Dean Smith says the attitude and mood of his players in training this week has been good ahead of Saturday’s game with Aston Villa.
The Norwich City head coach will return to his former club knowing that with five games of the season to go, only victories between now and the end of the season will give the team a realistic chance of avoiding the drop as the Canaries sit 10 points away from safety with only fifteen points left to play for.
Speaking about the battle to avoid the drop, Dean said: “It is still mathematically possible so we will try. Yes (the Newcastle United result) was a kick in the teeth and we have had a few of them this season, but we will just take each game as it comes and continue to do that.”
Asked what the mood has been like in training this week, following last Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at home to Newcastle United, Dean added: “The mood has been okay. I have always said this from the moment that I have come in here that the group of players have got a terrific attitude here.
“They are really good lads and they work really hard every day in training. They listen. We have probably had to go back and revisit a few too many times for my liking, but they are learners, and they are willing learners, and we haven’t had to pick them up too much. They have been disappointed and unfortunately, we have made too many individual mistakes in this league and that is why we are where we are.”
Dean is set to welcome back Josh Sargent into the matchday squad, while he also confirmed that Lukas Rupp and Kenny McLean will be available. However, Christoph Zimmermann will be ruled out with a hip flexor injury.
It was individual mistakes that cost Norwich City in the last two games against Manchester United and Newcastle. However, Dean reiterated that the players are working hard to cut out those errors and have the mentality needed to go and win the matches they need to do give themselves a chance of avoiding the drop.
“We are working in the collective, not only technically and tactically, but mentally as well,” he said. “That is the key to it. The majority of the players, six or seven who played last week, were in the squad that got promoted last season. So, they are used to winning and know how to win. We are just at a level that we have found tough this season.”