CHRIS LAKEY Martin Hunter will stick with the “tried and trusted” players and formation of the Nigel Worthington era as he prepares for a match which could go a long way to deciding his role at Carrow Road.

CHRIS LAKEY

Martin Hunter will stick with the “tried and trusted” players and formation of the Nigel Worthington era as he prepares for a match which could go a long way to deciding his role at Carrow Road.

Caretaker boss Hunter has made no secret of the fact that he wants the City job full-time - but faces the frustration of taking the reins at the beginning of a two-week international break.

However, Hunter says fans shouldn't expect changes when City travel to Loftus Road a week tomorrow.

“Not really - we obviously had a good start to the season and we have not had a particularly good run the last three or four games,” said Hunter. “The difference between success and failure at this level is very, very minute so we won't be reinventing the wheel, we will just get back to doing what we have always done.

“There won't be any major changes - we don't have a big squad of players and barring injury we will go with the tried and trusted as we have always done.

“We have seven players on international duty so the preparation we get for the QPR game will be limited, but it is part and parcel of the job.”

There is no indication from the club over the current position regarding the managerial vacancy, but Hunter is clearly expecting to be up against some quality opposition.

“It is obviously a big club,” he said. “There are a lot of people who will want the position so we will just have to wait and see.”

Hunter took charge of the players for the first time on Wednesday, following up a morning training session with a benefit match for ex-Canary Shaun Carey at King's Lynn in the evening.

Further training sessions were due yesterday and today but Hunter said the attitude of the playing staff after Worthington's dismissal had been first class.

“It no problem, they're professional players, they know what they are paid to do so that has never ever been an issue from pre-season to now,” he said. “They are always good on the training pitch.

“On a personal level it's not been an issue, I get on well with the players.”

The match at The Walks, which City won 3-0 proved a handy run-out, but Hunter admitted he could have done without the international break, and not simply because of his managerial ambitions.

“The ideal preparation after a defeat is to play straight away, so after a Saturday game it's great to have a Tuesday game and we would like to be playing in the Championship this Saturday,” said Hunter, who left Andy Hughes behind as a precautionary measure, the midfielder picking up a slight knee tweak in training. “But it's not to be so we just deal with it when and as it comes.

“From our point of view it was good for Darren Huckerby to get some more game time and Matthieu Louis-Jean to get 90 minutes - that's the first time for a long time. He was finding it tough in the last 15 minutes. He will be back at the training ground tomorrow morning doing a recovery session - it's been a long time.”