Norwich boss Paul Lambert insists he will continue doing it his way to keep City's squad in tip top shape for the final Championship promotion push.

Lambert has the luxury of a full week to prepare for Preston's Carrow Road visit after a gruelling spell which has stretched his playing resources to the limit.

The Canaries' chief is calling on all his vast experience from a glittering playing career to ensure City remain on track – both in body and mind – ahead of the crucial run-in.

'It is so vital because you know you have not long left,' he said. 'You have to get the balance of training being high tempo but you also remember you have to give them a little bit of a rest, but you can't give them too much rest because fatigue probably sets in quicker if they are not up to speed in training.

'I look at the stats on the players and what they do in games, but I never dwell on it – I never, never analyse things to an extent. The sports science side of it was something they were doing when I played in Germany so I don't think that has changed a great deal. You can ask the lads. I said to some of them the other day you could play 20 great games, walk out of the stadium, get in a car, do what you want to do and never think about the game.

'Then the first bad one comes along and it would dwell on your brain if you think 'What did I do?' and you start to over-analyse your bad game rather than your 20 good games. You have to get a happy medium.

'Personally, I never over-analyse and I try to tell the lads not to over-analyse because it can kill you. I never learned that until I went to Germany.'

Lambert lifted the ultimate prize in European club football during his one full season at Borussia Dortmund back in 1997 – an experience which shaped his managerial philosophy.

'I absolutely loved my time there, I really did. It was a special, special time there,' he said. 'It's okay going abroad, but I think you have to go to the right club. I think that's vital. I was fortunate enough to walk into a place where I knew the size of the club and the fan base because I had played against them. German football was really on a high at that time.

'Anyone can go abroad and make money then decide they don't fancy it and come back, and that's fine, but I wanted to win things and learn a different culture and a different way of playing football.

'I think British players sometimes find it hard to adjust to a certain way of living. It's you who has to adapt to them, not the other way around. You have to learn the language, you have to eat different food – there are loads of things you have to adapt to. If you can do that, and you can find the right club, then I would recommend going abroad to anybody.'

paddy.davitt@archant.co.uk