Norwich boss Alex Neil relishing the relegation clash with Sunderland
Alex Neil insists Norwich thrive in high-pressure situations and can turn the intensity of Saturday's Barclays Premier League relegation battle with Sunderland to their advantage.
Norwich boss Neil has told his players to embrace all the scrutiny and hype around the Carrow Road clash, where victory would leave the Canaries favourites to beat the drop.
A win would send Norwich seven points clear of Sunderland, a margin Neil admits would be "a really great position" despite the Black Cats' game-in-hand.
"I think it's a huge advantage we're playing at home, our form at home has been better than away from home, as you would expect for a team at the bottom end of the table," said Neil.
"Having your fans behind you certainly helps, and I think our players perform better in these types of circumstances.
"I've told the players 'go and enjoy the game, this is what we play football for, this is why we're involved in big games'.
"The focus is going to be on the game and rightly so.
"We've been involved in high-pressure situations quite a lot of times since I've been here and you've got to enjoy it and go and show everybody what we can do.
"We'd be in a really great position if we win, but we've just got to enjoy it."
Timm Klose will face a late fitness test on his knee injury, with Neil admitting the defender will be given every chance to prove he is ready for action.
Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce has made little secret of his desire for defensive frugality to become the Black Cats' best route to safety, but the Wearsiders need points, and fast.
While Norwich manager Neil anticipates a "cagey" first half, he expects the game to become increasingly fraught and ragged - especially if one side falls behind and must then force the issue.
Neil has told his Norwich players to keep control of the contest to ensure they are not the ones chasing the game as the clash unfolds.
"Both teams don't like giving anything away but both teams recognise the fact that they need to win the game," Neil told Norwich's official club website.
"And I think who will get the first goal will help, and then as the game wears on, depending on who's winning or who requires what, I think the game will open up.
"I think it will be two very different halves.
"The first half will maybe be cagey with either team trying to get a foothold in the game, and I think the second half, depending on how the game's going, one team or the other's going to have to go for it and then it should open up from there."
Allardyce has urged Sunderland to adopt Leicester's approach to a stunning title bid as they attempt to secure their Barclays Premier League status.
Claudio Ranieri's men cemented a seven-point lead at the top of the table on Wearside last Sunday when a fifth successive clean sheet paved the way for a 2-0 victory which left them with one hand on the trophy.
It might have been a very different outcome at the Stadium of Light had Black Cats midfielder Jack Rodwell not spurned a glorious 82nd-minute opportunity to cancel out Jamie Vardy's opener, while chances went begging too in the 0-0 draw with West Brom the previous weekend.
Asked if his side needs to find a killer instinct in front of goal, the 61-year-old replied: "After the last two games and not scoring, yes.
"But I still think at this late stage of the season, it's rare when you are in this position that you score more than one, so clean sheets are still a lot of my big focus with the players.
"The more clean sheets they keep between now and the end of the season, the better chance they give themselves to survive because one goal will win them three points.
"If they want any explanation why I keep going on about that, look at Leicester - five clean sheets on the trot extending their lead in the Premier League.
"Other teams who have got better players, who play what everybody would call more entertaining football, if you like, it doesn't really matter to Leicester because they are the ones who are producing the results."
Source: PAR
