Robert Earnshaw has backed his old Norwich City team-mates to survive the drop - despite helping bang a nail into their relegation coffin.

By CHRIS LAKEY

Robert Earnshaw has backed his old Norwich City team-mates to survive the drop - despite helping bang a nail into their relegation coffin.

Earnshaw returned to Carrow Road for the first time since his controversial departure 18 months ago on Sunday to score what proved to be the winner for fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest.

But the Welsh hitman insists City are too good to go down.

“I think they are strong enough, they have got some good players and some good ability and they do normally score goals and keep the ball well,” said Earnshaw.

“They were very disappointing against us and I think the players will know that. That comes from within yourself - if you play badly you know it and they didn't do that well.

“But I have seen them in some other games where they look unbelievable and that's the thing - it's being consistent in doing things, which at times we ourselves haven't been doing until the last two months or so.

“But Norwich will pick themselves up and they will still do well because I think they have enough - they are strong and they pass the ball and they can beat teams. I don't think they will be in that much trouble.”

It's a glowing endorsement that might just cheer some of the City fans who vented their anger and players and management alike as their team slumped to a 3-2 defeat which leaves them just two points above the relegation zone.

For Earnshaw, who left Carrow Road in the summer of 2007 after Derby triggered a buy-out clause in his contract, it was business as usual - almost.

The 27-year-old struck in the 89th minute - right in front of the Barclay Stand - to give the visitors a 3-1 lead and promptly celebrated with his trademark forward somersault in front of the visiting fans.

“I loved my time here, it was one of the best times of my career when I was here and that's going to live long in my memory and it was just like old times, getting the ball and scoring, it's just for a different team,” he said.

“I have got to be a professional and do a job for the team I'm playing for - if it was for Norwich I'd have been doing the same thing, for Nottingham Forest I would be doing the same thing.

“Obviously it was great for my team to get a win - and a huge, huge three points. If you look at it on paper everything was on Norwich's side. We had had a trouble three days, losing a manager, losing a bad home game as well to Doncaster, and it just shows the character of some of our youngsters and of the team.

“We made four or five changes, which Colin Calderwood was going to do that anyway. We made changes to mix it around because two games in three days is huge.”