David Cuffley Norwich City will bid for their first double of the season against a shell-shocked Wycombe Wanderers side branded a "shambles" by their own manager after a disastrous Christmas.

David Cuffley

Norwich City will bid for their first double of the season against a shell-shocked Wycombe Wanderers side branded a “shambles” by their own manager after a disastrous Christmas.

Adams Park welcomes League One's top scorers on Saturday (3pm) with the hosts still reeling from a festive battering, beaten 4-0 at Yeovil on Boxing Day and 5-2 at home by Brighton on Monday.

Only bottom club Stockport have conceded more goals in the division than Wycombe, one place above them - hardly ideal preparations for taking on the Canaries, who reached the halfway stage of the league season with a total of 50 goals after their 2-0 win over Millwall on Saturday.

And as City boss Paul Lambert prepares for a return visit to the club he managed for two years, Chairboys boss Gary Waddock has slammed his players for “unacceptable” performances over the holiday weekend and promised changes.

Wycombe threw away a 2-1 interval lead against Brighton and conceded four goals in the second half.

“It was unacceptable”, said Waddock. “We got ourselves into a good position in the game and we fell apart. I will take the result because that is my job and my responsibilty, but the players also have to take responsibilty for their performances and their actions.

“Decisions will be made and it may upset one or two but I have been upset in one or two games so that is it.

“If you can't defend from crosses and are not brave enough in both boxes then you will be punished. The goals we conceded were comical and it was a shambles.

“Normally I look for positives but I can't take any from that game. The players have put in good performances at this level and picked up results but not consistently enough.

“In the situation we are in we need leaders and characters within the squad who will fight and scrap.

“We are too nice and we need to get nasty and I have got to make some decisions which will be difficult but that is my job.”

Wycombe were beaten 5-2 at Carrow Road in August in Lambert's first game in charge, since when Waddock has replaced Peter Taylor as manager. Despite his team's plight, he insists he will fight on.

He said: “I am a fighter and a winner and this result doesn't change what I am trying to achieve here. I have to make some tough decisions now and they are coming.

“All I can say is that I will work extremely hard to pull this around and I will not lay down and die.

“I spoke to the players before the game and I asked them to prove to me certain things and I have now got all the answers I needed.”

On Monday, Wanderers led through Jon-Paul Pittman before Glenn Murray equalised for Gus Poyet's Brighton. John Mousinho gave Wycombe a half-time lead before a disastrous second-half saw Murray net a further three times and Nicky Forster once.