AFTER the Canaries lost 3-2 against managerless Nottingham Forest, City boss Glenn Roeder admitted it was a disappointing performance by the team in front of the largest crowd of the season at Carrow Road.

Two own goals from Forest kept City in the hunt in the second half but a poor first-half display saw Thornhill and McGugan find the net and former Canary Robert Earnshaw applied a killer finish for what proved to be the winner.

Roeder told First News: "There were long periods of the game today which I was disappointed with, and that's not us," said Roeder. "We have played a lot better than that recently, even when we haven't picked up a result we've still played and been the better team for long periods. Today I thought we were nowhere near playing as well as we can and consequently we've handed Forest a massive win.

"I don't like to make excuses and that game's only just finished so we'll have to analyse it a little bit more. I just don't think we were tuned in to the game, and when you don't get the upper hand at the start it's hard to get back in. I thought it was the most poor opening ten minutes of the game we've had this season."

On his Canary squad, the Norwich manager continued: "They are human beings, they're not robots - they were fine before the game, they said all the right things and I thought the motivation was high.

"I reminded them that there's no easy game and they were prepared for a difficult game against Forest. But it's a long time since we've played so poorly and not had the momentum with us."

With the January transfer window just days away, Roeder was asked whether he had any intention of bringing fresh blood to the Canary ranks. He told canaries.co.uk: "We're operating with what must be the smallest squad in the Championship at the moment, and with one or two injuries and possible loans going back we've probably got about 14, 15 senior players which is a minute squad.

"What I don't like about that is players who play poorly know they're still going to get a game in the next match and that's not healthy. We need to address that and we will be as active as we can be but I'm sure we won't be able to find five or six players in January, but hopefully we'll be able to add two or three to the small squad we already have."