CHRIS LAKEY Lee Croft is fighting losing battles on and off the pitch. The Canaries winger has been restricted to just four starts this season, spending most of his time on the City bench.

CHRIS LAKEY

Lee Croft is fighting losing battles on and off the pitch.

The Canaries winger has been restricted to just four starts this season, spending most of his time on the City bench.

And with John Hartson arriving in midweek, he could be forgiven for having his hopes raised that he would be asked to send in the crosses from which the Welsh striker would score.

But caretaker manager Jim Duffy followed the lead on the departed Peter Grant and opted to switch Darren Huckerby from left to right - creating a place for Simon Lappin on the left.

It was a decision Croft is clearly getting used to.

"It was very disappointing, but it's the manager's decision," was all Croft had to say.

It's a question he's finding a lot easier to answer than the one about Norwich City's squad being too good to be relegated.

"We are - I have never doubted that," he said. "But it's all well and good saying it, but when you are losing week in week out and not putting performances in I am fighting a losing battle trying to convince other people.

"It is down to us to start proving it rather than just saying it. It's obviously disappointing - another game that we have lost three points and another game.

"We started all right but didn't particularly play well in the second half and it has come to haunt us again.

"I just think nothing is going for us at the moment - obviously Hucks got us back into the game at 1-1 with 10 minutes to go. We have at least got to be tight then and if we get a chance at home, go and win it at the end, but it's ended up that we have conceded a goal and we're pushing on and concede another. It went from bad to worse.

"We should have capitalised in the first half when we were playing well. Maybe we should have had a few goals and it would have been different, but when you don't score there is always that risk element where the other team is going to get a foothold in the game, start playing and you are going to rue those chances."

He added: "We got a goal but no win - a win has to come from somewhere and soon

"We have to start picking up points - pretty desperate now. We have two tough away games and we have to look at Burnley - it's important we go there and play well."