Neil Adams detects no trace of a lingering hangover from Norwich City's struggles last season as they prepare to make their Carrow Road return for the first time since losing that Premier League status in Monday's friendly against OGC Nice (KO 7:45pm)

Norwich's top flight fate was confirmed in a final day 2-0 loss to FA Cup winners Arsenal back in May, but Adams senses only positive vibes as he strives to make it a short stay in the Championship.

City's squad have prove receptive in training camps at St George's Park and last week's Italian excursion, and Adams expects that to continue this week back on home soil against the French this evening and Celta Vigo.

'The application has been excellent,' he said. 'You come back and you are looking at these players after relegation and you ask yourself, 'What frame of mind are they in? What are the desire levels?' and they have been absolutely bang on. It's easy to say that but it its true. The work rate, the intensity of the sessions, the effort they have put in gives us a good base. Bastia tested us on the defensive side, on our formation and shape and the philosophies I am asking of the players and I expect the same again in the next two friendlies.

'We need that challenge because we go to Wolves on August 10 and we are going to get a challenge. A big one. We know that. Nice will be tough, so will Celta Vigo and it gives us a fresh opportunity to have a look at one or two things but it is all geared towards the league.'

City's hard-fought friendly draw against Claude Makelele's Corsicans offered an upbeat finale after a farcical lack of competitive action early on in a 13-0 romp against a regional select before a scheduled midweek fixture was canned.

'Listen, it was a good trip,' said Adams. 'We could have done with the midweek game but I think if we had played Bastia and been a million miles off the pace it would have been easy to point the finger. People who have seen us scoring bagfuls of goals at home and in Italy may have feared what would happen when we got a good test. Well we have shown we are up to pace.

'I would have rather had a game than the open training session but that did give us a chance to do a bit more tactical work. The trade off is what you gain in tactical sessions you lose from not being able to put it into practice against a reasonable standard of opposition.'