Norwich City must stand and trade to survive in the Premier League
Norwich City midfielder Wes Hoolahan takes a tumble under the challenge of West Ham's Pedro Obiang. Picture by Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd - Credit: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd
Alex Neil had no regrets over Norwich City's decision to stand and trade after another rollercoaster of a Premier League encounter ended in a 2-2 draw against West Ham.
Neil pledged to revert to the guiding principles that had dragged City out of the Championship and his players carried out the instructions with Robbie Brady and Wes Hoolahan rifling the hosts in front before Dimitri Payet and Mark Noble scored twice in two minutes during a ferocious riposte.
The Scot remains convinced City's survival prospects hinge on a return to his old strategy.
'It is a style I am more comfortable with. We need to pick up points and win games,' he said. 'We are not in a situation where we are five or six points above the relegation zone and we just have to see it out. We need to be that aggressor and make sure we try to play on the front foot and force the wins. That wasn't a team playing like they think they are going down.
'We squeezed them high up the pitch, like the start of the season, and that gave our forward players a chance to play higher up the pitch and have an effect on the game and create chances. We scored two good goals and could have scored more.
'You just need to see it out when you are in a winning situation. The same could be said about the Liverpool game.
'We all watch the match, we can all see nothing is being asked of the players any differently in those last 20 or 25 minutes. What happens is because we need the points apprehension sets in.'
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