Glenn Roeder has criticised those who, he claims, have tried to drive a wedge between himself and Darren Huckerby.Huckerby made his first league start of the year against Barnsley on Saturday, but it was his absence from last weekend's trip to Leicester which was a major talking point among fans and pundits alike, although Roeder clearly didn't take kindly to all of the observations.

Glenn Roeder has criticised those who, he claims, have tried to drive a wedge between himself and Darren Huckerby.

Huckerby made his first league start of the year against Barnsley on Saturday, but it was his absence from last weekend's trip to Leicester which was a major talking point among fans and pundits alike, although Roeder clearly didn't take kindly to all of the observations.

“Considering he hasn't played for a while I was very pleased with Hucks,” he said. “What I like about Hucks is he has a super attitude.

“What I don't like is the way people in and around the club have tried to say there is a problem between the two of us. He has gone out of his way to say there isn't. I have gone out of my way - although I don't feel I have to go out of my way - to say there isn't.

“And yet these nasty, irritating people that try and cause confrontation between myself and a player, between myself and supporters, are just bad people.

“They are people who will never manage a football club, they have little idea of managing a football club and yet they have a voice that reaches our supporters. Me and Huckerby get on very well. I don't have favourites, I don't do favourites. I pick the best team and at the end of the day it is my call.

“It is easy being a manager when you are one of 25,000 sitting in the stand or if you are an ex-player who is now working for the media who will never manage anything better than an under-10 team, thinking he knows best - and you know what I'm talking about, and I will deal with that, trust me. I'm a nice bloke, but not always.”

Roeder's comments are believed to refer to BBC Radio Norfolk summariser and Pink Un columnist Neil Adams, the former City midfielder who is a coach within the club's youth set-up.

Adams yesterday said he stood by comments he made this week when he said he would play Huckerby - but that Roeder's record in leading City out of the relegation zone could not be argued with.

“It is not me saying that he should have played - because results show that the manager has got it right,” said Adams. “I am a big fan of Huckerby's, but it's results that count and it's results that the manager has got.”