Some Norwich City fans have written off Daniel Farke’s squad too early for Stuart Webber, who is urging supporters ‘not to give up on us now’.

Webber has been angered by the tone of sneering national media coverage in certain quarters, but hopes that can foster a siege mentality among those who matter ahead of Sunday's huge Premier League visit from Leeds.

“We need a big performance from the supporters, and we then need to re-pay that,” he said. “If we don't then we deserve the criticism and what comes our way.

"But all I would say to the fans is do not give up on us now. We have had five years together with this set of people running the club, the coaches, the players who, let us not forget, created some incredible moments for our supporters.

"Do not give up on us now. This is a time where we need to fight and come together.

“Let us make Carrow Road a difficult place to play on Sunday, and see if we can get our fans to come out fighting for this club.

"We do not need our fans singing songs about how rubbish the opposition are, because they are drawing with us after five minutes. We actually need our fans to show a bit of teeth as well.

“My advice to everyone from the top of the football club, all the way through to our supporters, is do not give up on this group of people. Do not give up on the manager, the staff, the players.

"This is a time where we as a community and as a football group of people need to come together.

"You do not need people to come together when you are winning a league. Anyone can do that.

"We have been put on the canvas a couple of times, and either we fight back or we lay down and admit defeat. And I certainly cannot accept that.”

Webber knows City’s support have had precious little to rally behind this season, culminating in an abject defeat at Chelsea.

“We deserved everything we got because that performance was diabolical and does not represent what this football club is about,” he said. “For the 1,500 fans who gave up their Saturday, travelled a long way and spent a lot of money, that performance was completely unacceptable.

"Anyone who was in that ground deserves an apology, and deserves a reaction this weekend.

"But what I would also say is the reason this club is so connected to the community, and why we have so many fans working within the club, is because of that strong sense of belonging.

"There will be times when your team needs you. And this team needs us right now.

“They have to do enough on the pitch to warrant that, by the way, we have to start well, we have to be on the front foot, we have to be brave, we have to be aggressive, all of those things.

"But then we need the fans to back us up - not groans if someone gives the ball away or the ground goes quiet and all you can hear is 2,500 Leeds fans.”

NCFC Extra: Norwich City Q&A

Webber believes the visit of Marcelo Bielsa’s strugglers marks a swing of favourable fixtures coming up.

“We are going into a run a games which give us some opportunities,” he said. I accept if we do not perform then we deserve the flak that comes with that.

"It is up to us to prove people wrong, because we know what is under our bonnet and that excites us actually.

“But I will make no apologies for saying it again. What we do not need is people from within the club - whether that is local media or our fan base - to give up on us.

"We have played nine games, we have got 29 left. If we are going to throw the towel in now, it will be a long, hard winter.”