Alex Neil knows it is crunch time at Norwich City ahead of epic Carrow Road Championship duels against Aston Villa and Huddersfield.

The Scot and his under-performing players were berated by sections of the away support during and after City's 2-1 defeat at Barnsley - their fourth on the spin away from home.

Steve Bruce's Aston Villa head to Norfolk on Tuesday before Huddersfield visit on Friday for a televised test of the Canaries' resolve.

'We have a big, big game Tuesday and now we are going to be under pressure to see who can perform,' said Neil. 'I understand the questions are going to be asked again and we are going to face that in these next two games. Rightly so the fans are angry. I said to the players at half-time they were well within their rights to give me and them all the abuse going because we hadn't performed. What we produced in that first-half was not acceptable.

'I wanted a response from them so there were words said. I thought they had let themselves down, they hadn't done enough and they did respond but it is quite easy to say it was a better second-half. That is not good enough for us.

'All I can do is apologise for that first 45 minutes because it is as painful for me to watch as it is them. I picked the wrong team in the first-half. I got persuaded by the lads who performed the week before. I am disappointed in myself that I let it sway my mind.'