Once bitten, twice shy appeared to sum up why Alex Neil wanted Norwich City to stay on the front foot after blowing a two-goal lead against West Ham at Carrow Road.

Neil introduced Martin Olsson for Steven Naismith in the midst of a barrage from the Hammers, who struck back twice in the space of two second-half minutes after Robbie Brady and Wes Hoolahan had put the Canaries in front.

The City chief insisted abandoning Norwich's attacking strategy for containment was not a favourable option.

'You can question the balance now because we have conceded two late goals. If we close it out at 2-0 then people are saying how well we did that. It is a tough one,' he said. 'I have tried to solidify it in certain games when we have taken a lead and all that happened is you invite pressure. I think with Andy Carroll in your penalty box if you sink back and let West Ham put balls into your area it is going to be a real danger for us. I have also taken Wes off on about three or four occasions this season and we have seemed to concede so I left him on and they score the second goal. It is difficult to get it right. We just needed to see out the game on the pitch and do whatever it takes.'

Carroll was still heavily involved in West Ham's stirring reply, with his pass triggering the move for Noble's viciously-struck equaliser.

'West Ham is one of those teams who are up there at the top end of the league and they are a side who throw caution to the wind,' said Neil. 'Sometimes they win, sometimes they lose using that approach and that has to be how we go about it. We have two big lads in Seb Bassong and Timm Klose and even they find him (Carroll) a handful so the closer he gets to your box the bigger danger he becomes.'