International break will be bearable for Norwich City boss Alex Neil
Norwich manager Alex Neil during the Barclays Premier League match at Carrow Road, Norwich. Picture by Paul Chesterton/Focus Images - Credit: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd
Alex Neil insists his squad won't stew on their performance against Leicester over the international break...but says his players will be ready to provide a response at Newcastle upon their return.
The Canaries must wait until the trip to St James' Park on October 18 to respond to a 2-1 home loss to the Foxes, but Neil points out his squad have previous in that regard.
'We had it with Southampton prior to the last break and look at our response since,' said the City boss.
'I look back at that week in particular because we also had the end of the transfer window after Southampton, which was a big deal, where we ending up selling one of our players as well.
'Southampton was a poor performance so that week could not have got much worse, in terms of anyone looking at Norwich from the outside, but the response since then and what we have managed to do shows what the team is all about and how determined we are to do well, so at times maybe the odd defeat is not a bad thing.
'I take each game on its individual merits. The Leicester one doesn't have a bearing on the previous seven we have played. I am relatively happy with how we have performed.
'We'll break it down and probably look at it as in the first half the approach that has served us this season didn't do well enough.'
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Neil faces an anxious wait for his international brigade to return unscathed from crucial Euro 2016 qualifiers.
'We have 11 internationals away so three-quarters of the squad who generally play all the time will not be getting a rest,' he said.
'The other guys will have a working period of three or four days and then they will rest up for three or so days and then we'll have a normal working week leading up to Newcastle.'