Tettey still a key figure in City’s Championship fightback

Alex Tettey is playing his part in Norwich City’s Championship revival.

The experienced midfielder was an unused substitute again for the midweek draw against Millwall, and is yet to play a minute in the league so far this season - in what could be his farewell tour with the Norwegian in the final year of his current Carrow Road deal.

But Tettey’s influence off the pitch as part of a senior core is invaluable to Daniel Farke.

“You have no chance if you only rely on the head coach at this level. You need a proper group, leading players in the dressing room, with experience of what it is to be successful,” said the City boss. “How Alex Tettey leads the group is fantastic, a very experienced player. Also Kenny McLean, right now he is coming from the bench a little bit in the last games, whenever I bring him on he is important for us.

“I’m pretty pleased with our mix of experience and also fresh energy, this is exactly the balance you need.”

Farke admits he is also striving to integrate as many of his summer arrivals, with Ben Gibson, Jacob Sorensen and Przemyslaw Placheta all prominent in recent league games.

“You need a blend with lads who haven’t proved their point yet and are greedy to show they can do the same,” he said. “I feel we have quite a good balance with the new faces, who bring energy, and players who have achieved things. We proved we can win this league, to bring it over the line, to lift the trophy. We have a winning mentality.

“You need both experience but also fresh energy, especially after relegation. You need to find a good mix.

“We have some great leaders in our dressing room, we have some players who were not that much involved in the recent games, when I think about Mario Vrancic, a player who is not there in each and every moment on the pitch but when he is he can produce magic for us, and can be there with important things for us.”