Norwich head coach Dean Smith has challenged his squad to show a “siege mentality” as they bid to beat the odds and stay in the Premier League.
The Canaries sit bottom and five points from safety following a lacklustre 3-1 home defeat by Brentford in a game which Smith had labelled as “must not lose”.
While Smith is not about to throw in the towel just yet ahead of hosting Chelsea on Thursday, the Canaries boss accepts it is now all or nothing over the run-in as Norwich look to pull off what would be a most remarkable escape.
“The squad has been through a lot of ups and downs over the last three or four years here and we knew it wasn’t going to be easy in the Premier League,” said Smith.
“What we have to do is go and show everybody and have that siege mentality that we can take every game as it comes and go and win games.
“There are 33 points still to play for and we will keep playing for every one of them.”
Norwich paid a heavy price for not making the most of early opportunities against Brentford, with Ivan Toney going on to complete a hat-trick – including two from the penalty spot.
After hosting Chelsea, the Canaries head to Leeds before Burnley come to Carrow Road in April.
Smith, though, maintains it must all be about the here and now as Norwich aim to pull of a shock positive result against the European champions and FIFA Club World Cup winners.
“At the moment nobody knows what is going to be enough (to survive), so we can’t pick and choose games that we think we can win and ones that we can’t,” the Norwich boss told a press conference.
“We have got 11 games to go, and we have only got 17 points, so we know every game is important to us.
“Chelsea is as big as Leeds, and we have got to go out and perform and get one of those unexpected results.”
Smith added: “It is a tough game because it is the European and world champions, who are playing very well and who are very well coached and have got very good players, but it is a game where we need to take some points.”
On loan Blues midfielder Billy Gilmour is ineligible to play against his parent club.
After being given limited game time by former Canaries boss Daniel Farke, Scotland international Gilmour has made the most of a consistent spell in the side following Smith’s arrival in November.
Smith feels the 20-year-old will have learned plenty from Norwich’s scrap at the wrong end of the table.
“As a lad, his attitude and application is second to none – (he is) first out on the training ground and the last off,” Smith said.
“He has just got a love for football, is well-liked within the dressing room by staff and players.
“Billy has come to a different type of football club, and what I mean is Chelsea go into most games and dominate possession.
“Norwich going into the Premier League, there is going to be better (opposition) players than we have got in our squad at times.
“Billy has had to learn another side to the game and I think if you asked him, he would say he has learnt and become a better all round player because of that.”
