Alex Neil admits plotting Norwich City's Premier League success and keeping his squad sweet is a balancing act.

Neil has sanctioned nine loan moves for fringe players this season while young defender Harry Toffolo could be part of a new wave of development talent set to broaden their horizons in the Football League emergency loan window.

The Scot's priority is building on a positive start to life back in the top flight but Neil knows he also has to get minutes into his fringe men, and the next generation of talent at Carrow Road.

'It is a balancing act, definitely,' he said. 'There is no point having lads here and not getting game-time because if I need to use them they are not match ready. Take Vadis (Ofoe), he has not really played in England at all and he has been here for over a year so he, in particular, has gone away for a month to get games under his belt and hopefully come back here and compete for a starting slot and be in a better position.

'Tony Andreu is a different scenario. He needs to go and put himself on the map in England. I got Tony down, who did great for me up at Hamilton and he was a bit unfortunate because he needed a settling in period. I think if we had stayed in the Championship Tony would have been an important player for us this year.

'He may still be an influence in the Premier League but at this moment he is finding it difficult to get into the team, like a lot of lads. Ricky (van Wolfswinkel) is another who was finding himself behind strikers and would have got limited game-time.'

Toffolo signed a new two-year deal last week and Neil has big plans for the young left-back who impressed during a successful season-long loan spell at Swindon, which ended in a League One play-off final appearance at Wembley.

'He has done really well but I have had chats with him and the gulf from League One to the Premier League is quite vast,' said Neil. 'In the situation we find ourselves in right here I have more experienced lads available. Harry is another one who needs to grow and continue his development by playing games and if he can continue to make the strides he has done then we will have a good player on our hands.'

Neil believes he still has plenty of options at his disposal to attack the Premier League, with the summer arrivals of players like Youssouf Mulumbu, Robbie Brady and Matt Jarvis.

'I feel now after the business we did in the window we are equipped to deal with any scenario,' said Neil.

'We can be solid and sit in and be nice and compact. I have also got pace on the wings that I can go and counter-attack with.

'We can play on the front foot and go and play up against people, so we can adapt our style of play to anything to give ourselves the best possible chance of winning a game at this level.'

• Brady and fellow Dubliner Wes Hoolahan were yesterday named in the Republic of Ireland's provisional 40-man squad for upcoming Euro 2016 qualifers against Germany and Poland. The duo played a key role in helping Martin O'Neill's squad stay on course for a play-off place with two qualifying wins this month.