Worthy doesnt care!

[Huckerbys right foot]

Nigel Worthington is determined to maintain his tunnel vision as Norwich City go searching for the points they need to clinch a place in the Premiership.

There were a couple of potential distractions for the City manager to deal with yesterday, with Sunderland now just eight points behind the leaders with a game in hand after their 2-1 win at Wimbledon – and Ipswich boss Joe Royle taking a fresh pop at his side.

But Worthington made it quite clear to the media that neither topic was on his agenda. No one was left in any doubt that he was concentrating all his attention on tomorrow evening's home clash with Wigan Athletic – and nothing else.

With Sunderland playing host to Sheffield United tomorrow afternoon City's advantage over their nearest challengers for an automatic promotion place could be down to just five points by the time they face the Latics in front of the Sky television cameras. But Worthington insists his players will have nothing to worry about providing they focus on their own jobs – and do them properly.

“Of course we're aware of the other results – of course we know where other people are,” he said.

“But I'm the manager of Norwich City, not Sunderland, and we know the job that we've got to do. It's all about us. We've just got to be strong and be focused on the job we've got to do. What other people do doesn't matter.

“We've just got to keep winning games, it's as simple as that. Other teams will win games, other teams will lose them – we've got to keep on winning.”

Worthington was also refusing to rise to the bait when quizzed about Royle's assertion that neither Norwich nor West Brom could play at the same level as Ipswich, currently 14 points adrift of the top two in ninth position.

“I've not read any comments by Joe Royle and I've not heard any comments by him. So I'm not irritated about it,” he said. “Whatever other people want to say, and what they think, is entirely up to them.

“We will focus on the job that we have got to do and let other people do the talking. Football is about opinions – it always has been and it always will be.

“We've got to be strong and focus on the job that we want to do, and are going to do – and then go on from there.

“We want to finish in the top two. Once a promotion position may be secured then – and only then – can we look at the title. But the number one priority at the moment is to finish in the top two.

“We have got to do it ourselves -we can't afford to rely on any other people.”

Long-term absentee Zema Abbey apart, Worthington will have a fully fit squad to chose from for the game against Wigan – and the manager was at pains to point out that that includes inspirational frontman Darren Huckerby.

Rumours that the striker had been carrying a rib injury for the past few weeks were repeated on Radio Norfolk last weekend, but Worthington insisted: “I don't know where that one came from. Darren is 100 per cent fine.”


What a manager keep his eye on 1 thing @ a time!