Daniel Farke needs one of his Norwich City players to step up and show a “cutting edge” in front of goal.

The Canaries’ head coach shuffled his attacking options totally during Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat to Everton behind closed doors at Carrow Road, keeping his team on just four goals from 11 Premier League games during 2020 - two of which were penalties.

“Quite often this effectiveness has to do with the quality of the team, quality of the players,” Farke explained. “When you speak about the top teams, for example Liverpool, we played them at home and we were unbelievably solid, they were struggling to create chances.

“Then there was one moment of magic from Sadio Mane, out of nothing he was able to create a chance and score a goal, this is the difference. We’re lacking this a little bit, we know this.

“We were the better side in the first half, we didn’t allow them to have any chances. We had good situations, set-piece situations, Onel Hernandez attacking the box, we hit the post, good shooting situations, with Lukas Rupp for example. Sadly we didn’t have this cutting edge to go in the lead because this is always crucial on this level. We have shown this against Bournemouth and Leicester, that once we go in the lead we have a great chance to win all three points.”

A fifth defeat in six league games – either side of football’s three-month suspension – leaves City six points from safety with seven games remaining and facing up to an immediate return to the Championship.

Farke was pleased with some parts of his team’s latest performance though, after an abject 3-0 defeat to Southampton last Friday.

“Everton were able to prove their effectiveness because out of their second corner they were able to score,” he continued. “Michael Keane is one of the best headers of the ball in the league. This was the difference.

“I can’t ask for more in terms of commitment, work load, tactical discipline and also how we wanted to develop this game was also tactically a really good game and a really good performance - but we lacked a bit to be there with this quality to score the first goal.

“This is a bit the story of the whole season and especially the story of the game.”