Norwich City head coach Dean Smith had his say on the fall out and reaction to his fan comments after the Blackburn defeat, ahead of the Championship Boxing night trip to Luton.

The Canaries' boss held his pre-match press call at Colney on Friday morning.

This is a transcript of what Smith had to say, exclusively to the PinkUn, on the events during and after last weekend's defeat to Blackburn - including his post-match comments directed towards fans.

"I think you have to process it. And I've said many times, since I've come here, I'm in a privileged position of being the head coach of Norwich City, and never, ever have I took that for granted. I believe I'm good at my job.

Yes, the reaction wasn't great. But my intent has never been to drive a wedge between myself and the fans, it's always been to try and bring us together. And I just felt, you know, after 12 minutes of the game, I thought that was tough to listen to. I understand. I haven't got the credit in the bank that a lot of the players have got.

But some of the players were getting stick that early in the game. I think I've looked back on the stats and at half-time Blackburn's expected goals was 0.01. We've conceded a goal to an own goal. I'm not a punch bag, I feel that I have a right to defend those players.

There was never any intent in my comments after the game because the be all end all is we need the fans, we all need to be together, to get to ultimately to where I want us to be, which is a promoted team who can then go and stay in the Premier League. I still firmly believe we can go and do that.  

(Do you regret your post-match comments?) No, no regrets at all. I've got no apologies to make for what I said after the game. But my intention was not to drive a wedge, my intention is always to bring the place together. And there's a lot of work that goes on here which is unseen.

The environment at the training ground, the culture here at the training ground, the learning environments and what we want to see in terms of how players express themselves on the pitch. I understand the fans frustrations, I do. And, you know, I'm as frustrated as they are, because we want to see fast flowing football, we want to see us winning football games.

You know, and yes, there was emotion after the game. And I've always said that. I have tried to be as honest as I can, in every question that the media have asked me, without compromising, obviously, private stuff that players don't want me to. That happened after the game.

And we have to look forward, we have to go and get a good result or good performance against Luton, because we know the margins in this game are very, very slim. And it can change very quickly. 

I can't change what happened, it happened. But the biggest thing for me is that we try and go and get three points for the fans. And let's not forget on the road this season our fans have been unbelievable. I remember at Birmingham City on that night, Sunderland, Rotherham and Swansea.

They've actually dragged us over the line at times away from home. And we started so well at home with the performances, and the togetherness that I felt with the crowd against Millwall and Huddersfield and Coventry. There connections are there. Just unfortunately, over the last month, six weeks, something is broken down a little bit, and we need to rebuild that. 

(Have you followed the reaction to your comments since Saturday or not?) Everybody's got an opinion, and they're entitled to an opinion. I have no concerns what people are talking about in regards of myself, and never have done. The world has changed. Now a lot of it'll be about people wanting to get likes or follows on social media, and that stuff doesn't concern me and never has done.

As long as I can put my head on the pillow each night and know that I've done all I can or gone out and done what I set out to do that day, I can live with that. I work hard and I'm pretty tough on myself whether I think I am doing a good job. Like I said earlier, I still believe that we can get promoted this season. I certainly think we will do. 

(You said earlier you don’t have the credit in the bank a lot of other players here have at this club. Chris Sutton, in his latest Pink Un+ column this week, felt some Norwich fans have not been prepared to give you a chance since day one. Do you agree?) I think from the moment I came through the door, in any management job I've had, you know you are not going to please everybody. There'll be people who follow Manchester City who still don't get why they pass so much with Pep Guardiola.

That's football, and that's why there's so many opinions. There's some people that I will never turn around and that's normal. It was the same at Aston Villa, same at Brentford, same even at Walsall. Even the same when I worked with Martin Ling at Orient. That'll never change. But the biggest thing is, I do understand the frustrations of fans, but we all have to be together to be successful as a football club. 

(You said after the Blackburn game you are proud of your record. Do you think the jobs you have done at those previous clubs deserve more respect?) I can't control that part. All I can do is work hard to make sure that, eventually, when I leave Norwich City football club, I'll leave it in a better place. That is always my aim. I've always said I'm a custodian, as a head coach, as all head coaches are, and your job is to leave it in a better place when you leave. 

(You also said you have been in the game long enough and seen examples of similar situations when it can turn again. How do you do that? Is it simply results and performances from here?) To clarify that statement after the game, I meant it was a good thing we are away next, because of the level of hostility that was at the ground. Can you imagine if the next game was at home and we concede first or lost that game.

If we go to Luton and put in a good performance and get a good result it certainly buys us some time against Reading in the following home game. I just didn't think it was fair to those players after 12 minutes to get on their backs."