwich City head coach Liam Manning has confirmed that Papa Amadou Diallo will miss months of action with a leg injury.

The 21-year-old Senegalese winger came off late in Saturday's 3-2 home defeat by Wrexham with a thigh injury which requires surgery.

Manning has been speaking to the press ahead of Saturday's game at Stoke City (15:00 BST). Here are some of the key points:

• Diallo requires surgery and is likely to miss the rest of 2025.

• Captain Kenny McLean will possibly return against Stoke. He missed the defeat against Wrexham with a back injury.

• "Players were really honest" - Manning said some frank conversations have taken place following the Canaries' fourth home defeat of the season in all competitions.

• Manning said he will have "a few more sleepless nights" before telling the players the team for Saturday's game.

You can listen to live commentary of Stoke City v Norwich City with BBC Radio Norfolk. Coverage starts at 14:00 BST on Saturday.

Louie Moulden has given an insight into the life of a third-string keeper at Carrow Road.

The 23-year-old joined City in the summer after his release by Crystal Palace and counts Man City and Wolves among his former clubs, though his first-team appearances have been limited to 68 loan appearances in non-league, with another 12 at League One Northampton in 2024.

He is currently back-up to summer signings Vladan Kovacevic and Dan Grimshaw, having made two appearances on the bench in the EFL Cup, and told BBC Radio Norfolk: "Day-to-day is knowing my role is to push the other boys, make sure my level's high and get the most out of myself and then hopefully the opportunities come later down the line.

"For the moment it's about making sure I am training well, showing the manager what I can do and playing my part in making sure the weekends go as well as they can do.

"It's quite a strange dynamic, we all want to play but only one of us is going to. It's about focusing on myself. Of course I am friends with them, we all know we all want to play but it's about getting on with it respectfully – we have got a really good group and train really well."

With the East Anglian Derby looming on 5 October, Canaries fans have already begun talking about the potential for extending their 16-year unbeaten run against the Tractor Boys.

"I think sometimes the fans maybe worry the players don't know what games to mean to them," Moulden added. "We're all very aware of what the Ipswich game means to the fans. The players know it, the players feel it.

"Once the game comes round we'll take it in the correct manner, we know what it means to the fans and we'll give it a right good go."

Listen to the full episode of The Scrimmage and more Norwich City content on BBC Sounds.

Former Canaries winger Onel Hernandez couldn't hide his passion as he joined Rob Butler and Chris Reeve for a special edition of BBC Radio Norfolk's The Scrimmage podcast.

The 32-year-old Cuban made more than 180 appearances over seven years before departing Carrow Road in the summer and spoke with passion about the current state of affairs at the club.

Among the topics he discussed were the importance of Kenny McLean, Josh Sargent being isolated, missing Borja Sainz, players needing to step up and the importance of getting behind Liam Manning.

He said: "It's not a great start to the season, it's frustrating but there's no way to get rid of a coach or be negative.

"The team needs everyone behind them to get out of the situation together. If you get out of the difficult times then you'll see the light at the end (of the tunnel).

"Liam Manning needs time. Maybe he has trusted the players too much and will think now he'll make a change."

Reflecting on the 3-2 defeat to Wrexham - City's fourth straight home defeat in all competitions this season - Hernandez said: "You can lose games but at least show some fighting spirit out there.

"Go out and show teams they can't just score goals at Carrow Road. A few months ago no-one could beat us, we had a (great) home record."

Norwich face Stoke and West Brom before the East Anglian Derby at Ipswich on 5 October where City's 16-year unbeaten record against their rivals will come under threat.

Hernandez said: "It's more than a game. I hope we get a good result there, but let's be honest, the results have not been great. Momentum is very important. We need some good momentum from the next two games to take into that game otherwise we will not win, it's important to have positivity behind you."

In a rallying call to City fans and players, he added: "The most important thing is to stick together, although I understand the frustration of the fans. It's not a transition season anymore, it's showtime, we need to show up.

"The fans spend loads of money travelling everywhere for us, and what do we give them back at the end of the day. If you don't understand it as a player then I don't know what's wrong with you."

Image source, Rex Features

Norwich City manager Liam Manning has said he is "tired of waiting" for his side's home fortunes to change following their 3-2 loss to Wrexham.

Jack Stacey put the Canaries 1-0 up at half-time but three unanswered goals from Wrexham in the second period succumbed Norwich to their fourth straight loss at Carrow Road.

Jovon Makama scored a late consolation for the hosts.

"We were far too passive, we don't step up and take responsibility," said Manning to BBC Radio Norfolk after the match. "That 15 minutes [after half time] cost us.

"We're not quite where we need to be and I'm a bit hurt, angry, frustrated and a bit tired of waiting.

"We've got to all take responsibility, step up and change it because today wasn't good enough."