Norwich City boss Johannes Hoff Thorup has praised Sunderland ahead of the Black Cats’ trip to Carrow Road on Tuesday evening, suggesting that Regis Le Bris’ side are able to “compete with the best”.
Sunderland are currently in the hunt for a long-awaited promotion back to the Premier League, and look destined to finish in the play-off places after an impressive campaign that has far exceeded the initial expectations of many on Wearside. For their part, Norwich have hit a rough run of form in recent weeks, and after having won just one of their previous five league outings, now find themselves eight points adrift of the top six with just six matches left to play.
What did Norwich City boss Johannes Hoff Thorup say about Sunderland?
Turning his attention to Tuesday’s meeting with Sunderland, however, Thorup was quick to admit that he has been suitably impressed by what he has seen from the Black Cats this season, while also insisting that his side can take heart from a battling display in a 2-1 defeat at the Stadium of Light earlier in the season.
Speaking in a press conference, he said: “Well done to them, because they’ve done a great job. They’ve been up there since day one, so definitely something we can learn from. They’ve shown that they can go in a new direction, but it takes time. They can compete with the best. There were many positives [in the reverse fixture] that we can take into tomorrow’s game.”
Reflecting on the Canaries’ defeat to relegation-threatened Plymouth Argyle over the weekend, the head coach added: “After the game I do not say too much, whether we win or lose. That’s not the moment to dig into details, so we did that the day after. I was not satisfied with the goals we conceded. Some will say ‘get it fixed’, and we will do what we can to get it fixed. But it’s difficult to train, because there are many moments that lead to these situations.”
On simmering fan frustration with recent disappointments, he continued: “If I could say to you that we will win the Championship in three seasons’ time, but until then it will be up and down, would you take it? Sometimes when you change a lot, and we have done, it takes time for the players to get used to it. When I sit down with the owners, I fully believe that we will get there. But when you focus on the exact game that we play, I can understand it.”
What did Johannes Hoff Thorup say about Sunderland earlier in the season?
Speaking after the full-time whistle following his side’s defeat on Wearside back in December, Thorup said: “I think we have a team that can match them, without being disrespectful.
“Praise to them because they have been good, especially at home where they have a great record and bring intensity. We knew it would not be easy but I believe in my team and in a game where we can control it a little bit more, have more passes and stretch it a little bit more, which we did in the first half – we can compete.”
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