John Ruddy insists Norwich City's squad have been blown away by Alex Neil's impact at Carrow Road.

The Canaries have won six out of eight league games since Neil took charge to power firmly back into Championship promotion contention ahead of Tuesday's latest trip to Blackburn (7:45pm).

Ruddy sees plenty of similarities with Paul Lambert's management style, but the City number one revealed he was just as surprised as many Norwich supporters when the club's top brass targeted the 33-year-old ex-Hamilton boss.

'I didn't know a thing about him to be honest, but you have to praise the club. They had him in their thoughts for a while and it has proved to be an inspired appointment,' he said, 'For such a young man in managerial terms he is so impressive. He has taken to it very easily. He is very similar, without focusing on the past too much, to Paul in terms of the fact he knows how to manage players.

'He knows when he needs to be an authoritative figure and when he can have a laugh, and the lads know that as well. We know he is approachable but we also know where the line is. The Scottish link is the obvious one, whether it is the accent that makes him authoritative or scary I don't know, but the gaffer is very much his own man. At the end of the day he is charge and we respect him.'

Neil has left City's squad in no doubt what he wants.

'His ideas are refreshing and the results speak for themselves and the way the lads have bought into it speaks volumes,' said Ruddy. 'The pictures he is trying to paint about what he wants on the pitch are a lot clearer. We know exactly what is required when we go into a game and the jobs he wants us to execute. It is about standing next to the guy in the changing room and believing he is going to do his job and if you do yours then you will come through at the other end.'

Ruddy bids for a fifth clean sheet in Norwich's last six games at Ewood Park but the England international is taking nothing for granted.

'They have been on a good run of form and they are a tough team to play against,' he said. 'It will be completely different to what we have been used to lately because they are a big, physical side who have that presence about them. We have to prepare for Blackburn as we did all the teams in the right way and work to our strengths and try to nullify them.'