Norwich’s Duffy Emphasizes Need to “Crack On” Following Losses

Shane Duffy, a Norwich City defender who has participated in 55 matches for the club since his arrival in the summer of 2023, called upon his teammates to swiftly assimilate lessons and “crack on again” after experiencing two consecutive away losses within a four-day period. The Canaries had been positioned merely one point shy of the play-off positions subsequent to an exciting 3-3 draw against Middlesbrough in their last home fixture. However, subsequent defeats against Cardiff City and Sheffield Wednesday have caused their standing in the Championship to fall to 12th place, though they remain only three points adrift of the top six. “I want us to be hurt about how we lost, not that we lost,” Duffy stated to BBC Radio Norfolk after the match held at Hillsborough. The Norwich squad is presently grappling with a series of injuries, mirroring a predicament they encountered during the corresponding period last season. Senior centre-forwards Ashley Barnes and Josh Sargent are once more counted among the players currently unavailable. Duffy remarked, “There are people who are not happy when they’re not playing, so this is a chance for them to step up, and that’s what football is all about.” He continued, “Everyone knows there’s going to be injuries at certain points of the season, unfortunately it’s key players, but it means opportunities for others – that’s what we have a squad for.” Duffy concluded by acknowledging, “The reality is that’s what it is going forward for a while, although we’ll get Kenny [McLean] back from suspension.” The Republic of Ireland international, Duffy, is currently serving as the team’s captain due to the unavailability of McLean, who received a red card late in the match against Middlesbrough. He further stated: “I’ve said ‘it’s a young, really talented squad but you’ve got to learn quick’, even senior players have to learn quick because every three, four days you go again.” He emphasized the nature of the league, adding, “In this league, confidence can go but you’ve got to forget about it, dust yourself off, don’t put yourself down too much, and crack on again.” Norwich is scheduled to return to Carrow Road, a venue where they have maintained an unbeaten league record for more than a year, this Saturday to compete against Bristol City. Head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup highlighted the performances of Duffy against Wednesday and recent acquisition Emiliano Marcondes as exemplary for the remainder of the team. The Danish coach commented, “The passion he puts into a performance, no matter where we play and no matter who it’s against, is impressive to see.” He added, “Emiliano has made a big impact for us, he’s really a fighter, but there’s a way to go for some of the others.” Thorup concluded by observing, “Some of the guys were not expecting to be playing from the start so early in the Championship – they do what they can, but at the moment it’s not good enough.”