Alex Neil admits he is getting a good kicking but the Norwich City boss is no quitter.

The Canaries' 1-0 Championship defeat at Derby was their fifth consecutive league reverse and left Neil batting away fresh questions about his job prospects at Carrow Road. City slipped out of the top six after former midfielder Bradley Johnson slotted a winner.

'Sometimes when you are down, there are people who like to have a kick at your gut and at the moment I am getting a kick in the gut,' he said. 'But listen, I am a big boy. I will suck it up and I will go again this week. I have never been scared about my job. That will remain the case. It is for others to make that decision. The one thing I have never been is a quitter who will give up. The only time you are a failure is when you stop trying.

'The pressure is always there. I put enough on myself to get results. I am the manager of the club and I am doing everything I possibly can to ensure we start winning football games. It is the same for the players. You can not ignore what people are saying. Especially in a one-club county. The lads just have to keep going.

'Supporters will make their own minds up watching that but the effort was there. If we can play better attacking-wise then things will turn. What happens is because we have lost games we are not playing with as much confidence.'

The man Neil shipped out of Carrow Road had the final word although the Scot was adamant City were denied a late penalty when Jacob Murphy tumbled under Jacob Butterfield's challenge.

'It was a penalty. I have watched it back six times and it is still a penalty. It doesn't make any difference,' he said. 'I didn't think there was anything in the game. There was not a huge amount in it. Two hard-working teams and not too many chances. From memory, Steven Naismith has the best chance when he goes through one-on-one with Scott Carson and he makes a good save. We had two real strong penalty shouts, particularly in the second-half when Jacob Murphy goes inside the full-back, which I thought was a penalty. The had a shot from Darren Bent, which John Ruddy saved, and a shot from outside the box that takes a deflection and goes into the bottom corner. Those tight games are decided by a bit of fortune, a bit of quality and this one it was a shot from outside the box.'