Alex Neil insists his Norwich City side can match the energy shown by their Championship rivals.

The Canaries were out-run and out-fought by Huddersfield last Friday, going into half-time 2-1 behind at Carrow Road, and it was a similar story the previous weekend in the 2-1 loss at Barnsley.

Both teams were much faster out of the traps than City and battled for every second ball as they pressed Neil's players hard in possession.

The Scot feels his team have shown they can do likewise but accepts they haven't shown enough of that in losing seven of their last nine league games.

'We showed that energy in the second half of both of those games but we gave ourselves too much to do in the first half because we didn't apply ourselves as well as what we should have done in the first half,' Neil said.

'Then we chase it and although we put a lot of effort into both second halves, we let ourselves down in the first half of those games and it needed a response in the second half, which we got but ultimately wasn't enough.

'Both games really we had opportunities and chances to score and as we're all aware, goals change games, and if they go in then it's maybe a different kettle of fish, but it didn't.'

City face a tough ask in bringing an end to their poor form when they travel to third-placed Reading on Boxing Day but Neil is taking heart from mid-table rivals' Fulham's recent 5-0 thumping of Jaap Stam's high-flying team.

'I think the Championship is a league where any team can do well really, if you hit a good run,' he added.

'One of the better teams I've watched this season has been Fulham and if you look at them they're a bit sporadic, they go a few games where they really give teams a good hiding and then they can go another few games and they don't pick up any points. I think it's just the nature of the Championship, any team on their day is capable of winning.'