CHRIS LAKEY Aidy Boothroyd has backed Glenn Roeder to haul Norwich City out of danger.The Watford boss, with the help of two other former Norwich men, conspired to inflict a first defeat on new boss Roeder last night with a 3-1 win at Carrow Road that ruthlessly exposed the gap between top and bottom of the Championship.

CHRIS LAKEY

Aidy Boothroyd has backed Glenn Roeder to haul Norwich City out of danger.

The Watford boss, with the help of two other former Norwich men, conspired to inflict a first defeat on new boss Roeder last night with a 3-1 win at Carrow Road that ruthlessly exposed the gap between top and bottom of the Championship.

The bubble that Sunday's derby day draw with Ipswich had created was well and truly burst in front of an expectant, but ultimately disappointed, Carrow Road crowd.

But Boothroyd believes the tide will turn, saying: "I think so, yes. You can see the players are playing for him. They had a real go at us in the second half and the game on Sunday would suggest there's going to be lots for people at Norwich to shout about.

"Knowing Glenn as I do the club suits him. It is a nice fit and I am sure he will get them going and on a run of results."

Boothroyd and his coaches, Martin Hunter and Malky Mackay, know only too well what the aspirations are at Norwich - and that right now they are a country mile away from their own.

The Hornets are 26 points ahead of City and heading for the Premier League while Roeder is staring at a four-point gap between his rock- bottom Canaries and the side above them, Crystal Palace. Unless something changes drastically, League One beckons.

The gap was evident last night, with City unable to turn around a two-goal half-time deficit as they had against the old enemy. Lee Croft gave City hope with his first of the season, but ultimately City were always second best and a late Marlon King goal emphasized the difference.

"I was pleased with the result and pleased with the first-half performance, I think it was as good as we have played," said Boothroyd.

"After they scored the goal we took a lot of pressure, but we managed to deal with it and we are always liable to score when we have players in the team like Marlon King and Darius Henderson.

"We are always liable to score on the break while we are under pressure and Norwich had to chase the game and I knew that we would get a chance and thankfully we took one of the ones we made."

Watford had an extra day to rest, after losing at home to West Brom on Saturday, and Boothroyd believed it made a difference.

"Without a doubt. I watched the game, I felt it was a great spectacle, it was like two boxers going toe to toe," he said. "There was all that emotion of getting up for a game against local rivals - I used to work here so I know what it's like - and to come back from 2-0. I thought emotionally they might be drained and physically they might be drained and I thought we had too much for them in the first half."