It may be the international break but that didn't stop Connor Southwell and Paddy Davitt chewing the fat on Norwich City and more specifically, can they make the play-offs?

 

Paddy: I think this Saturday is a good fixture against Sheffield United – it will focus the minds. They will know that they need to be at it. If they can get a result then the rest of what looks like a tricky selection of games can be tackled with a bit more optimism, rather than navigating a path to the summer and what happens next. There are eight games left but, for me, it boils down to the next four. Ultimately if they come through that four-game swing and they haven’t got themselves in a top six position, or close to it, then the game is up. It really is now or never. It’s either going to peter out over these remaining eight games or they’re going to find something and we can look forward to quite an exciting end to the season. 

Connor: There are some really interesting games for City. I think we’re going to have a relatively conclusive answer as to whether Norwich are going to finish in the top six come the end of that fourth game against Middlesbrough on April 14. Five wins would get Norwich to 73 points and you’d be disappointed if that wasn’t enough. Six wins would all but guarantee it. 

The Pink Un: David Wagner has called on his players to focus on the future and forget about what's happened so far this seasonDavid Wagner has called on his players to focus on the future and forget about what's happened so far this season (Image: Focus Images)

Paddy: I’ve got the table in front of me. I think there are six clubs separated by four points outside of the top six. Some of those will go on a run – so I think it will need six wins to guarantee a place in the play-offs. If you bring that back round to the fixtures and the games they’ve got, it’s a tall order. You also see what a missed opportunity since the Millwall game. Sunderland at home and the 1-0 defeat, Huddersfield away and dropping points against a struggling side, and then Stoke – a complete non-entity. If it wasn’t for Angus Gunn then they get beat that day. Wagner has said about not getting hung up on what’s in the past and the disappointment of it. It can’t be changed now – it's now about these remaining eight games and plotting a path to the play-offs. Norwich have had plenty of opportunities and a few false dawns – but I think we need six from eight. Personally, I don’t think that’s likely. Are we vaguely optimistic that Norwich can find a goal when they need it? I’m not sure. So much has to fall into place. It’s not like Wagner has been able to lock his squad away at Colney and work on things on the training pitch. Ultimately, there will be players that rock back up at Colney in the next few days that haven’t been anywhere near the place since Stoke. I do think we will ultimately be looking at a summer refresh/rebuild. 

Connor: I probably think five wins would do it. I don’t feel it’s impossible – they've got four home games left starting with Saturday against Sheffield United with Rotherham, Swansea and Blackpool (after at Carrow Road). If Norwich win those four then you probably also need a win from elsewhere. It feels possible but this group probably hasn’t shown that they can put together a sustained run of performances. I don’t think City have put more than two performances together – that makes it very difficult to get into the play-offs. There’s no margin for error – Sheffield United will be a difficult one to get three points from and if they don’t do it there then they’ve got to go to Blackburn, who will be viewing that game as massive to their season. These next four games will tell us a lot. I think Norwich will get beaten by Sheffield United but I can see them doing something against Blackburn. I’ve not been majorly impressed by them all season. I can see them beating Rotherham and losing to Middlesbrough. If we get to that stage then you probably need to win three from four of QPR, Swansea, West Brom and Blackpool. It feels tough, the margin for error is so tight. 

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