Farke warns Norwich players against making slow starts to games

Norwich head coach Daniel Farke has warned his team cannot afford another slow start or to get bullied when Sheffield United come to Carrow Road on Sunday.

The Canaries saw their recent positive form end with a 2-1 loss at fellow strugglers Southampton on Wednesday night.

Southampton made the most of set-piece opportunities to establish a two-goal cushion just before half-time.

Although Norwich were able to mount a second-half recovery and pull one back through Teemu Pukki, they had left themselves too much to do as the Saints held on to pull out of the bottom three.

Farke knows if his players switch off against the Blades, there will only be one outcome.

“We are not Liverpool or Manchester City. They can probably have a slow start for 20 or 30 minutes and react, (because) they have unbelievable quality,” the Norwich boss said.

“We are still a newly-promoted side who have not spent any money, so in each and every second at this level we must be at our best.

“We had several periods in the second half (against Southampton) when we did that.

“I would be concerned if we didn’t show any reaction, but this was a great reaction.

“I am just annoyed with the first half that we did not stick to our guns.”

Farke, though, is also conscious of needing to keep a sense of perspective, given the achievements of taking the Norfolk club back up to the top flight and not making major summer investments.

“We told everyone before the season this would be a difficult challenge,” the German said at a press conference reported by the Norwich website.

“It is important not to criticise them too much. It would be a better lesson if we had managed to come back (for a draw), but we also give them credit for the second half.”

Farke added: “We now have a home game and if we carry on in the way we finished this game then we have every chance of a win.

“It is not like Southampton played us out of the park, we were just bullied.”