Daniel Farke displayed his gambler's instinct to spark a festive Championship revival. Now he is pledging no half-measures against Premier League champions Chelsea.
Farke admitted City's League Cup exertions - and that extra-time defeat at Arsenal - may have brought a league hangover but he is not tempted to tackle the Blues with only his fringe men.
'When you risk a lot in the cup there is also the risk you are not so strong in the next league game but in Germany you say one day you have to die,'
said Farke, who took flak for making six changes for last week's drab goalless draw at Burton before beating Millwall on New Year's Day.
'We were brilliant in the League Cup against Arsenal.
'I'm a deep believer in cup competitions.
'I want to win each and every game. If you wanted to lose, you could stand on the sidelines and not play at all. This is a good moment for us because we can be very relaxed and we have a week to prepare for Bristol City.
'It is a lot of load for us. A fifth game in 14 days.
'You have to be careful. We are fortunate we had our last game on Monday. We are thinking about maybe rotating in some positions but not too much.
'It was a little bit different after Arsenal.
'We were so close to creating something special and maybe we paid the price in the next two or three league games.'
MORE: Have your say on our Pinkun forum
Farke puts Antonio Conte's roster in the same bracket as the Gunners.
'We know it is hard to be competitive against a giant like Chelsea,' he said.
'They will be there with a strong squad. If they don't have Eden Hazard, they have Willian or Pedro. If you stick together and are brave, and give everything on the pitch, you can do something extraordinary.
'I like being the underdog. It's no secret Manchester City will win the Premier League.
'It means the FA Cup has a high importance for Chelsea.
'They are 100pc favourites for this game. You define yourself by winning titles when you are a big club and you would have to say the Champions League is tricky for them also, so there is a lot of attention on this game.'
Farke opted to downplay his first brush with the world famous cup competition.
'As a German coach you watch a lot of English football so I couldn't say this competition is any more special than the others,' he said.
'This is the first round of the FA Cup for us so I am sure the players have had bigger success in their careers.
'The same for me.
'It is not like we have won the title if we beat Chelsea.'
• For the latest Norwich City news and opinion follow Group Football Editor Paddy Davitt on the following channels…
Paddy Davitt on Twitter @paddyjdavitt
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here