Jonathan Redhead Striker Grant Holt says the fear of the manager's axe is driving every Norwich City player forward this season. Despite being the Canaries' skipper and bagging 10 goals already this campaign as City have enjoyed a fine recent run, Holt insists that manager Paul Lambert would have no problems dropping him - or anybody else - if they do not do as instructed.

Jonathan Redhead

Striker Grant Holt says the fear of the manager's axe is driving every Norwich City player forward this season.

Despite being the Canaries' skipper and bagging 10 goals already this campaign as City have enjoyed a fine recent run, Holt insists that manager Paul Lambert would have no problems dropping him - or anybody else - if they do not do as instructed.

And the powerful front man says the prospect of spending Saturday afternoons watching from the sidelines rather than playing keeps him on his toes as the team plot their way back up into the Championship.

He puts some of the reason for his own good form and that of the team down to the fear factor of being dropped by Lambert for not performing.

“He very much knows what he wants and he puts that across,” Holt said.

“He wants you to do it his way or you won't be involved. When someone gives you that and says it doesn't matter who you are if you don't play in that way, you'll be out of the team.

“Myself included. If I start doing things he doesn't like I'll be out of the team and I think that's the thing that drives you on.

“You know you're only one game, two games away from getting left out of the squad. And the ability we've got in the dressing room at his disposal you fear for not playing.

“Obviously he brought in his qualities and got a structure and got us playing the way he wants now in a way that suits us and the boys have reacted really well to him.

“He's brought an energy and presence around the ground.”

Holt has already achieved cult status among the fans in his short time at the club and has also been hailed as the club's new Iwan Roberts for his all-action, no-nonsense style.

And he admits he's happy to have the full backing of the City faithful.

“It's always nice,” he said.

“At the end of the day the fans are the people who pay your wages. Every week we go on the football field to win the game first of all and the second thing is to entertain.

“The fans have taken to me, I don't what it is, but they've seen something they like and hopefully I can keep it going and keep them happy.

“It's going well for myself. I think I'm doing things right.

“There are a few little things I'm not happy with which I'm trying to work on. People know I've got a bit of an ankle injury which has been ongoing but hopefully I'll get that sorted in the next week or so with an injection, so that'll take a bit of the edge away. But apart from that it's been going well and I've been enjoying it.

“Obviously I've got the ten goals but the team have been performing well which is the most important thing and if the team's doing well that helps me immensely.”

Holt might have viewed Sunday's FA Cup draw with trepidation after City were paired with non-league Paulton Rovers in the first round.

Last season, Holt was part of the Shrewsbury side knocked out by Blyth Spartans at the same stage last season.

But he believes City should be good enough to go the to the south west and get a positive result.

“When you go to a non-league ground it's always hard and the expectancy's on us to go and put in a good performance,” he said. “We've just got to overcome that and go there and play the game as if it's any other game, once we get on the pitch. There's no doubt that if we go on the pitch and perform the way we know that we can we should get the result.

“We're on a hiding to nothing really. If we go there and beat them 6-0, we should have won 6-0. If they get a win or a draw, we're going to get abused.

“That's why we've just got to grit our teeth go down, do the job right and get the result we're all after.”

However a good cup run will not provide much satisfaction for Holt who says City have their sights on just promotion this season and believes his side can do it.

“We know what we want and that's to get promoted,” he said.