Chris Lakey Darren Huckerby or Lee Croft? It's a major question again for Glenn Roeder as he prepares to extend Norwich City's unbeaten Championship run to eight games this afternoon.

Chris Lakey

Darren Huckerby or Lee Croft? It's a major question again for Glenn Roeder as he prepares to extend Norwich City's unbeaten Championship run to eight games this afternoon.

Roeder has started with both his wide men just once - and that was the last time the Canaries were beaten, when they went down to a late winner at Stoke at the beginning of December.

The Huckerby-Croft link didn't work pre-Roeder either, with City losing at QPR and drawing at Scunthorpe in the only other matches they both started.

So don't expect much to change in his thoughts for the trip to Barnsley, when City could make it four away games without defeat - for the first time in a little over two years - by keeping it tight across the middle.

“I think a feature of that is that I decided a number of weeks ago that with two out and out wingers who don't particularly specialise in tracking back and helping out their full-backs we were far too open,” said Roeder.

“We have got to be tougher to beat and if that means playing with just one naturally wide player and three more solid in midfield that's what we will continue to do because as much as we want to entertain we want to win games even more and if we can entertain at the same time that's a bonus.”

City will need to lose their shyness in front of goal, a target they have hit just once in each of their last seven games, as they bid to lose a sequence of three draw son the trot.

“We're looking for goals and a few clean sheets because if we had kept clean sheets the one goal we have been scoring would've been enough,” said Roeder. “So we are always looking to improve, we are never satisfied, but it has been frustrating for the lads who have been presented with what I would consider easy goalscoring chances at this level and we have missed them.

“Last week against Bury you can't disguise the fact that we didn't play particularly well, but we had enough clear-cut chances to win two games.

“The unbeaten run is important as well, but with three points for a win if you look at those there league games recently - Charlton and Crystal Palace we deserved to win, we would have taken six points. Then if you look at the Wolves game where generally speaking they were better than us, you are three points better off with two wins and a defeat rather than the three draws.

“But having said that, the three draws keeps the unbeaten run going and that doesn't do team spirit any harm.”